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An idea for barrier

Fyrion·4/22/2014, 8:36:04 PM·15 votes·4,674 views

As it stands on live, barrier has been almost completely eclipsed by heal, despite barrier having slightly better numbers. This is for two primary reasons: the health gained from heal is permanent, and it offers more interesting gameplay moments due to the ally healing and the move speed. I had an idea to help give barrier a more interesting presence in game.

My idea is for barrier's cooldown be reduced if the barrier is broken, instead of timing out. This would reward players for properly predicting incoming damage, while giving opponents the opportunity for counterplay by stopping damage to force the longer CD.

34 Comments

RiotMorello4/23/2014, 6:14:20 AM5 votes

We're doing some explorations on what Barrier should do, now that (as you said) Heal is the superior option. Since the comparison between them will always be a numbers game, it should have a different function (so you decide on what strategic benefit you want as opposed to comparing nuanced differences).

Bot Support Lulu4/22/2014, 10:05:23 PM1 votes

Make it to were you can use it on others too.

dodgethisbuddy4/22/2014, 9:59:54 PM1 votes

hmm that seems like an interesting idea and i totally agree with how barrier is of almost no use compared to heal imagine supports running heal as well...i know the new patch reduces the affects of heal if more than one heal heals a champ but still it would be quite the lane dominator. For barrier thou if they were to reduce cd like u said it would be kinda unfair since u can basically block a certain amount of damage and in almost every team fight and that would make it harder to kill adc and imagine how hard it already is because of all the peel adc's get. i would suggest making the numbers on barrier lower than what it was before or something around that lol

KingSmizzy4/22/2014, 11:36:24 PM1 votes

The Heal summoner is so strong because it gives you that movement speed burst. It can get out you of whatever was damaging you plus stopping the killing blow, it far surpasses barrier in any survivability utility. reducing the cooldown on barrier might make it more appealing in lane, but in mid-late game where every teamfight counts youll want the extra mobility from heal over barrier everytime.

plus the numbers on barrier would have to be massive to even try to compete with the fact that heal spreads to allies as well.

I think they should retune barrier to have a special secondary like heal's movement speed buff. Maybe Barrier should be given something like 'stops debuffs while the barrier is active'. 1.5s is not an overbearing amount of time, plus it wouldnt stop hard cc like immobilizes or stuns, just slows to movespeed or attack speed or attack damage reductions like Tryndameres Mocking Shout. I think im gonna make my own post about this. :P

JsKingBoo4/23/2014, 12:29:40 AM1 votes

Alternatively, you can make barrier's shield stronger

Burnakai4/23/2014, 2:04:41 AM1 votes

I like this idea yet i feel like it would be a little op because anyone who know how to use barrier well will be really good with this instead i think you should go on the permanent end i think the sheild should be permanent but right when the sheild is out or u recall you lose the sheild and the cooldown now then starts and then give it a very minor speed buff for it has a little comparsion lets buff summoner 21 -thanks super sayan

TheLordPuddinCup4/23/2014, 12:52:48 PM1 votes

2 options i see, 1 make barrier a short burst survival skill ~500hp but only lasting 1 second or even 1k and .75 sec something thats like "HA i survived that ulti because i knew just when to pop my barrier".

Or go all out and make barrier something different, like a deployable snowglobe that protects allys within a short radius from external people for a % of damage, so like a braum E but round and only reducing ranged attacks/spells

Dianarrhea4/23/2014, 9:20:51 PM1 votes

Just make summoner 21 remove the ability to get summoner 14 ed while active, and remove it from summoner 7 . It will give a reason to use both. It might not make it as good as summoner 7 , but summoner 7 is currently maybe just a tad too strong.

Thryale4/24/2014, 12:40:39 AM1 votes

or we could just remove barrier, considering it was originally created for the alternate game modes in the first place, and was never intended for SR to begin with.

in fact, the reason barrier was brought to SR was -because- ppl were using heal for the same reasons they would normally use barrier...

Cynikul4/24/2014, 7:53:36 AM1 votes

The best step, too me, would include any (or possibly multiple) of these options:

  1. Remove the cleanse debuff from heal, move it to barrier, THEN creates the shield.
  2. Barrier decreases incoming damage by 35% for 1.5 seconds, as well as the shield.
  3. Decrease potency of Barriers shield, make it also slow/exhaust immune for the duration. Cannot be slowed for the duration of the barrier. Any** SLOW** is removed that was placed prior to barriers use.
  4. Barrier makes a champion completely invulnerable to the next source of damage, then creates a shield after that hit. Cooldown is reduced if the barrier is "popped".
  5. Same concept as #2, but Barrier reduces damage by 60% for 1 or 1.5 seconds, and no shield is created. If armor/MR is already greater than 60%, it has half effectiveness.
  6. All damage above X is reduced by X%?

Just thought I'd share some ideas. I think any number of these are in the right direction, a few of them might also make Tank engages less scary, while giving a few countermeasures for them to be ridiculous. Personally , I feel like most of these would work pretty well, but if I had to pick- #4 #5 and offer some interesting play and might even make barrier viable on other players.

Skarlath the Haw4/24/2014, 1:09:52 PM1 votes

Barrier has a shorter cooldown and i believe shield's for more than than heal gives health. However, Heal is better simple because its permanent health, IMO.

Sternbery4/24/2014, 5:13:41 PM1 votes

Have you thought about making heal more of a "run away" spell and making barrier more of an "engage" spell.

Heal currently gives a burst of movement speed but the amount given is reduced by healing reduction effects like ignite. Barrier only shields damage but it is not reduced.

midorii4/24/2014, 6:59:09 PM1 votes

What would be your opinion on having barrier as a reflect effect? Kind of make it the middleman between an offensive and a defensive spell.

I'm thinking absorbing and returning the damage onto the attacker. As far as numbers go it could both absorb and deal damage = to about half the damage an ignite would do.

Or less as it is a very powerful concept But I could see it being really fun and skillfull choice over ignite, and could lead to some exciting some pinch engagements

Sir ArmaMalum4/22/2014, 9:13:01 PM1 votes

I was about to say "Let's wait and see for the 4.6 changes to settle before anything is said" but then I saw the idea and liked it in a general manner.

I think I've seen this proposal tossed around before, but it's still a good idea imho, although will naturally cause some number tweaking.

Fyrion4/28/2014, 9:28:56 PM1 votes

I've just had another bit of inspiration. What if you gave barrier a longer duration, and give it a flat % damage reduction that diminishes with every instance of damage you take from enemy champions.

This would retain it's effectiveness against 1v1 burst damage, while not taking away the enemy team's ability to pile onto and kill a carry, or reducing it's weakness to damage over time.