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A trend I've noticed with Champions as of late

Ironclad Dragon··31 votes·2,777 views

They break previously-conceived, "set-in-stone" notions of how gameplay works, and that fills me with a sort of wonder and confidence. I always want to see what's around the next corner. Say what you will of their respective balance, they are breaking ground. These ideas might've been labeled off as "improbable" or been ridiculed before their respective releases; you can at least respect that, even if you think they're unbalanced.

Illaoi Tentacles and or tool for a juggernaut to reliably combat flighty opponents. Kindred An Innate Ability that can be activated at the click of a button instead of it just "always working". TahmKench Grey health from Fighting Genre and or set a new precedent for powerful single target lock-downs as basic abilities. Bard Allows Champions to bypass terrain. RekSai Tunnel system and Tremor Sense. Kalista Can dash on basic attacks. Azir Can raise albeit temporary full blown turrets. Gnar Has an "uncontrollable" resource. Braum Allows teammates to apply crowd control they might not otherwise have access to.

33 Comments

Blue Moon Wolf14 votes

Honestly I think that's how it's been since the first champ that didn't rely on mana was released. Every season Riot tries to take the basic rules for what a champ consists of and bend them to try and make a champ that behaves unlike any other. The only difference is that they have gotten more creative with how these changes work, so it isn't all "resorceless kit" this or "gets bonus stats based on X" that.

HayRoss1 votes

Who was the first champion to not rely on mana? Garen?

Blue Moon Wolf1 votes

I think so. It was either him or Kat. Wasn't here for the first season, but I remember seeing really early league stuff before I started playing that had Garen in it.

kaltenashes4 votes

katarina i believe, she was one of the 40 champs when the game was released

bobbery52 votes

And don't forget about the first champ released after the original 40, Singed who requires you to pretty much play the game backwards.

Ionian9 votes

Idk I miss when champion kits were simple yet effective Ahri

Surfer Ashe3 votes

[{quoted}](name=If Ahri Was Real,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=uNveIUhy,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2015-12-22T10:24:27.454+0000)

Idk I miss when champion kits were simple yet effective Ahri

Bard is quite simple.

TanzLeona9 votes

the hard part about Bard is decision making

chipndip12 votes

{quoted}

the hard part about League of Legends is decision making

You spelled the game's name wrong.

SHlTBUG1 votes

[{quoted}](name=If Ahri Was Real,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=uNveIUhy,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2015-12-22T10:24:27.454+0000)

Idk I miss when champion kits were simple yet effective Ahri

I feel you. Fizz

NEVER FORGET PATCH 5.2

Ionian2 votes

Terrible patch, it was an absolute struggle to pick Ahri, mirrors all day, and flamed for playing a "noob champ".

It Hertz When IP1 votes

Me too. I mean, what's wrong with simple, easily understood and used kits? You'd think all the fans of reflex-based gameplay would appreciate them.

Snake Town1 votes

Eh there are already so many simple champs, I want to see how crazy rito is willing to go

morris17 votes

KogMaw Attack speed? Poppy RIP mobility creep. Graves His autos don't belong to this game. Gangplank "Resource" and 3 "items" exclusive to him.

Yeah, it's nice to go out of your box of simple champions sometimes, but having 5 or more new champions in a single game is known to give you massive headaches.

Nyxceris1 votes

Make Graves auto an ability maybe, where the shells can store up on cd when not in use like Zyra seeds

DeathBurst5 votes

You miss the point... It WAS an ability, BEFORE. They made it into his auto to increase the importance of them.

Quepha6 votes

As of late? You realize your list stopped right before Yasuo, the champ with a dash with ZERO cooldown, two passives, an aoe skillshot that counted as a melee attack and applied on hits and OH YEAH THE WALL. Go back one more and you have a champ with two attack ranges, one of which applies the largest AS steroid in the game at no cost or cooldown, and the longer range giving aoe attacks. Go back one more and a champ with one of the weirdest ultimates in the game. Go back a few more and you get Thresh, who has a pull/gapcloser combined with AN ABILITY THAT LETS YOU PULL ALLIED CHAMPIONS TO YOU.

