Underrated Akali...

Elindiir·Dec 4, 2015·1 votes·700 views

For a long time, I had thought that Akali was a weak champ, mainly because that's what everyone says and I don't see her often. However, recently, I played with an Akali on my team and she dominated, destroying EVERYONE EVERYWHERE... And then I tried her out, and bought her outright and started doing quite well!

While I can see the issue of almost everyone in midlane being able to bully her pre-6 and that she has little for disengage.... However, she has a surprising amount of versatility and has a strong tendency to snowball whether she does well in laning or not...

Also, I find that her being in the jungle negates a lot of her early problems and she is still a solid ganker.

13 Comments

PapaGreg21Dec 4, 20155 votes

If I saw an Akali jungling, I would counterjungle her so hard that it would take her 15 minutes to get to 6.

ElindiirDec 4, 20151 votes

LOL because of her ganks?

PapaGreg21Dec 4, 20154 votes

{quoted}

LOL because of her ganks?

Mainly because she would be at 10% health after 2 camps and would take one autoattack to get a free first blood. Then I would sit in her jungle and just deny her farm and grow my lead until she got so far behind I wouldn't have to bother with her anymore. Let's just say you probably don't want to pick Akali jungle with a Shyvana or Lee Sin on the other side. It could be fine with Rammus or Sejuani or some other tank that can barely kill their own jungle.

ElindiirDec 4, 20151 votes

It depends on the path taken, I generally start Red and then I can do Raptors and Krugs with little worry (before backing). If I start on blue side, then I have a lot to worry about because Akali has little use for Blue and the Wolves are sturdier than Raptors and therefore less prone to E-spamming. On another note, MOST junglers nowadays have a lot to worry from Lee Sin invades. But other than him, Shaco, Evelynn, and the rare but horrifying Teemo, I rarely see people invade jungle so early in. Most like to have a couple of levels before invading from what I've seen.

Mr Broken WingsDec 4, 20152 votes

I wouldnt play her in the jungle, no jungle item is really worth on akali . Her laning is pretty bad but she is one of the better assasins right now ( because every other assasin got dumbstered except talon). Its a sad day when akali with the nerf of the q and e interaction SOMEHOW gets viable and is one of the better picks of her class, just shows how bad the current state of balance is. Meanwhile "juggernauts" ( riots new word for balls of stats champion) can go fulltank and deal the most damage in every game, riot really knows how to make their game enjoyable!

ElindiirDec 4, 20151 votes

A good point on the items aspect... I never can really decide whether to run runeglaive and accept that I'm weaker than lane Akali, or run devourer and accept that I won't be able to steamroll early on. Then there's the whole issue of blue smite or red smite... blue smite is kinda pointless once you have gunblade....

EDIT: On the plus note, she has a better camp clear than a lot of junglers (Notably current Evelynn) and is seemingly* on par with Diana who she is best compared to (as she is similar in methods as an AP assassin with her gap closer as an ult) but Akali can gank more effectively because Akali isn't skillshot dependent when going in. What I see is that Diana's main advantage over Akali is that Diana can displace certain champions that cannot move while ulting (Katerina). Other than that, they both have slow effects, both have activated survivability (Akali's spell vamp and Diana's shield) and both don't have a gapcloser until Lv6, and the gapcloser hops to the enemy, making it only an initiate and not an escape. Both also use a Q-R-auto combo to initiate.

Also, I started playing her after this nerf so I lack the bias of the comparison of what she used to be.... Though I see that her E's primary use is on the sustain method of fighting as a major source of health (since her spell vamp scales off of AD and the E scales from AD and the E has an insane CD)

Sona PingDec 4, 20152 votes

Champions that get ahead do a lot of damage. Akali with the dashes makes getting into position to do a lot of damage a bit easier than others; that's what you were seeing there.

"Akali Jungle" http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwn7hvQ1EG1qdlkgg.gif

LadyRenlyDec 4, 20152 votes

what would you do with akali? gunblade into rageblade?

ElindiirDec 4, 20151 votes

Rageblade DOES have use on Akali, but not always is the best. Generally Akali runs Gunblade and Lichbane as her Q needs an auto to make use anyway, and spellblades are a standard on any champ that uses a gapcloser to initiate. After that, you can build almost anything and make it work (except mana... and attack speed isn't THAT important.)

GigahappytownDec 4, 20151 votes

AKalis getting a rework so who cares most binary champ completely overwhelming if strong and deadweight if not

also half her kit is literally useless.

ElindiirDec 4, 20151 votes

In a 1v1 'jump in and rip target carry apart', her E has no use, but it is one of the fastest ways of getting health back in late game and is a good way to get CS and jungle camps early.

EDIT: I also find that she recovers after a bad start a lot better than a lot of champs I've played... Particularly Ahri and Diana (though Veigar on the other hand snowballs late no matter what)

MorrtaniusDec 4, 20151 votes

Akali is not underrated. She is completely loathed and hated by anyone having to play against her due to her sheer "ball of stats" point&click nature, while anyone getting carried by this champ will feel their dignity slowly evaporate.

ElindiirDec 4, 20151 votes

I can see that... Though usually I'm laughed at for playing her and starting slow... and then what you say happens and the Jax starts raging at me for kill stealing despite the fact that the champ would have gotten away and has over half health...