Flash Changes

Stacona·Jul 17, 2014·1 votes·491 views

First off, please read the whole post.

Flash has been the over-rated dominant summoner spell since its creation pretty much and stifles the use of a second summoner spell so to open up more customization options and more strategic elements to the game its time to remove Flash as a summoner spell. On a side note, Jarvan would need a nerf at the same time in his ultimate's duration going down from something like 3.5 to like 1.5 and ultimate cooldown increase, at least for its early ranks, but this is slightly off topic.

Flash will become a boot enchantment upgrade that costs 1000 gold and have its cooldown reduced to 210 seconds from 300 seconds (the mastery granting active item cooldown will lower this further). 210 seconds is the same base cooldown as Ghost, and the 1000 gold cost to purchase the enchantment is so that the upgrade doesn't get bought by everyone every game and to leave the other enchantments as viable options as well. Also obvious point to note Distortion would then only affect Ghost and Teleport since Flash is no longer a Summoner Spell.

The whole point to the change is to allow other more variety in summoner spell options and see what everyone would come up with with spell combinations and possibly spells that don't see play now will then see the light of day because of this change.

~ Stacona

14 Comments

Czar Matt DamonJul 17, 20142 votes

flash is a dominant summoner spell, but this is not a good way to fix it.

StaconaJul 17, 20141 votes

Why is that? if Flash isnt a spell option then you can see two summoners instead of one every game

CaptainWednesdayJul 17, 20142 votes

I think you're misunderstanding and underestimating the use of summoner 4 .

As hotly debated as the summoner spell is, it's a staple of the game. It'd be like removing a champion from the game entirely just because people hate/love it. Flash has already been nerfed, buffed, and reworked time and time again. As for it being over-rated, I find that hard to believe. For some champions, it is their only form of escape or engage. There are plenty of flashy plays (no pun intended) to make with Flash. A game-changing Flash->Tibbers from an Annie, a Slingshotting Zac with a well-timed Smite to steal Baron and Flash out, or a classic case of misdirection when a trapped enemy flashes their way out of tough situations. Countless plays to make with the spell that would be stifled by your idea.

As for making it a boot enchantment... To start, 1000 gold is WAY too much gold, for anyone. The other enchantments all cost 475 gold; there would be a drastic price difference. Not to mention you would have to buy boots, upgrade them, then find the gold to purchase the enchantment. This is not Smite. We do not buy Summoner Spells in the League of Legends. Then reducing the cooldown of it? The spell's power is already gated by it's 300 second cooldown. It would then become the thing to rush as you would have an escape/engage over your opponent. As for the obvious issue, how would you activate it? Boot enchantments grant passive effects, but this one is an active. Would Riot have to make an entirely separate key just for the people that want to buy Flash? Seems like a lot of work that yields no significant return.

Problem is, Flash is one of the more powerful Summoner Spells for a reason because nearly anyone can use it. Laners shouldn't use Smite, while Junglers should not use Ignite. Supports should often use Exhaust rather than Barrier. A resourceless champion should not use Clarity. There are just some Summoner Spells that work well on other champions. However, Flash is a fantastic all around Summoner Spell that anyone can use.

TL;DR Flash is the best Summoner Spell because anyone can use it, and it should not become an active boot enchantment because boot enchantments are passive effects.

StaconaJul 17, 20141 votes

boot enchantments do not have to be passive effects nor were stated anywhere to be, enchantments are just an upgrade that any kind of boots can buy

Flash is not the most powerful summoner spells at all, this mindset is why it needs to get removed as a spell choice, champions with no mobility do not need flash actually, again this kind of mindset is why the spell needs to be removed, over half the time 'flashy plays' just makes the game toxic and doesn't do anything good to the game-

i decided to have Flash purchase on a low cooldown for those flash ultimate plays for champions that like doing that- and possibly the 21st utility point mastery can have a bonus effect that lowers the cost of the enchantment to a certain amount to help supports and anyone else who wants to run 21 utility out since supports are the main play making role

CaptainWednesdayJul 17, 20141 votes

Please show me which boot enchantment is directly activated via button.

Furor - Dealing damage to a champion with a single target attack or spell grants you a 12% movement speed boost that decays over 2 seconds.
Summary: Grants a small movement speed bonus on basic attacks, not activated.

Alacrity - Increases movement speed by 20. Summary: Additional base movement speed, not activated.

Captain - Allied champions moving towards you gain an 10% movement speed boost. Additionally, nearby allied minions gain a 20% movement speed bonus.
Summary: Grants a small movement speed bonus to approaching allies and more to nearby minions, not activated.

Distortion - Ghost, Flash and Teleport cooldowns are reduced by 20%. Additionally, Ghost gives 40% movement speed instead of 27%. Flash gives 20% movement speed for 1 second after using it. Teleportation gives 30% bonus movement speed for 3 seconds after using it.
Summary: Reduces the cooldown of Ghost, Flash, and Teleport and grants small movement speed bonuses after using them, not activated.

