[Champion Concept] Yandyr, the Sapphire Host

Damian Alpha·8/22/2014, 10:14:05 AM·3 votes·1,210 views

Of all the many things we have for champions in the league, we've had scaling damage (Nasus), scaling AP (Veiger), health (Sion), and Armor (Thresh).

But what about Mana? Fans of old hack-n-slash dungeon crawlers might remember many a spellcaster that could reliably take damage against their mana pool, keeping themselves alive through a powerful assortment of spells and wits.

The concept I present to you here is inspired by that video game standard, adapted for the League. The goal was to present a champion with sufficient power to be viable with the abilities they were presented at all stages of gameplay, while still presenting counterplay opportunities to maintain balance.

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#Yandyr, the Sapphire Host ######(Pronounced [Yawn-der], as in "look over yonder") Melee, Support, Mage

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Yandyr was once a young mage, assigned to assist in the mining and war efforts in Kalamada under the command of Prince Jarvan the 4th. Though by no means anyone of talent, she was once of the mindset that even the smallest of skills could be applied to protect the people of her homeland. It was during a battle with the forces of Noxus, however that her commitment would be tested.

When the fighting reached an apex, the violence wore away the earth with blasts and battering strikes. A sinkhole opened up, right beneath the hapless caster and several of her fellow soldiers. They fell, and tumbled several hundreds of feet before crashing to an underground lake, far below even the deepest mines.

The survivors swam to the rocky shore, only to discover that they were not alone. All around, brilliant blue crystal scarabs crawled and swarmed their way out of the stones; shattered

fragments of fallen Brackern buried beneath the earth. Corrupted as they were by chaotic magic, the creatures hungered for sustenance. Yandyr cried out as the sapphire insects rushed towards the vulnerable soldiers, and rushed in to intervene. Unleashing what magic she could muster she attacked, only to have the magic absorbed by the ravenous swarm. Even so, rather than attack the soldiers the swarm dove upon her.

For a moment, Yandyr expected death. But even as the swarm began to consume her, they began connecting to her. The magic within her began to resound through the swarm, and within moments they calmed, becoming one with her consciousness. They were the swarm. SHE was the swarm. And no harm would come to those under her watch.

It would be several weeks before Yandyr and her unit escaped the labyrinthine caves deep beneath the mines, and longer still before they would reunite with Demacian forces. No longer the meager caster she once was, Yandyr and the swarm were a wall unto any threat before them. But the swarm still hungered, and the power of the warriors of the League was such a tempting buffet...

------------------------------------------------ #STATS ------------------------------------------------ 1877 HP at LVL18.
13.8 HP/5 at LVL18 1944 Mana at LVL18 11.2 MP/5 at LVL18 84 Armor at LVL18 15 MR at LVL18 105 AD at LVL18 125 Attack Range 340 movement speed

######A lot of though went into giving Yandyr some defined strengths, but also some sharp weaknesses. She has a moderate HP pool, and a high mana pool, but her regeneration rates are REALLY low. This gives an opportunity to stick damage and effects against her, and forces her to be smart with how those pools are used. Yandyr also has a high armor value, but because of her passive giving scaling magic resist into late game, it was important to keep her MR values low and not give her any more. A Yandyr with no gold who gets outplayed should still be just as afraid of magic damage dealers as any other champion. ------------------------------------------------ #ABILITIES ------------------------------------------------

Passive Sapphire Swarm: Grants bonus MR equal to 3% of max mana to Yandyr and and half that to nearby allies. (Range 350) Every point in Swarm Burst improves the efficiency of Yandyr's abilities.

######This reflects Yandyr's nature as an ambient magic devourer. Combined with her [E], this allows her to hold off against champs with magic damage spells and attack bonuses (Such as Kayle, Varus, or Gnar), but the tight range means that she and her teammates might end up nicely clustered for enemy AoE spells and CC.

------------------------------------------------ [Q] Seek Hosts: (Passive) Enemies hit by Yandyr's spells and attacks gain up to 5 stacks Sapphire Infestation for 4 seconds, refreshing with each hit. When an ally's spell hits an enemy with Sapphire Infestation, Yondyr and the ally steal 8% plus 1% per 100 AP of the target's movement speed per stack for 3 seconds, and consumes all stacks (Max 60% movement steal). If the enemy is a champion, Yandyr and the ally both regain mana equal to 1% of Yandyr's max mana per stack.

