(Champion Concept) Strox, Priest of the Glorious Evolved
LORE Strox, a man knowing no bounds to which the Glorious Evolution's hand cannot reach, preaches the coming of the time of metal with fervent vigor. Despite his title as a priest, he is not exactly a man of peace, known for forcibly purifying those who would otherwise not wish to follow in the grand light of the Glorious Evolution. His zealous conquest of metal has caused him to become both a beloved and greatly feared man of Zaun depending on whether you are one who values flesh or the glory of metal. https://images7.alphacoders.com/402/402058.jpg Art by Brad Rigney Born within the deepest, darkest, poorest streets of Zaun, Strox was a man who despised the rich. Those he believed to have killed their way to their position or were born to glory were the same people he wished would accidentally fall off the many bridges going from canyon wall to canyon wall in Zaun. As he grew older, his status did not improve much as he cleaned the floors of many bars within the depths of Zaun which the criminals of the city would visit often, usually leaving the place a mess of chemicals, drinks, and various bodily fluids. When Viktor appeared in Zaun and introduced the many people who lived within to the advantages of metal, Strox snatched the opportunity to better himself. Replacing most of his body parts with metal, Strox used his newfound power to rise in the ranks of Zaun by taking a powerful position in the uprising cult known as the Glorious Evolved. He held several meetings for the cult, speaking of a coming requiem of flesh during which all who do not submit to an improved design would be lost. After augmenting and sometimes even mind controlling some of Zaun's most powerful mercenaries through brain modification, Strox became the de facto leader of the Glorious Evolved through brute force and Viktor's unwillingness to help the cult in it's zealous actions. Strox sometimes doubted Viktor, believing him too accepting of the fleshlings that populated the city. Several times has Strox spoken to Viktor with a tone of revolution and grand plans of conquest, but every time Viktor has refused such notions, believing such actions to go directly against the entire reason Viktor began to offer those around him with the glorious replacement of flesh with metal. He believed Strox to miss the entire point of the Glorious Evolution, seeing him as nothing more than a zealous, misguided saint that is no better than the fleshlings he so despises. Strox, never the less, has begun to create his legion of machines to one day strip the flesh from the living and replace it with glorious metal. A few within the Glorious Evolved have even begun to question Strox's sanity, slowly beginning to realize that their once seemingly benevolent leader has become a madman that simply wants revenge for his many years of suffering as a child. However, those who voice such doubts are usually not heard of again, and, shortly afterwards, mindless robots that look vaguely familiar are reported to be seen roaming the alleyways of Zaun. With Strox working within the shadows of Zaun, it is only a matter of time before the citizens of both Piltover and Zaun will be forced to choose a side: flesh or metal.
The Glorious Uprising
The shadows cloaked them from sight, and the constant hissing of steam made them undetectable to the unmodified ear. The machines, previously of flesh and now of metal, descended upon their unsuspecting victims with disturbing haste despite their heavy forms, quickly knocking them unconscious and unable to fight back against the coming changes to their lifestyle. Strox slowly stepped out of the shadows, hands behind his back and looking down at his subjects as a manager would look down upon the constantly flowing work of a factory. This was not an attack to him, but a process that required diligent planning and overseeing in order to be executed properly. In due time, the metal would outnumber the flesh without a single flicker of suspicion in the minds of the flesh. Strox could not grin, for his face had been warped and changed to not be capable of showing emotion, but right then he would if he could.
"My glorious prophet, the bodies have been loaded into the copters. They will be swiftly transported to your lab for their evolution."
The cultist spoke like a true zealot. Strox nodded before watching as the simple copters the cult had constructed flew overhead in the direction of the Church of the Evolved. The copters were simple constructions, being more like giant, flying vials meant to store the unconscious bodies of the collected fleshlings stored within them. Their simple design made them easy to mass produce and their innocent appearance made the few who took note of them doubt the nature of their payload. To say the least, Strox was pleased with how today had gone by.
"Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Most devout, we must hurry back to the church now before the fleshlings awake. I would rather not have to be forced to use any more sedatives than we already have. If the runs for their ingredients become anymore frequent, some might suspect our operation and attempt to undo all that we have achieved. You know how misguided the fleshlings are don't you?"
"Yes my glorious prophet. I will alert the rest to return immediately."
The cultist had not been gone long when a figure stepped forth from the shadows. The hand protruding from the figure's back gave away his true identity before Strox even had the chance to speculate.
"I thought you were insane, but this is far beyond what I had thought you were capable of doing Strox." The third hand protruding from Viktor's back began to glow and hiss as it gathered energy. "Do you not see how misguided your actions are? You are no different from the violent humans you wish to be rid of!"
"Misguided!? Insane!? Do not throw such persecuting words my way Viktor! You may have shown me the power of metal, but do not expect me to take such descriptions of myself without backlash!"
