Zac QOL suggestion...

Ironstryde·Apr 10, 2014·14 votes·1,056 views

I have an idea for Zac. I'd love to hear some feedback or thoughts.

I suggest stretching strike be able to snag blobs. I think this would not only give Zac some extra pep in his step but would also add some fun geometry to his blob mini game. Now that his blobs have a more contestable drop off point, you could line up stretching strikes to deal damage and pick up blobs in one strike.

As stretching strike has a fairly long cooldown early I don't think this would throw his balance off the charts. If you stretching strike a blob without contacting enemies you are also burning stretching strike cooldown for a very minimal heal. This may also give his enemies a better idea of which angles Zac will attack from, keeping the change even more in check. This will also make for interesting low health decisions. Do I slow this champ or save myself by turning away and striking up that big pile of blobs? I really hope this change is considered as it would create an entirely new game play aspect for Zac.

I'd love to hear what others think about this idea. I think it fits perfectly with his already fun style. What is more suiting than a blob guy stretching out to re-acquire his missing parts?

13 Comments

Random TaskApr 10, 20142 votes

You'd have to rebalance him. His abilities cost 4% HP and his blobs restore 4% HP. You'd basically heal for the cost you used to Stretching Strike, therefore not gaining an advantage if you needed the blob to heal for another ability. His SS would have to either have no cost or be lowered to almost no cost or an increase in heal restore.

IronstrydeApr 10, 20143 votes

I believe you are perhaps misunderstanding my concept here. I don't agree with your point. No change would be needed to the cost of SS. I'm not talking about spamming SS to pick up blobs. It would mostly be used in a situation where a blob is already in a contested area or perhaps in an opposing minion wave. You would use SS the same way as you normally to do damage to minions or champions, but if possible, you would try to line it up to hit both your target and loose blobs.

If you are a Zac player you also know there are situations, especially after ulting where you may have 5 or more blobs on the ground at once. If it would put you in danger to walk over them, you may have the option of picking several up with SS from a distance. If you grab more than one it is a net HP gain. I hope this makes it more clear.

Also please reread the tooltips. Passive is 4% of max health. Abilities are 4% of current health.

Angry MonsterApr 11, 20142 votes

Against the idea. As u state above that he will net health for using a ability.

Unless his kit was totally rebalenced this would be a abusable function.

IronstrydeApr 11, 20141 votes

He already receives a net health gain for picking up the blobs if he is missing health when using abilities. All the blobs were created by already losing the health for them. Nothing fundamentally changes in how the healing works. He could walk over them at any time for no health cost (except possibly putting himself in danger.) When using SS they would all have to be in a line or pile, which is unlikely. This also comes at a major cost. If he can't hit an enemy with SS while picking up blobs he essentially loses 4% health and the CD of his major laning damage spell and cc.

Angry MonsterApr 11, 20141 votes

But you are using ability to spawn an blob and get health at the same time. This is different than having to move into danger. Actually it the opposite this is an effective healing method.

A buff other words not a quality of life change

IronstrydeApr 11, 20141 votes

Perhaps a better title would have been a suggestion for Zac. The blob produced by SS is still contestable and can't immediately be picked up by the same move. Zac went from a very competitive champ to one of the lower win rates. He was nerfed significantly several times. He is still viable but not very optimal. They obviously felt his damage was too high for a tank and his blobs were too easy to pick up (this was true slightly after his release, he needed some nerfs.)

I'm failing to see how you feel the suggested change is so abuseable and would require a full rebalance? It is not like he is able to pick up every blob with the move. It starts with a 9 second cooldown. He will still be contested on most pickups. I believe it is a small buff, but that is the point. I think it would make his laning very slightly stronger and his jungling less cumbersome and annoying. I think this would be a positive for both roles without being some massive power spike.

Angry MonsterApr 12, 20141 votes

cause it allows safe healing. There is no risk for that bloblet. Either he is a tank or he is a fighter. And riot has failed to nail down the difference between the 2. As a CC tank he has always done to much damage but his kit is to overloaded with CC to be a fighter. Riot really failed at this one's design

Either way a safe regen mechanic should not be allowed. IF used properly he will heal will attacking. This would raise the skill level but i truly feel that to balance this change a nerf would have to come in.

Hyrum GraffApr 13, 20141 votes

I don't think you guys are getting what the OP is saying.

Yes, it's a "safe heal" mechanic, but let's look at the scenarious where it would be used:

Nobody is around, you're farming the jungle or creeps: In the scenario, there's absolutely no reason to use your q to collect blobs instead of walking over them.
Teamfight situation. You really have two sub-scenarios in this one:

a) Your blobs are not lined up with or on top of enemies. If you want to get these blobs, you either need to use your q to get them instead of doing damage to enemies, or reposition yourself so that..

b) The blobs are in line with or on top of enemies. Ok, now you've got a "safe" heal. But if enemies are in range to be hit by zac's q, then it' not exactly safe, is it?

Noam BraumskyApr 11, 20144 votes

Well, I am a Zac player, at least I used to be. I played him a lot when jungling, and I found that his sustain is very weak, and Zac would have to walk around the minion camps whenever he used an ability to get "healed", which would really just refund his health. I think this idea could help his early-game farm, considering he could still be dealing damage and healing at the same time. I don't use Zac anymore because his early game is so weak compared to other junglers.

exec3Apr 12, 20141 votes

Yeah maybe. He could use all the help he could get but i'm just not 100% sure if it'll change things that much. It's a great thematic change however so I reckon it should at least be tested.

IronstrydeApr 12, 20141 votes

Yes, exactly. My hope is that it wouldn't change things that much. He took some major nerfs to get to his current state. That is why I suggested IMO such a small change. I think it would just make life a little better (more fun) for Zac players while being a minor buff. We've seen what he is capable of if even slightly over-tuned.