A random Mordekaiser rework concept.
This will just be function suggestions. I'm not in or will ever be in the right mind to suggest statistical changes. I'll save that for the more mathematical types.
So, in my past few illness ridden weeks, I've been thinking about a Mordekaiser rework. One that I believe could put him in a good spot. Now, even though I don't need to say this, because I know if anyone reads this they'll be thinking it, this is what I think. So, what I think, does not and sure as fuck shouldn't represent anything significant. So, on that note, let's start.
Passive: Children of the Grave. Mordekaiser has a cloud of the mist accompanying him at all times, full of his loyal subjects. This ability generates a shield for him and deals damage to enemies while they're inside. Dealing or taking damage increases the radius, damage, and shield generation. Notes! The passive would have flat and percentage based shield generation. The percentage is based off of the damage you deal and take, while the flat is based off of level. Animation wise, there could be restless spirits randomly fading in and out, becoming more visible and restless with every instance of damage Mordekaiser is taking and dealing. When the range is increasing, they could throw their arms out, scraping at the ground, desperately trying to either escape the mist, or latch on to an enemy.
Q: Nightfall.
Mordekaiser swings his mace in a cone in front of him, dealing damage and moving forward with each strike. After two casts, he slams Nightfall downward, dealing ludicrous damage.
Notes!
The movement isn't intended to make him the next Riven, since they would be rather small movements, like, 50 units, or more if this isn't good enough.
The swings themselves cannot be stopped by hard crowd control, but he can be locked out of other swings. For example, say Mordekaiser is swinging his second strike, and gets struck by an elise web. The swing still goes through, damaging everything in the area, but he cannot reactivate to get his third swing off. Another example, say, if a Vayne at full health condemns you away on your first swing, which puts you in range of her low health slave support, ultimately resulting in their death.
The movements would be dashes, to make it so he isn't ridiculously susceptible to slows.
The third strike has something additional attatched to it, but we'll get into that later.
Animation wise, if this ability is swung without his Ecough cough, he does so with both hands. The first two strikes would be side to side, while the last, of course, would be an intimidating, magic infused downward swing. The first two swings should look effortless yet powerful, whereas the last should instill fear. It needs to look powerful. It needs to look like that swing is sending you into the ground, completely broken.
W: Forward, slave! Mordekaiser commands one of his spirits to run to a target area, generating a field of mist, which shares the same effect as his passive. If an enemy is standing in both shrouds of mist, the generation and damage would indeed stack. At lower ranks, this ability would generate less shielding than his passive, but grows to equal power at max rank. This ability also grants Mordekaiser a small movement speed buff while he travels through it, and shortly after while leaving(at a reduced effect). Notes! This is easily his most boring ability. But, how I see it, it's necessary. If his passive was his only way of generating a shield, he would be even more susceptible to kite and ranged, more so than needed. This would ensure that ranged matchups weren't extremely onesided. The stacking mechanic and gradual increase in shield generation would most certainly be the problematic thing I could see if he was released overtuned with this specific kit. Which, we all know would happen. So, for nerfs, it might not be able to scale up to the same generation level, but otherwise would still stack. Animation wise, when Morde commands the spirit to move, as it leaves his personal shroud, it could deteriorate, most certainly in a painful fashion. If spirits can even feel pain. This would, in an enjoyable way(for me), elicit a gravelly, satisfied chuckle from Mordekaiser. For the movement speed buff, the spirits inside could, struggling to do so, lift Mordekaiser off the ground, crawling underneath his boots. When he leaves the zone, they could collapse when it ends, and desperately crawl back into the shroud.
E: Siphon of destruction.
Arthas Mordekaiser Projects a large zone in front of him, dealing damage to all enemies in the radius, and applies the 'buff' "Will to live" on enemy champions. Morde can move freely and cast other abilities freely while channeling the Siphon of destruction. At the end of the duration, all enemies inside the radius are pulled toward Mordekaiser, taking damage over time. Both the distance pulled and dot duration are based on how long the enemies were inside the area of effect. This ability can be recasted early to apply the dot and pull, at a reduced effect. The 'buff' "Will to live" lasts for a few seconds after recasting or the duration ends. It can be destroyed by attacking the target three times with his first two Q's or autos. It will be destroyed instantly with a single third Q strike. Destroying their will to live deals additional damage and grounds them.
Notes!
This ability can be stopped by hard crowd control, but the pull, no matter how the ability ends, will go through.
It would more than likely need a short delay on cast.
His third Q strike can combo with the pull, adding a pretty sick combo. Which, as a Juggernaut, is most certainly worth it.
The dot is only applied to the second part of the ability after a specific duration. In other words, you cannot cast E, and then recast to immediately get a dot on the enemy. Patience, my ancient deathlord.
With how this ability works, it may be too budget taxing. So trimming off some damage and the dot would be, I think, the way to go if it was indeed too taxing. But, the pull needs to stay. It NEEDS to stay.
Since Mordekaiser in my mind should have low base movement speed, the free movement should be balanced. If not, I movement penalty could be added.
P.S. This is my favorite part of this kit. I get extremely giddy just thinking about it.
R: Harvester of Sorrow. Passively, every kill Mordekaiser makes or assists in, he gains a permanent increase to his hp and ap.
Actively, Mordekaiser places a 'crown' atop a targets head. Marking them for death. If the target is an enemy, they take damage over time, and deals damage for a percentage of that to enemies around them. If the target is an ally, they gain increased resistances and movement speed, and also deal damage to enemies around them. Damage that either of the targets take is returned to Mordekaiser as health. Notes! Boring on paper, but I can see this being an enjoyable ability. The health return would be stronger for the ally cast, but more consistant and reliable on an enemy. Choices! For a voice line when he casts it on an ally, he could say something along the lines of "Do not fail me, and I shall grant you a quick death."
So, if anyone reads this, tell me what you think!
Oh, I do so hope that Malicious Metal sees this. I'd love to have his impute.
