[Champion Concept] Marion - The Seamstress of Fate
Lore:
"There is not a corner of this land that is safe from the woodland seamstress. Her dark tale sews a tapestry of carnage and death that binds us all." -Local saying
They say the deep, dark woods of the Voodoo Lands are home to a malevolent coven of witches and warlocks. Few know the perils of this forsaken place – the dangers that face those who tread where even the bravest fear not. Stories have warned of one particular witch, they say, is the very wrath of the forest.
Long ago, a battalion of soldiers once faced the darkness of the wood – to expand upon their trading routes. Hearing the tales of Marion the Seamstress, they were not deterred, and a few were even enticed by the prospect of finding and subduing a menacing witch. Intrigued by the stories, a small group split off to find her. A short time later, their bodies were later found by their kinsmen - sewn together as a fence between two trees. The warning could not be clearer. Though the fence no longer remains, it may as well, for few have dared to pass the forest threshold since.
No one knows much about her, but they know what they’ve seen. For those who have seen the witch of the cursed wood, they only manage to catch mere glimpses of a withered, grey cloak, and her wooden limbs. While her methods remain largely the product of folklore, it is said that at her side, she holds a sewing needle as large as a broadsword. The legends claim these witnesses are spared, for they are not the “materials” she needs. For those less unfortunate, she travels beyond the woods. There is no knowing who she will take next to add to her collection of “dolls.”
Those she claims in the night believe they are safe at home, or on the road. The handy-work of the witch cannot be mistaken – the parts she leaves behind bare her signature stitching. When the witch comes for you, The last subtle sounds you ever ever hear will be the clangs of necklace pendants flowing amidst the evening breeze, the unnerving creaks of her wooden joints, the clicking of her fingernails sifting through lines of thread, and hints of a feint, sinister chuckle behind a wide grin of demonic, needle-like teeth. With her gnarled fingers and frayed string, she has mastered a craft of pure evil. she is an artisan of pain, a seamstress of fate.
** Appearance:**
http://i.imgur.com/VNb0yu7.jpg
Marion is a subhuman witch with a hermit's hood, cultist robes, and a plethora of tribal jewelry. All that shows of her face is a grin of animalistic teeth that takes up her entire face. Her abilities utilize a series of cursed relics and puppets. For her auto attacks, she fights with a massive, barbed sewing needle and white thread.
Stats:
- Health: 565 - 2010
- Health Regen: 8.93 - 23.4
- Mana: 275 - 950
- Mana Regen: 7.32 - 15.5
- Melee: 125
- Attack Damage: 62.8 - 131
- Attack speed: 0.694 (=0 – 36.1%)
- Armor: 28.7 – 90.4
- Magic Resist: 32 – 53.3
- Movement Speed: 335
Design Philosophy:
Marion is an AP bruiser/castor whose arsenal consists of various dolls and strings. She is an AP tank whose attacks are based around slowly subduing her foes, or turning their own damage against them using voodoo. Her techniques are frightening, but pleasantly unique.
ABILITIES:
Passive: Signature Stitch Work
Marion’s auto attacks create stacks on enemy champions called "thread." Each time Marion applies a stack of thread, it deals 25 (+3 per level) (+5% AP) magic damage to her target. Marion can only build stacks of thread on one champion at a time.
If Marion fails to attack the champion within 5.5 seconds of applying a stack of Thread, all stacks on that champion revert.
Auto attacking another champion reverts the stacks, and starts over on the new champion. ( * As they say, “The higher the thread count, the better.” ;) )
Q: Unholy Binding
This ability only becomes available if one of Marion's enemies has 2 or more stacks of "thread." Marion tosses a massive sewing needle in a target direction (skillshot) that strikes a single target or wall. Depending on what the needle hits, the previously attacked target (the one with stacks of "thread") will become tethered to whatever object/champion this needle strikes. Champions who are tethered cannot dash.
- Range: 600
- Impact Damage: 60/80/110/150/200 (+70% AP)
- Mana cost: 60/70/70/80/90
- Cooldown: 16/15/14/12/10 Different combinations of targets cause slightly different effects:
*If the needle hits an enemy minion, neutral monster, or the same champion with stacks of "thread:"
- The impact deals magic damage to the single target it strikes. No further effects take place.
*If the needle hits a piece of wall/terrain:
The needle sticks to the wall/terrain, and draws a string between the needle and the current, nearby champion with stacks of thread. For the next few moments, the champion that is tethered to this thread is bound to a circular area around the needle's point on the wall. They can move freely within this space, but cannot dash, and cannot leave until the duration is over.
