The case for Singed love

TL:DR; Singed's kit has not aged with the game and makes him not fun to play anymore. In the past he could adapt with items however with recent changes and additions it has become impossible to do so. Singed's kit does not fulfill its role anymore resulting in the champion not having an identity anymore. Singed as a champion is victim to a lot of indirect changes thus Riot has unintentionally nerfed him into the ground over time. The statistics about the champion's positioning is inflated as only dedicated mains play him, resulting in his win rate/difficulty being inaccurate. Singed does not need a massive rework, however his passive must be changed and his other spells adjusted to correspond with recent changes.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Noe – I main Singed on three accounts, one in NA and two in Korea and to be honest, I am very concerned with the state of Singed at the moment. Actually, Singed has been in a troubling spot that gets worse every season – but this season, us Singed main’s just can’t adapt anymore, for a number of reasons. I know you all at Riot don’t feel the same way, so I hope to make my case as to why people think Singed is good – but actually isn’t. Why Singed deserves your attention. I really hope you watch this video, I want to believe that Riot listens to player feedback and that you care even a little – especially since the designers claim that Singed holds a little special place in you’re their heart. Don’t let that stop you from making tweaks to his kit.

Why Buff Singed

First of all, I want to make very clear what I think Singed needs. I don’t think he needs a full rework – none of us want Singed to be OP – especially Singed mains, I just think Singed could use a few lifestyle changes that can help Singed feel like playing Singed again. You may call them buffs, I want to think of them more as adaptations to an ever changing game. Now why change Singed? The data shows that he is in a good spot right, around 50% usually? I would like to point out that I believe your data and sample size on Singed is wrong, it is skewed. This is because the only people who play Singed are Singed mains for the most part. We have been playing Singed for a long time, we have a very active reddit community, and many of us stream or even make youtube videos to help other Singed players. We keep Singed’s winrate up because of our hard work and dedication. We play him no matter how bad it gets and find ways to stay relevant despite the difficulty. But this season is different, as it stands, it just doesn’t feel rewarding playing Singed and it just isn’t fun – it’s not fun at all. In fact, so many Singed mains have quit, myself included – I don’t intend on playing again until he is “fun” at least. Seriously, I don’t even care about winning, I just want to have fun. By having fun I mean having those “Don’t’ chase the Singed moments.” I can’t recall the last time I had a moment like that.

Singed History

To talk about Singed presently I must talk a little about the past. Singed comes from an era where champions were for the most part immobile. These days though, there are champions that can get from one side of the screen to the other with much ease – and most importantly without items. Basically, there is too much mobility in the game, mobility that makes it extremely difficult for Singed to either catch anyone – or run away from.

He also had tenacity back then – which even I can agree was OP for that time. But I feel like that time is different now, because where it used to be that maybe one or two champions had CC – these days every champion seems to have CC built right into their kit. Repeatable CC. Champions can blink away, dash, jump over walls, or simply run away from Singed so easily. There’s champions that can steal a percentage of your MS – items too. Even the champions that Singed used to counter, now counter him. Reworks like Fiora or Poppy have make Singed feel unimpactful. Singed was meant to counter melee – Singed should be scary in melee range, but he isn’t.

It was also a time where there were few items in the game and the items that Singed wanted to build fit very well with his kit. A great example of this is Banshees veil – Singed wanted and it included Mana to complement his passive. He used to build frozen heart also, but thornmail is simply better in most situations now. Back then you could build Tear and ROA because there were not other choices – now there are better choices with the much needed utility to be useful. . Ok – so we used to build Mana and now we don’t. Why? Mainly because the items we want to use now to help us stay relevant don’t contain mana except for RG. We need the utility to be able to enter a fight and to leave it. We then began using Rylais and Liandri’s and building full tank. That was the only way to play Singed effectively. Until it wasn’t, so we began to build Singed full tank. If you didn’t build full tank. You will die. The amount of CC and damage in this game is so much – you cannot afford to go hybrid anymore.

However, building full tank on Singed makes you really useless as Singed is not a real tank, nor is he supposed to be an initiator – I believe you classify him as a disruptor. Yet, we are expected to build RG, deadmans plate, ZZ’Rot – just to be able to initiate. He isn’t a tank, but playing him as a tank is the only way to live.

