It is currently normal, even expected, that junglers will donate their Wraiths and even the rest of their jungle to the lanes as the game goes on. This is because it's generally assumed that the lanes, not the jungler, will carry the game later. However, it's mathematically possible, and even practical, for a jungler to achieve or exceed solo lane levels of farm by reversing this relationship.
The math is pretty simple. A jungle clear of the small camps is worth 154g and 441exp before scaling and can be done approximately once a minute. Two creep waves, one minute's worth, are worth 228g and 529exp before scaling (and without siege minions). Donating as few as four creeps to a passing jungler is enough for them to surpass both the gold and exp potential of a solo lane who nails every last-hit. Even if we take into account scaling this remains true throughout a game.
First and foremost this illustrates the importance of coordinating recalls with your jungler. Even if you are only going to miss a handful of creeps while you are gone, having the jungler there to collect them boosts a jungler significantly. More often it's the case that many creeps will be missed, and giving them all to the jungler is enormous. Junglers like Nocturne, Udyr, or Shyvana, who thrive on farm, go from decent to powerful if they can cover for lanes.
But simply covering lanes isn't the point of discussing this topic. Rather, the point is to suggest that instead of having a farm-dependent champion top or mid and a tanky/support jungler feeding them jungle farm, it's entirely possible, even safer, to have a tanky/support champion top or mid feeding a farm-dependent jungler lane farm.
There are many tanky/support champions perfectly capable of holding their own in a lane, but who don't make quite as good use of the farm as a carry. Having them roam or recall frequently to allow their jungler to quickly clear a creep wave before returning to the jungle has the potential to provide the carry with more farm than any solo lane save those rare cases mid where it's safe to clear both Wraith camps repeatedly.
The big advantage to this strategy is that it's very hard to counter directly. So long as the relevant jungle entrances are warded or the nearby lanes keep tabs on their opponents, the jungler is perfectly safe even if their jungle is warded. Only an extremely concerted counter-jungling effort could threaten the farming jungler, and only at great risk. It's really the easiest way to guarantee a given champion will be farmed.
The disadvantage is that it's much easier to track a roaming mid or top lane than it is a roaming jungler. With the jungler tied up in farming, and conspicuously mid or top when their ally is absent, there will generally be fewer ganks or at least far more predictable ones. This can be offset in various ways, but in general the lanes will have to be significantly more self-sufficient than normal.
At the same time, having Smite on a carry is awkward. It's not impossible to work around, and there is the potential to have some shenanigans with Smite on your mid champion, but it is a difficult adjustment that teams will have to deal with.
Ultimately, however, this is the best alternative to the current meta I'm aware of. As it stands junglers are almost always tanky, while carries in the lanes take their farm. Many underused champions might see the light of day again if we reverse this relationship.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thought: Item Builds When Fed
Everyone sometimes plays a game where they get kills in one magnificent play after another, resulting in abnormally high volumes of gold. Playing and building as usual in these circumstances is often a mistake, one that both experienced and inexperienced players can make.
Ask almost any player about item builds and you will, in some form or other, be told, "Item builds are not set in stone." Practically every guide will include an Armor or MR item in case the situation demands it. While players are used to thinking about bending and adapting item builds based on team compositions, all too often they fail, even at higher Elos, to consider doing the same based on their gold income.
It's not entirely a mistake to simply complete a standard item build faster. For carries this is often a big enough advantage in and of itself. An AP carry who finishes a Deathcap well before their opponent can terrorize a game, as can an AD carry who finishes a quick Bloodthirster or Infinity Edge. This is a very safe way for a carry to fulfill their role when they are fed.
The potential mistake is much more obvious when playing bruisers, supports, or tanky champions. They tend to avoid building very strong offenses, opting instead for utility or defenses. Sticking to these sorts of builds when fed doesn't press the advantage, and gives your opponents a good chance to recover even if you don't make any bad plays. Changing things up by building offense, or even hybrid offense/defense, instead of tank/utility items can give these champions the ability to carry a game.
Most supports are great examples. Soraka's annoying enough as it is with a standard gp10 build, but with enough gold to finish a Needlessly Large Rod or, heaven help you, a Deathcap suddenly every teamfight is a nightmare where much or all of your AoE damage vanishes the moment she presses R. Taric can become tanky enough to sit in the middle of a teamfight, spamming heals every 3 seconds. A fed Janna can make pushing turrets impossible. By deviating from typical builds in a gold-rich situation, non-carries can carry the game.
Carries can carry harder as well, and not only through "cheesy" stacking items like Sword of the Occult or Mejai's Soulstealer. A Black Cleaver rush can be extremely deadly on a fed AD, as can rushing Haunting Guise on a fed AP. By picking an item that can be abused when flush with gold, even carries can take their gold advantage further.
The bottom line is that many standard builds, when followed religiously, can give floundering opponents the opportunity to regain their footing. "Safe" play is sometimes the same as giving away a lead. By breaking from rote habit to press an advantage, you can push it over the edge and utterly crush your enemies.
Ask almost any player about item builds and you will, in some form or other, be told, "Item builds are not set in stone." Practically every guide will include an Armor or MR item in case the situation demands it. While players are used to thinking about bending and adapting item builds based on team compositions, all too often they fail, even at higher Elos, to consider doing the same based on their gold income.
It's not entirely a mistake to simply complete a standard item build faster. For carries this is often a big enough advantage in and of itself. An AP carry who finishes a Deathcap well before their opponent can terrorize a game, as can an AD carry who finishes a quick Bloodthirster or Infinity Edge. This is a very safe way for a carry to fulfill their role when they are fed.
The potential mistake is much more obvious when playing bruisers, supports, or tanky champions. They tend to avoid building very strong offenses, opting instead for utility or defenses. Sticking to these sorts of builds when fed doesn't press the advantage, and gives your opponents a good chance to recover even if you don't make any bad plays. Changing things up by building offense, or even hybrid offense/defense, instead of tank/utility items can give these champions the ability to carry a game.
