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Thoughts on Frustrating Abilities: Unbreakable & Windwall

King Braum·8/22/2018, 2:54:38 AM·28 votes·37,639 views

So I think we can all agree that League of Legends can be a very frustrating game with a big point attributing to this being Frustrating Abilities, and so I'd like to make a series of posts looking at Frustrating Abilities within the game and possible solutions to make them appear more fun, fair and interactive. Please note that while I will be using statistics and information from multiple sources (which for this topic will be cited below), everything within this post will reflect how I personally feel about the state of these abilities and how I believe they could be fixed. I am in no way, shape or form a developer and thus don't want to discourage anyone from joining into the discussion to share how they feel about these abilities, the solutions I bring or how they'd personally handle change if they had the ability to. But with that said, lets get into today's Topic;

Unbreakable and Windwall I think it goes without saying that having an ability eaten up by your opponent is no fun, especially if this comes with vitally no risk or thought other then pressing a button but this is often how people feel when facing off against Bruam's E, Unbreakable, and Yasuo's W, Wind wall. two of League's most iconic defensive Defensive abilities both Unbreakable and Wind Wall have caused plenty of upset with players for their ability to completely negate the effect of projectiles though the latter of the two often causing more of an outcry from the community and this comes from a simple fact. While blocking an ability and especially and ultimate with these abilities feels great, it is incredibly frustrating for those who just wasted their ability only to have it disappear completely with the press of a button.

To combat this the goal for today will be the following

  • Make Unbreakable and especially Wind Wall feel less frustrating to play against
  • Raise the skill cap on both the abilities

It is important to note however that to both Braum and Yasuo, Unbreakable and Wind Wall are essential pieces of their kit and their main defense in fights, thus any changes can not be to the level of a full rework of the ability, and so at its core they'll stay the same. Anyways now that the rules are set, lets get into the abilities.

https://ddragon.leagueoflegends.com/cdn/8.16.1/img/spell/BraumE.png Unbreakable

The lesser evil of the two, Unbreakable works as follows, When E is activated Braum raises a shield in a targeted direction that intercepts any incoming non-turret enemy projectiles and reduces the damage he takes through the shield with the first hit having its damage completely negated and the ability lasting between 3-4 seconds depending on level.

Personally I don't believe this ability needs any large changes as its main ability of blocking out a hit completely can be negated by simply hitting Braum with any ability before using a stronger ability though that doesn't mean I wouldn't change the ability. Personally as a Braum player I find using Unbreakable can be rather unsatisfying and It's duration feeling like a burden unless you're in a larger fight.

To combat this I propose changing this ability as followed.

[E] Unbreakable COOLDOWN: 18 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 > 20/ 18 / 16 / 12 / 10 DURATION: 3 / 3.25 / 3.5 / 3.75 / 4 > 2 / 2.25 / 2.5 / 2.75 / 3 DAMAGE REDUCTION: 30 / 32.5 / 35 / 37.5 / 40% Active: When E is activated Braum raises a shield in a targeted direction, that intercepts any incoming none-turret enemy projectiles and reduces the damage he takes through the shield. any incoming none-turret enemy projectile damage for the first 0.5/0.6/0.7/0.8/0.9/1.0 second(s) of activating is negated. Re-casting Unbreakable cancels and starts the cooldown of Unbreakable.

My goal with these changes is to make Unbreakable a more skill reliant ability, rewarding players for timing the ability correctly to block out as much damage as possible while giving your opponent the chance to try and bait out Unbreakable to leave Braum more vulnerable for the following barrage of attacks when he's no longer protected by his immunity.

The toggle mechanic to cancel Unbreakable is to encourage supports to keep track of their opponents abilities and cooldowns, using them to their advantage so they can cancel out of Unbreakable early so it'll be up earlier in the following fight, compared to simply waiting for the ability to end on its own.

Now moving on to the second part of this post,

https://ddragon.leagueoflegends.com/cdn/8.16.1/img/spell/YasuoWMovingWall.png Wind Wall

Easily the more controversial of the two, Wind Wall works as followed Yasuo creates a gust of wind that travels in the target direction over 0.25 seconds to form a wall in front of him. The wall slowly drifts forward 50 units over 3.75 seconds, blocking all enemy projectiles except turret attacks.

When W is cast, Yasuo creates a gust of wind that travels in the target direction over 0.25 seconds to form a wall in front of him. The wall slowly drifts forward 50 units over 3.75 seconds, completely negating any none-turret enemy projectiles. (Wind Wall starts blocking projectiles on-cast even when it hasn't been formed yet)

Easily one of the most frustrating abilities in league, combined with Yasuo's immense speed and mobility, Wind Wall can create a situation where for nearly 4 seconds it becomes nearly impossible to hit him unless you manage to out maneuver him in which case he can still be saved by his flow. and While I dont have a definite answer on how to change this ability for the better here as some ideas on how to potentially make the ability more fair to play against.