For a while, we were able to use ZZrot to become SplitPush Singed, it was actually a good moment because Singed didn’t die as much since ZZ’rot could help us push without overextending. We would build ZZRot, RG, and Ruby Sightstone to avoid being caught. It was decent, and then ZZROT got changed and we could no longer do that.

The most current way to find any success with Singed is to build him like a support, part of the reason is that this season is so hard to get gold by farming or kills as Singed. Support Singed relies on your team by building RG, Ardent cleanser, and Redemption in conjunction with Stonebourne pact as your mastery.

To be frank, tank and support Singed lack on any meaningful impact. Before I quit Singed I started building Ludens, ZZROT, and quicksilver sash, and Deadmans plate. The idea is that it doesn’t matter if you build AP or Tanky or Support – if they slow you even once, you are basically dead eitherway. So Singed players might as well build to avoid any contact with other champions..

What I am trying to say is, us Singed mains were able to adapt with different items in the past. But this season, we just can’t anymore – so that’s why many of us just gave up. Items like adaptive help are the final nail in the coffin againt Singed.

The old talent trees – which believe it or not, actually worked on Singed better than the ones we have now. Previously, you could get access to tenacity, to things that gave you a little more damage, and a little more tankiness. Which is great for hybrid champions like Singed. However, with the introduction of the new masteries. You have to make a choice between doing damage with Deathfire touch, or being able to access the much needed tenacity of the resolve tree. This hurts Singed a lot more than you think.

Major Problems

Matchups

Now at this point I would like to actually address the main problems that Singed has. I don’t intend on going onto any specific matchups as the list would simply go on and on. I would say this about matchups though, it is clear to me that ranged matchups are intended to be a weakness for Singed, that I can understand. Singed is supposed to counter melee – but the only melee I can actually counter for the early game are Tryndamere or Jax – which eventually outscale me. I do not believe that there is another champion with as mana bad matchups as Singed. In any matchup, I feel like I did pretty well if I can get at least 50 cs in the first 10 minutes of the game. That is a really low bar, but that is where Singed stands now.

Earlygame

Speaking of early game, Singed used to be able to use proxy to circumvent many of these bad matchups. But actually there was another hidden nerf that hurt Singed. Two actually. Proxy Singed was hurt when the removal of the bounty for killing a champion that has died too many times was removed. That essentially was the end of proxy Singed for most people. Some of us kept trying to do it – but often than not it simply made the opposite team snowball much faster.

Another thing that hurt Singed was the re-pathing of minions – before Singed used to be able to kite minions into the jungle to avoid taking so much damage. But that isn’t the case anymore. This makes proxying a very dangerous and not so rewarding tactic.

Another problem with Singed’s early game is that since so many matchups are so difficult – as is getting any CS. We have had to rely on building three or four Dark seals and a corruption potion. Please think about that for a second. Singed players have to build 3+ seals and corruption potion only to survive the laning phase while other players are almost completing their first item. This is not healthy gameplay – yet it is the only thing, the only thing that has helped Singed players survive laning. Singed has to constantly back and walk back to lane – while most champions up top can simply stay in lane past six with only a doran’s blade.

Midgame

Midgame is the time where Singed becomes useful, but that is only if you managed to survive laning and were able to somehow make enough gold for RG. Reaching six means we can stay in lane longer to farm, and ULT is a powerful ability but I find myself mostly using it to push waves and reduce the damage taken while I push the waves or to regain mana and HP. But here is the kicker, Singed has to be very far ahead in the midgame to have any impact in the midgame. Sure having the Ult feels great, but you still have to walk up to people to do anything. Leaving his midgame feeling not powerful at all.

Lategame

I wish I could say that Singed scales well into the late game but the fact to the matter is that he doesn’t. Midgame is his strongest, and even then it is not really that strong since you usually have a very hard early game, with no gold or items to build anything useful. His late game is basically non-existent. In teamfights the only thing you can do is fling someone and then nothing.

