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| How Jax can be "The Master at Arms" and still keep his infamous lamp post for his VGU |

Arakadia·7/23/2017, 11:13:37 PM·50 votes·5,360 views

As some of you know, Jax is eventually going to get a VGU. He looks like an eggplant cosplaying as an umbrella to be honest. In addition his gameplay can be statchecky, hard to balance, and doesn't at all live up to his theme.

I don't think I need to go over his gameplay. Its not much. In my opinion the only ability that should stay is his E, which should be updated like Warwick's blood hunt was, but that doesn't mean forget everything else. You can still give him an auto attack empowerment and a jump, but they don't really need to be based off his current Q and W.

For his lore, it looks like Riot has something in mind but we still know very little about Jax. Not much to say here.

But what is important that we can discuss is what will happen to Jax's lampost. Jax is supposed to be able to wield all the weapons. Yet he only uses a lamp post. I am not suggesting give him a bunch of swords and knives and bows and his lamp because that takes away from his incredbily iconic, but instead have him use his lamp post in a variety of ways.

http://img10.deviantart.net/7382/i/2017/191/3/4/battle_mage_by_jasontn-dbftxma.jpg

Look at this drawing by JasonTN. Particularly the images on the right and his lamp post tool. You can see the flame explodes and takes shapes of different weapons and tools.

https://images6.alphacoders.com/525/525136.png

Take a look at this image of modern looking Jax with his lamp post. The flames are growing bigger and it isn't very hard to picture them taking shape.

It might/could be quite fitting and would likely be very cool for Jax's lamp-post's flame to ignite and grow and form the edge of a weapon out of the flame. This lets him keep his lamp post as his weapon but let him use many aspects and forms of fighting. It also explains in the new lore why a grandmaster fighter who can use every weapon only uses one.

Now imagine Jax's slams his battle-staff-lamp into, smashing you back. Then the flames glow and suddenly he swipes forward, hooking you with his halberd like tool. Then as he turns and brings down his staff the flames bloom again and generate a big ass hammer, slam dunking you into the ground.

One concern of mine is whether utilizing different aspects of his lamp fits Jax. Switching around how he is going to fight you is not something current Jax does. It is something someone like Jinx or Udyr do, but Jax doesn't play much like a stance switcher/dancer. However I do think that in order to realistically let Jax use a lamp post, his lamp post has to be a unique weapon with some special properties.

Please tell me what you think, I don't play enough Jax to personally be able to decide if this would be a good idea for Jax. It might disrupt his play style, but I can't imagine too much of his kit is going to remain the same once his inevitable VGU does arrive. Comment below your thoughts, maybe the idea is bad but it could fixed?

86 Comments

nınth7/23/2017, 11:53:05 PM24 votes

I definitely prefer the slim, torch using Jax in the cinematic over the fat stocky lamp swinging Jax we have in-game and in splash-arts.

From my point of view (not a Jax main, though I do like how he can build Hybridish), I hope they get rid of most of his kit but keep the way he's technically a hybrid melee still in the game. His Q and W just are not spells a modern champion should have, and his E is extremely one dimensional -- his R, like you said about him in general, is just a stat check. I'd double down on the hybrid stuff and make a functioning kit for it.

I think the morphing weapons through flame is a cool idea, though I'm not overly attached to the master at arms theme he has. I do think, if it's something that Riot values, the way you're imagining it in his VU here is the proper way to do it.

Edit: Can you source the Jax VGU? I know it has to be coming eventually because he's hideous, but I really want to see it from a Rioter.

zero3567/24/2017, 3:53:59 AM12 votes

How about this? I was thinking about Jax a while ago and wrote some stuff on how I interpreted the Grandmaster at Arms Concept

Going into game, may edit/review in a bit

I like trying to rework champions and Jax has caught my interest. The problem is, I don't play Jax. I know his abilities, but I don't know what he feels like. So, I'm going to deliver what I think of Jax and ask for feedback, either commentary or what Jax as a champion is to you.

For me, Jax is the master duelist, but not in the way Fiora is. Fiora is more stuck up about How I long for a worthy opponent. Jax is the master because he likes to fight. He's fought so long he's learned your moves, your neighbor's moves, your dogs moves, etc. And more than that, he's learned to adapt to new things as they come. And his styles blend. I'm reminded of Uncle Iroh for Avatar. The avatar isn't the strongest because he has 4 elements to bend, but because he has 4 styles he can incorporate into 4 elements; Iroh does a similar thing, but with one element. Jax is the league version of that. Bruce Lee said "I fear not the man who has practiced a thousand kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick a thousand times." Well Jax has practiced a thousand kicks a thousand time. I'm also reminded of the summoner showdown video of him versus Fiora. He loses as a sword-staff fighter, but wins using a more judo-style technique and unconventional weapon that he's likely never used before.

