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Let's talk about Soraka

Hyrum Graff··3 votes·2,188 views

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

RiotVesh5 votes

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.

Tortferngatr1 votes

Just briefly--have you tried doing anything with her autoattacks, like making them slightly heal/mana heal allies in an AoE on-attack-against-enemy-champions? It might be interesting to try.

Hyrum Graff1 votes

I like this idea: autos giving passive healing makes soraka put herself in danger in order to keep her allies healed up;

My specific implementation would be to make the healing-on-auto a passive ability on her w, and make the active just give the ally armor (and maybe MR), but for a longer period of time, to compensate.

On the other hand, wits end raka wants to know what mr is again?

edit: if you wanted to do something a little different, you could have raka's autos apply stacks to an enemy; when an ally attacks the enemy, the ally is healed (like a reverse leona). I think this would add some really unique and interesting gameplay (though I'm not sure how it would affect toplane raka).

Also, I max heal last on toplane raka, using it mostly for the armor, to help me win trades, so I would barely be upset if raka can't trigger her own passive.

Hyrum Graff1 votes

Thanks for the update; I'll look forward to it!

Are there more core issues than the way her heal promotes an unhealthy lack of interation in botlane, and perhaps her easy waveclear/low counterplay harass in solo lanes?

ratcharmer1 votes

So you probably won't see this, but on the off chance you do . . .

Personally I think one of the most frustrating elements of Soraka's design is this:

  • Soraka is a completely dedicated healer. Almost her entire kit is about sustain.
  • By mid game the ADC can pretty much always heal themselves faster than Soraka can heal them (with bloodthirster).

It feels really terrible when a completely damage-focused character can do the healer's job better than the healer can.

Penguin Eclipse3 votes

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.

Hyrum Graff1 votes

In top lane, I like to use starcall to harass; pushing is an unintended consequence of that. I think any of your suggested changes would actually be a buff to my playstyle (q-e-q whenever they come to cs).

Hyrum Graff1 votes

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.

ILoveTiramisu1 votes

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.

Hyrum Graff1 votes

Why? Soraka's Q reducing MR is one of my favorite things about her.

Soraka's W already is on a reasonably short cooldown if you're maxing q first, because it reduces the cd on w each time you hit an enemy champion. Additionally, I'm not sure what problem would be solved by making it a weaker ability on a shorter cooldown.

ILoveTiramisu1 votes

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Hyrum Graff1 votes

The language in this post is confusing. I'm not sure exactly what you mean to say.

ILoveTiramisu1 votes

I dont like magic resistence flat. You have right about Q.

Linna Excel1 votes

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.

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