I recall a moment when one Riot member said that all Singed has to do is build RG, Deadmans plate, ZZ’rot and use ghost to catch someone. What champion has to build those many items simply to feel useful? Most of my games are decided before the second item is even done. And with Singed, it is a challenge building even one item most of the time. People should be afraid of letting a champion like Singed get on them, but he does no damage. You literally do nothing in a team fight – often times I think of myself as an HP reservoir that the enemy ADC can just lifesteal off of me. It is so not fun.

Champions

Now let me say this, Riot Scarizard once said in a video that Singed and Rumble were the hardest champions in the game. Then…shouldn’t it feel rewarding to make it to late game with such difficult champions? Shouldn’t Singed have some sort of scaling that will make him feel more impactful in a teamfight? Shouldn’t people be afraid to stand in Singed’s gas or face some consequence for allowing Singed to farm up? I hate to bring up champions for example but let’s look at Nasus – one of the weaker early game champs who scales tremendously and unlike Singed can farm safely at his tower and from a distance using spirit fire. Singed needs some scaling, for a champion that requires so much experience and practice – it should feel rewarding to play Singed up until late game. Why, why should we continue playing a champion that takes twice the effort of other champions and half the fun?

ELO

Now don’t get me wrong – I know Singed is very effective in bronze and silver, but that begins to disappear once you get to gold. Players in gold know to how to kite Singed. And really that is all it takes sometimes to beat Singed in lane, simply walk backwards. Please take into consideration ELO when decided the state of Singed based on his data. Lack of items you want

As mentioned earlier, the items that Singed used to want to build no longer reflect his kit. Most of the items he used to want had mana – and hence his passive was useful. But that is no longer the case, the only item with Mana anyone builds now is RG – but if you build it first, you simply do no damage. This is one of the reasons that Singed mains complain so much – I believe if there were a greater variety of items that incuded mana and stats or utility that Singed actually wants, it would make playing Singed less painful.

    AP Problems

You could build Tear and Roa, but any Singed main knows that this is a terrible idea. Let’s ignore the basic problems such as cost and time required to stack them, or the fact that Singed has a hard time farming to even be able to buy one of these items in the current state of the game. If Singed builds mana and AP – he will have no way to get into a fight or to engage and if he manages to get into a fight, he will die. Singed isn’t a real tank – but if you try building him as the AP disruptor that he is meant to be, you will just die. You will be kited, slowed, and CC’ed before you get can behind anyone to deal damage with your poison.

It is also worth mentioning that if you build mana and AP - you will do less damage as the game goas on, since people eventually buy resistances. As Singed, you don’t have the luxury of buying AP, tank items, AND magic penetration.
Building Hybrid Problems

To circumvent the problem of dying immediate as AP, most Singed players adopted a hybrid method build that included Rylais, Liandris, and then full tank. While that may have worked in season 6, it is noticeable that the damage is simply too high in season 7 and you will die also. In any case, champions simply heal through your damage through autoattacks. Singed is suppose to counter melee champions, yet melee champions will simply out heal your poison and kill you quickly if you don’t have any tank items.

   Building tanky problems

A lot of people resorted to playing as a tank – however as a tank you have very minimal impact on the game as you are not a real tank. Real tanks can build tanky items and somehow, they can still do a lot more damage than you can. Additionally, you can’t even clear waves decently if you build full tank. In teamfights, you are simply ignored after the fling – if you can get a fling. Singed has extremely long cooldowns and his damage scales with AP. Compare this with a champion like Poppy who merely builds tank and can still get on an enemy carry continuously and kill them. Or a fighter like Irelia who only needs to build Trinity force and full tank – that is enough to destroy a carry. As Singed you build tank and you can’t even kill a minion, you have extremely long cool downs, and you basically just run around doing nothing after you fling, if you manage to fling.

Shouldn’t people be afraid of a Singed getting on top of them? Instead, if I fling an enemy, often times they simply just turn around and kill me instead. Singed is a slow walking target practice and an HP reservoir for the enemy ADC.

  Disruptor Problems

Singed is meant to be a disruptor, but as I mentioned earlier. If Singed doesn’t build full tank, he will simply die. Additionally, since so many champions are getting class updates, since Singed is considered a special playstyle, does this mean that he will never ever receive an update? The tank update was our only hope to receive some sort of beneficial change or items to help us do Singed things, instead – we got countered by Adaptive Helm.

