Feedback/Suggestions on Smite for healthier options
I saw the PBE note changes for Ranger's Trailblazer and Skirmisher's Saber and thought I'd throw in my two cents into the discussion on Smite.
There is the commonly shared thought on Ranger's Trailblazer being considerably stronger for junglers than other smite choices. Rather than nerfing the CD on Ranger's Trailblazer, I think a different direction should be taken to make the other smites more attractive. For the smites that target champions, with how important smite is in the new jungle (gaining xp, clear speed, and camp buffs) it is too punishing to choose to not use smite in the jungle just so you can use Chilling Smite to gank. In the meantime, an opponent jungler would clear faster and be stronger and be able to gank faster by having Ranger's. This could be addressed by the following change:
Champion targeted smites are now Item Actives for the machete upgrade with a separate Cooldown, which if used not only puts the item on Cooldown, but increases the Cooldown of Smite.
With this change, the gank orientated Chilling Smite now becomes usable, because now a jungler can use smite on camps to try to not be too punished in the jungle, be able to gank with reasonable speed, but then when ganking, are THEN faced with the choice on rather to use Smite or not. If they use it, additional Cooldown is added to their smite, so they still pay a cost to when they go back to the jungle. This change will also give Riot another dimension to balance smites, maybe the use of Challenging Smite will increase the cooldown of Smite by 70 seconds, while the use of Chilling Smite will increase the cooldown of Smite by 40 seconds. So let Ranger's keep the 15 sec cooldown reduction, it should be the Premier jungle speed item, just make the other smites less prohibitive.
In regards to the change with Skirmisher's Saber, to reduce the cooldown from 6 seconds down to 3 seconds, I think this is the wrong nerf to give to the item. It will still be strong in the hands of a Master Yi, Warwick, or Fiora, it more just makes the item far weaker for other champions. When I first saw Skirmisher's Sabre, I thought it would be intended to be used for the invading jungler, but more importantly for the weaker jungler to have to defend himself against a stronger jungler invade. The reduced damage and true damage on hit helps even the playing field when facing off with a shaco, lee sin, or khazix with their sights on you if jungling Rammus or Hecarim. And also the item strengthens the invaders as well, so it can be an attractive choice for this purpose and I think this was the intent of Riot. However due to the current limitation stated earlier about champion targeted smites, this isn't the case. If I'm holding onto Smite to defend myself against an invade, I'm actively paying the price by not using smite in the jungle, once again my suggestion above would address this. There are three other unhealthy areas I think exist around Challenging Smite, the affect it has on trades and all-ins in top lane (top lane warwick with smite), its somewhat overwhelming strength in ganks, and its strength as a mini exhaust in teamfights. These problems can be addressed, while keeping the strength of the smite I discussed above by, instead of the current nerf in PBE, to do the following:
The duration of Challenging Smites buffs are reduced each time the user takes damage by minions or champions which were not the target of the Smite.
This would really strengthen the identity of Challenging Smite as the dueling/invade/defend against an invade smite choice. It opens up choices for the opponents to react to a challenging smite, if Yi smites the ADC in the bottom lane and comes in for a gank, the supports damage will help keep the ADC alive and then the ADC can fight back, in the top lane, Warwick can not just blindly chase through minion waves against a Challenging Smitten opponent, in Team Fights, Challenging Smite is weakened. However caught alone against a jungler with a Challenging Smite, then you are in trouble, which is what I think it should be, let Chilling Smite be the premier gank tool, let Challenging Smite be the dueling/invade/defend against an invade smite choice.
A somewhat long post, but hopefully some ideas which are constructive and useful.