Most supports are great examples. Soraka's annoying enough as it is with a standard gp10 build, but with enough gold to finish a Needlessly Large Rod or, heaven help you, a Deathcap suddenly every teamfight is a nightmare where much or all of your AoE damage vanishes the moment she presses R. Taric can become tanky enough to sit in the middle of a teamfight, spamming heals every 3 seconds. A fed Janna can make pushing turrets impossible. By deviating from typical builds in a gold-rich situation, non-carries can carry the game.
Carries can carry harder as well, and not only through "cheesy" stacking items like Sword of the Occult or Mejai's Soulstealer. A Black Cleaver rush can be extremely deadly on a fed AD, as can rushing Haunting Guise on a fed AP. By picking an item that can be abused when flush with gold, even carries can take their gold advantage further.
The bottom line is that many standard builds, when followed religiously, can give floundering opponents the opportunity to regain their footing. "Safe" play is sometimes the same as giving away a lead. By breaking from rote habit to press an advantage, you can push it over the edge and utterly crush your enemies.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Quote: On Divorce
"Had she taken a web programmer I could have understood, but a jungler..."
-Wolfgang Pauli
-Wolfgang Pauli
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Thought: Junglers Skipping Gp10s
Recently I discussed my thoughts on gp10 items and how, with or without the recent nerfs, they are overrated. As a somewhat related tangent to that thought, I've come to believe that many junglers may be doing themselves a disservice by buying gp10 items.
It's extremely common for junglers today to buy both Philosopher's Stone and Heart of Gold. The reasoning is pretty simple, Shurelya's Reverie and Randuin's Omen are both very good items, so why not buy components for them early on and generate additional revenue? This is not a bad argument, and in some situations this makes a lot of sense. Sitting on gp10s helps secure late-game relevance.
The issue I, and others, have begun to see is that junglers shine the brightest during the early and mid-game. By purchasing gp10s junglers are building counter to their critical timings, playing for a late-game where they are no longer the most important player on the team. When many games don't even reach the late-game, this tradeoff makes considerably less sense.
Investing 1625g into gp10 items delays other, critical mid-game items. With just a little more gold you could have Aegis, or Wit's End, or Phage, or be halfway to a really big item. While much later in the game you might earn that lost gold back, during the critical mid-game you will be at best right where you started. Unless your team is losing very hard or plans on simply free-farming until the late game, it's simply better to have strong, completed items in the mid-game.
As I continue to jungle I plan on phasing out gp10s wherever possible. I'll still buy them often as they are important on some junglers, but on many others rushing for other items is simply the better choice.
It's extremely common for junglers today to buy both Philosopher's Stone and Heart of Gold. The reasoning is pretty simple, Shurelya's Reverie and Randuin's Omen are both very good items, so why not buy components for them early on and generate additional revenue? This is not a bad argument, and in some situations this makes a lot of sense. Sitting on gp10s helps secure late-game relevance.
The issue I, and others, have begun to see is that junglers shine the brightest during the early and mid-game. By purchasing gp10s junglers are building counter to their critical timings, playing for a late-game where they are no longer the most important player on the team. When many games don't even reach the late-game, this tradeoff makes considerably less sense.
Investing 1625g into gp10 items delays other, critical mid-game items. With just a little more gold you could have Aegis, or Wit's End, or Phage, or be halfway to a really big item. While much later in the game you might earn that lost gold back, during the critical mid-game you will be at best right where you started. Unless your team is losing very hard or plans on simply free-farming until the late game, it's simply better to have strong, completed items in the mid-game.
As I continue to jungle I plan on phasing out gp10s wherever possible. I'll still buy them often as they are important on some junglers, but on many others rushing for other items is simply the better choice.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thought: Rammus
Rammus has long faded from the limelight following nerfs and the introduction of other strong, tanky junglers (e.g. Nautilus). That said, I've recently been thinking that he's not as bad as many people assume. While not top tier, there is still a place for Rammus in the jungle.
Part of my reasoning is a matter of skill order. Historically Rammus focused on maximizing his Puncturing Taunt first, reaching its maximum power by level nine. This was highly effective for ganking and for locking down a target in team fights, but severely hurt Rammus' jungle clear. Even though we're currently seeing a focus on tanky junglers with crowd control, the ability to clear quickly is still extremely important. It's for this reason that I think maxing Defensive Ball Curl first might be the future of Rammus.
This is not a choice without sacrifice. The difference between a one point and a fully leveled Taunt is two seconds and twenty reduced Armor. In return you gain 80 Armor/MR and 40 (+8) additional damage return. The extra damage and defense is huge for clearing the jungle, and has applications outside as well. With Defensive Ball Curl leveled Rammus has nearly unparalleled tower diving, especially when running a full Armor rune page. There is considerable potential in this alternative skill order, though its playstyle might be slightly different.
With Nautilus, Malphite, and Alistar permanently banned in today's games, some sort of tanky initiator is needed. Rammus doesn't have the best late-game initiation, but few other champions can become as unkillable as he can. I doubt there will be a Rammus Renaissance, but he shouldn't be excluded from consideration as players look for the next great tanky jungler.
Part of my reasoning is a matter of skill order. Historically Rammus focused on maximizing his Puncturing Taunt first, reaching its maximum power by level nine. This was highly effective for ganking and for locking down a target in team fights, but severely hurt Rammus' jungle clear. Even though we're currently seeing a focus on tanky junglers with crowd control, the ability to clear quickly is still extremely important. It's for this reason that I think maxing Defensive Ball Curl first might be the future of Rammus.
This is not a choice without sacrifice. The difference between a one point and a fully leveled Taunt is two seconds and twenty reduced Armor. In return you gain 80 Armor/MR and 40 (+8) additional damage return. The extra damage and defense is huge for clearing the jungle, and has applications outside as well. With Defensive Ball Curl leveled Rammus has nearly unparalleled tower diving, especially when running a full Armor rune page. There is considerable potential in this alternative skill order, though its playstyle might be slightly different.