   Split Pushing	

The problem has never been that Singed cannot catch people anymore– the problem is that everyone can catch Singed so easily. He just cannot get away. People are not afraid of chasing Singed or being on Singed since Singed just doesn’t do any damage even if you build damage. While other champions get things like percentage movement speed, he has to rely on the same flat movement speed. As Singed, if you build AP and mana, you have no utility to help you position in a fight. If you build tanky, you can’t push waves, you have no pressure, and you don’t do anything in a fight. Hybrid doesn’t work because you will be too squishy.

Champion Ability Problems

As I mentioned before , I don’t want Singed to get an entirely new kit or full rework. Let’s not risk Singed becoming worse than he is now as with other reworks. Some Singed mains may want a full VGU but I am personally afraid of that. Instead, I suggest merely tinkering with his kit slightly.

Passive

The point to the matter is that his passive is outdated. There is only one item Singed wants to buy that has Mana and that is Righteous Glory. Currently there is no incentive to buy mana. I love the idea of Singed with Mana as a resource, but there is no incentive to use mana runes or build mana for any reason. Ryze wants mana, his abilities scale with both mana and AP. Is there any hope to allow for a similar mechanic that doesn’t punish Singed players for building mana? Some champions have the equivalent of 2 or 3 passives but this passive is outdated. It is something all Singed mains agree on. And the only thing I would change entirely about Singed.

Poison trail

Poison Gas trail is his signature move and personally I wouldn’t touch it. I would love if it had scaling damage based on your AP and health though, so that if you built tank – you could actually bring some damage to a teamfight and be more impactful.

Actually one change that I would love would be poison gas trail dealing extra damage to minions. This would make building tank much less painful to clear a wave, even if it didn’t do more damage to champions. Or what if the damage on Singed’s poison trail increased the longer an enemy stood in the gas, similar to the mastery Battle Trance – this would punish players who continuously stand in Singed’s poison trail without suffering any consequence. This would be useful since a Singed with AP, Magic Pen, and some armor items is a dead Singed.

Mega Adhesive

I think it is a great item, but unfortunately has an extremely high mana cost. I don’t mind the cost, and it is a great ability but if I could change only one thing about Singed that wasn’t his passive, it would be the ability to cast this will moving. I have mentioned before that it is extremely easy for Singed to be caught, oftentimes if I get chased, I find myself never using Mega Adhesive because if I stop to cast it – they will catch up, slow me, and kill me. It is also common not to put any points into this ability until after level 8.

There is another suggesting I would have regarding this ability, what if it could be used to farm - much like Nasus’s spirit fire. I think the high mana costs warrant it. If Mega Adhesive had a small poison cloud floating above it, even if it only affects minions.

Fling

Fling is great, and I don’t really see the need to change anything about it. The fact that it is his only ability that does percentage HP damage is really nice. I wish more of his abilities were. Insanity Potion

Insanity potion is also great as is, but it would be great if it had some sort of scaling added to it. Something like 3% Mana as HP5 when you Ult? I know many Singed mains would like to see tenacity come back – but I realize that it is also part of his weakness. However, I want to remind the designers that Singed comes from a time where CC and mobility were scarce. Nowadays, ever champion seems to have some CC or ability to escape easily. Might I suggest adding slow resist instead? Or adding a little slow resist each time Singed puts a point in R?

I am not a designer and I know Riot could do without the suggestions, it is just to highlight that Singed could be updated with small quality of life changes without destroying him. I know he holds a special place in your designer heart, but that shouldn’t stop you from improving him.

Please take these words into consideration and I am sorry this letter is much longer than expected. I would like to believe that you took the time to read some of this letter. I won’t be playing Singed anymore – I don’t say this as an ultimatum of any sort. The champion is simply not fun right now. There are no “Don’t chase the Singed moments.” Singed has no impact. There are no items that correlate with his kit. And everyone simply out damages and outruns poor Singed. But I will be back, someday I hope. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read this – if you read this.