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13 champion role combinations that do not make sense

YumaS2Astral··6 votes·968 views
  1. Annie

How she is classified: Mage

How she should be classified: Mage/Support

Explanation: She is mostly used as a bot lane support, even though she is mostly a mage. She has the CC and damage to be a viable support, why she isn't classified as one is difficult to understand.

  1. Velkoz

How he is classified: Mage

How he should be classified: Mage/Support

Explanation: See Annie

  1. Riven

How she is classified: Fighter/Assassin

How she should be classified: Assassin/Fighter

Explanation: She is mostly built full damage with no tank items, in addition, she has assassin levels of mobility and burst. The only thing that really makes her a fighter is her CC and her shield. Otherwise she is an assassin.

  1. Diana

How she is classified: Fighter/Mage

How she should be classified: Assassin/Fighter

Explanation: She has nothing mage-like, except peharps the fact that she is an AP caster champion. But she is still mostly an assassin in terms of playstyle and considering how most people build her. Even though her mobility relies on her using her ult, the same applies to Akali. Unlike Akali, however, Diana has the CC and utility needed to be a fighter.

  1. Gragas

How he is classified: Fighter/Mage

How he should be classified: Tank/Mage

Explanation: Even though he can be built as an AP bruiser, he is mostly a tank/mage. He has enough CC and disruption to be a full tank without building any damage, and has the damage needed to be built as a mage. In addition, most other AP bruisers are classified as Tank/Mage.

  1. Xerath

How he is classified: Mage/Assassin

How he should be classified: Mage

Explanation: Peharps with the exception of his insane burst (which many people understimate), Xerath has absolutely no assassin traits. He doesn't even have situtional mobility like Ahri has. Malzahar doesn't have either, but unlike Xerath, Malzahar is more focused on killing single targets. Xerath is an assassin in the same sense that Annie and Syndra are; they aren't actual assassins, they are burst mages.

  1. JarvanIV

How he is classified: Tank/Fighter

How he should be classified: Fighter/Tank

Explanation: Everyone refers to him as a bruiser. He has more bruiser/fighter traits than tank traits, namely his damage potential and his mobility. And due to that damage potential, unlike Sion, Jarvan IV is rarely built full tank.

  1. Evelynn

How she is classified: Assassin/Mage

How she should be classified: Assassin/Fighter

Explanation: She has no mage traits. While she is a caster and she can be built full AP, she has many fighter/bruiser traits, namely her ultimate which works as a means of disruption and has utility for her (the shield). In addition, that's how most people build her.

  1. RekSai

How she is classified: Fighter

How she should be classified: Fighter/Tank

Explanation: This may seem rather obvious, but Rek'Sai has many tank traits. Due to her recent nerfs, most people actually build her full tank. Unlike Gangplank, Rek'Sai has the disruption and utility needed to be a tank.

  1. Corki

How he is classified: Marksman

How he should be classified: Marksman/Mage

Explanation: He is an ADC caster, has AP scalings, and is a very viable mage with an AP build. He actually used to be popular some time ago with a Trinity + AP build. I wonder why he is classified as a pure marksman when he has many mage traits.

  1. Nunu

How he is classified: Support/Fighter

How he should be classified: Tank/Mage

Explanation: Almost no one uses him as a support. In fact, besides his W, Nunu doesn't have any support oriented abilities. He is mostly used as a tank jungler, and with the fact that he is also viable as an AP champion, the Tank/Mage tag suit him more.

  1. Zed

How he is classified: Assassin/Fighter

How he should be classified: Assassin

Explanation: He has almost no fighter traits. While he can be built as a fighter, his kit screams "pure assassin" as his playstyle is always the same: kill a select target. Indeed, that's how most people build him: pure damage. Unlike other assassins such as Kha'Zix, Rengar, Ekko, and Fizz, he doesn't have utility on his kit. His kit is purely damage oriented.

  1. TwistedFate

How he is classified: Mage

How he should be classified: Mage/Marksman

Explanation: He is somewhat auto-attack oriented, having AD scalings on his W, and even an attack speed steroid on his E. He is very viable as an ADC, and has even been used in the past as an AD on-hit jungler. Why Riot doesn't recognize him as a marksman?

12 Comments

NemeBro9 votes

Nunu is a "support" type champion in the sense that he doesn't focus on carrying himself, but worth is to be found in his ability to help other people carry. "Support" doesn't mean "ADC's bot lane bitch" when talking about the champion roles. Support role =/= support lane.

Hullabaloo9072 votes

Supports who are in the jungle or in another lane just support harder.

A Miss Fortune1 votes

I wish there were more champions who were Supports like Nunu, but were like, in other roles. I think Nunu is one of the last Supports who isn't a bot laner.