With Nautilus, Malphite, and Alistar permanently banned in today's games, some sort of tanky initiator is needed. Rammus doesn't have the best late-game initiation, but few other champions can become as unkillable as he can. I doubt there will be a Rammus Renaissance, but he shouldn't be excluded from consideration as players look for the next great tanky jungler.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thought: Professional LoL
It's an idle fancy of mine, and many others, to make a living off playing LoL professionally. As wonderful as the idea of it is, in reality very few people can pull it off. Trying to land that "job" these days is a uphill battle more difficult than a college education.
The first problem is the "early bird" advantage, being among the first to do something is extremely advantageous. The vast majority of current LoL pros played in the beta, or have competed in tournaments since the game was first released. It's much easier to establish yourself when there's essentially no competition. If you're looking to become a popular streamer/pro now, you have huge barriers to overcome that didn't exist two years ago.
The next problem is the amount of effort required to "break out". To really attract a slew of players you must be streaming consistently (unlike someone we know), get good enough at the game to surpass 2k+ Elo (with each 100 Elo thereafter being critically important to attracting new viewers), and have enough of a personality to be interesting. This effort must be sustained over months and months before any payoff is seen, and the reward may never materialize.
Finally, popularity itself can be fleeting. Even if you stay relevant for a long time through tournament victories and the like, eventually you will grow older and not have the reflexes/wherewithal/time to keep up. It's very likely that you'll need industry connections and/or education in order to secure a living later on.
At the end of the day becoming a professional player and making a decent living are things only a very small number of people will be able to do. Before attempting it, consider whether or not you really have what it takes to be more dedicated, more skilled, and more interesting than 99.9% of all LoL players.
The first problem is the "early bird" advantage, being among the first to do something is extremely advantageous. The vast majority of current LoL pros played in the beta, or have competed in tournaments since the game was first released. It's much easier to establish yourself when there's essentially no competition. If you're looking to become a popular streamer/pro now, you have huge barriers to overcome that didn't exist two years ago.
The next problem is the amount of effort required to "break out". To really attract a slew of players you must be streaming consistently (unlike someone we know), get good enough at the game to surpass 2k+ Elo (with each 100 Elo thereafter being critically important to attracting new viewers), and have enough of a personality to be interesting. This effort must be sustained over months and months before any payoff is seen, and the reward may never materialize.
Finally, popularity itself can be fleeting. Even if you stay relevant for a long time through tournament victories and the like, eventually you will grow older and not have the reflexes/wherewithal/time to keep up. It's very likely that you'll need industry connections and/or education in order to secure a living later on.
At the end of the day becoming a professional player and making a decent living are things only a very small number of people will be able to do. Before attempting it, consider whether or not you really have what it takes to be more dedicated, more skilled, and more interesting than 99.9% of all LoL players.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thought: What Happens to Heimerdinger?
Zyra is essentially Heimerdinger, except better. Heimerdinger already sat in a small niche before, but with everyone's favorite feminine, fatal flower entering the fray it's not clear what, if any, purpose Heimerdinger serves.
The fundamental cause of Heimerdinger's impending obsolescence is simple: Zyra does in one skill point what Heimerdinger does in two abilities (including his ultimate). Zyra's W provides seeds and CDR, and the strength of her plants is independent of its rank. Heimerdinger must invest five skill points into his turrets for them to be formidable, and his ultimate depends upon them. At a basic level Heimerdinger can't both have strong turrets and strong rockets/grenades, while Zyra can have it all and an ultimate that isn't dependent upon her plants to be powerful.
However, it's clear Riot knows their bespectacled yordle is in trouble, because recently a potential rework of the champion leaked from the private test realm. What form the rework will eventually take isn't certain, but it's good to know Riot recognizes clear cases of one champion forcing another into the shadows.
For now Heimerdinger will move further into obscurity, but eventually he may return. Not to his former glory (hopefully, the days of Heimerdinger sieging turrets are not days I would be fond to relive), but at least to a competitive level.
The fundamental cause of Heimerdinger's impending obsolescence is simple: Zyra does in one skill point what Heimerdinger does in two abilities (including his ultimate). Zyra's W provides seeds and CDR, and the strength of her plants is independent of its rank. Heimerdinger must invest five skill points into his turrets for them to be formidable, and his ultimate depends upon them. At a basic level Heimerdinger can't both have strong turrets and strong rockets/grenades, while Zyra can have it all and an ultimate that isn't dependent upon her plants to be powerful.
However, it's clear Riot knows their bespectacled yordle is in trouble, because recently a potential rework of the champion leaked from the private test realm. What form the rework will eventually take isn't certain, but it's good to know Riot recognizes clear cases of one champion forcing another into the shadows.
For now Heimerdinger will move further into obscurity, but eventually he may return. Not to his former glory (hopefully, the days of Heimerdinger sieging turrets are not days I would be fond to relive), but at least to a competitive level.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Quote: On Competition
"The most important thing in the League of Legends is not to win but to take part . . . The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
-Pierre de Coubertin
-Pierre de Coubertin
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Thought: Gold per 10 Items are Overrated
Gold per 10 items are extremely common purchases in League of Legends. Originally the purview of supports, they've become popular in the jungle, top lane, and now even mid lane. Despite the surge in popularity, I strongly believe these items are vastly overrated.
The first important factor is simple math. On average it takes 12-13 minutes for a gp10 item to generate enough gold to break even (i.e. selling it will result in no loss or gain). Essentially the purchase is an investment that does not begin to pay off for a significant portion of the game. Because most games are determined during the early or mid-game, such a long term investment is questionable.
The second problem is that gp10 items provide fewer stats that the alternatives. With the recent nerfs, a Philosopher's Stone has identical Hp5 to a Regrowth Pendant, and a Heart of Gold gives a mere 20 health more than a simple Ruby Crustal. The majority of a gp10 item's completion cost is spent investing in the gp10 stat.
