Let's talk about Soraka
Since there's raka changes upcoming, but I haven't seen a thread like this, I figured I'd make one so we raka mains can let riot know what not to change.
14 Comments
I'll be making a thread like this when I'm ready to talk about Soraka in depth. Right now I'm just experimenting with crazy ideas for how to solve some of her core issues. If any of it sticks I'll iterate more in that direction and let you guys know what types of solutions we're confident about.
I think their goal is going to be to reduce her effectiveness in the solo lane until her rework. Things should be balanced around making the least impact on support Soraka, but not impacting support Soraka is impossible.
In my opinion-
Increasing the cost of mana on her Q - Starcall if enemy champions are not hit would be one possibility. If an enemy champion is hit, mana could be refunded. It would have a small effect on support Soraka, as she uses Starcall to harass enemy champions early game and usually not push lanes. Lowering the damage of Q - Starcall on minions would be another way to weaken her solo lane. Her waveclear is too good which makes her a great solo laner. But as support Soraka I would prefer not to clear or push minion waves as much until late game anyway. Some support Sorakas use it to push though.
Reducing the effectiveness of her W - Astral Blessing or her passive on herself is another possibility. But it would damage her ability to support. If she can't heal herself as well, she becomes more of a liability as well as reducing the amount of plays she can make.
Her E - Infuse in my opinion is not of any concern. Since she already can't use it on herself, nothing could be changed on it that won't also hurt support Soraka for an equal amount, perhaps even more.
I'll go first: I love playing offtank raka (sample build: athenes, merc, rylais, sunfire, abyssal and FH/Visage and Randuins or thornmail).
I love feeling like mundo 2.0 (I go where I please), where I run around near the enemy, daring them to engage on me, while I qqqq them and shred their MR. If they engage on me, I pop w for survivability, then run out and come back a little later at full HP again, while my team cleans up now that they've burned their CDs. If not, they get to kiss their MR goodbye when a fight finally does break out.
I like not needing to target q. I like the MR shred on q, and the 4 AP team comps that it's allowed me to run (raka/fiddle/ryze/morgana/adc OP). I like being able to restore my allies' mana. I like manaless harass. I like saving my allies and farming assists from across the map. I like that I have a heal and an armor buff.
The areas, then, that I'm open to seeing changes in are: offensive use of e, w, passive, some areas of q.
I dont think soraka need a rework: I think her Q don't need to reduce magic resistance and costs less mana. W need less cooldown and less heal.
I love her kit as is, but I think it's more fun to play in a solo lane than as a support. IMO Soraka should be balanced to keep her solo lane intact more than her support role. So if she has to lose a little healing power in her W to give her a little more firepower, I'd be fine with that.
The only thing I'm willing to see changed is her Astral Blessing. I'm to the point where I'm willing to say make it either a passive AoE healing aura with an active armor buff, a targeted version of Sona's (can self target), or make it a heal over time effect possibly channeled.
I tried suggesting turning soraka into a summoner by making her W call a pet based on her last spell, but people ignored that idea.
Another I had was make it a weak AOE heal that triggered when you use another skill. Maybe that plus a nice little active would make her more balanced.