RedBaiting Statikk: Kassadin ReRework

Riot have reworked Kassadin, and admitted it's a failure.

Here is a updated mechanical kit. The aim is twofold. The first is to emphasise and reward players who focus Kassadin into a Magical Assassin Melee Carry (Think more Zed than Yi). The second is promote and reward opponents who correctly counterplay him.

Basic playstyle: In the lane phase, Kassadin will trade with use of Null Sphere before closing in to unleash Force Pulses and Nether Blade strikes. Once he obtains his ultimate, he gains Some of the highest mobility in the league and is rewarded for using it offensively.

In a teamfight, Kassadin is punished for skirmishing, but rewarded for closing with enemy champions. He seeks to close, overwhelm and destroy his enemies before moving to the next target.

Basic Stat Changes: Kassadin is weak against AD champions, and should remain so. To this end, I am lowering his armour per level slightly.

Armour: +3.2 per level -> +3.0 per level.

As a Magical Assassin Melee Carry, Kassadin needs to stick to his enemies. While in previous iterations Riftwalk was used for this, the general mobility of this spell is too powerful, so as compensation for toning down of this spell, his movement speed is increased.

Movement Speed: 340 -> 350.

Finally, as a melee carry, Kassadin needs to stick to a target and needs to be rewarded for committing. To help with further changes, his attack speed is being increased. The loss of attack speed from his Void Stone was a severe nerf so base numbers are being buffed.

Attack Speed: 0.640 (+3.7% per level) -> 0.66 (+3.7% per level) (1.09 @ 18).

Abilities:

Passive Void Stone: The thematic center of this champion the anti magical champion. Previous incarnations gave attack speed (powerful, but underrated) and the ability to ignore unit collision (not suited and treads on Fizz's toes).

Our change focuses Kassadin as the champion who can handle any mage, but only when up close and personal. In addition, good passive are interactive without being an activated skill, so we are adding gameplay in here.

Void Stone: Kassadin takes 10% reduced magic damage. This is increased while Kassadin has Nether Energy stacks. In addition, Kassadin converts magic damage prevented this way to Ability Power. Each conversion lasts for 4 seconds and times out individually.

This change makes it easier to poke Kassadin, while much harder to magically kill him when he is doing what he is supposed to. It gives him extra raw power when fighting a mage toe to toe, where he should be, and directly penalizes him for remaining at range.

Null Sphere: Long duration targeted silences do not work well, as they removed all ability to not only fight back, but to also escape. In addition, high base damage and high scaling lead to this skill being used like a mage skill, cast from max range. We are changing this to remain a farming and harass tool without the full shutdown that it used to provide.

Q Null Sphere: Cost: 50/55/60/65/70 Mana Range: 650 Cooldown: 9

Kassadin fires an orb of void energy at a target enemy, dealing 80/100/120/140/160 (+0.4 Per Ability Power) magic damage. Upon damaging an enemy champion with this skill, the excess energy forms around himself, granting a shield that absorbs 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.2 Per Ability Power) damage for 1.5 seconds.

Both the Damage and Shield strength are increased while Kassadin has Nether Energy stacks.

The skill is now much weaker, making it much harder to use as a magelike skill. The mana cost is lowered so it remains viable as a ranged last hit skill. Since both the offensive and defensive strength is increased with Nether Energy stacks, it contributes to our goal of forcing Kassadin into melee range and sticking there,

W Nether Blade: Here we go. This is where we are going to put the majority of his power without making him a simple right click binary champion such as Master Yi or Tryndamere. The aim here is to powerfully reward Kassadin for entering Melee.

Nether Blade: Cost: No cost. Range: Self. Cooldown: 10

Passive: Kassadin deals 20/25/30/35/40 + ( 0.1/0.15/0.2/0.25/0.3 Per Ability Power) magic damage per auto attack. Additionally, auto attacking a champion grants a stack of Nether Energy, as Kassadin draws power from them.

Nether Energy: Nether Energy stacks are gained upon auto attacking an enemy champion. Stacks last for 3 seconds and decay one by one. Max 4 stacks.

