Observations from 40+ games in ARAM since change

Sorry, I know this is long, but this is what I have seen over the past week. Please add your own ideas from your experiences as well.

There is one advantage of getting injured and not being able to get up and get around the house, lots of time to play League. Over this week I put in over 40 games on the new ARAM (have over 3000 games ARAM games total) and played it before it was an official mode, so I am speaking from my experiences, and expect disagreement from other experiences. Since I had the opportunity to play so many rounds, I figured I would make a thread from what I have experienced in hopes that Riot will actually read, even though they probably won't.

At first, I was actually really excited. ARAM has really gotten very little attention and some things were becoming a problem. The overall damage in the game has kept crawling up which has made poke champs in ARAM very strong (although I would still take a rounded comp with good engage over any poke team). When I saw the post on the changes I actually initially agreed with all of it except the bans. After 40+ games I have changed my mind on some of my initial thoughts.

Observations:

1. Nerfs and Buffs: The nerfs were well needed, but need some serious adjustment. It clearly hit some champs worse than others, and just made a new group of OP champs, not a balanced play. Sona and Ziggs were the top 2 champs by a long shot (at times pushing 70% win rates). They are still in the top, but no longer the sole champs, and their win rates dropped down to 60%. So while not all the way balanced, it did improve some. I think they stayed at top because what makes them so broken wasn't touched (Sona's team buffs, and Ziggs tower take down). Some ranged champs with low mobility or escape got really roughed up. Damage was reduced too much with the double nerf. The ranged nerf should just be applied to individual champs that are OP, not too all ranged. Global nerfs turn some struggling champs even more irrelevant in ARAM. Some champs all they had was ranged damage, because they become useless if a champ gets in their face. Take away their damage, and they are pointless. Some champs do very well in a close, but not melee range, and are not being hurt so bad by the nerfs (most adcs) and certain closer range casters. At this point the ultimate winners of the nerf/buff were hard engage melee and ADCs, and some tanks (mostly ones with good engage). While poke needed to be toned down, the double nerf was too strong for many champs and we are moving to what has been a problem in SR for the past 2 seasons in that a few all in AD champs and ADCs are carrying everything. So all we got was new overlords in ARAM.

2. Minion Speed and Towers: I liked this initially, because I often don't have time for long drawn out matches. Unfortunately, the way it is working is really unhealthy and makes the game far too easy to flip. One wipe in a tough fought longer game and it all ends. Overall I havn't noticed any change in game length. I looked over the games and I still seem to have about the same breakdown of game lengths, but the wins at times have left a sour taste in my mouth. I have lost and won some games that really were not won fairly. I had multiple games where my team as a whole was not doing well (and not just because their champs, we were playing really bad). The game lasts 15 mins and we are down to just nexus, and we get one wipe and march it through all of their towers. If your team got beat, and you were the only 1 or 2 left, you used to be able to delay and hold out until your team could spawn. That really isn't even an option now. The faster moving minions I think works, but not how fast the turrets die. This is compounded if they have a ziggs (when there are so few turrets in the game that are so weak, his tower detonate is just too strong). Some of my favorite games are when both teams are fighting hard and its pretty even and it goes back and forth. When one of the team finally wins both teams feel pretty good. What makes that really not feel good is when that time of game is going on, and then a bad mechanic ends the game, or you win, when you know you really shouldn't have.

3. Blind Bans: I did not like seeing that bans would be added to ARAM. All Random All Mid. It is already not all random with rerolls and a bench, but that actually made the game a bit less silly and a chance for people to have more fair comps than before (although it still doesn't stop people from self picking the worst comps ever, but then at least it is self inflicted). After playing this last week I really feel even stronger that the bans need to be removed. The bans might make some sense if you were to get your champs, and then could ban based on your counters and if you banned someones random champ, then they would be rerolled. Banning before you even see your comp or champs just mean some really fun champs are being removed from the pool automatically. Why are those champs being removed so frequently with bans? because they are too strong? Wait, I though that is what the nerfs were for. If the nerfs are done well, there is no need for a blind ban. The only reason to have these blind bans is if Riot is basically saying they can't be bothered to balance out individual champs. You don't need to ban Sona, just reduce the effectiveness of her shield and damage boost (not just the heals). Then you don't need to ban her. Also, if you have blind bans, it also just removes the top power so that a new one can fill it in. It is the simple idea of a power vacuum. Without the top poke champs there to counter certain champs (hard engage tanks, adcs, and maybe some others) a new class will be the new obnoxious top tier. Since poke does pretty bad damage right now, long range casters can't take out tanks. The only champ that can do that effectively right now is ADCs. If your team does not roll an ADC, you are screwed. I do not think that ADCs are the new power (although many of them jumped into the upper tiers), I actually see tanks and dive champs as the new power, unless the other team has an ADC. With blind bans, certain counters are just not available. I feel like it is like having a piece of the food chain removed and now things are getting all out of whack

4. New Additions: Mariner's Vengeance, Ghost Walkers, and Backtrack. Initially I really didn't like seeing these items come back or be added. After playing, I actually like them all, and I think they will help answer the problem of strong poke champs keeping teams out of range (which is also another reason the bans are not needed). Mariner's allows champs that struggled to get past the front line to stop the pokers. Some champs that were near worthless suddenly can do much better, but there is a cost (you still die no matter what). You can go in and get that pesky back row, but your team still loses you to the rest of the fight. There are still multiple counters that keep it from being too strong. Ghost Walkers are a lot of fun, but they do need one serious change; the wall walking needs to have some sort of visual cue. Either an exit point marker or still very visible in wall. They would still be a strong play, but would not be so cheesy. I admit I have abused them horribly, especially when combined with the new summoner spell. That brings us to backtrack. What an annoyingly fun skill. It is nice to finally see more than snowball and flash as then main go-to options with ignite being the one really annoying lingering option. Backtrack makes for some very interactive play, but at high risk as the shield is not overpowered. I feel like all of these items allow for some creative fun (at times annoying) play. Some champs that were bottom tier have more options.

CONCLUSIONS: A. Keep tweaking the nerfs, they are working but far from perfect. B. Remove the universal ranged nerf in favor of specific champ tweaks. C. Keep the faster minions, but don't makes towers so easy to destroy. D. Remove the blind bans and actually rely on champ specific adjustments to reduce the problematic champs. E. Keep the new items for ARAM, but some tweaking is needed to make sure they cannot be overly abused.