The two stared each other down, ready to strike at the other when a man, who had heard the yelling from outside, appeared at the entryway into the alley. Scrambling to his feet after tripping and falling when he turned around to run, the man was quickly dispatched by a devout follower of the Glorious Evolution that descended upon the man from a nearby rooftop. The hand on Viktor's back unleashed a beam of heat at the follower's hands, causing him to be unable to collect the body of the unconscious man. Strox used this opening to unleash a barrage of searing hot chains from openings at his fingertips at Viktor, which pierced the Machine Herald's chest with ease.
"Do not foil my conquest, Viktor!"
Viktor's third hand quickly unleashed a beam that destroyed the chains attached to his body before directing the flow of energy at Strox. The priest only barely dodged the beam, feeling it's heat as it missed. Strox, knowing that he was outmatched in this duel for the time being, fled up a nearby ladder leading to the rooftops. Viktor, still recovering from the searing hot chains that had pierced his frame, was unable to recover in time before he saw Strox escape on a copter that had been loaded with the body the Machine Herald had tried to save from before. He stood, glaring at Strox as he disappeared into the smog that filled the lower areas of Zaun.
"This... cough is not over Strox."
Strox looked down upon Viktor, now knowing for sure that the messiah he had once believed so surely would eventually join him in his conquest was against him. The mental grin Strox had had earlier had vanished, now replaced with an ugly grimace. He now saw he lead his devout followers alone against the darkness that was flesh. With a newfound surge of responsibility placed upon him, Strox looked down upon the church where his followers had gathered to see his return. https://media-dominaria.cursecdn.com/attachments/87/536/635032494343764639.jpg Art by James Paick He need not explain to them the events which had just unfolded. They did not need to know that their messiah had abandoned them, especially on the eve of the beginning of the invasion. Tomorrow was the dawn of a new era, and Strox did not need his followers to have any reason to doubt their cause. He would need to deal with this obstacle himself, and, upon landing, quickly retreated to his lab to evolve the collected subjects and prepare the coming requiem.
KIT
Strox, Priest of the Glorious Evolved http://magic.wizards.com/sites/mtg/files/image_legacy_migration/images/magic/daily/stf/stf137_concept2.png Art by Richard Whitters Main Role: Enchanter Secondary Role: Battle Mage Health- 555 (+85 per level) Health Regen.- 6 (+0.65 per level) Mana- 335 (+45 per level) Mana Regen.- 9 (+0.9 per level) Armor- 24 (+3.25 per level) Magic Resist- 32.1 (+1.25 per level) Movement Speed- 345 Attack Damage- 65 (+3.75 per level) Attack Speed- 0.655 (+2.7% per level) Attack Range- 150 (Melee)
Passive- Inspiring Presence Innate- Inspiring Presence: Strox's presence on the battlefield will inspire nearby Evolved units, causing them to gain 12 (+2 per level) (+5% AP) bonus attack damage. Whenever an Evolved unit affected by Inspiring Presence takes damage, they will be healed for 25% (+5% per 100 AP) of the damage dealt to them over the next 5 seconds. Aura Range: 800 Innate- Zealous Legion: Allied and enemy minions, allied summoned units, and non-epic neutral monsters that have been affected by Requiem of Flesh are affected by a buff called Evolved, which causes them to be interacted with in different ways by Strox's abilities.
Ability 1- Requiem of Flesh Active- Allied Unit: After channeling for 1.5 seconds, Strox grants the target allied unit a 50/110/170/230/290 (+70% AP) shield for 8 seconds and, if they are not a champion, causes them to become Evolved. The channel time is removed, the cool down is reduced by 80%, and the mana cost is refunded if the target of this ability is a minion or summoned unit that is not Evolved. Active- Neutral and Enemy Units: After channeling for 2 seconds, Strox pierces the target enemy with searing hot chains, dealing 50/100/150/200/250 (+45% AP) true damage and slowing their movement and attack speed by 15/20/25/30/35% (+3% per 100 AP) for 2.5 seconds. If the target is a non-epic neutral monster or enemy minion, this also causes them to become Evolved. Cost: 45/55/65/75/85 mana Cool Down: 12/11.5/11/10.5/10 seconds Range: 550 Enemy Targeted Chains Projectile Speed: 2200 "The end of the time of flesh is upon us. Join the Glorious Evolution."
Ability 2- Evolved Constructions Active: After channeling for 2.25/2/1.75/1.5/1.25 seconds, Strox summons an exact copy of the target Evolved unit beside himself which will follow Strox and attack the nearest enemy, prioritizing the most recent enemy that has been damaged by Requiem of Flesh over all others as long as that unit is at least 900 units away from Strox. Copied units last until killed, but a maximum of 1/1/2/2/3 copied units can follow and aid Strox at one time. Copied units are a solid shade of metal grey in order to separate their appearance from their non-clone counterpart. If the copied unit cannot move, it will simply remain at it's location of creation and not follow Strox, attacking the nearest enemy unit until it is killed. Copied units retain all permanent passive effects their original counterpart had upon being copied. If Strox suddenly teleports more than 1000 units away, copied units will teleport with him. Structures deal 75% increased damage to copied units. This can only be used on Evolved neutral monsters that are below 50% maximum health. Cost: 100 mana Cool Down: 19/16.5/14/11.5/9 seconds Range: 450 "When your body is artificially made, so too can your descendants be. An entire generation can spawn from your design to mimic your thoughts and beliefs, eliminating internal strife."
