With the removal of Tracker's Knife...

Soraka is SO HOT·2/27/2018, 2:13:45 PM·9 votes·1,134 views

I wonder if it may be viable to increase the cap on the number of stealth wards placed per player from 3 to 4.

The current unique active effect of the upgraded item 3401 item 3069 and item 3092 is as follows: https://i.imgur.com/Odhf1Bu.png[/img]


Without Tracker's Knife, it seems that the job of providing vision has just been exclusively assigned to the Support. That is to say, the only player on a team currently itemizing for the purpose of granting vision is the Support.

Yes - everyone on the team has access to item 3340 item 3363 item 2055 for creating vision. However, we generally see less item 2055 from mid-late game as item slots are filled with beloved stat-supplying items. The later stages of the game will see less item 3340 and more item 3341 or item 3364 for the purpose of clearing vision.

The Support is the only player who has an item which has the prerequisite of completing a quest so that the Sightstone unique active can be acquired.


There are multiple potential benefits in increasing Sighstone's ward cap per player from 3 to 4:

  1. Increased Agency - the Support is no longer constrained by the bindings of a ward placement maximum that is lesser than the full bag of wards. This provides freedom in warding and more opportunities for decisively placed vision.
  2. Decreased Sacrificial Warding - this removes the scenarios in which one has to choose whether to ward a new area at the cost of the death of a previously placed ward (while on the same bag of wards - not including after basing and refilling). While decision-making is important to the game, this is an artificial and oppressive constraint rather than an enriching process of choice.
  3. Responsibility & Power - Overall, the Support is forced to assume the main role of providing vision, and we need to provide them with the power to accomplish their goals.

I hope this can spark some good discussion regarding the current state of vision in the game.

https://i.imgur.com/9E7jAdK.gif[/img]

18 Comments

meowwow72/27/2018, 5:02:24 PM5 votes

and this is why zombie wards at this point are a necessity but on a side note how many people do you actually see buying item 2055 outside of that time we had a quest to place 3 in a game?

AMYS GRAVE2/27/2018, 4:55:03 PM4 votes

That would put more of the warding burden on supports, because there isn't anyone else who can reliably get three wards out, let alone 4.

Pika Fox2/27/2018, 6:15:41 PM3 votes

As a support main; No. This only affects supports, and seriously, stop making warding support's job. Its boring as shit, and some of the worst gameplay in LoL when its forced 100% onto one single role.

Not to mention all the t3 support upgrades are all essentially garbage now.

Azadethe2/27/2018, 7:01:37 PM3 votes

Tbh, just because the support items are throttled does NOT mean you can't use them. I religiously still use item 3092 on champs like Morgana , because quite frankly, it's a strong overall item, and once I have T3, I can play any role and have wards, because T3 doesn't punish. It's a little gold, but it's 35g,extra damage, and fast recharge on T3.

I still use item 3069 on Top lanes where direct farming is tough, because quite frankly, most tops have high HP regen base, so the Regen is high, it offers laning staying power, HP, and some move speed. So far just today I played Ornn top twice, and once was vs Fiora and once was vs Darius ; Both technically counter Ornn. Instead of facing them front on, my first items were item 3069 and item 3107 . Regen lane is powerful on tanks like this, so I just passive farmed until i saw a place where I could gank mid, or where I had a good jungler who could come top and guarantee a kill on these guys. Both games I ended 8 KDA.

Don't think of them as just support items. Think of them as counterplay alternatives for all roles other than perhaps ADC, especially if you are a tank or a mage. They have a downside early game, but pound for pound the existing attributes even when you are NOT gaining charges on these items, is generally worth the cost over the duration of a game (even in 8.6 when they become even more crap)

Somtimes I'd rather have item 3092 than spend the game buying 9-10 Control wards anywho. Controls are more likely to be taken down within 2 minutes of placement, so having 4 wards in bay on a damage item is neat (this item also allows laners to Zombie ward prolifically.

(I generally complete Support quest items around 7:14 - 8:24. When I use them on a lane, it's about 11:24-13:00. Still worth imo vs late game ward starvation when chasing too many objectives)

yoshi27902/28/2018, 12:23:59 PM3 votes

I am a simple man, I see Meliodas, I upvote ^__^

Jokes aside, well thought out post! I think they should definitely test it on the PBE.

Anomander2/27/2018, 7:04:13 PM2 votes

The whole point of limiting the number of wards per player was so that the entire burden of vision was not thrown upon just the shoulders of the support. Removal of trackers knife doesn't affect this reasoning at all.

Mob Piru2/27/2018, 2:16:05 PM1 votes

i feel like some assassins should take sweeping red Rengar Khazix Kayn