[W] Windwall Duration: 4 > 1 second per cost tick. Cost: None > 15 per seconds + 2.5 per second after the initial cast. Active: Yasuo creates a gust of wind that travels in the target direction over 0.25 seconds to form a wall in front of him. The wall slowly drifts forward 50 units over 3.75 seconds, blocking all enemy projectiles except turret attacks. After Windwall has been active for 1 second Yasuo can recast it to deactivate it, ability deactivates automatically if Yasuo runs out of flow.

The goal with this is making Windwall feel more fair and a more skill involved ability. and giving it a risk reward mechanic, Would you rather spend all your flow to block out enemy projectiles for 5 seconds or play it safe and only use half so you still have enough flow to build back to 100 flow for your shield. and though its a small nerf to the champion it shouldn't be to noticable for people who put in the time to master the champion as their mobility will already provide them with flow to sustain the ability and still build their shield in time, though it does prevent Yasuo's from having two layers of Defense up at the same time. meaning ADCs who manage to out maneuver Yasuo from his Windwall don't have to face with the additional shield which should take away from some of the frustration of Windwall.

Anyways, those are just my thoughts on the matter. If you agree of disagree with what I said or if you have a better Idea to help with the frustration of both of these abilities, Make sure to leave it in the comments below.

This was King Braum, and thank you for reading.

Sources used throughout this post: Braum, The League of Legends Wiki Yasuo, The League of Legends Wiki

98 Comments

Infernape8/22/2018, 5:23:09 AM47 votes

I personally wouldn't class Braum's Unbreakable as frustrating. It's pretty fair imo. At least he only blocks projectiles from one direction, only completely nullifies ONE projectile and redirects any CC and damage onto himself.

ModCaptainMårvelous8/22/2018, 4:17:55 AM16 votes

I don't think using flow to use Windwall is the right way to go about it. It kind of breaks his defensive ability.

What I do think, however, is that Windwall shouldn't instantly come out. The fact that wind-wall is instant means it can be used as a reactionary ability rather than one that needs planning. It also means that most of frustration is baiting Yasuo to use his windwall. In giving it a delay, even as short as one second, you make it harder to react to an ability and rather force you to play around and predict your enemy. It'd still be an extremely strong ability but without the insta-deflect Yas has been (in)famous for.

Modl Ryden l8/22/2018, 5:37:31 AM10 votes

I don't get why everyone tries to tie his Flow to his Windwall. Like I don't get the gimmick. On release his W used to have a passive that helped him regenerate his Flow quicker. If you want his Windwall to tie to his Flow then you'd have to bring that passive back.

I was just talking earlier about the fact that his Windwall lasts for 4 seconds. Thematically I don't get how wind can stay tangible that long. I merely suggest that his Windwall duration get nerfed from 4 seconds to 2 seconds. Perhaps also lowering its cooldown slightly in exchange. It's supposed to act like a flashier, fancier spellshield but more 'samurai themed'.

I'm fine with it blocking dire projectiles if it involves status infliction or stuns or an execute or a teammate about to get hooked. But I don't think it should outright prevent players from casting/attack in a fight which tend in to end in seconds.

DuskDaUmbreon8/22/2018, 3:00:02 PM5 votes

The problem with making Yasuo's W cost flow is that it completely removes his other defensive ability, as his shield only exists at full flow. That might ultimately result in his W just not being worth using, or just not possible to use (as a single auto would disable the ability for several seconds - Imagine if Jax's E couldn't be used within 10-15 seconds of being hit by an auto!)

This problem, however, could be solved by also reworking his passive, so that the shield itself may be weaker, but will also be consistently up. Think along the lines of Mordekaiser's passive: It's always there, is charged up the same way as it normally is, and decays if you're not doing the thing that charges it. Every hit to Yasuo depletes his flow by the amount of damage taken, it's charged up by moving, and decays down to a certain percent if you're not moving.

At that point, he doesn't completely lose his shield if he wants to use W, and he doesn't lose his W if he gets hit by a single auto or a stray projectile. It also makes his passive a bit better against DoTs (as the shield often expires well before the ability ends), but makes it a bit weaker against burst (due to a smaller shield overall), and ultimately helps the problem of it being a really awesome and strong shield for a second, then gone the next. And, of course, it opens up more opportunities to manipulate his flow meter with his abilities.