Moving on, he's never lost his love of a good fight, which is why is specifically nerfs himself by using a lampost instead of a real weapon. It makes the fight, which would otherwise be onsided, somewhat interesting. It's also why, and this is something I might incorporate if I actually try to design a rework, he would be inclined to hold back. Until his opponent proves they can keep and he ults.

TL;DR: Jax likes to fight and will do what he can to make it interesting. Moreover, he's fought so much at this point that the styles and weapons blend together. He's using a lamppost because you'd already be dead if he weren't. By the time he's done, you'll be convinced a lamppost is a real weapon.

Rozzeta7/24/2017, 11:21:56 AM9 votes

A shapeshifting weapon is cool and all, but what made Jax lampost iconic was not just it's mere shape, but the fact Jax used it since he was invincible with actual weapons, and wanted his enemies to have a fighting chance. So, considering, that, let's keep that multiple weapon concept, while still keeping the lore that he's broken when weilding the real stuff:

  • Basic attacks use a naginata slash motion, but since Jax too cool for an actual naginata, he uses a lampost instead.
  • Q shoots you in the face, but since there's no fun in actually one shotting you, he uses a rubber slingshot.
  • W is a dive with a giant mace, but to remember our fallen comrades, he uses a giant tuna (Urf, never forget)
  • E alows for a nimble dodge and counters with a whip, but there's no style in just that, he'll use a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon.
  • R pounds everything in an area with a huge hammer, but since that's overkill, it's instead a giant pillow. They're not dead, just sleeping.
Smelp7/23/2017, 11:29:40 PM4 votes

I like the idea of having a more visual approach to his expertise with weapons, however I fear that giving him actual weapons, from his post, might take from its purpose. I would like to see Jax using his post in ways other than just smacking, and spinning it. I like the fire as it would give excitement to it, but ultimately I would like to see him 'finessing' the weapon making it look like a master at arms. Kinda like what they did with yi upgrade

Ionian Vulpix7/24/2017, 6:42:50 PM4 votes

Replace the lamppost with a rubber chicken.

Wyrmblade7/25/2017, 4:01:56 AM3 votes

To be honest I think giving him anything other than an ordinary lamp post that he smacks people with is a disservice to his character. If he used a magic lamp post or even a particularly sturdy lamp post built for combat it would ruin the point of his character. He's just a fairly ordinary guy that is so incredibly skilled that he fights with a crappy lamp post just to give other people a chance.

Trashy McGarbage7/24/2017, 7:13:40 PM2 votes

I play a good amount of Jax here and there, and this sounds fawkin awesome to me. I'd love to see Riot's take on it.

Also a battle-mage-y type thing with the living flame might fit quit well seeing as Jax is often built hybrid ( item 3146 + item 3124 )

FlameHalbrdOkido7/25/2017, 2:56:14 AM2 votes

Jax uses that lamp as a handycap, so if if transformed into different weapons, that would make the handycap pointless, cool idea tho

ChaosThief7/24/2017, 1:50:22 AM2 votes

I think it could work wonders.

His abilities would of course have to entirely change, and it is a bit difficult to see him keeping a leap in his kit (because weapons typically don't pull you to them as far as I know) but he definitely could become quite the nightmare.

Maybe we turn his E into a shield rather than a dodge auto attack abilities, and it still deals aoe damage + the stun, but it also deals bonus damage equal to the amount of health his shield lost, rewarding him for blocking damage.

I'm just brainstorming really. It seems like a pretty awesome idea, and I really hope riot considers it when reworking Jax.

DoktorKaiser7/24/2017, 5:51:46 AM1 votes

Sorry to disappoint you but he isn't even among first 30 candidates for a VGU, so he won't be getting one in at least 5 years, probably more. I don't think he is a stat check problem, his kit is from the old days so he is "boring" by today's standard, but I hate flashy shit so thank god we have something like Jax. League champs were meant to be funny and not serious like DOTA ones which is why he has his lamp and he should keep it because its symbolic, but I agree that his model looks laughable and he should get a VU but unfortunately RIOT stopped doing those. Anyway you do know that Jax is handling a lamp because he is too good when he uses a real weapon so its boring for him?? That's his whole theme, no idea why it bothers you...

Pierce The Veal7/24/2017, 5:49:23 AM1 votes

Oh lool another champion is about to be deleted. How wonderful :D