Ability 3- Technological Evolution Active: After a 6 second delay, Strox reduces the active cool downs of his items by 6/7/8/9/10 (+1% AP) seconds, and causes himself and all nearby allies to gain 35/45/55/65/75 (+3% AP) bonus armor and magic resist for 6/7/8/9/10 seconds. This ability can be used while channeling without interrupting the channel. Cost: 50 mana Cool Down: 20/17.5/15/12.5/10 seconds Range: 550 "When the glorious crusade is over, flesh will not be the only matter to be evolved. Our trinkets too will evolve in ways previously unimaginable."
Ultimate- Stewards of the Glorious Evolution Passive: Every 25/20/15 seconds, if 3/4/5 Stewards are not currently created, Strox will spawn a Steward at his current location that will attack the nearest enemy unit that has dealt the most damage to Strox within the last 5 seconds. If a unit has not dealt damage to Strox, they will prioritize the last enemy he damaged. Stewards cannot move further than 1000 units away from Strox and will "de-aggro" from enemies who move further away from this range. STEWARD STATS Health- 450/625/800 (+70% AP) Armor- 10/30/50 (+15% AP) Magic Resist- 10/30/50 (+15% AP) Movement Speed- 385/400/415 (+100% bonus Movement Speed) Attack Damage- 30/45/60 (+5% AP) Attack Speed- 1.5 Attack Range- 125 (Melee) Stewards reward 12/16/20 gold for being killed. Stewards are considered Evolved by default and will benefit from all aspects of being Evolved immediately upon creation. After not being damaged for 10 seconds, Stewards will begin to regenerate 5% of their maximum health each second. If Strox suddenly teleports more than 1000 units away, his Stewards will teleport with him. Active: Strox sacrifices the targeted Steward in order to gain a 100/150/200 (+30% AP) shield for 6 seconds. The nearest allied champion that is within the range of this ability is granted a 60/90/120 (+18% AP) shield for 6 seconds. Cost: 30/40/50 mana Cool Down: 18/14/10 seconds Range: 1000 "Despite the insults from the fleshlings that we are no better than lifeless machines, I must admit, sometimes a lifeless machine is exactly what you may need."
RECOMMENDED ITEMS
Support Starting Items
Essential Items
Standard Items
Situational Items
Consumables
Solo Lane Starting Items
Situational Items
Jungle Starting items
GAMEPLAY PHILOSOPHY Strox is a unique Support champion that focuses on enhancing his lane's minions and buffing his allies' defenses in order to obtain a victory. With the protection of a legion at his side, Strox is a hard to kill Enchanter that makes his team just as hard to kill as they slowly march down the lanes to the enemy base, devout in their belief in the Glorious Evolution. Strox is best paired with champions that can summon units that he can enhance and copy with Requiem of Flesh and Evolved Constructions. Annie, Heimerdinger, Yorick, and Ivern are all prime allies for Strox to make use of. In the early game, Strox is usually best to go to the Bottom Lane and support his team's Marksman. While he is within the lane, it is best for him to use Requiem of Flesh to shield his ally during forced trades and use Technological Evolution before fights begin, whether by predicting when the fight will happen or by forcing a fight to happen when the delay is about to end. He can also use Technological Evolution to hasten the cool downs of his items once he has any active items, but be wary that this will allow his opponents to possibly make use of an opening when his allies defenses are not being enhanced. Whenever Strox's jungler comes near the Bottom Lane, he can roam into the Jungle before his Jungler finishes off a large monster in order to make a copy of it with Evolved Constructions to bring a powerful ally into lane with him that his enemies will be forced to deal with. Once the lane phase ends, Strox will be much harder to kill since his Stewards by then will be quite powerful and protective, allowing him to stand closer to his allies in the front line and shield them with Requiem of Flesh and the active component of Stewards of the Glorious Evolution. He can also babysit his team's carry by doing the same directly beside them instead and making them quite hard to kill. By creating an army of extremely tough minions, Strox can make it become extremely difficult for enemy Divers and Assassins to touch his team's back line. It is always smart to occasionally take a trip to the jungle and create copies of it's largest and most powerful specimens to use in lane. In the late game, Strox should be commanding an absolute army and his team should use this to their advantage and push very aggressively. His minions can easily soak the damage of towers as well as quickly dispatch towers themselves, making him one of the most powerful pushers in the game.
INSPIRATION Strox uses many elements from the Phyrexian Machine Orthodoxy from Magic the Gathering. The art used is from cards depicting this group of characters and concept art for this group of characters. He takes inspiration from several other "corrupt religious figures" from various other sources of media, such as Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Shaft from Castlevania.
Thank you for reading and any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated!
