After trying out the new Marksman item changes, here are my thoughts and concerns
First off..
Stormrazor
+65 Attack Damage +25% Attack Speed
UNIQUE Passive: If you haven't attacked in the last 2.5 seconds, your next basic attack will critically strike. UNIQUE Passive: When you critically strike, gain 25% attack speed and 8% movement speed for 1.5 seconds.
So I feel that this item will be bought as a first item for most Critical Strike Marksman, in addition I can potentially also see some Assassins making a use of this when they unexpectedly jump at someone and they automatically Critically Strike (Zed, Kha'Zix, Rengar)
This item has potential but it feels too clunky to use it right in my opinion since you have to precisely wait 2.5 seconds and then attack again to proc the passive. In addition I kind of like the passive since it helps to kite (when escaping for example) better instead of just granting bonus damage or something.
Infinity Edge
Total Cost: 3700g
Attack Damage increased from 70 to 80 [Removed] No longer increases critical strike damage. [New Effect] UNIQUE Passive: Doubles your critical strike chance. [New Effect] UNIQUE Passive: 20% of critical strike damage is converted to true damage.
I really find that Riot solved the issue of IE being rushed first really well, since now it grants no Critical Strike and the passives of the item are useless unless you have some form of Critical Strike Chance already.
The thing that I have mixed feelings about is the fact that IE gives the two following things:
- 20% of the Critical Strike damage as True Damage.
- Grants double Critical Strike Chance (basically Yasuo passive, as others have said so).
Essence Reaver
Total Cost: 3200g
Cooldown Reduction increased from 10% to 20% [Removed] No longer grants critical strike chance [Removed] No longer grants additional CDR based on critical strike chance. [Changed Effect] Mana refund reworked: Now grants 1% of missing mana on hit. [New Effect] UNIQUE Passive: For 8 seconds after your ultimate, gain 30% attack speed, and basic attacks refund 20% of your remaining non-ultimate cooldowns (30 second cooldown).
I really loved this change of all items in particular, since it allows Marksman to make use of their abilities instead of always having to rely on their basic attacks. Now the other thing about this is that, this item will be really abused by every AD champion.
The problem with the Essence Reaver change is that it doesn't feel targetted towards Marksman in particular (Even if you need to basic attack a lot) since I can see Jax, Fiora, Master Yi and any other champion like them abusing this. As for the actual passive that this item gives is a bit too strong on some champions who have a low cooldown ultimate ability and rely on their abilities more to deal damage (Ezreal, Varus, Kai'Sa). There were more that could work potentially like Miss Fortune and Lucian but since their Ultimate ability duration is quite lengthy they won't have enough time to basic attack to make use of the full effect.
Overall summary
- Tanks are going to be drastically weaker due to Last Whisper changes and IE now giving everyone True Damage who builds it.
- Fighters and Assassin's buffed by the item changes (as some can use them now).
- Some marksman stronger but majority are weaker now.