(Keep in mind: this can be cured with a QSS active).
Maximum Range of string: varies depending on how far they are away from each other initially. Throwing a needle closer to the tethered target makes the range of the bound target smaller (limited to 900 units).
Duration of thread tethering: 3 seconds
*If the needle hits an enemy champion w/o stacks of "thread:"
The needle deals magic damage upon contact with the target, and draws a string between the new target and the champion with thread. The strings lasts between them for a few moments. If the two champions move a certain distance apart, they both become stunned for 1.25 second(s).
Range: varies depending on on how far they are away from each other initially (limited to 900 units).
Duration of thread tethering: 3 seconds (This can also be cured with a QSS active - even if only one of the tethered champions uses it).
(If the threaded target is more than 900 units from the needle's target upon contact, or the opposite side of a map-generated wall, the effect does not take place).
W: Bridge the Seam When Marion activates this ability, she primes her next auto attack to become amplified, and increases in range. Her next attack becomes a ranged attack that tosses a needle through her target, and comes back through the target to return to her. This deals two mild instances of magic damage, and if the target is an enemy champion, it adds 2 stacks of thread" to that target.
While the needle returns to Marion, the target is also "attracted" back towards Marion - as if being lightly tugged. This makes units walk slowly towards her for a brief moment.
- Range: 500
- Damage: 25x2/35x2/50x2/70x2/105x2 (+60% AP)
- Mana cost: 45/45/50/55/60
- Attraction distance/duration: 150 units over 0.75 second(s)
- Cooldown: 10/9/8/7/6
** E: Repulsion of Agony** Marion roots herself for a moment, holds a large voodoo doll out in front of her that absorbs incoming damage. It instantly reflects 30% of it back at the attacker(s) as magic damage in a small, cone-shaped AoE in front of her. This only reflects auto attacks and other projectiles - things that can hit the doll directly. This does not include AoE effects, and/or Damage over time.
Keep in mind, Marion's ult can change the appearance of this doll to become specific champions from the opposing team (using their 3D models). If an enemy champion attacks a doll of their ally, that ally, wether or not they are in the AoE, takes 5% of the damage dealt to the doll as magic damage. If an enemy champion attacks a doll of themselves, they take 20% additional magic damage, AND the damage from this ability's AoE (magic resist applies normally in all instances).
*Champions who take damage from their doll have a temporary indicator around them - a series of 4 metal pins that circle them for a brief moment as they take damage.
- AoE Range: 550 long, 450 wide
- Duration: 1 second
- Damage: Depends on incoming damage (x0.3) (+5.0/6.0/7.5/8.5/10% AP)
- Mana cost: 100
- Cooldown: 30/28/25/21/16
R: Convocation Marion reaches out with a puppeteer's cross, and conjures a series of enchanted threads from it that quickly stretch outwards to latch onto a single target (mid-range skillshot). They bind to that target, and slow them gradually from 30% to 80% over 2 second(s). If the target can escape the maximum range of this ability within this time frame, they can break free. If the target cannot break free in that time, they are pulled back to Marion. Once the target comes into contact with Marion, she envelopes them in an embrace of darkness, This deals 1.5x damage to champions under 25% maximum health. Any champion killed by this execution is "consumed." Marion's voodoo doll takes the form of the last champion consumed by this ability.
A signifier above Marion tells which Champion (via thumbnail) she has recently consumed.
- Cast time: 0.25 second(s)
- Maximum Range: 550
- Projectile speed (threads): 1800
- Damage: 300/450/650 (+70% AP)
- Mana cost: 120/130/140
- Cooldown: 110/90/75
Strategy/Synergy/Build Paths
Team Synergy:
Marion has quite a few ways to keep enemies on lockdown in-lane, but struggles on the mobility front. Once enemies get too close to Marion, the may never leave, but she may not either. While she may be great against divers, several bruisers, and most assassins, she has a tough time keeping up with ranged carries and traditional mages. If a champ has decent escape capabilities or a consistent method to kite, Marion might be in trouble.
Here are some of her potential counters:
Strong against:
Weak against:
Does well with:
Marion is very good at holding her own in lane, and has excellent synergy with most junglers. If allied junglers need someone held down, Marion is a go-to for some dank plays, and can ensure 1 or more snares on a single target, and providing plenty of time for damage.
Strategies:
Marion may have a lot of damage potential, but it mostly comes in short bursts, or very prolonged pokes. A good Marion player is patient. A GREAT Marion player is EVEN MORE patient. She specializes in turning enemy plays against them, and soaking up a decent amount of damage in the process.