Homeguard - Visiting the shop increases drastically the regeneration of health and mana, also grants 200% movement speed that decays over 8 seconds. The movements speed bonus and the regeneration are disabled for 6 second when receiving or dealing damage. Summary: After returning to fountain after not receiving damage for 6 seconds, you rapidly regenerate health and mana and gain a massive movement speed bonus, again not activated.

None of the current boot enchantments are activated via a button. you still have not replied with a way to activate the enchantment - Flash.

Again, you're missing the point of flash. It gives champions with no escape (jump, dart, dash, etc.) a chance to escape. Otherwise, many of those champions would fall out of favor. How do you expect a Fiora to get out if she's trapped? She has no escape and is doomed, except Flash allows her to escape. And it's not as though Flash is end all. It is still very easy to catch up to someone that Flashed as long as you know the direction (the visual effects of Flash do not show the direction you casted it in).

StaconaJul 18, 20141 votes

You don't need Flash on those kinds of champs, and exhaust, cv and ghost will still be in the game and teleport for some sneaky escapes... CV for seeing a gank company and you can run away well before the extra man comes- plus cleanse will get rid of any stuns on you so you can escape that way as well- the only champion that needs nerfs will be jarvan... removing flash will help the immobile out more actually

the enchantment will work just like any active item, press the key the item is set to and you will blink to that location- everything about flash is unchanged just a lower cooldown AGAIN enchantments are to modify your boots in some way, whether its a passive or active doesnt matter and an active upgrade to your boots is allowed, it just hasnt been done before

SilverclawJul 18, 20141 votes

Sure I don't need Flash... but if I'm playing Annie, I'm going to be worthless as I cannot easily get Tibbers out onto their entire team (or anyone) without being kited. I can't engage on the backline as Ryze with a flash/W combo. I can't escape from Lee Sin (period).

Name one summoner spell that's more useful than flash at every point in the game (from load in to when the nexus is destroyed, and EVERY POINT IN BETWEEN) and is extremely useful for every champ in every position at the same time. Simply put, nothing matches the sheer utility that flash brings.

StaconaJul 18, 20141 votes

you dont flash tibbers early game anyways, you can still buy the flash active later if you want those plays

SilverclawJul 18, 20141 votes

I won't flash tibbers the moment I hit level 6 for a free kill before I buy boots. Nope.

CaptainWednesdayJul 18, 20142 votes

Exhaust lasts 2.5* seconds. You think an Udyr, Warwick, Kassadin, Zed, Kha'Zix, Rengar, Lulu, Garen, Poppy, Ashe, Wukong, Ahri, Evelynn, Fiora, Jarvan, Jax, Karma, Skarner, and plenty of others still won't catch up to you? You keep using all these arguments that can also be used for Flash. You quickly escape dangerous ganks with Flash. You also mentioned earlier that sneaky tricks and plays similar to Flash are toxic. And Teleporting away from a situation is not? You're contradicting yourself. Removing Flash will hurt the immobile and make champions with dashes, blinks, and jumps all the more dangerous.

I do not know why you keep saying Jarvan would be the only one who would need a nerf. Anivia and Trundle can also trap you in terrain, just like Jarvan can.

Having your boots activate? That's ridiculous. "Let me just click the button on my boots here so I can flash".

The mere assertion of removing Flash is a terrible, ill thought out idea that would ultimately do more harm than good.

StaconaJul 18, 20141 votes

Exhaust is 2.5 seconds and Flash only equals to at best a 2 second speed buff and it doesnt have the damage reduction that exhasut has- plus ghost still exists

granted the flash upgrade can be lowered to like 750gold- but i still didnt remove it it just moved from being a summoner spell to an active piece with a lower cooldown

CaptainWednesdayJul 18, 20141 votes

If you Flash in one direction maybe. Flashing over a wall could equate to 4 or more seconds of champions running around, using their Flash (or jumps/blinks/dashes/etc.), or giving up entirely. There's a much higher chance of you escaping an enemy or them giving up altogether because you Flashed instead of Exhausted.

Taking it away from it's free-of-cost, high cooldown utility at any point of the game is unthinkable. It's instrumental to so many players and champions throughout the game.

KoboldJul 18, 20141 votes

Riot has stated previously that they wanted to remove flash from the game but because it is so ingrained into their champion design they cant. We had this discussion with Riot the last preseason where I had shown that Flash was taken 10 times out of 10 for every game except for 9 games last worlds. which ended up being 96~97% of the time flash being taken and a total of like only 5 summoner spells even being used in worlds.

StaconaJul 18, 20141 votes

honestly flash needs to be taken out of the game, people will learn to adapt to the change and learn that flash isnt this end all god tier summoner spell and that they could have taken different spells this entire time