Feral Flare ideas, ways to make it a more healthy item
Edited with new ideas and added item wording
Currently Wriggles Lantern unlocks into Feral Flare after killing 30 large monsters which is prompting many players to simply stay in the jungle until it is unlocked. This defeats the point of having a jungler that helps their laners.
If Wriggles were to count kills and assists to its unlocking of feral flare it would prompt junglers to help lanes rather than simply sit in the jungle. Some changes would likely need to be made in the way machete and madreds razors accumulate stacks prior to completing wriggles. My thoughts are to not have monster kills from machete count any more, only have madreds start accumulating stacks from monsters only, then have wriggle allow stacks to be obtained from kills and assists as well.
Another possibility is to have Wriggles lantern gain bonus magic damage to champions similar to FF as you collect stacks (would not increase bonus damage to monsters). You wouldn't feel quite as weak without FF unlocked if you need to gank. This would come with some hefty drawbacks however. To have this iteration be balanced you would no longer be able to count hunters machete's and Madred's Razor's large monster kills to your stack count. You would also not restore 10 health when hitting champions. With that being the case reducing the stack count to 20 large monster kills would be best. It would also be a good idea to reduce the cost of wriggles back down to 1650 so it could be picked up sooner. Reduce the AD to 10 as well since you will be able to deal extra damage from stacks. This would promote very early ganks to help generate gold to purchase Wriggles faster so you can start stacking sooner.
Another possible iteration if removing the large monster kills from Hunters Machete and Madred's Razor felt like to much is to count Madreds stacks as well but increase the cost of finishing Wriggles to 2000 like the other Jungle items. Require 25 stacks to transform to FF.
These changes would allow junglers that choose to build wriggle/FF to participate more throughout the early and mid game without feeling like they will never be able to unlock FF unless they stay in the jungle until it has been unlocked or feel like they wont deal enough damage with Wriggles low stats.
Gonna add some item wording to help paint a better picture of what I am describing and has been recommended.
Allowing kills and assists add to the count.
Transforms into Feral Flare after accumulating 60 marks. 2 marks for large monsters and 1 mark for kills/assists (Monsters killed with Hunter's Machete and Madred's Razors count toward the transformation)
Idea 2 Iteration 1
Wriggle's Lantern
Cost: 1650 (140)
+10 Attack Damage
+30% Attack Speed
UNIQUE Passive - Maim: Basic attacks against monsters deal 100 bonus magic damage and heal 10 Health on hit. Basic attacks against champions deal magic damage equal to the number of large monsters you have killed on hit.
UNIQUE Passive: Gain 30% increased Gold from monsters.
UNIQUE Active: Places a Stealth Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 180 seconds (180 second cooldown).
Transforms into Feral Flare at 20 large monster kills.
Idea 2 Iteration 2
Wriggle's Lantern
Cost: 2000 (490)
+10 Attack Damage
+30% Attack Speed
UNIQUE Passive - Maim: Basic attacks against monsters deal 100 bonus magic damage and heal 10 Health on hit. Basic attacks against champions deal magic damage equal to the number of large monsters you have killed on hit.
UNIQUE Passive: Gain 30% increased Gold from monsters.
UNIQUE Active: Places a Stealth Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 180 seconds (180 second cooldown).
Transforms into Feral Flare at 25 large monster kills.
(Monsters killed with Madred's Razors count toward the transformation)
######ps: adding some riot names so the thread shows up if they search their name in hope for their input on the discussion. Morello, Xypherous, Statikk, Zenonthestoic, Xelnath, Feralpony.