Distanced and thorough review on Vel'koz
Original Topic: http://forums.na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=4323516
Details have been clarified/changed for simplification/explaination.
Now, I am making this a point: I do not have Vel'koz, but I have seen Trick2G play him, and seen my friends play against him. Hence this is a distanced opinion. These opinions come from facing Vel'koz, playing alongside, and the above.
Anything stated in this discussion has been referenced to some other champion as a comparison for 'balance', or 'imbalance'.
Passive - This is a nice twist for Vel'koz, as it is it seems fine for now. It's powerful but we'll get back to this.
Q - Mid Laner Vel'koz's signature ability to some. While I like the design, I personally feel it could be a little different (pierces, but splits on Q or on the first hit while it continues until the end). But that's just my view. Why is simple: despite the small cooldown, it doesn't offer as much as his W in lane. A 1050 range is impressive - if you got sight that far away. Otherwise it's too slow to be a sizeable threat. We've seen veterans literally walk towards it and to the side, negating the whole effect.
Support Comparable to Lulu's, and yet, inferior. Although he has a superior 10%, he needs to hassle to get it through to the enemy laners, Lulu can just shoot it on in like a bowling ball. Now, I don't mean to say he's ****, but let's review - Both Qs slow. Both Decay. Hers standardizes over AP, Vel'koz don't. Hers pierces minions. I'd include her E into this argument, making it nearly impossible to avoid her, but it's already a forlorn point. For a "Laser" champion, he does not hold well.
W - Mid Lane- Vel'koz's bread and butter, it is what permits him farming ability, it's his strongest non-ult, and effectively his passive's savior. The 'second activation' is fairly quick, so that's a nice benefit on zoning. However it's basically not enough in itself. Vel'koz's fairly high recharge times on it make him effectively inferior versus the current top tier mid laners farming abilities - Lulu, Ziggs, Gragas. His W's damage maxed (275+62.5% AP) is only saved by his passive, and otherwise inferior in all forms to Gragas (faster CDs, superior modifiers).
Why does this matter? You'd need a full W on a wave to do less than comparable damage to a wave, then another spell to hit those same minions just to proc your passive. Your farming speed's inferior to Ziggs (who can pop nearly 4 Qs off during this same period of time, although he's more managated), Gragas (can toss off 2 barrels in the time it takes one W to recharge, effectively even if you enter the fight with 2 charges, he'll throw 3 barrels by the time you've got your 3rd shot, and 5 by your 4th), Lulu (2 Qs in the same time).
In short, in a lane that's become focused on ability to burst down AND wave clear, Vel'koz heavily falls flat on Wave clear, especially early game where it matters most. If he can't clear waves, he becomes a diving target for a high mobility meta. **Ziggs has a superior matchup in all respects for mid lane versus Vel'koz because of this, and will remain along with Gragas the Alpha Mid Laner. **
Support: Once again, we now have to compare this versus other supports. And his W... falls short. It wants to zone out enemies but threatens to steal CS often, much like annie. So we'll revisit this later.
E -
Mid Lane - This is clearly just meant to setup combos, hell it sets up Yasuo too. But. It lacks, once again. Why does it lack? The answer again can be found in Ziggs. Vel'koz's E will most likely see use in the same bane as Ziggs' W - a peel. The issue is Vel'koz's doesn't offer a 'catch' effect like Ziggs', nor does it stun the opponent for a time like Lulu's W. Let's focus on that...
Support and Mid - Again we'll focus on Lulu W. As you'll notice, Vel'koz shares a lot of similarities with Lulu and Ziggs. So what's the problem here? Her W lasts 2.5 seconds at max, and comes with a flat 60 MS slow, and for an equal cooldown prevents skills/etc. Vel'koz's E, his best peel, only lasts 0.75 seconds.
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What does this all mean?
Well let's start with the obvious:
Vel'koz lacks the necessities of a mid laner, even with his distinct range. It only takes one Assassin with a flash to chew Vel'koz a couple new ones, and his E won't exactly save him. He lacks the tools of a support too: his Q is fancy, but end of the day the extra range won't make it any better than Lulu's Q, it's lacking for this meta. What she steals in CS she benefits by providing superior tanking and peel, something Vel'koz lacks.
IN mid lane he lacks wave clear hardcore, at best he'll get one wave done then need to wait, meanwhile the average top tier mid laner (LeBlanc, Ziggs, Gragas, Lulu) would be able to pop a wave consistently, if not in one shot, then in two. Vel'koz will have issue with that second most of the time. If he uses his E to follow up once his Ws are off charge, he's two skills with a 10+ second cooldown now. This means his use in teamfights becomes diddly squat. Ziggs will be able to still pelt 3 bombs during these phases and his E, with a similar cooldown, will do a lesser but superior version of Vel'koz's Q's job: Zoning the opponent, slowing those he catches (and with a wider radius), and damaging them considerably.
His Ult while powerful lacks utility. Because it is a channel, it won't have any worth. There's too much hard CC. Meanwhile Lulu's ult will provide peel and catch, Ziggs can snipe basically cross map without fear in exchange for a lesser output, and Gragas can catch a whole team or disengage them better than Vel'koz's ult.
Support wise? Well, he just falls flat of LUlu, again, except in damage output. But Annie wins here just about flat out, especially with a hard stun (I won't even bother with the damage here).
Generally put: Vel'koz while powerful, is unoptimized for the meta. While he seems strong, his strength's solely in his passive. Once his skills are all on cooldown, that's it, he's effectively gone from the teamfights. The others would still be able to support without much issue.
One could basically summarize him as a "weaker Ziggs". Vel'koz will get pushed to tower, ganks will come for Ziggs, and Ziggs will escape with his W and E to peel his escape. While ziggs will have worse mana problems, the moment Vel'koz gets too far out, he'll get ganked, and with a lesser peel force in comparison, get killed. (Ziggs is -barely- squishier, in both HP and armor, by 18). In this case Vel'koz's selling point's his ult. And we all know how prevalent disruptive CC is for junglers.
I do not deny he is a niche pick. But his niche is what will most likely prevent him being successful.
Personally? I'd give his W an effect. If the second shockwave hits a champion it reduces the cooldown on the next Charge by 1. It reduces by 0.5 seconds per minion. With 5 champions and 10 minions, this would leave the W with a 4 second cooldown without CDR, although unlikely to happen, it makes a good point in offering him a benefit to his W.
This INCLUDES the potential of making his Q pierce through everything up until the end, BUT splitting on first impact or when the Q is procced for the split. (Honestly, what sort of "laser" just... splits without continuing it's flow anyhow, even if weaker than the full beam?)