As a result, buying gp10 items puts you at a disadvantage against your opponents. It's a sacrifice of current efficacy for the possibility of greater power later. However, League of Legends is a game where early advantages can easily snowball into greater and greater advantages. In most situations buying gp10 items tips the balance against you, giving your opponents an edge with which to punish you.
Purchasing gp10 items should, therefore, never be done for its own sake. Only if the stats on the item itself are useful, more so than any alternatives, and the items on its build path desirable should a gp10 item be built.
The first important factor is simple math. On average it takes 12-13 minutes for a gp10 item to generate enough gold to break even (i.e. selling it will result in no loss or gain). Essentially the purchase is an investment that does not begin to pay off for a significant portion of the game. Because most games are determined during the early or mid-game, such a long term investment is questionable.
The second problem is that gp10 items provide fewer stats that the alternatives. With the recent nerfs, a Philosopher's Stone has identical Hp5 to a Regrowth Pendant, and a Heart of Gold gives a mere 20 health more than a simple Ruby Crustal. The majority of a gp10 item's completion cost is spent investing in the gp10 stat.
As a result, buying gp10 items puts you at a disadvantage against your opponents. It's a sacrifice of current efficacy for the possibility of greater power later. However, League of Legends is a game where early advantages can easily snowball into greater and greater advantages. In most situations buying gp10 items tips the balance against you, giving your opponents an edge with which to punish you.
Purchasing gp10 items should, therefore, never be done for its own sake. Only if the stats on the item itself are useful, more so than any alternatives, and the items on its build path desirable should a gp10 item be built.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Patch Day: Remake Trifecta
Zyra has been delayed, but the Mid-July patch still has many major changes to discuss. Three champion remakes in one patch is unprecedented, and many other champions have seen substantial buffs, nerfs, or quality of life changes.
The Eve changes make her viable as a jungler again. While she can no longer approach completely unnoticed, the ability to bypass wards remains one of the strongest abilities in a ganker's kit. Even without crowd control a jungler can terrorize lanes, and there's always Exhaust to help guarantee Eve's gank effectiveness. Later her ultimate does a ridiculous amount of damage and grants Eve the strongest shield in the game, 1500 health. Expect to see a lot of her in solo queue.
Twitch makes his return as a ranged AD carry, massive cleaving ultimate and all. While not as overpowered as it was in his heyday, Twitch can still decimate tightly clustered foes when he has a lead. The short duration of his stealth may impede his ability to roam or gank, but as a tool for repositioning in team fights or escaping ganks it's unparalleled. He'll still be harder to play than many other AD carries, but in the right hands he'll be frightening.
Be afraid of Xin Zhao. While his abuse case of infinite knockups is gone, everything else about him has been buffed to compensate. He now has the ability to split up a team while isolating a single opponent, and can stick to a target better than ever. Capping CDR on him gives him an infinite Q->E combo unless a strong peeling champion intervenes, and even then all Xin has to do is attack the nearest target to bring his E back up again. Of the three remakes, Xin is the most likely to be overpowered.
Gangplank's Parrrley change seems innocuous but has huge effects on both his jungling and laning. It may only cost 50-70 mana, but with its low cooldown and gold return Parrley easily sapped his mana dry. With a mana return effect Gangplank can now farm without worrying about becoming too vulnerable in the process. That said, this change reflects the continuing game-wide shift from mana being an important resource to being forgettable unless you are completely careless.
Malphite's changes force him to choose between tankiness and damage, while also eliminating his potential to permanently slow the attack speed of an enemy carry. He'll likely remain on the ban list for some time as his damage will be hardly affected so long as he builds Abyssal, and 3 seconds of slowed attack speed is still brutal.
Malzahar's changes are largely quality of life, but have the potential to make him frightening. His Voidlings really stick to opponents now, enhancing his Malefic Visions harass. That he can now pull off his combo consistently should also scare opponents.
The nerfs to Morgana target her safety in the lane. It's practically impossible to gank or harass her unless she's overextended, as her Black Shield blocks all crowd control effects until it fades. With a 50% longer wait time between casts at rank 1, Morgana will be very vulnerable every time she's forced to use her shield.
In line with previous nerfs to global ultimates and the champions who possess them, Nocturne has received a couple small nerfs. These will have an effect on his game presence and defenses, but not enough to make him unviable. At this point he's not worth banning unless your team is particularly weak against him.
Sona's changes are likely to give her new life as a support. While a methodical player was capable of planning out her Power Chords, being caught off guard could easily result in being locked out from the one you truly wanted. With the shorter global cooldown between abilities switching between auras will now be far easier. Sadly, it's now impossible for Sona to permanently maintain two auras at once, even with maximum CDR.
Urgot has been very thoroughly nerfed. The changes completely alter his ability to function as a tanky anti-AD, and likely will cause him to completely disappear from competitive play.
All in all this patch has a huge swatch of changes. Be ready for some curve balls as we see the return of stealth champions and everyone's favorite Dynasty Warrior.
The Eve changes make her viable as a jungler again. While she can no longer approach completely unnoticed, the ability to bypass wards remains one of the strongest abilities in a ganker's kit. Even without crowd control a jungler can terrorize lanes, and there's always Exhaust to help guarantee Eve's gank effectiveness. Later her ultimate does a ridiculous amount of damage and grants Eve the strongest shield in the game, 1500 health. Expect to see a lot of her in solo queue.
Twitch makes his return as a ranged AD carry, massive cleaving ultimate and all. While not as overpowered as it was in his heyday, Twitch can still decimate tightly clustered foes when he has a lead. The short duration of his stealth may impede his ability to roam or gank, but as a tool for repositioning in team fights or escaping ganks it's unparalleled. He'll still be harder to play than many other AD carries, but in the right hands he'll be frightening.
