Thank You for Making Kindred Riot, Might I offer some feedback?
I'm not particularly new to League nor am I old. I started playing at the end of Season 5. I've never climbed further then Gold, so from a competitive standpoint I really don't offer a whole lot to the table. Yet for a game that attracts and advertises a great deal of competition (in and out of the Pro scene) I find myself returning time and time again.
The reason for this I believe is the exquisite nature and identity held behind each and every champion. The diversity and variety of the playable characters is vast and allows people to (probably those who enjoy role playing games such as myself) to test the limits of archetypes and characters that would otherwise require 30+ hours to advance. (Not that that has ever been a bad thing).
Seeing as I joined the community during the end of Season 5 Kindred has always held a particularly extravagant allure to me (I imagine I'm not the only one). The Concept behind the Reaper of Runeterra and the Duality and Contrast between Lamb and Wolf has always attracted me. I've never been very good with Kindred, but I consider them to be one of my favorite champions. However in terms of the identity that they hold outside the rift versus inside it, I can't help be feel as though there is a massive disconnect.
Kindred as they stand, is a On-hit, high AS Champ with variable attack range, making for a dangerous back line carry assuming they can snowball hard enough. As it stands I want to make perfectly clear, I have no issue with Kindred's current kit. I simply don't believe it should belong to Kindred. The kit as a whole (maybe excluding the Ult) is actually incredibly unique in terms of on hit champs. The Mobility behind the Q, and even the Aoe of the W adds a certain level of poke and range other champs could only dream of. However the ultimate, in conjunction with the other abilities in her kit feels almost like...Anti-Synergy at times.
I don't want to say all the time, because that simply isn't the case. Getting caught out for instance makes it a truly excellent tool. But...that would be true with any champ really. Don't get me wrong, while my issue does revolve around Kindred's Ultimate, I actually love the ability, I just want it to synergize better with her kit. The really good players of today (particularly those few Kindred mains) can kite around Kindred's Ult, use walls a appropriately and last hit with Kindred E right as Lamb's Respite releases allowing for some dank plays. But as I stated before hand...Kindred is (as stands) a long range on hit AS champ. Lamb's Respite is a Mexican Stand Off, In close range might I add. It doesn't really take Kindred's inherent advantages and use them as well as they could be used. In order to use Lamb's Respite appropriately, Lamb needs to be within the Respite, STOP AUTO ATTACKING, and land two procs of her E in order for the combo to perform as planned. And if you can pull it off, WAY TO GO. But for an Ultimate to quite literally require you to kind of work against the grain in order for it to work...it doesn't really take full advantage of Kindred's kit, nor assist with Kindred's Identity.
Kindred is the Reaper. Runeterra's Cloaked Scythed Individual that everyone meets, but nobody wants too (Obviously she uses a Bow). The ground work for this champ excited me so much. Out of the corner of your eye you see it, just for a split second but clearly there. The sign that your death was incoming. SO COOL! Hence why I liked the Passive so much, the idea that as Kindred performs her duty more and more, she gains power from it. Cliche, but it works, I like it. And the Idea that Lamb give's a painless death to those who accept, and wolf a terrifying one for those who run. THE DUALITY ALONE, Ying Yang, JUXTAPOSITION (as you can tell I'm a freak for poetic and literary devices and concepts). But what translated to the rift was rather lack luster.
She's gone through many an update kind of strafing this line of either useless in game, or wrecks it. I know they tested and ult where it like guaranteed one shot kill, and while I agree I didn't like the idea in practice in THEORY i fit with the Identity of Kindred a lot more then...Riddling them with arrows. Anyway I digress from that point, I've probably overstated it at this point in my shpeel.
This brings me to what I thought, or think Kindred should be. Kindred has this amazing Duality. Lamb and Wolf. The Sane the Crazy, The Satisfied the Hungry, The Ying and The Yang. Why not make a Nidalee Elise spin off of them? Having them switch between each other makes ALOT more sense (in my opinion) in terms of their identity. It also feels like a solution towards Lamb's Respite and Kindred's current kit.
Assuming the R ability were altered to be a transformation ability between the two, Lamb's Respite would probably replace the current E. And what if you required that Lamb be below a certain health threshold in order for it to be used? Lamb's Respite has always felt like the perfect tool to let Wolf loose in my opinion. If Kindred has to use their ult it's because Kindred's prey is RESISTING. Which is like...Wolf's FAVORITE thing right? My suggestion would be to keep Lamb the ranged champion that she is and to scale with Crit or Lethality. I really do enjoy the grace and method by which she goes about her animations and such. And while AS has become her staple I really do wish there was a way to move her away from it. As for Wolf again assuming that he would have is own transformation at this point, scaling with Lethality or Crit makes sense again for me. I would steer away from any health scaling, despite the fact that he would be a melee version of Kindred, because that would probably make the champion too powerful, like a a Jax that could Kite. Being Squishy is one thing that makes alot of sense in my opinion in terms of Kindred. Kindred doesn't have nor need survivability. They are a weapon! Besides respawning kind of has alot of meaning in terms of Kindred. Like if Kindred dies, they dissipate because their prey managed to survive their onslaught, But they return because their work is unfinished :)
Ultimately what we as a community offer in terms of suggestions is never anything other then a suggestion. And as the game continues on the competitive scene (and I get it, it's where the money is at [sg-lulu] ) you have to consider the efficacy and viability of certain changes to champions and the like. I want to express my appreciate for the champion as a whole though. As I stated I suck at her, but I keep playing her HAHAHA. So you must've done something right [galio-happy] It just...may not be their kit. Anyway as a Suggestion I'll leave an ability list suggestion thing below this essay of a commentary. Take from this what you will, thanks for any who read this all the way through hahaha (especially any rioters). Alright Toodles![slayer-jinx-catface]
Kindred Ability Suggestion
Passive: Mark of the Kindred -For every stack gained: + Phantom Walker's camouflage increases + The Chase's movement speed buff increases + The base damage of Shred and Tear increases
Lamb
Q: Dance of Arrow[s] -Lamb tumbles and shoots out and arrow at the lowest health target within range dealing damage based off missing health. (Prefers Champions over minions and Monsters).
W: Phantom Walker [Passive] -Upon exiting a Bush Lamb becomes camouflaged or 0.75 seconds [Scaling with Passive].
E: Lamb's Respite - Upon passing below 50% health Lamb grants all living things inside a zone a respite from death. Until the effect ends, nothing can die. At the end, units are healed. If units are bleeding within the area of Lamb's Respite the heal does not proc. (This should have a very long cooldown)
R:Wolf -Lamb retreats allowing Wolf to take control of the hunt. -If Lamb retreats within Lamb's Respite Wolf gains 10% passive Life Steal from all damage.
Wolf
Q: Fang and Teeth - Wolf dives at a target, dealing damage. If Wolf strikes a champion with this ability he causes them to bleed.
W: The Chase [Passive] -Wolf gains passive movement speed towards champions who's backs are turned towards him. [Scales with Passive]
E: Shred and Tear -Wolf's next Auto Attack is enhanced, dealing damaged based on missing health. [Scales with Passive]
R: Lamb -Wolf Retreats allowing Lamb to take control of the hunt.