An enemy affected by Seek Hosts is immune to gaining stacks for 10/9/8/6/5 seconds.

(Active) Costs 5% of Max mana, 3 second cooldown. Deals 15/25/35/45/55 + (70/80/90/100% of Mana Spent / 2) physical damage to all enemies in 300 range.

######Seek Hosts provides a vital sustain advantage in lane. With Soraka due for an overhaul due to her comparatively mindless kit, having another champ capable of restoring mana while still being useful to resource-less champs was high on the priority list. To enforce Yandyr's role as a primarily support champion, the added effect of requiring an ally's ability enforces the need for cooperation, while enabling both potent chases, and daring escapes under pressure. The added active affect helps her to add stacks, even with just one rank in it, if she can get point blank on the enemy. ------------------------------------------------ [W] Sapphire Interference: Costs 1% of max mana per tick, over 3 seconds for 7% of max mana on full duration. 16 second cooldown Tethers target enemy, and every 1/2rd of a second reduces their damage by 15/20/25/30/35% for 1 second. (Range 600/650/700/750/800) Can use Sapphire Shift while the tether persists.

(SECONDARY) Sapphire Convergence: Costs 8% of Max Mana. Yandyr teleports to the tethered champion, dealing (70/80/90/100% of Mana Spent) physical damage, and silencing the enemy for 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 seconds.

######Being melee is difficult when dealing with mages and marksmen. Particularly for Yandyr, as she possesses no hard CC until she gets her ult. Sapphire interference helps to solve that problem, and synergizes with her Seek Hosts (Adding stacks quickly) and her Swarm Absorption (providing indirect defense, either while SA is cooling down or while it is on an allied champ) ------------------------------------------------ [E] Swarm Absorption: Costs 10% of max mana, 16 second cooldown. Grants a shield for 4/4.5/5/5.5/6 seconds to target champion equal to (70/80/90/100% of Mana Spent) + 0.5*AP.

3/3.5/4/4.5/5% of the damage dealt to shields cast by Yandyr adds to her maximum mana. (Range 800)

######Yandyr's signature skill. This is the moneymaker, the bread winner. By shielding allies (or herself) she provides a direct exchange of mana-for-tank, but most importantly gains continual scaling. However, being able to apply it to only one person at a time means that if the shield isn't attacked, that's a huge chunk of her mana gone with only minor benefit. Furthermore, Yandyr's own tank relies on that spell, as she gains very little health per level.

------------------------------------------------ [R] Swarm Burst: Costs 20% of max Mana, 180/160/140 second cooldown. Yandyr's body disperses into the swarm, rendering her untargetable and immune to unit collision. When cast, she grants a shield to nearby allies equal to (80/90/100% of mana spent / 2) + 0.5 AP. In this form she has 15/20/25% increased movement speed, but cannot attack or use other spells. After 3 seconds this ability can be reactivated, causing her to coalesce once more. Nearby enemies take (80/90/100% of Mana Spent / 2) + 150/250/350 physical damage, and are pulled next to her and stunned for 1 second. Otherwise, Yandyr automatically reverts after another 2 seconds. (400 range shield, 350 pull range)

######Where as the rest of Yandyr's kit defines her laning, this ability sets up the plays. Giving Yandyr a strong initiate means that she can tether=>teleport, Q, Ult, Shield hersef, and Q again to lay 3 or more stacks of Sapphire Infestation on an enemy team, giving her allies behind her a much needed opportunity to catch up and engage, and setting herself up to tank as much damage as possible. The added shield on her allies encourages the enemy team to focus inward on Yandyr instead of on her teammates lest they give her more mana to play with. However, after that combo Yandyr will have used up (1 to 7)+8+5+20+10+5= 49 to 56% of her max Mana. Something that has to be used early, but if the allies are not in place or prepared, will end up leaving Yandyr stranded, and right in the midst of the enemy

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#Example Build/Recommended items Ancients coin OR relic shield start