Azir Rework feels kinda.... off?

So I playtested the new Azir mini rework in the PBE and tested his kit/damage output/numbers in a normal game. While it may take some times to adapt I can at least conclude the following:

• the "base idea" of his kit is kinda gone now. He is no longer an emperor giving orders from afar, letting the soldiers do his work for him, now he has to get in up close to deal damage/activate all his kit power

• combined with the above, this poses the biggest "nerf" to him: he now HAS to get in up close and personal. Azir is not really tanky by base stats and forcing him to go tanky kinda negates the entire fun of playing Azir AP and chunking people from afar. The main core problem of Azir is and seems to still be: his soldiers. People can play around them easily. Azir`s damage output doenst seem to yet justify the play and tactic he has to use in order to maximize their damage output. You have to command 1+ soldiers and still watch map while coordinating your own movement at the same time while the enemy f.e. Zed, just has to combo you down. The AS buff he got is nice indeed, still you only "feel it" late game (if you manage to get that far in League of Early Game). If you max your W first, you lose on your outplay potential, shield, slows and reposition while if you max Q or E first, you lose the actual damage output of his kit and the AS buff.

I am not sure if it is only me, since I am not an Azir main, yet like to play him, but I think his W AS passive should be reverted back to his Champion Passive/or Q/E. People in late game are too beefed up to even stand a chance for Azir to get his attacks out before being perma CCed from 2+ people because he basically dived into them. Azir needs to be able to not lose potential power on his soldier attacks if he is not mainly focusing on maxing his W ability, which by standard doesnt even offer that much except the soldier "ranged" (after the range nerf that is kinda questionable) attacks.

Either that or attacks on the same target damage should be upped up a little