[POLL] Is Annie too binary?

darkdill·Mar 20, 2015·10 votes·1,081 views

Annie seems to be a significant balance issue at the moment. On one hand, if you get within her range, her stuns basically kill you without a means of counterplay, especially since Tibbers and her W hit instantly, making them undodgeable unless you Flash prematurely. On the other hand, if you outrange Annie, she is generally weak because she'll get poked apart before she gets into firing range unless she initiates with Flash.

Does anybody else feel like that makes her a binary Champion? Either she stomps you, or she falls flat.

Part of the problem, I feel, is that her W and R don't have projectile speeds; they just hit instantly where you aim them once you're in range. It's like Corki's old Q: no counterplay.

13 Comments

Bears Dont CareMar 20, 20155 votes

I cannot see how Annie is at all an issue. She is a squishy, low range, low mobility mage.

Nerfing her is...ridiculous to say the least let alone considering her an issue of balance.

catastrophicSkilMar 20, 20154 votes

she has the same problem as morg she offers too much to the team and can fit almost any role but traditionally picked support or mid also she isnt low range as for squishy who cares? once she tibbers you her job is pretty much done

Annie ADCMar 20, 20155 votes

She absolutely does not "stomp or fall flat." She is a relatively simple champion, though that is not an "issue" to solve. It depends on whether her kit creates an unhealthy environment or not, and Annie has never really been a problem (except for support, where she is currently overpowered). Her diversity in items to build is extremely fluctuating, and she has micro mechanics that are unnoticeable by people who do not play her often or do not understand her (positioning Tibbers, cancelling W/Q, autos between abilities...)

Changes should be made to compensate for her strong zoning in the support role right now, but by no means should she really be "reworked" or receive massive changes that would see her as a different champion as a whole. I believe changes are already on the way eventually, though it is difficult to balance a champion so that one role of theirs is weakened (support) while the other remains about the same (mid).

CondottieroMar 20, 20154 votes

Is there anything wrong with Annie being "binary"? Why do champions now have to have the ability to somehow "outplay" everything?

MartyrofsandMar 20, 20154 votes

I can't help but laugh at people saying to nerf mid lane Annie, especially when BS like Zed and Leblanc are still rampant.

I might agree with the complaints about her supporting but frankly that is a result of all the changes they have made to supports that make all but a select few traditional supports, namely Janna, largely irrelevant.

Pucking PurrfectMar 20, 20153 votes

All Riot has to do is change her passive into something which she won't be able to hold her stun forever w/o any cost other than that I'm ok with Annie. Same goes with Morgana's snare... But I doubt Riot will do something since only cry babies get what they want.

TehNACHOMar 20, 20152 votes

The fact that she can be played as a support, the class that's supposed to function while on a lack of money, I'm tempted to say no, not really.

Annie mid, or in general just a really fed Annie however, yeah her gameplay patterns can be quite meh-tacular for the opponents.

VoidgolemMar 20, 20152 votes

All mids are binary. They're either overpowered as hell or in the process of being reworked.

The5lackerMar 20, 20152 votes

Exceedingly so. I think she'd benefit greatly from a Corki treatment. I.E. Give her Bear some projectile time and give her a W with some degree of counterplay. Like...make it a rolling ball of fire that goes in a line instead of an instant, undodgeable cone. That way we can compensate her with some extra range in exchange for taking away her instant entire-team stuns.

N3mO06Mar 20, 20152 votes

Man, an aoe instant stun with a great base burst never fall behind in teamfight, she isn't binary and she isn't healthy for the game. She can hild her passive forever and zoning you all the lane phase ( as midder or as adc)

FantasySniperMar 20, 20151 votes

You either attack at different directions/times and have one of the multiple teammates you need die, or she just blows you all up.

Nameless VoiceMar 20, 20151 votes

I don't have a huge problem with Annie as a mid laner. She has strong zoning potential, but it's not always up, she has to juggle between farming and keeping her stun up. Her cooldowns and passive leave her with windows of vulnerability to exploit, so there's plenty of room to outplay her for most champions, even something like Katarina who she should theoretically hard-counter.

As an annoying zone control mage, I'd much rather face her than Orianna.

The only thing about Annie that's not really fun is the flash-Tibbers. If anything needs to be changed on her, make Tibbers a skillshot like Corki's Q.

mi ramfanMar 20, 20151 votes

Only as a support, where she can use stun to zone you forever because there's no way you can survive the combined burst of Annie+Graves as an ADC without blowing summoners.

She's fine in mid lane because most mid laners have tools to deal with her or can farm from longer range than her stun using abilities.