Be afraid of Xin Zhao. While his abuse case of infinite knockups is gone, everything else about him has been buffed to compensate. He now has the ability to split up a team while isolating a single opponent, and can stick to a target better than ever. Capping CDR on him gives him an infinite Q->E combo unless a strong peeling champion intervenes, and even then all Xin has to do is attack the nearest target to bring his E back up again. Of the three remakes, Xin is the most likely to be overpowered.
Gangplank's Parrrley change seems innocuous but has huge effects on both his jungling and laning. It may only cost 50-70 mana, but with its low cooldown and gold return Parrley easily sapped his mana dry. With a mana return effect Gangplank can now farm without worrying about becoming too vulnerable in the process. That said, this change reflects the continuing game-wide shift from mana being an important resource to being forgettable unless you are completely careless.
Malphite's changes force him to choose between tankiness and damage, while also eliminating his potential to permanently slow the attack speed of an enemy carry. He'll likely remain on the ban list for some time as his damage will be hardly affected so long as he builds Abyssal, and 3 seconds of slowed attack speed is still brutal.
Malzahar's changes are largely quality of life, but have the potential to make him frightening. His Voidlings really stick to opponents now, enhancing his Malefic Visions harass. That he can now pull off his combo consistently should also scare opponents.
The nerfs to Morgana target her safety in the lane. It's practically impossible to gank or harass her unless she's overextended, as her Black Shield blocks all crowd control effects until it fades. With a 50% longer wait time between casts at rank 1, Morgana will be very vulnerable every time she's forced to use her shield.
In line with previous nerfs to global ultimates and the champions who possess them, Nocturne has received a couple small nerfs. These will have an effect on his game presence and defenses, but not enough to make him unviable. At this point he's not worth banning unless your team is particularly weak against him.
Sona's changes are likely to give her new life as a support. While a methodical player was capable of planning out her Power Chords, being caught off guard could easily result in being locked out from the one you truly wanted. With the shorter global cooldown between abilities switching between auras will now be far easier. Sadly, it's now impossible for Sona to permanently maintain two auras at once, even with maximum CDR.
Urgot has been very thoroughly nerfed. The changes completely alter his ability to function as a tanky anti-AD, and likely will cause him to completely disappear from competitive play.
All in all this patch has a huge swatch of changes. Be ready for some curve balls as we see the return of stealth champions and everyone's favorite Dynasty Warrior.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Quote: On Careers
"On Career Day in high school, you don't walk around looking for the progamer guy."
-Gary Larson
-Gary Larson
Monday, July 16, 2012
Quote: On Summoners
"It always saddens me to think that after all I am not yet a proper summoner."
-Johannes Brahms
-Johannes Brahms
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Thought: Pink Wards
Pink wards are highly underrated as a form of early map control. Up until Oracle's starts appearing pink wards are an excellent way to limit enemy vision. For junglers especially a well placed pink ward can lead to important opportunities.
The hardest part of ganking for a jungler, particularly in the side lanes, is enemy vision. Wards typically block the most accessible and successful gank routes. While you can often gank around these obstacles, the psychological pressure that results from blinding your opponents can give your allies an advantage even if you never gank.
Currently the only popular place to pink ward is Dragon. It's a very safe, high value choice that your opponents will want warded. Very often a jungler or support will pink ward this location in order to establish control over Dragon and open up the river gank path. Even at higher Elos it's rare for an opposing support to have a pink ward handy, and if they do they have to worry about leaving their ally alone or being ambushed while they ward. While arguably the best place for a pink ward, Dragon is not the only place where they are potentially valuable.
Pretty much any location where the opponent must ward in order to fend off ganks or counter-jungling is a viable place for a pink ward. The hard part is tracking where wards are being placed. It's relatively easy to make educated guesses if you have decent vision of your opponents, or if you place your wards first. The key is coordinating with your jungler (or the lane if you are the jungler) to take advantage of a pink ward.
That's the ultimate answer of why pink wards aren't more common. That level of coordination is more effort that more solo queue players are willing to give, and often the players you try to coordinate with are unresponsive. Still, in ranked 5s you should practice tracking wards and countering them with pink wards, the payoff can be immense.
The hardest part of ganking for a jungler, particularly in the side lanes, is enemy vision. Wards typically block the most accessible and successful gank routes. While you can often gank around these obstacles, the psychological pressure that results from blinding your opponents can give your allies an advantage even if you never gank.
Currently the only popular place to pink ward is Dragon. It's a very safe, high value choice that your opponents will want warded. Very often a jungler or support will pink ward this location in order to establish control over Dragon and open up the river gank path. Even at higher Elos it's rare for an opposing support to have a pink ward handy, and if they do they have to worry about leaving their ally alone or being ambushed while they ward. While arguably the best place for a pink ward, Dragon is not the only place where they are potentially valuable.
Pretty much any location where the opponent must ward in order to fend off ganks or counter-jungling is a viable place for a pink ward. The hard part is tracking where wards are being placed. It's relatively easy to make educated guesses if you have decent vision of your opponents, or if you place your wards first. The key is coordinating with your jungler (or the lane if you are the jungler) to take advantage of a pink ward.
That's the ultimate answer of why pink wards aren't more common. That level of coordination is more effort that more solo queue players are willing to give, and often the players you try to coordinate with are unresponsive. Still, in ranked 5s you should practice tracking wards and countering them with pink wards, the payoff can be immense.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Update: Glitches and Things
I've been recording some new video material but unfortunately Sony Vegas has suddenly decided to crash on startup. Once I have it working I should be able to put out some new videos, but until then I am sadly unable to.
Some cool stuff to look forward to:
Some cool stuff to look forward to:
- Jungle Karthus
- Super Fast Level 3 Ganks (ft. Nunu and Karthus)
- New Jungle Xin
Friday, July 13, 2012
Jungling: The First Clear
The first clear is the most important for every jungler in the game. A first clear that goes smoothly sets the jungler up for either further farming or starting their ganking spree. If it goes poorly they can spend every moment up until the mid-game attempting to catch up. It's for this reason that so much time and effort is spent devising the best jungle setups.
