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@Xelnath -- What happened to scaling?

Elastoid·5/11/2014, 10:17:34 PM·6 votes·962 views

Tristana and Karthus have very few favorable matchups -- especially in this meta. Still, that used to be part of the plan. "Lose lane, win game." These are two champions who were heavily featured in Season 3 all the way to the end, and now they're all but forgotten, despite both seeing some minor buffs in Season 4.

More, the entire plan of playing a champion that had a slightly weaker early game with the intention of outscaling has fallen completely out of favor. Kog'Maw is gone, despite seeing some Riot love. Ryze has been driven out of mid lane. Even Vayne doesn't show up much anymore.

Champions who used to focus on scaling have adapted their builds for the mid-game. That's why you see Twitch building Blade of the Ruined King now instead of Infinity Edge or The Bloodthirster. That's why you see Nidalee rushing Athene's Unholy Grail instead of Tear of the Goddess.

More, the lane bully tanks like Renekton and Shyvana have taken over a top lane that used to be about either DPS champions like Jayce, Elise and Kennen, or more late-game tanks like Malphite and Shen. What HAPPENED?

The massive complain-fest about Athene's Unholy Grail is sort of connected to this, I think. Champions who rush Tear of the Goddess and Rod of Ages are seeing fewer games, and more importantly, they're not making it to late game.

I think the new gold gain items for Jungle and Support have shifted the game's emphasis much more into the mid game than before. Your reworking of gold in this game has been effective in making Support and Jungle roles more influential, but it had the (likely unintended) consequence of making the mid game arrive earlier and become more important. Teams are grouping earlier because the Jungler is ready to leave his jungle sooner, and champions who aren't ready to have a high impact around that time are simply not effective enough anymore.

If I'm right, this is why the impact of an (unfed) AD carry has gone down, and why scaling mid laners and late-game tops have fallen out of favor. This is why it's become so difficult to choose a late-game champion, build for late game, and reach late game.

If that's the case... can you fix it?

11 Comments

Angry Monster5/12/2014, 1:25:50 AM2 votes

S3 meta has died? Just like S2 meta? and S1 mets? wow.... its almost like the game changes.... Wait it does.

If you want to run a late game champ like vayne losing lane is not allowed and probably will never be allowed again. It is bad design to be losing all game then all of a sudden be more powerful and win.

Now you can take these champs and hold even in lane. That takes skill and will allow you to be in the mid game. Vayne is a great mid game duelist as an example.

Adapt and cry less please.

Worgslarg5/11/2014, 11:35:17 PM1 votes

I can build for lategame on nasus all day. The only problem is, my team loses a almost 4v5 until i reach around 400-600 stacks, and have items.

Lane bullies simply push towers down and then rush teamfights for late game monsters to stand much of a chance.

Combat Chuck5/13/2014, 3:45:50 PM1 votes

The problem isn't that a meta is dying, the problem is now there's only a couple legitimate strategies left. You can no longer say "we're going to put a Vayne bot and stall the game until she can hit her late game" forcing the other team to say either "we're going to bring a good late game too" or "we're going to make sure Vayne does not hit her late game!" Because now you don't HAVE to say that... Because that's just how it is. I don't think hyper carries should automatically crush games, but the idea of early game/mid game/late game needs to come back, at least a little bit. In my opinion.