Smite-Style Summoner Spell and Items for Supports
Over the past few days, I've read a few posts in the boards talking about supports and the state the role is in at the moment. Someone made a comment suggesting a summoner spell specifically for supports be created, which got me thinking. However, it was pretty difficult to come up with an idea for one spell that would satisfy all the different types of supports out there, so I took a page out of 
's book and thought of an "alterable summoner spell".
The groundwork is basically already there - three different "lines" of support items: 
,
, and 
.Each of these appeals to different "classes" of supports, so each could include an "alteration" to a support-oriented summoner spell. Of course, since the original lines already have active abilities for the tier 3 items (
, 
, 
), my idea is for the alteration passive to be on the sightstone line (
, 
, 
). This would also allow supports who don't want to use the summoner spell to still have viable support items (and for non-supports to still pick up the original lines - , ahem).
Anyways, here's what I came up with (remember, any numbers included here are just ideas):
Support Summoner Spell:
- Targets one ally champion, cannot target self.
- When used on ally champion, for the next 5 seconds, that ally will gain an additional (10) gold and restore (1%) of their maximum health whenever they kill a unit. This effect is doubled against enemy champions.
- Additionally, you receive the same amount of bonus gold as that ally champion for the duration.
- Altered versions of the spell retain the original effects.
I also considered adding some sort of "power effect" to the spell, so that it has a little more impact before it gets altered (rather than just being a "use to get money and heal a little" kind of thing). Something along the lines of giving the ally champion 5% bonus damage against enemy champions for the duration (bonus damage from all sources, not just auto attacks or physical damage - I don't want to limit supports to just supporting the adc; WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE TEAM, GOSH DARN IT!!!).
Combined with the gold income from the support items, this spell would help alleviate one of the major problems supports seem to have: money. It also benefits the targeted ally (yes, usually the adc in the early game, but it can also be used to help other teammates who are behind) by increasing their gold income and allowing them to heal a bit (and providing a brief power spike if the bonus damage is included).
The spell is most effective, though, when there is clear communication and coordination with the team. For the benefits the spell gives, 5 seconds isn't a lot of time, since most of it requires the ally to kill something. Especially early game, it will be hard to kill very many units in 5 seconds without having coordinated and "set the stage." For example, if there is no coordination, you might use the spell while 2 or 3 minions are close enough to death for your ally to kill and get the bonuses. However, if you coordinate well, you can set up the minion wave and get all of the minions low enough for your ally to kill - granting them 5-7 kills during the spell's window!
So, the spell grants small benefits in a short period of time that will eventually build up to lift you and your ally above your enemies with coordination and teamwork!
Eye of the Oasis Alteration:
Since the line is generally used on healers/shielders (
, 
), I decided that an alteration that built on those qualities would be best suited for this line.
Additional effects on summoner spell cast:
- Over the 5 second duration of the summoner spell, the ally champion is healed for a certain amount (a base amount plus an amount scaling off of your own AP and HP/5).
- During the 5 second duration, any heals and shields used on that champion are (10%) more powerful.
Again, the idea for this alteration is to enhance the utility focus of the supports that are likely to choose this line of support items. It provides what should be a decent (not 
level) heal over time, and amplifies the support's heals and shields on that champion (works well with Windspeaker's Blessing ;).
__________________________________-
Eye of the Equinox Alteration:
The line is generally used by more tanky supports (or just melee supports in general). However, there are actually two paths tanky supports can go down: health-stacking tanks such as 
and (off-meta) / 
, and armor/mr-stacking tanks like 
and 
. It seems like already does a pretty good job of helping health-stacking supports fulfill their purpose with its active ability, so I wanted the summoner spell alteration to cater more to the armor- and mr-stacking supports.
Additional effects on summoner spell cast:
- For the 5 second duration, the targeted ally gains (50%) of your total armor and magic resist as bonus armor and magic resist.
This will fulfill a similar purpose as 's active ability, but for tanks that build resistances instead of health. Since 's active scales off of the user's max health, it is very effective for supports that go after full-health builds, but it seems less useful with champions that are more effective building resistances. So, this alteration gives the "resistance supports" an option that allows them to build the way they want.
This allows your ally to become very tanky for a short time, allowing them to absorb damage and survive in fights. However, unlike 's active, this is not a shield. It will not be a "pinch save" for a low-health squishy. But it will help squishy allies stay healthy for assassinations and all-ins by enemy teams, when the enemy tries to burst down your carries right away and use all their abilities at the beginning of a team fight. Suddenly, the "squishy" has 180 armor or mr, and doesn't seem quite so "squishy" anymore. This also has benefits over a shield because it can't be "popped" - it will continue to provide protection for the full 5 second duration.
Again, this alteration is intended to build off of the strengths of a specific type of support and help them keep their allies safe. Also, just as a side note, I would love to see a full-armor taric use this alteration on a full-armor rammus! 700 armor, anyone?
Eye of the Watchers Alteration:
The line is used mostly by mage supports (and, let's be honest, mages in general). Unlike the other two alterations, this does directly help the support do what mages like to do most - deal damage!
Additional effects on summoner spell cast:
- For the 5 second duration, your and your targeted ally's basic attacks and spells on enemy champions mark those enemy champions for the duration of the spell.
- If an enemy champion receives (5) marks, the marks are consumed to deal (10%) of you and your ally's combined AP plus (20%) of you and your ally's combined (total) AD as magic damage.
- This can only occur once per enemy champion per spell cast.
Like the un-altered version of the summoner spell, this alteration encourages teamwork and coordination with your ally. The bonus damage can be proc'ed if only one of you participates, but it is much easier if both of you have the same target (or targets, if you both have decent AoE abilities). This is also the only alteration that can be used "selfishly" - as long as an ally is in range of the spell, you can use it to get the bonus damage off yourself.
Mage supports tend to be much more aggressive than tank or utility supports, so this alteration focuses on letting them unleash that aggression (with a friend), as opposed to , which is more of a utility item for mage supports to slow and reveal enemies.
So, that is what I came up with for a support-oriented summoner spell with item alterations. Personally, I believe that additions like these would improve the support role and make it more enjoyable to play. I especially wanted to make sure that this would not be a "If you play support, you absolutely have to take this spell or you are going to fail" kind of thing, and I think it definitely leaves room for supports to do their own thing if they want to go with the original support item lines and use different summoner spells. Let me know what you think!