The importance of this first clear has come into sharper focus as jungling trends shifted from focusing on farming to focusing on ganking. For the greatest success chance on the gank it's critical that the jungler emerge from the jungle as quickly as possible, with as much health as possible, and using boots or an offense-oriented item. Junglers lacking in the ability gank early are now considered uncompetitive in most cases.
It's for this reason that potential junglers such as Jayce do not become common. Despite having many other tools which are of considerable use in the jungle, Jayce fundamentally lacks the ability to clear the jungle safely early, making it impossible for him to gank early with anything but Cloth Armor or a very slow clear. Any jungler who is can't be ready at a moment's notice to gank or cover a lane is not worthy of the label.
For all of the changes to make the new jungle easier, the bar has simply been raised further. It's no longer enough to simple clear the jungle, nor is it even enough to clear it safely. Today's junglers are required to be quick, safe, and versatile from the very first minute. Picking a jungler who is not is placing a handicap on yourself.
The importance of this first clear has come into sharper focus as jungling trends shifted from focusing on farming to focusing on ganking. For the greatest success chance on the gank it's critical that the jungler emerge from the jungle as quickly as possible, with as much health as possible, and using boots or an offense-oriented item. Junglers lacking in the ability gank early are now considered uncompetitive in most cases.
It's for this reason that potential junglers such as Jayce do not become common. Despite having many other tools which are of considerable use in the jungle, Jayce fundamentally lacks the ability to clear the jungle safely early, making it impossible for him to gank early with anything but Cloth Armor or a very slow clear. Any jungler who is can't be ready at a moment's notice to gank or cover a lane is not worthy of the label.
For all of the changes to make the new jungle easier, the bar has simply been raised further. It's no longer enough to simple clear the jungle, nor is it even enough to clear it safely. Today's junglers are required to be quick, safe, and versatile from the very first minute. Picking a jungler who is not is placing a handicap on yourself.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Jungler: Nunu
Nunu recently received a couple of significant buffs, and as a result he is now an incredibly competitive jungler. The buffs may not immediately look like much, but in practice they are complete game changers.
The most important change is the reduction in stacks required for Nunu to get a free spell. Dropping from 7 to 5 is practically a 40% increase in the number of free spells Nunu can fire off. The effect is so large even haphazard play leaves Nunu with plenty of mana for ganks. By removing Nunu's mana issues he can now focus his item build on other attributes.
Dropping the cooldown on Consume smooths out Nunu's early jungling significantly. The rank 1 cooldown lines up extremely nicely with the time spent clearing camps; it always comes off cooldown just before arriving at the next camp. Combined with a significant damage increase at rank 1, Nunu's jungle is now much faster than before. In fact, Nunu now has the fastest level 3 gank I am aware of, reaching the lane with double-buffs no later than 3:00 game time!
Finally, Nunu's ultimate is no longer worthless if interrupted. Even if it is immediately stopped it still does a tenth of its normal damage, and the damage gradient as it progresses is much more forgiving. A half-completed Nunu ult is now much, much more dangerous.
The summation of all these changes makes Nunu an extremely strong jungle pick. His ganks, utility, and jungle control are utterly superb. Jungle Nunu is back, and with a vengeance.
The most important change is the reduction in stacks required for Nunu to get a free spell. Dropping from 7 to 5 is practically a 40% increase in the number of free spells Nunu can fire off. The effect is so large even haphazard play leaves Nunu with plenty of mana for ganks. By removing Nunu's mana issues he can now focus his item build on other attributes.
Dropping the cooldown on Consume smooths out Nunu's early jungling significantly. The rank 1 cooldown lines up extremely nicely with the time spent clearing camps; it always comes off cooldown just before arriving at the next camp. Combined with a significant damage increase at rank 1, Nunu's jungle is now much faster than before. In fact, Nunu now has the fastest level 3 gank I am aware of, reaching the lane with double-buffs no later than 3:00 game time!
Finally, Nunu's ultimate is no longer worthless if interrupted. Even if it is immediately stopped it still does a tenth of its normal damage, and the damage gradient as it progresses is much more forgiving. A half-completed Nunu ult is now much, much more dangerous.
The summation of all these changes makes Nunu an extremely strong jungle pick. His ganks, utility, and jungle control are utterly superb. Jungle Nunu is back, and with a vengeance.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Quote: On Rune Pages
"Very simple was my rune page, and plausible enough—as most wrong setups are!"
-H. G. Wells
-H. G. Wells
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Streaming: Schedule
Now that my internet is fixed and other matters have been attended to I will begin streaming in earnest. The "too long; didn't read" for my schedule:
Monday-Thursday: 8 PM - 1 AM (CST)
Saturday: Noon - 5 PM (CST)
Much of my streaming will be duo queue and ranked 5s, but in any other situation I'll endeavor to do analysis and commentary of my games, practice methods, and opinions of interesting topics.
For the time being I'm streaming on own3d because a recent flash update has made twitch.tv laggy for many people (including myself). When/if the issue is resolved I'll switch back. I like twitch.tv better for its automatic video recordings and easy to use chat.
Monday-Thursday: 8 PM - 1 AM (CST)
Saturday: Noon - 5 PM (CST)
Much of my streaming will be duo queue and ranked 5s, but in any other situation I'll endeavor to do analysis and commentary of my games, practice methods, and opinions of interesting topics.
For the time being I'm streaming on own3d because a recent flash update has made twitch.tv laggy for many people (including myself). When/if the issue is resolved I'll switch back. I like twitch.tv better for its automatic video recordings and easy to use chat.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Jungling: The Young Lizard Dilemma
When stealing an enemy buff camp all junglers are faced with a common dilemma; do you leave one Young Lizard behind to delay the camp's respawn, or do you clear the entire camp? The answer is far more complicated than one might think.
At face value leaving one creep alive is the best option. This forces the enemy jungler to spend extra time clearing for little gain, and delays when the buff will reappear. That delay means less uptime for those critical buffs, weakening the enemy. By simply sparing one creep the enemy's time and resources are both wasted.
