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For those that think the shield duration nerfs are "too harsh"...

Athenes Lulu·6/5/2018, 7:48:50 AM·26 votes·13,266 views

Just remember that teamfights used to last more than 10 seconds and that you couldn't have shields at >100% uptime, so a 6 second shield duration makes sense. Because of a much larger downtime, timing shields mattered and was one of the main sources of skill expression on enchanters.

Now that teamfights are getting shorter and shorter, shield durations will have to be as well. A 6 second shield in teamfights that last as long as shield durations basically threw one of their main sources of skill expressions out of the window, therefore making them "much easier" to play because of less downtime, plus the overabundance of CDR.

In other words, it's basically an "update" to the length of teamfights. Sorry, you can't just autobind shields to your allies 24/7 anymore.

Also for those that are wondering, Pix will still stay for the full 6 seconds when tagged with an ally, unless someone else have played Lulu on PBE and have proved otherwise.

EDIT: After reading a lot of comments, yes, we know "faster teamfights" stemmed from the overabundance of damage. We also know how Riot balance team works, they don't just simply "undo" things. But opening up windows of skill expression is most likely going to be their reasoning behind the shield nerfs, whether you like it or not.

136 Comments

Khristophoros6/5/2018, 8:13:48 AM33 votes

I actually think the shield nerfs are good but your logic here is fucking terrible. Why are teamfights getting shorter? Because damage is getting buffed constantly every patch.

So your argument boils down to: "Because damage is getting higher, we have to nerf defensive mechanics like shields"

VorpalKitsune6/5/2018, 7:51:59 AM13 votes

So are they going to buff the amount they shield then, to match the inflation of damage to reach a similar state??

ModKnightsKemplar6/5/2018, 1:11:12 PM11 votes

Honestly, I think these shields have just always been OP. They had to nerf Kog'Maw into the ground several times for a reason. Any time it was even a somewhat acceptable strat, pro teams were running a Kog-ball comp just because there was so much access to shields. This is a great change for the game, imo.

ZephyrDrake6/5/2018, 7:52:08 AM11 votes

so when these supports turn out to be terrible due to the changes and get buffed I don't want people to come and be "rito y u buff!?"

It Hertz When IP6/5/2018, 3:11:42 PM8 votes

So, why are we nerfing shields instead of fixing the issue with teamfights being over in less than 6 seconds?

Hügö6/5/2018, 4:30:21 PM7 votes

So wouldn't be the logical thing to increase the duration of the teamfight instead of shortening the duration of the shield. I mean if shield times weren't changed but the fights last shorter there was a increase in damage. So why nerf shields?

ChaddyFantome6/5/2018, 5:27:37 PM4 votes

Im fine with the duration nerf. It will mostly only be a nerf for people who dont know how to time shields than it is a flat nerf.

The CDR part of the argument doesn't really apply tho. Supports have always been balanced around having access to max CDR. It was originally supposed to be the benefit you get for playing support over other roles.

Its every other role than has too much CDR. <.<

What im a bit suspicious about is the nerf to Enchanter items at the same time. Double nerf seems like much to me assuming they arent being compensated in some other ways.

Anu3isII6/5/2018, 12:28:02 PM4 votes

But why they don't compensate the nerfs?

D357R0Y3R6/5/2018, 9:41:47 AM3 votes

I don't get why we're nerfing enchanters when rakan morgana zyra and fiddlesticks are breaking the game

CrestfallenNight6/5/2018, 11:20:08 AM3 votes

Your name is ridiculous and im sure you main janna or just can't fight Lulu. Well I main the Lulu queen, and let me tell you, im ready for these, atleast the shield value isn't getting nerfed, so there's that. It's going to be more challenging to play, sure. People are actually ridiculous if they think people who play enchanters are people who want freelo, no, they actually like those champions. It's sad people actually thinking Lulu is easier/more faceroll than Janna. xD AND, Janna, of course, receives a SMALLER NERF! [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

DW Diana6/5/2018, 11:44:28 AM3 votes

Wow this is a nice long discussion. Here's how I see it:

Enchanters: They've lowered your shield DURATION, not it's protection. This means you have a shorter window in which to cast this and it be effective, preventing a "spam shields" style seen a lot recently. On the up side you do have CC as well, though many forget this in favour of "spam shield now!!!"

