Cassiopeia was better than Ryze before with multiple slows, hard CC and way higher point and click DPS, as well as being almost equally tanky to magical damage and only a little less tanky to physical. Her numbers are off the charts. Yet Ryze got gutted and Cassiopeia didn't.
TheUltimateSpear1 votesI don't really like new Cassiopeia's emphasis as a DPS machine, but I may be able to answer you. For one, despite her strengths, Ryze was better and more problematic than Cassiopeia top lane. While they're both mages, she's a LOT squishier than he is, and his build makes him more durable still. This means he was less vulnerable to bruisers getting in his face. And, Cassiopeia's all skillshots. If she whiffs she's extremely vulnerable. Yeah, her E's point and click, but it won't do anything if she doesn't land her Q or W first. Ryze, on the other hand, didn't have to worry about that due to all his spells being point and click.
While they may both be DPS mages, they play very differently, or at least they used to. Cassiopeia tries to kite her opponents around until they die. Ryze likes to rush in and beat down his opponents until they die. She's a backliner, he's a frontliner, or at least he CAN be.
Riot nerfed Ryze and reworked him because he was "too oppressive" top lane. Sure, Cassiopeia crapped on top lane in patch 4.21, but they overbuffed her; she crapped on everything. When they nerfed her, she's since been mostly mid because that's her strongest lane. Ryze would always be a problem top with his old kit if it were to ever become strong because he just so happened to have the tools to beat the shit out of bruisers and tanks: one of the** tankiest mages**, could be built tankier still due to mana scaling, and consistent, **reliable **damage. And his main weakness of short range didn't matter when he's up against melees top lane.
The bold words indicate things Ryze had that Cassiopeia doesn't, and those things in particular caused him to be gutted because they allowed him to crap on top lane.
For general advantages Ryze has over Cassiopeia regardless of lane, he's once again tanky, has reliable damage, a hard CC on a non-ultimate ability, and he was and is easier to play.
In any case, if his rework left him in a weak spot, which I can't say as I haven't played it, I'm sure they'll buff him accordingly.
BluePolarizer1 votesSnare is not hard CC. It doesn't break channels and doesn't stop autos which is huge.
TheUltimateSpear1 votesSnare is not hard CC. It doesn't break channels and doesn't stop autos which is huge.
Okay, you're right about that. It IS harder than a slow, though, which is all Cassi has without her ult considered, and her ultimate has a 2 second delay.