However, that analysis does not account for the value of information. Whoever clears the camp gains knowledge of the precise moment it will respawn. That simple timing gives a jungler control, the power to be in the right place at the right time. Clearing the camp hurts the enemy jungler's efficiency by denying them that critical information, and creates the potential for back to back buff steals.
Before you jump to the conclusion that this is a simple tradeoff between impact and control, stop and consider that there are three additional buff camps on the map and wards that can be strategically placed. These factors take what would otherwise be a simple situation and make everything immensely more complicated.
The first complication is the effect wards have on information. If a jungler leaves a ward behind at a stolen buff camp they'll be able to observe when it is cleared and thus know the exact timing of its respawn. With a little effort a jungler can guarantee themselves complete information whether they choose to fully clear a camp or not.
Adding to the confusion is the presence of other buff camps. At any one time there are as many as four buffs up at once, and two junglers who can only be in one spot at a time. Depending on a jungler's goals for the game, their team composition, and other factors either staggered or simultaneous respawns could be preferable. For example, if a jungler is stealing a camp at the same time their opponent is at the other camp, clearing results in a simultaneous respawn. This puts pressure on the enemy as they can't protect both camps on their own. Alternatively if both junglers are stealing each other's camps, then leaving a creep behind can potentially provide better jungle control. Because that jungler's buff will respawn first they can be present to defend it and have the potential to contest their opponent's buff. Controlling the buff camps is a complex juggling act that taxes even the most mobile, fast-clearing junglers.
The combination of complete information and juggling multiple buffs shifts the question away from impact versus control to an intricate dance of timings and intentions. What's most important is managing buff respawns to fit ideally with your team's demands and capabilities, not the minor inconveniences to the enemy jungler. The answer to the dilemma is the option whose respawn timing fits into a greater plan for controlling the jungle.
If that's too much for you do not fear, even the best junglers have trouble managing all these timers and events. Something as simple as covering a lane can throw them off. If you aren't at a point where you can handle the complex decision making, don't worry about it. Pick whichever option you like and stick with it until you feel ready to tackle the juggling act.
At face value leaving one creep alive is the best option. This forces the enemy jungler to spend extra time clearing for little gain, and delays when the buff will reappear. That delay means less uptime for those critical buffs, weakening the enemy. By simply sparing one creep the enemy's time and resources are both wasted.
However, that analysis does not account for the value of information. Whoever clears the camp gains knowledge of the precise moment it will respawn. That simple timing gives a jungler control, the power to be in the right place at the right time. Clearing the camp hurts the enemy jungler's efficiency by denying them that critical information, and creates the potential for back to back buff steals.
Before you jump to the conclusion that this is a simple tradeoff between impact and control, stop and consider that there are three additional buff camps on the map and wards that can be strategically placed. These factors take what would otherwise be a simple situation and make everything immensely more complicated.
The first complication is the effect wards have on information. If a jungler leaves a ward behind at a stolen buff camp they'll be able to observe when it is cleared and thus know the exact timing of its respawn. With a little effort a jungler can guarantee themselves complete information whether they choose to fully clear a camp or not.
Adding to the confusion is the presence of other buff camps. At any one time there are as many as four buffs up at once, and two junglers who can only be in one spot at a time. Depending on a jungler's goals for the game, their team composition, and other factors either staggered or simultaneous respawns could be preferable. For example, if a jungler is stealing a camp at the same time their opponent is at the other camp, clearing results in a simultaneous respawn. This puts pressure on the enemy as they can't protect both camps on their own. Alternatively if both junglers are stealing each other's camps, then leaving a creep behind can potentially provide better jungle control. Because that jungler's buff will respawn first they can be present to defend it and have the potential to contest their opponent's buff. Controlling the buff camps is a complex juggling act that taxes even the most mobile, fast-clearing junglers.
The combination of complete information and juggling multiple buffs shifts the question away from impact versus control to an intricate dance of timings and intentions. What's most important is managing buff respawns to fit ideally with your team's demands and capabilities, not the minor inconveniences to the enemy jungler. The answer to the dilemma is the option whose respawn timing fits into a greater plan for controlling the jungle.
If that's too much for you do not fear, even the best junglers have trouble managing all these timers and events. Something as simple as covering a lane can throw them off. If you aren't at a point where you can handle the complex decision making, don't worry about it. Pick whichever option you like and stick with it until you feel ready to tackle the juggling act.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Quote: On Algorithms
"It has been observed that a pure Elo algorithm if it were practicable
would be the most perfect ranking. Experience has proved that no
position is more false than this."
-Alexander Hamilton
-Alexander Hamilton
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Patch Day: Jayce
So much for a patch on Tuesday! Fears and worries of another disaster weekend patch aside, there are numerous interesting changes as the one hundredth champion makes his debut.
Akali's changes honestly aren't a big deal. Crescent Slash will be slightly less horrible to use in team fights, but its major flaws still remain. That it can proc Mark is nice, and can see potential use in avoiding creep aggro while laning, but ultimately I don't think Akali will be significantly stronger as a result.
Caitlyn is likely to see a resurgence with her changes. They may not look like much, but they're huge quality of life improvements. The crisper net mechanics alone would be noteworthy, but combined with a faster firing, longer range ultimate Caitlyn is going to feel a lot more responsive.
Gragas' additional armor will make him a safer jungler, not that anyone jungles him these days. More notable are the Body Slam changes, a flat mana cost and huge rank 1 speed increase are huge buffs to the mobility of Gragas at both low and high ranks. Gragas has long been ignored and undervalued, so expect to see him as a new flavor of the month.
Nautilus received a number of nerfs, but I don't believe they'll have much effect on his jungling. Q was being leveled last as it was, and the cooldown change doesn't alter how strong a hooking mechanism is for ganks. Increasing the cooldown on his ultimate similarly does little to change the strength of a gank when his ultimate is up. While there will be 20 seconds of additional reprieve, Nautilus will still be an incredibly strong jungler.