If Marion is ever ganked, she should ensure her lane opponent has stacks of Thread. If she waits for the right moment, she can land her Q, "Unholy Binding" on the enemy jungler. The closer the two enemies are together, the better the CC will be - since the string between them will be shorter - making the distance shorter, and making a stun more likely.
If an enemy is planning to make a burst, be sure "Repulsion of Agony" is off of cooldown, and wait for your enemy to pop their most damaging attack/ability - to ensure the most return damage possible. It would pay to make this one chance count - since you may not get another shot to do it again in that engage - given how hefty the cooldown is.
Counterplay:
Marion's strengths come from turning your own damage against you in a quick, often jarring momentum reversal. If you can get you enemy Marion to use er "Repulsion of Agony" early (IE: intentionally missing a skillshot by a slight margin, etc.), you can ensure max damage - even if you are bound by her strings.
It is also good to keep in mind that Marion has little-to-no escape, and for the most part, can only apply slows and/or stuns if she auto attacks. If she ever messes up her "Unholy Binding," It is almost a free engage - since she has very little means of escaping if you can deal enough damage up-front.
Build Paths:
Marion mostly benefits from having a decent chunk of health, or any slow/mobility actives/passives she can get her creepy little hands on.
Cooldown, mana, and other semi-AP items are a huge bonus - since many of her abilitiess have mild/medium scaling.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Situational On-hit/Poke building:
Other situational items:
Additonal Content:
Things Marion might say: Upon selection:
Fate is a tapestry of MY design.
Joke:
- I don’t have any good jokes about needle or thread. SEW what?!
Taunt: (spins the needle rapidly by twirling it by the string)
- Your life hangs by a thread.
- You may need more than THIS to stitch THAT up.
- I’m picturing a BEEAAAUTIFUL tapestry right now. . . with your corpse RIGHt in the middle.
Special Taunts: To Annie:
- You have strength, dear child, but you must know when it is not enough.
- No. I am not fixing that "THING" again.
To Morgana:
- "Pain" you say? Do you even know what that is?
To Lulu:
- This is no place for a novice. Scurry home before the REAL magic flies.
To Lissandra:
- You take being “cold” a bit too literally. I will show you how it’s done.
To Orianna:
- What ameture craftsmanship. This doll lacks a “visceral” element.
To Tryndamere:
- To cut through THIS string, you’re going to need need a bigger blade.
To Urgot:
- There is not much work to do here. What’s done is done.
To Zac:
A change in materials is always a challenge, but all the more fun.
While moving:
Let us make something – my fingers are getting tense.
There is always work to be done.
They say misery loves company. . .
They are not good materials unless they scream.
Time to gather some supplies.
These fools could use a little. . . patchwork.
Fate is a tapestry of MY design.
I wish I could take the seams of this world, and just, tug them loose.
While attacking:
- They can do without the arms. They don’t need those anymore.
- A little wear-and-tear never hurt anything, until I came along.
- Maybe there’s a happy little puncture wound, riiiiiight over here.
- That bloodied-up look is. . . to die for.
- I can probably salvage something from this mess.
- It’s a bit damaged, but it will do the trick.
Possible skins: Hand of Ionia Marion (uses a katana instead of a needle, and purple ropes with paper ofuda spell tags on them instead of standard thread)
Edit: "Yeah Bruh, My Good Neighbor Comments Are Mad Legit:"
Stout360's "Ryscro, the Rush of Blades"
CrazyBear1987's "Dr. Samantha Jude and Mistress Cynthia Heckle"
God Of Avacyn's "Yajadek, the Living Terror"
"LookAStar's "Caroline, the All Knowing One"
SyrenDelphi's "Molonym, the Spellthief"
(Some behind the scenes stuff):
Marion is one of my more recent champs that I've had a little bit of time to work on. I have taken a little break from league and the boards these past few months, and I hope to get back to work on fleshing out more of my custom champs. I have 7 more concepts in my creative pipeline with full kits already finished, and I have to do finishing touches whenever I have sufficient time. I'll hopefully be putting them up soon, but in the meantime, you can also check out my other champions below:
Yok'Mal - The Mechanized Scourge
Bo Zhong - The Blazing Sentinel
*You can also check on my next projects on my Twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/monolithyk
Any feedback helps! Thanks for reading!
Other members of the witch coven are coming soon. . .
Edit: As of August 2017, It looks like Kel’Thuzad from Heroes of the Storm has basically incorporated Marion's Q ability (Unholy Binding). It behaves in almost the exact same way, except it involves chains that then drag the target to a structure, or to another target. It seems to familiar to ignore. . .