At that point we are in January 2013, almost 3 full years ago, not far from the game's halfway point.

People have been saying this forever and lack the hindsight to realize it has always been like this. The point of designing champions is to add something new to the game, if the champion doesn't offer anything not seen before then it would be a waste of time for the designers and the players.

Quepha5 votes

Another thing to consider: Imagine Kayle Kayle, one of the oldest champions in the game, had only just been released today.

Here's a champion that builds like a carry, has utility skills like a support, switches between being melee and ranged, and her ultimate makes ANY champion on her side COMPLETELY IMMUNE TO DAMAGE WITHOUT RESTRICTING THEM. There is NOTHING like Kayle's ultimate in the game. Sure, there's Trynd's ult but that's self only and when he comes out he's at like 1 hp, there's Zhonya's and Bard but those also freeze the champ in place and prevent casting spells and stuff, Kayle allows a melee adc to sit in the middle of the enemy team and beat on them with NOTHING they can do about it (except cc). People would be calling Riot mad for introducing this to the game.

Demon at Sword2 votes

Illaoi Is OP and broken :P expecially that spiritual trial or how it is called, then tentacles are everywhere, even on your spawn and turret or obelisk ignores them.

kaltenashes10 votes

when will people realize that she's a heimer with tentacles and learn to play around it, dont get close to heimer when his turrets are alive, dont get close to illaoi when her tentacles are up... illaoi is strong face to face, and she should be, but she cant reach a champ that kites her, she has no gap close whatsoever

It Hertz When IP1 votes

Heim's turrets can be regenerated with his passive and early game survive more than two AAs. Also, Heim can control where his turrets appear and doesn't need to use an ability to choose who they prioritize as targets.

kaltenashes1 votes

...strategically the way to fight her is first making sure she doesnt have any tentacles nearby (just like heim) before you go all in dodging her q and running away when she ults is how you win the fight

Troy2426212 votes

{quoted}

when will people realize that she's a heimer with tentacles and learn to play around it, dont get close to heimer when his turrets are alive, dont get close to illaoi when her tentacles are up... illaoi is strong face to face, and she should be, but she cant reach a champ that kites her, she has no gap close whatsoever

When will people realize the reason the complaints exist isn't because she's OP, but rather because playing her minigames isn't fun,...

bobbery51 votes

Just like Fiora 's ult minigame?

manliestdino1 votes

Nah, Fiora's minigame actually makes it a thing you play around and tells you when you can safely go in or back off.

originary912 votes

Riot stole Kha-Zhix's Evolution powers. RIP.

AMYS GRAVE2 votes

They ask themselves if they can do a thing, but not always if they should do a thing.

MunchCrunchLunch2 votes

more like they are breaking the game

Full Brain1 votes

They need to be more aware of what it does to balance and stop creating op characters with unfair mechanics as a money grab. They aren't using power tradeoffs consistently at all. You can make new and exciting mechanics without making them absurdly powerful.

Ralanr1 votes

It's why I love new champ releases or reworks. A new mechanic to learn and adapt. Maybe one that I might naturally work with.

Pantheon's passive is still one of my favorites. There is nothing else that does what it does (Jax can't dodge tower shots).

Zerolera1 votes

Riot is in it's teenage years. They want every champion to be different and unique. Give them a few years they'll get out of this.

Outfield1 votes

Quite frankly how do you keep a game that is rinse and repeat everytime...by changing the balancing and introducing new mechanics. It brings people back ..over and over but its not really evolving things just swinging the game to be played differently. Kinda like if you changed how chess peices moved every six months....keeps it interesting

Only Play Darius1 votes

Kalista's passive never should have been made

And Gnar's "uncontrollable" resource doesn't matter much anyway since he is still resourceless and has ways to work around his weaknesses in both forms

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