Nunu's changes are much talked about, but ultimately all the fervor over counter-jungling is nothing but hype. Nunu was already perfectly capable of stealing important creeps before, the problem was always that dedicated counter-jungling is a team effort more than a solo endeavor. What is different is Nunu's potential objective control. With Consume now doing full damage to Dragon and Baron his ability to steal or ensure kills on objectives is unparalleled. That's what junglers and teams will be keeping an eye on, the other changes are just to smooth out Nunu's jungling in general.
Those are the big changes that stood out to me. Obviously there was a lot more to the patch, especially if you play Orianna or Lux a lot, but these were the changes I found most notable (and most within my area of experience).
Akali's changes honestly aren't a big deal. Crescent Slash will be slightly less horrible to use in team fights, but its major flaws still remain. That it can proc Mark is nice, and can see potential use in avoiding creep aggro while laning, but ultimately I don't think Akali will be significantly stronger as a result.
Caitlyn is likely to see a resurgence with her changes. They may not look like much, but they're huge quality of life improvements. The crisper net mechanics alone would be noteworthy, but combined with a faster firing, longer range ultimate Caitlyn is going to feel a lot more responsive.
Gragas' additional armor will make him a safer jungler, not that anyone jungles him these days. More notable are the Body Slam changes, a flat mana cost and huge rank 1 speed increase are huge buffs to the mobility of Gragas at both low and high ranks. Gragas has long been ignored and undervalued, so expect to see him as a new flavor of the month.
Nautilus received a number of nerfs, but I don't believe they'll have much effect on his jungling. Q was being leveled last as it was, and the cooldown change doesn't alter how strong a hooking mechanism is for ganks. Increasing the cooldown on his ultimate similarly does little to change the strength of a gank when his ultimate is up. While there will be 20 seconds of additional reprieve, Nautilus will still be an incredibly strong jungler.
Nunu's changes are much talked about, but ultimately all the fervor over counter-jungling is nothing but hype. Nunu was already perfectly capable of stealing important creeps before, the problem was always that dedicated counter-jungling is a team effort more than a solo endeavor. What is different is Nunu's potential objective control. With Consume now doing full damage to Dragon and Baron his ability to steal or ensure kills on objectives is unparalleled. That's what junglers and teams will be keeping an eye on, the other changes are just to smooth out Nunu's jungling in general.
Those are the big changes that stood out to me. Obviously there was a lot more to the patch, especially if you play Orianna or Lux a lot, but these were the changes I found most notable (and most within my area of experience).
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thought: 100 Champions
When Jayce is released, which should be Tuesday barring any further server shenanigans, League of Legends will officially have 100 champions. It's hard to look at that number and not think about what it means for there to be so many.
With so many champions in the game one wonders where it will all stop. Riot obviously plans to keep pushing forward with champion releases, their business model depends on it, but it seems inevitable that eventually the releases must stop. At some point another champion in the roster will be one champion too many. It's anyone's guess where and when that point will be reached.
As many of Riot's recent champions have been very unique I think there's still some ways to go yet. I personally enjoy a large, healthy roster as it keeps the game interesting. So long as older champions keep seeing price reductions, I have no issue with more champion releases.
I predict, however, that Riot will eventually shift from champions being their primary source of interest/income to skins being their driving force. There's a much greater and wider market for skins than champions, and so many champions in dire need of decent skins. When the well of champions is long since dry, skins will still be going strong as a source of revenue.
With so many champions in the game one wonders where it will all stop. Riot obviously plans to keep pushing forward with champion releases, their business model depends on it, but it seems inevitable that eventually the releases must stop. At some point another champion in the roster will be one champion too many. It's anyone's guess where and when that point will be reached.
As many of Riot's recent champions have been very unique I think there's still some ways to go yet. I personally enjoy a large, healthy roster as it keeps the game interesting. So long as older champions keep seeing price reductions, I have no issue with more champion releases.
I predict, however, that Riot will eventually shift from champions being their primary source of interest/income to skins being their driving force. There's a much greater and wider market for skins than champions, and so many champions in dire need of decent skins. When the well of champions is long since dry, skins will still be going strong as a source of revenue.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Linkdump: Elobuff
I am a man of science. Without the intrepid energy of scientific pioneers much that we take for granted today would not exist. As a boy my father taught me that the drive to discover was nothing without the willpower and knowledge necessary to slog through masses of nigh-incomprehensible numbers.
Elobuff.com is a website that promises to do most of that slogging for you, at least when it comes to LoL. If you, like me, enjoy the math and statistics side of gaming then this website is for you. The subscription of $6 per month is fairly steep for such a specific service, but given the volume of data they process it's not unreasonable.
The website can be a treasure trove, but numbers can also be overwhelming and meaningless. Take the full tour before you spend any money.
I've subscribed, and am looking forward to seeing what I might learn from data I have never had the time to personally collect.
Elobuff.com is a website that promises to do most of that slogging for you, at least when it comes to LoL. If you, like me, enjoy the math and statistics side of gaming then this website is for you. The subscription of $6 per month is fairly steep for such a specific service, but given the volume of data they process it's not unreasonable.
The website can be a treasure trove, but numbers can also be overwhelming and meaningless. Take the full tour before you spend any money.
I've subscribed, and am looking forward to seeing what I might learn from data I have never had the time to personally collect.
Quote: On Battle
"Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between militaristic Noxus and Demacia."
-Joseph McCarthy
-Joseph McCarthy
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Quote: On Support
"I do not like support and I haven’t liked it since I was a new player and my team made me play it."
-George H. W. Bush
-George H. W. Bush
Monday, July 2, 2012
Quote: On Life
"Jungling is my life and my life is jungling. Anyone who does not understand this is not worthy of Smite."
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Quote: On Discipline
"For a long time I limited myself to one champion — as a form of discipline."
-Pablo Picasso
-Pablo Picasso
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