Jungle Lux God1 votes

Something else I want to mention about this is that he doesn't really support in the traditional sense. Consume adding objective control is an extremely valuable form of supporting that isn't found on other supports, and isn't found much elsewhere (Cho'gath Feast and Kalista Rend are all I can think of right now that do this).

1000angrybees4 votes

Annie : Not a support. CC =/= support. She has no support traits other than stunning opponents.

Velkoz : Same as Annie.

Riven : Seems more like a fighter with assassin traits than a straight up assassin.

Diana : I'd say she's more fighter/assassin, but I do agree that she's not really a mage.

Gragas : sure.

Xerath : I disagree completely. Assassins do not need to be mobile to quickly take targets out. His long range burst is reminiscent of a sniper... whom are often assassinating a target.

JarvanIV ,Evelynn, RekSai , Corki : Agree.

Nunu : I suppose I'm inclined to agree? he doesn't feel very support like, regardless of his ability to buff an ally.

Zed : He's not like shaco. He's still incredibly dangerous due to the way he's built (generally some lifesteal, a little attack speed, lots of AD obviously) after he finishes a combo, and his abilities are medium/close range.

TwistedFate : Agree.

Hullabaloo9071 votes

Annie was one of the strongest supports until they nerfed her ealy game scaling. Shes still pretty decent.

Partholonian2 votes

{quoted}

Annie was one of the strongest supports until they nerfed her ealy game scaling. Shes still pretty decent.

I think this thread is not distinguishing between a support kit and the support position (i.e. a duo laner that lets their partner take most/all of the CS). Plenty of people who don't have the former can do the latter, including Annie and Zyra. That doesn't mean they should be classified as supports in the sense that Sona or Soraka or Nami are.

Icestar11861 votes

I agree with everything but Vel'koz. And I don't think you're exactly wrong about him either.

Centuros1 votes

"Support" in these descriptions mostly means "can cast stuff on allies," I think. Or global vision/assistance like Teemo, I guess.

Nunu USED to be a great botlane support. Blood Boil is a great buff for your marksman. Bonus: Targon's now allows him to eat minions without taking CS.

Eve USED to be an Assassin/Mage, but she's gotten so many reworks and nerfs that it's no longer clear WHAT she is (kind of fitting, given her lore, but that needs an update too).

AsphodelNext1 votes

For the role swaps(Fighter/Assassin -> Assassin/Fighter), you have to consider that if the meta changes, their role order might also change. E.g. if the new tank meta becomes popular, Riven might actually be a Fighter first, Assassin second.

SwapShadows1 votes

Vel koz and annie aren't actual supports by their kits so they can't be classified as such

SnazzyTheMister1 votes

i think the tags are used as a way for riot to say "this is how this champion plays" at least as far as tanks, marksmen and supports. a support is someone who benafits greatly from an ally; primarly champions like janna and nami but also champions like leo who need an ally to pop her passive. while the marksman tag is used as a way to say "your auto attacks are going to be important" often in the case of sustain damage; our favorite adcs get this tag but also champs like teemo and azir who rely on their autos for a large part of their damage. the tank tag is give to champions with durability built into their kits somewhere; anywhere from free hp for sion and cho to bonus resists from sej passive or rammus w or even reduced dmg from ali ult.

the assassin, mage and fighter tags are a bit muddier. if a champion has high cooldown reliant burst they tend to get the assassin tag. if they do aoe magic damage they get slapped with the mage tag. the fighter tag is partly a catch all for anything that doesn't fit into the other tags but also tends to refur to champs that have damage and like extended fights.

i dont think this is a great system and i would like to see riot do a pass on their tags perhaps adding new ones like "juggernaut" to better clarify how they expect a champion to be played and the direction they plan to balance it around.

all that said, on these champs you have mentioned

annie and vel'koz dont need support tags. they may have cc but cc does not earn you a support tag. riven seems like fighter is being used as a catch all here and it would probs be best to have a whole new tag for what riven is. diana should probs get an assassin tag but of the tags she already had i think mage is the one to keep not fighter. gragas tags i think show that riot didnt plan for him to be a full tank, prehaps an oversight on their part, tnak/mage seems fitting. xerath doesnt seem like he needs an assassin tag j4 should probs stay tank/fight. prolonged fights are not in his favor, he may fight some but not in the way those that really carry the fight tag do. eve is tricky cus her ap assassin builds are more assassin/mage while her ad tank builds are more fighter/assassin. i think the mage tag shows riot would rather have her ap builds be the primary playstyle rek'sai without any active durability in her kit doesnt earn a tank tag. a tanky build does not a tank make. corki seems fit for a mage tag. nunu with 2 supportive spells seems fit for the support tag. with only one damaging ability out side of his ult i dont think he needs a mage tag. zed can lose his fighter tag. tf could arguably get a marksman tag as his autos are important to him but they dont contribute to sustained damage. it might be like giving viktor a marksman tag cus he autos to use his q.

i know thats a bit long but thank you for reading.

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