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Glacials need counterplay

Uzbekiann··4 votes·3,676 views

Let me open by saying that I don't think glacials are super overpowered... This is not a post to "nerf" glacials. This is to simply point out that glacials, while not insanely overpowered... don't have any real counterplay. (On the chance that they were ever buffed in the future, it would be very easy for them to become extremely oppressive due to the lack of counterplay)

As title states... besides 6 yordles (just making them miss alltogether) there is really no counterplay to glacials. At first I thought maybe a smaller group bonus would be good counterplay (6 yordles just to combat a glacial team seems a little ridiculous and unbalanced). But then I remembered Rapid Fire Cannon and how that single item built in the right circumstances helped my ranger team destroy a yordle team that should've hardcore countered me. I remembered building a morellonomicon on my chogath to completely shut down a nobles team with the aoe healing debuff. I remembered building dragon's claw when I saw sorcerer teams getting out of hand. And I immediately knew what should be done... Just make an item with "tenacity" on it. I mean... real simple. An item is accessible to each and every player if they play their cards right and get a little luck. This allows for players to still feel like they have autonomy in their choice of team composition, while giving them the strategical choice to equip that select party composition with items to counter enemy compositions.

Honestly... I would change one of either the shrink or another attack speed item and replace it with the runaans hurricane. And then spatula and negatron cloak could make "Mercury Treads", which would give tenacity (amount obviously up for debate, but I was thinking similar to base game maybe just a 35-40% decrease) to allies in a line while also providing small magic defense buff for the user.

Balance wise this item could have some effect on certain characters like; Pyke, Lulu, Morgana, Poppy, Twisted Fate, Cho'gath, Sejuani, Yasuo, Kennen, and probably some others that didn't come to my head immediately. I don't think it would gut these characters though, I feel like they would still retain their usefulness, Sejuani and pyke might feel this item the most. But that said, it wouldn't be an overall useful item save for specific circumstances. If it used Negatron cloak and a spatula. There are tons of other useful combinations for each of those items. So it presents the player with a choice of if glacials are going to be enough of an issue to commit an item to it.

TL;DR: While not broken or overpowered. Glacials has no counterplay currently. I believe an item that provides tenacity would give that counterplay without completely breaking glacials.

9 Comments

PeachsProperty3 votes

TBH CC in general needs some counterplay.

like QSS or something. block or reduce effect on unit its on.

Uzbekiann1 votes

{quoted}

TBH CC in general needs some counterplay.

like QSS or something. block or reduce effect on unit its on.

Agreed. maybe a banshee's veil could work? Something... Un-counterable cc just isn't that fun to play against lol

DUDE BRO1 votes

{quoted}

TBH CC in general needs some counterplay.

like QSS or something. block or reduce effect on unit its on.

Yes. Imo replace dragon tooth with QSS, an item that reduces CC by 50%.

Because dragon tooth, an item that just makes anyone near immune to all magic damage? Wtf. If it's too insane of a mechanic to have ever existed in SR, it probably shouldn't exist here either. Same goes with cursed blade. Remake that item into the old wits end, steal x magic resist on hit.

Uzbekiann1 votes

[{quoted}](name=DUDE BRO,realm=NA,application-id=RaE1aOE7,discussion-id=OmfaNcnz,comment-id=00000001,timestamp=2019-07-26T07:48:06.412+0000)

Yes. Imo replace dragon tooth with QSS, an item that reduces CC by 50%.

Because dragon tooth, an item that just makes anyone near immune to all magic damage? Wtf. If it's too insane of a mechanic to have ever existed in SR, it probably shouldn't exist here either. Same goes with cursed blade. Remake that item into the old wits end, steal x magic resist on hit.

I actually like both of those ideas in theory. While dragon's claw is a nice counter item, it's rough because even AD champions use "spell damage" in this game. So you are essentially countering a good portion of ALL damage with that one item, not just "ability power champions" (same with the dragon 2 set buff). It feels slightly oppressive. Compared to thornmail, which doesnt even compare to the dragon's claw defensive stats, with a passive effect that is definitely more of a counter choice than an end all be all like dragon's claw.

Cursed bladed is interesting, but I would be ok with a magic resist steal too for sure.

ShadWooo3 votes

Either add tenacity on Dragon Claw or nerf the glacial stun from AA to not be able to proc on already stunned unit.

Uzbekiann1 votes

{quoted}

Either add tenacity on Dragon Claw or nerf the glacial stun from AA to not be able to proc on already stunned unit.

This is actually not a bad idea to just add it to a previous item for less confusion. Yea I could see that or a diminishing returns to the stun. So each consecutive stun will be less and less until the enemy becomes immune to it (this could require further changes as the characters themselves are built with low damage to make up for the fact that they drag fights out with cc)

saphireflame1231 votes

Glacial counterplay - Phantom Dancer on everyone on your team.

Yeah its hard to do, but Glacials cannot freeze people with Phantom Dancer, so getting at least a few Phantom Dancers would completely counter it.

Toadwart1 votes

{quoted}

Glacial counterplay - Phantom Dancer on everyone on your team.

Yeah its hard to do, but Glacials cannot freeze people with Phantom Dancer, so getting at least a few Phantom Dancers would completely counter it.

You are 100% wrong.

Phantom dancer means you cant be crit.....

What does that have to do with Glacial? at all.....

Velasan1 votes

Counterplay is demons and sorcerers. They just need to get their spells off once even if it's even between being frozen. Demons burn off their mana so they don't get to use their extra freezing abilities.

They have counters, people just don't like to use them. Also if you're using a full team of glacials vs 2 they don't have that much synergy except if you get an Anivia who is already a gold level champion you wont see until nearly the end of the game for elementalist with Lissandra.

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