These stacks enhance Kassadins other abilities in the following manner: Void Stone: Kassadin takes a further 5% reduced magic damage per stack (max 30%). Null Sphere: Kassadin gains 0/5/10/15/20 (+0.1 per Ability Power) damage per per stack and gains 0/5/10/15/20 (+0.2 per Ability Power) shield strength per stack. This gives max values of 240 (+0.8 Per Ability Power) magic damage and 200 (+1.0 Per Ability Power) shield strength. Force Pulse: Kassadin gains 0/5/10/15/20 (+0.1 per Ability Power) damage per per stack and slows by 10% more per stack. This gives max values of 240 (+0.8 Per Ability Power) magic damage and a 70% slow for 2 seconds. Riftwalk: Kassadin does not suffer the mana stacking penalty if used while has has Nether Energy stacks. For each stack the increase in the mana cost of the next Riftwalk is decreased by 25%. Max 100%, or no increase.

Active: Kassadin charges his blade, gaining 50 attack range and 30/40/50/60/70% attack speed for 5 seconds.

The changes here are two fold. Firstly, we have added two first order rewards to being in melee range. You gain per level damage with increasing scaling and increased attack speed. This makes you a force to be reckoned with in melee. We have added passive damage of approximately the same strength as the old steroid (0.3 AP ratio), and then given kassadin a steroid of up to 70%, or what he would have obtained after taking 466 magic damage with his old passive. This new melee steroid outdamages both old and current melee damage spells.

The second change is now Kassadins ranged and mobility spells are more potent and easier to use if you have been auto attacking champions. This is the indirect reward for entering melee range. You hit harder by a significant amount, (+0.8AP over two spells) and are a lot more resilient (+0.8AP ratio on shield). Finally, you have the mana gating of your ultimate removed, allowing much stronger chase while energised.

E Force Pulse: Cost: 60 Mana Range: 700 Cooldown 10/9/8/7/6

Kassadin draws energy from spells cast in his vicinity, gaining a charge whenever a spell is cast near him.Upon reaching 6 charges, Kassadin can use Force Pulse to deal 80/100/120/140/160 (+0.4 Per Ability Power) magic damage and slow enemies by 30% for 2 seconds in a 80 degree cone in front of him.

Much like the changes to Void Sphere, we are moving power out of the base version and into the Nether Energised version. We are hitting base values, and increasing the cooldown. It does however, get a mana cost reduction. Idealy, this skill would be leveled last, as all you get is a small CD decrease and a small amount of base damage per level. However, this skill does end up stronger than live with just one Nether Energy Stack.

Riftwalk: In short, out of combat mobility is too powerful, and excessive unconditional mana gating lead to requiring completely broken level of mana restore and mana itemisation. Thus, we are leaving the out of combat version as is: Overly mana gated, with an effective 12s CD. However, in combat, if you can keep your Nether Energy stacks up, you can use it on a much shorter CD. Finally, the change to the damage was a mistake as it removed the main use: Move from A onto someones face.

R Riftwalk: Cost: 75 Mana. Range: 700 Cooldown: 7/5/3

Kassadin teleports to a nearby location, dealing 80/100/120 (+0.6 per Ability Power) magic damage to enemy units within 150 range upon arrival.

Each subsequent Riftwalk within the next 12 seconds costs additional mana up to a cap of 1200. The additional mana cost is +100% - 25% per Nether Energy stack. This works out to doubling the mana cost if you have no Nether Energy stacks, and no increase in mana cost if used with max stacks.

And there we go, you now have all the in combat mobility you want with no mana itemisating needed, as long as you stick to auto attacking enemies to keep your stacks up. However, if you try to use it without autoing enemies, you'll run into mana gating hard and fast.

Now, whats the intended counterplay to all this? Well, from the passive, it's clear physical damage will mess up kassadin, esp since he is losing armour / level. Secondly, you can't stay in a sustained trade with him, much like you can't with Darius or Jax. You need to get your damage in, then get out. To this end, AD burst is the way to go, with Zed, Kha, Panth, and Talon all matching up well against him. He is now easier to bully in the lane phase, as he lacks strong farming ability.

In a teamfight, if Kassadin is prevented from landing his auto attacks, he will be much weaker and much less mobile. By either using lockdown to keep him at range, or kiting backwards, he will be forced to stack up Riftwalk without obtaining Nether Energy stacks. Finally, when killing Kassadin, champions who can enter melee then simply overpower him are the correct choice. Physical damage is a must, as if Kassadin reaches his 30% magic damage reduction and thus, Ap conversion, he will toe to toe any magic damage user he fights