Assassin's need nerfs!: Actually I don't agree (I know right? This from the guy who doesn't like assassins!). The damage they kick out is suitable for their design, and as riot haven't lowered the amount you shield or the CC you have at your disposal it's more about you being able to time your shield. I don't see this as a bad thing.

Too much damage in the game!: Now this is a comment I can agree with, but not from assassin's, or even champions like Yasuo. I believe there is too much damage on champions that are not MEANT to do damage. Tanks are meant to outlast their opponents, but they can't, so riot buffed their damage. Tanks need their damage nerfed, and their "tankiness" doubled. Killing a tank should be HARD, but also dying to one should be difficult too.

Why am I always fighting assassin's?: Simply put, they have no counters beyond each other. Those that were designed to counter them (e.g. Lissandra, Malzahar) are unable to do so due to various changes to their kit, AP item changes and global nerfs. For Malz it started last year with the changes to his voidlings leading to them turning him into a spam mage, with lissandra it's been an ongoing list of indirect nerfs and lack of attention. As these no longer get played as much (malz was on a 1.95% playrate yesterday, Lissandra 1.17%) meaning those that counter Malz and Liss don't get played as much (e.g. Vel'koz, Xerath, Syndra, Cass) so the champions that are build to deal with mages like these don't get played (e.g. Galio, Kassadin) leading to about 70% of games having an assassin midlaner who is likely fighting another midlane assassin.

Of course this is only my opinion and you may disagree :)

Note: I mentioned a few champions as examples in this post that acted/act as counters. There ARE other's in each case, I just wasn't going to write them ALL xD

Koechophe6/5/2018, 3:07:59 PM3 votes

It's not the fact that they're nerfing shield durations that bothers me, it's the fact that two of those champions are in no position that they should recieve uncompensated nerfs, but they're doing it anyway.

I understand that they want to make shields healthier, but they are undeniably trimming power from their kits. In the case of Orianna, and especially Karma (Karma's been in a pretty bad place for a while) they need to add back that power elsewhere.

Azadethe6/5/2018, 8:50:50 AM2 votes

You're completely ignoring that the shields only last until outdamaged, and are on cooldown until them.

Literally every other shield BESIDES enchanters in the game is more spammable than enchanter shields, lasts longer and for higher amounts in many cases.

You don't seem to realize..... those shields were the only thing killing a MasterYi or Yasuo .

None of these champs can actually survive a short fight as is. Now they can't even use their kits properly in order to lock down the champs they were designed to.

Karma for example used to be both a Yasuo and Yi counter..... because she could survive long enough to proc her W root, and heal back up. Now.... she's lost a TON of the Armor utility that she used to have, and can't even live long enough to second tick her W. And now you're taking a huge chunk of shield duration from her... Which means she will die on their first attacks.

I think it's hilarious you think support shields are broken when item 3124 rework uses are literally making up 70% of the active popular champ roster right now, and generally offer little to know counterplay.

And soon.... AD's will have even more options.

I don't think you realize this..... But since season 5, AD has been on a gradual power creep. They used to run 272-350 AD. Now those same champs are getting up to 500-550 AD because of the new rune system, and buffs upward on various champs/lethality etc, while not compensating champs at all.

Meanwhile.... Mages which used to hit 979 AP pretty often..... are now averaging about 450-500 AP, because people have to build so many different utility items that they can rarely fit in a death cap anymore.

LordGeovanni6/5/2018, 11:53:56 PM2 votes

That is a problem with team fights being shorter not shields being too strong you said it yourself teamfights used to go on for over 10 seconds. On the other hand it doesnt matter if any sheild lasts 6 seconds because the shields get broken in less than 1 second

Flashes6/5/2018, 11:59:28 PM2 votes

I don't understand the Orianna shield nerf though.

Add926/5/2018, 6:05:47 PM1 votes

Lulu and Janna main crying feelsgoodman .

Now they'll actually have to play the game instead of drooling on themselves being shield bots.

I respect so much more aggressive supports like blitz brand , pyke or thresh than these passive coward shielding champs .

Regards , an assassin main .

5050BS6/6/2018, 12:27:35 AM1 votes

Shield are toxic to late game.

I can full build full combo a ADC and get them to 5% hps and ONE shield will give him basically a full HP bar and with the massive amounts of LifeSteal and the attack speed of ADC they heal to full in the time the shield is gone. So the ADC has 3x HP but I can only full combo ONCE.

What we need is items that do extra damage to Shields so we can counter build vs a Shield Support or a Shield Toplaner.