Cotten Eyed Joe8/22/2018, 4:05:15 AM5 votes

I'd like to point out that they both only block PROJECTILE BASED ATTACKS. THINGS SUCH AS A VEL'KOZ ULT OR A LUX ULT WILL NOT BE STOPPED. Windwall also has a 25 sec cd i believe. which is pretty long. A lot longer than a lux q or e

Weiner the Pooh8/22/2018, 11:11:42 AM5 votes

Braum’s wall is fine. As others have said the fact he takes the hits and that it’s directional with a small hot box make it very easy to play around it.

ModThe Djinn8/22/2018, 9:58:29 PM4 votes

[{quoted}](name=King Braum,realm=EUW,application-id=ELUpwER8,discussion-id=tnjHNo4A,comment-id=,timestamp=2018-08-22T02:54:38.323+0000)So I think we can all agree that League of Legends can be a very frustrating game with a big point attributing to this being Frustrating Abilities...

I actually would contest this.

I understand that abilities can be frustrating, but I don't think that's inherently a problem. If you have to make every ability non-frustrating to play against, you end up severally cutting out a lot of potentially neat designs, especially because many frustrating abilities actually HAVE meaningful counterplay. What you've done here doesn't really increase the frustration of these abilities blocking things, but it DOES take a lot of their uniqueness and counterplay out of the picture by tightening up timing windows or, in Yasuo's case, making him feel much clunkier and making his choices all feel worse. I don't think that's beneficial.

FixHealsRemoveGW8/22/2018, 1:16:53 PM3 votes

This game is full of frustrating things or there are no frustrating things at all. It just depends on your attitude. Like, somebody can rage about Annie being a noob champion and another player is like "sure whatever, what is your problem?".

And I think if you want to be a really good player you kinda need to get over this hating of certain champions or abilities and just be more objective. Don't be so emotionally affected by the game elements. I mean it's like you are playing chess and you hate the queen for being too mobile or something, well that doesn't help you at all. Then you go to whoever invented chess and tell him that the queen frustrates you. That's a bit ridiculous.

Just accept the rules of the game. That is the first step.

Did you ever think about how much frustration should matter for balancing? Should it matter at all?

Everyone has moments of frustration but I would say you usually get over it and that's part of learning.

You didn't have to explain to everyone what these abilities do. It's ok we know that. But what makes them so special aside of the fact that you are emotionally against them? A lot of champions in league have very clear strengths and weaknesses.

You just named 2 abilities that signify champion strengths and now what?

I think frustration is not a good guide. How do you expect Riot to do their job if players let their frustration take over and just end up hating all kinds of things on champions that are not even overpowered?

Since when is it accepted to use frustration like it was an objective argument? It isn't!

Thanks for this anti yasuo circle jerk ..... PLUS

Stars Shaper8/22/2018, 8:08:30 AM3 votes

I'm just saying that the 2 skills are meant to be used after the opponent projectile has been shot which means that you can't do it with a longer setup than "one botton click" because otherwise they'd just be stupidly uneffective.

That said, both skills also have different downsides:

  • Braum is anyway taking hits after the first, he is meant to do so because he is a tank but its small hitbox and the fact that it doesn't nullify damage is enough of a trade off.

  • Windwall, while a lot wider at later ranks, is stationary and has a huge CD especially if compared to a lot of ultimates that it blocks, the advantage is that Yasuo can play forth and backwards against ppl who won't kite him away from the zone.

Those this make them less frustrating? Probably not, every1 has something that finds really unbearable, for me it's Fizz or the fact that Zed has a potential range that surpasses Xerath's.

Hexs Fortune8/22/2018, 9:11:45 AM3 votes

I feel it's more ok for braum to have his projectile defying power. Braum is exposed to cc, even when blocking it for others and is fully designed around being a living shield for his team

Yasuo on the other hand is a skirmisher and it feels inappropriate to grant him an arguably stronger wall effect with seemingly no tax on his overall power budget.

I feel Windwall should last about as long as Fiora's parry. Let Yas players keep their "fun" twitch-gameplay projectile nullification, but the wall doesn't need to linger obnoxiously, with no way to interact with it, for as long as it does

Busty Demoness8/22/2018, 11:23:42 AM3 votes

If I were to tie Windwall to Flow, I would do one of 2 things in that aspect:

  • Cost a flat 50% of the total, having size scale with rank. Duration cut to a flat 2 seconds.
  • Cost all of his Flow, but extend the size and duration based on % consumed.

It's already been said that Windwall doesn't feel like it's properly valued in his power budget.

Until it comes at an actual cost to Yasuo, it's a broken skill that does far too much for how little effort is required.

