Idea For Varus: Make His Arrow More Focused on High Range, Constant Damage than High Range Burst
Current Varus Q: FIRST CAST: Varus channels for up to 4 seconds, increasing Piercing Arrow's range and damage over the next 2 seconds. Varus can still move while channeling, but cannot use basic attacks or abilities and is slowed by 20%. At the end of the channel, Piercing Arrow is automatically cancelled, refunding half of its mana cost. SECOND CAST: Varus fires, dealing between 10/46.7/83.3/120/156.7 (+100% AD) and 15/70/125/180/235 (+160% AD) physical damage to all enemies in the arrow's path, reduced by 15% per enemy hit down to a minimum of 33% damage. Mana Cost: 70/75/80/85/90 mana Cool Down: 16/14/12/10/8 seconds Range: 925-1625 (based on charge time) Projectile Speed: 1850
Highlighted areas are numbers/text that has been added on or changed
Suggested Changed Varus Q: FIRST CAST: Varus channels for up to 4 seconds, increasing Piercing Arrow's range, speed, and damage over the next 1.5 seconds. Varus can still move while channeling, but cannot use basic attacks or abilities and is slowed by 20%. At the end of the channel, Piercing Arrow is automatically cancelled, refunding half of its mana cost. SECOND CAST: Varus fires, dealing between 5/25/45/65/85 (+60/65/70/75/80% AD) and 10/60/110/160/210 (+105/110/115/120/125% AD) physical damage to all enemies in the arrow's path, reduced by 15% per enemy hit down to a minimum of 33% damage. Minions take 40-20% (based on level) reduced damage from this ability until Level 13, upon which they take normal damage. Mana Cost: 50/55/60/65/70 mana Cool Down: 13/11/9/7/5 seconds Range: 950-1900 (based on charge time) Projectile Speed: 1700-2000 (based on charge time)
I feel like this would help Varus be more ADC-like in his role on the team as constant source of damage, making him more viable in metas where Armor Penetration isn't too strong while at the same time making him less "one shot you" in those same metas. This would make Varus much more of a Siege Marksman that relies on constant, high range skill shots to snipe down his enemies through. The reduced damage against minions is only so Varus wouldn't farm from extreme ranges with the ability at lower levels, slowly increasing back to normal over the course of the game so that a mid-late game Varus maintains his strength with wave clear. I would like to ask Varus mains if they find these changes acceptable. I tried to not outright nerf him, but more make him less able to become too strong in Armor Penetration patches/metas and secure him more into the sustained damage role that Marksman aim to fulfill without completely removing his niche by increasing the range of the ability and lowering the mana cost.
