Boards›Concepts & Creations

Healthy Zhonya's Alternative

4nswer·4/7/2019, 12:09:33 AM·12 votes·6,491 views

I don't play assassins, but I feel their pain... The reign of Stopwatch and Zhonya's has lasted far too long. Just imagine what it feels like for every AP champ (and now every champ with Stopwatch) to have access to a button that says "Press to Counter Assassins." It needs to end.

Yesterday, we heard that Items are due for Spring Cleaning, and Riot is making room for some freshness. Exhibit A:

What items should we remove? Unhealthy items, meaning items that:

  • Massively reduce or remove counterplay against a champion
  • Incentivize not interacting with the enemy team
  • Give access to an effect (usually reactive or defensive) that we don’t actually want all champions to have access to

What does that sound like to you? item 3157 item 2420 Now personally, I think Zhonya's has a good chance of staying. But hopefully it's gonna get a well-deserved nerf.

With this in mind, I started thinking of possible AP/AR alternatives, an item gap that's been very pronounced for a while. This is one reason why we see Zhonya's so often; there's nothing else! So here it is:

item 3631 Watcher's Bracer (3000g): Seeker's Armguard + Blasting Wand + 1050g    Grants: 50 armor, 80 AP    Passive: Brace (60s cooldown)- Grants a regenerating shield that absorbs 110-280 (based on level) physical damage. Breaking the shiled grants 30% decaying MS and puts Brace on cooldown.

The idea is that a healthier mechanic for countering assassins should be movement speed because it allows you to get into a better defensive position (in teamfights or in lane) or possibly dodge/get out of range of the final skills/autos of the assassin while still giving them a chance to get their damage off with good enough micro.

The refreshing physical damage shield is just there to prevent the 100 to 0 in the same way that Zhonya's does, but again it lets a fed assassin do his job.

Additionally, one issue with Zhonya's and Stopwatch is that moment of ".... oh..... they had Zhonya's...." If you don't check the enemy's items, you have no way to know you're about to get counterplayed. The shield passive lets the assassin know up front "I HAVE THIS ITEM, DON'T TRY ME BRO."

On top of that, it's a cooldown that the assassin can poke out, instead of having to fully commit and burn valuable cooldowns just to get a Zhonya's. I specified "regenerating shield" so that it's more like a Rakan shield and won't go on cooldown unless fully broken.

So there's my story. Also it's built from Seeker's Armguard, which once belonged to Lissandra, who gained power from the Watchers, so that's the name part. Also Watchers have lots of arms...

Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear other AP/AR item ideas as well.

Peace and chicken grease.

25 Comments

Daddy ReTaric4/7/2019, 3:48:24 AM3 votes

Nice item Idea :)

Thefrostyviking4/7/2019, 2:05:06 PM3 votes

Woah this is actually a pretty good and well thought out post O_O

I´ve seen people just mindlessly ranting about item 3157 being OP and all its stats being too high and that the item shouldnt exist at all but i never really saw anyone argue as to why its necessary or what it could be replaced by, at least not in detail.

And indeed, item 3157 has the current stats with armor and AP because mages need something to not just instantly evaporate when hit by an assassin but also maintain a little damage when rushing it as many often have to do.

So keeping the core aspects of AP&armor with some manner of active/passive effect that accomplishes the goal of helping one survive is indeed a great suggestion.''

And to be honest i think a CDR removal isnt bad either, so much is already easily accessible.

Sillae4/7/2019, 4:39:14 PM3 votes

It's literally the only way to survive Zed . If he didn't get a free kill every time his ult is up, Zhonya's/Stopwatch wouldn't be such a needed item.

Makarakarn4/7/2019, 5:01:46 PM3 votes

Yeah there's plenty of items that need a good wack. As someone who plays assassins and burst characters, my completely biased and irrational opinion is "YES PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD KILL ZHONYAS!". However let me provide the fruit for thought of: Does Zhonyas exist as a necesary evil? Sure, it's super frustrating to have a perfectly set up kill on someone, just for them to press their skill button and either escape for free or turn and kill you with their cds. My question though is in the state of league, is that kind of item necesary to the game? Honestly, I think Zhonyas is a bit too strong, and too linear. There is no "Okay" Zhonyas play. You either use it at the right time (which there are a lot more right times than wrong) and do great, or waste it and look like a shiny sitting duck for two seconds while the fed assassin across from you spams their mastery. I personally think that while it shouldn't be removed, its effect should be changed to not only be versatile, but have some way to play around it while also fufilling its goal. Let's be honest, Zhonyas has no counterplay. Either you're in a situation where the Zhonyas user is going to succeed after using Zhonyas, or they aren't. If the effect was more dynamic, it could actually bring into the situation not "Should I use Zhonyas now" but "How should I use Zhonyas now?". I definitely don't want anti assassin effects to be nonexistent, but I also don't want them to be THIS uninteractive and obnoxious.

TekkenPlayer4/7/2019, 10:43:17 PM2 votes

This post is bought to you by Zed gang

VoraciousX4/7/2019, 5:21:40 AM2 votes

The problem is Zhonya's is too useful. Even with this item, even if Zhonya's becomes 50 AP and 20 armor, it'll still be chosen over this because of it's interactions. Many AP champions use it and it can create lots of moments where enemies will waste key cooldowns in a teamfight, allowing you to get the upper hand once it's over.

hhaavviikk4/7/2019, 6:56:55 AM2 votes

sure remove zhonya, just make it so zed his ult can be removed by QSS again otherwise zed can just get a free kill any time his ult is up

Always angry tbh4/7/2019, 12:59:44 PM2 votes

Less armor, 10% CDR and I'll love it. I recently started getting Stopwatch third item whenever I am snowballing as a jungler. It's disgusting how many games were actually closed much sooner than they would have if I didn't have Stopwatch. Zhonya's and GA are just too overbearing in my opinion. Try coming back when the enemy has 2 GAs. They basically get a free fight unless they play REALLY poorly. These items are just way too effective and easily shut enemies down, even when the buyer is very behind.

ßurst4/7/2019, 3:27:01 AM2 votes

I believe the armor might be too much. imo about 35-40 would be fine. Also, I feel like mage shield stacking would be insane given this item. Many mages already take something like barrier and many also do build tear to get the seraphs shield later, and I just feel like this would be a little of a toxic mechanic later into the game. On the contrary end I fell like ad anti-mage items need to be redone. something like eon has been totally over nerfed. I really love the idea or EoN because mages (obviously) have huge spells that you need to dodge or possibly outplay with this. the maw item could use some looking at. Also, I feel like tear needs to be looked at because it promotes not interacting with your laner until you have it full stacked. It could use a better alternative that could be used with more than just ez and mages.

Netorare4/7/2019, 10:08:46 PM1 votes

I guess it's fine as long braindead assassins get gutted, it would be a fair trade. I'm really tired of riot pampering assassins so they are not allowed to get the nerf they deserve without a compensation...