Oleandervine8/22/2018, 3:03:09 PM2 votes

Braum's Unbreakable is not a problem at all. It does what it does, and it can be frustrating to play against it if he blocks your lynchpin skillshot, but it's very balanced.

Claiming Unbreakable is on the same level as Windwall is like claiming that Hextech Protobelt is cancerous because it allows you to dash away from skill shots, causing them to miss.

Who Fed Ru8/22/2018, 4:59:29 PM2 votes

w8 how does this post have a downvote when downvoting is disabled here?

HalcyonDweller8/22/2018, 5:12:37 PM2 votes

For Braum, I honestly don't feel like much change (if any) is needed. But your suggestion for Yasuo is highly welcome, as it creates clearer tradeoffs for both the Yasuo player and his opponent. An opponent who pokes yasuo's flow shield off can make his windwall less effective, and a yasuo player who uses wind wall has to be wary of how much flow they have.

Sire Hippington8/22/2018, 8:08:17 PM2 votes

I mostly agree on the braum change, not sure if it would feel good without any damge reduction past the first 0.5-1.0 sec though. Anyway, braums E in it's baseline design is totally fine immo, the only issue it has is that it's uptime is to high, giveing to little room to play around it and find a proper opening. More impact but less duration/uptime certainly is the right way to go about it, makeing it feel good for braum to intercept a strong combo with the W+E combo, but also giving opponents more room to bait it out and then strike duering the downtime.

For Yasuo, i think a flow cost is the absolutly wrong way to go about it, if it's to low it's hardly noticable, it it's noticable it will feel totally shit for yasuo, and quite frankly, sacrificeing defense to gain defense is...fail? It just becomes 'does that skill do more damage than my shield can handle? If Yes cast windwall, else just don't. The main issue with yasuos windwall imo is that it servs two jobs: it's a splitsecond nope because it blocks projectiles from nearly all angles right on cast befor the wall even is formed, and after wards it's a massive zoneing tool that can have huge impact. I think it should be one or the other, either a wall, but with built up so you can't just last sec deny a LB-combo or similar shit, or it should only be that quick 'nope' without beeing a big area denial tool vs projectiles. I personally think it should be reworked into "Gust", delivering a blow of wind in a 150° arc towards target diration, expanding 300-500 range over 0.3sec and elimiateing any projectiles cought in the blow while slowing eneimies chought in it by 90% for 0,25sec A quick reactionary defensive tool would fit his high tempo meleecarry playstyle and be less frustraiting to deal with overall, and it would need more skill to use properly as you could miss projectile if useing it to early or in the wrong direction. Windwall seems like a good supportive skill for an enchanter or warden, maybe even as ult. However, if they keep windwall, it needs to NOT DO ANYTHING UNTILL FULLY FORMED with atleast 0.5 if not more builtup time, and it needs to block directional like braums E rather than blocking anything from any angle if it touches the hitbox. would also be nice if projectile would still have their aoe-impacts against it like vs braum, so a gragas barrle still hits targets close to the wall for example.

Popperofski8/22/2018, 11:51:07 AM2 votes

Fiora W - Literally negating everything but a summoner spell cast (unless someone can proof she can block ignite / exhaust). Combine that with her extremely oppressive amounts of damage in a lane meant for people who either build a lot of health, or fight a lot, it's awful

Benzaquen8/23/2018, 4:13:16 PM2 votes

I think one easy thing that could really help this abilities feel less frustrating is showing the duration of it after being casted. For your team and for the enemy, both could play arround it better. (braum shield, yas windwal)

Shadow Hazard8/26/2018, 1:39:02 AM2 votes

A point to bring up for those who are on the side of defending yas. Zed has before had to have a dedicated mini update targeted specifically at making him less annoying. Also recently pointed out the intent of gameplay changes for zoe targeted at making her less annoying that is being worked on right now. So there is complete merit in saying parts of his kit is BS and needs to be shifted around.

I also agree with the idea brought many times of pairing his shield into his windwall together. I think it should work similar to TK's grey health/shield. So while wind wall is off cooldown his shield wont be available. Other points of adjustments that can be worth thinking about can be to find a way to give an item stat scaling to his shield instead of per level, add having moving AND attacking charging up his flow so it charges a little faster than now, make his wind wall block in the same way as now up to a certain amount of damage.

Another point that is complained as a BS point about him is that his ult puts him in the safest point out of towers for tower dives. That is the biggest change that would make people feel not slighted by laning against him. Another thing that can be considered is making able to be CC'd out of his out like WW with his ult after landing.

Again I will reiterate annoyance targeted changes are not wrong points to bring up and even if they result in being a net nerf, balancing can be done after to bring him into a better state after.