User blog:Canvasofgrey/A new way to look at Supports

[ Warning: There is no TL:DR. Either read it or don't. ]

Support is a class of characters in which I feel the most comfortable with, and feel inclined to say that it is probably one of the powerful and overlooked role in League of Legends. As a support you do not get many thanks, or praises, since it's merely your job to benefit others to carry out the more valorious duties that win games. It's more or less a thank-less role, and most consider it boring. But I suppose that's what gives it more character.

My only disappointment with the role of support is most often refered within three core supports. Soraka, Sona, and Janna. While I certainly have no issue, or problem with the power these characters bring to the table, and certainly do not desire any sort of change to them, I feel that having only three main core support champions in a game that is slowly reaching the 100-champion mark-line isn't so promising to the game's future. These characters are classifed as the core of "true support", offering the most utility to the team without the necessity of items nor the danger of needing to take CS away from the AD carry they are protecting to achieve that level of support. I am aware of other such support characters like Lulu, Taric, Blitz, Alistar, Leona, etc, but I'm focusing much more on the fact that the most "ideal" support characters are centered among the previously mentioned three.

This sort of limited pool of characters inspired me to preform the experiment of trying other 'non-ideal' characters for the support/AD lane. While most characters do not exploit the vast potential that "true supports" give, I think the matter of support goes beyond the simple task of Exploring the potential of other characters and how well they synergize with other characters often overlooked within the rostor is half the fun, and can bring surprising results. As a note, this is a MAJOR W.I.P. and is still an ongoing experiment. If there is any sort of information you'd like to share, please leave me a message or let me know within comments below. ^_^

Note: I will refrain from the ideas of "Kill Lanes". While it's certainly a viable strategy, the variables are too numerous, and I do not wish to completely alter to current meta, as much as make it less close-minded. I may referrence such potential of "Kill Lanes" for some champions, but otherwise, I wish to avoid it.

Note2: No doubt you guys will ask me about how I'm able to built these characters as more 'support' roles over their more ideal positions in the lane. If this blog brings good views, I'll gladly share such information.

Note3: I diliberately avoided some of the support picks, particularly those that are common or those that are seldom, but are often "viewed" as being "only" support champions like Karma or Zilean. That's another matter of the meta entirely. I suppose the best way to start is from the top....

Ahri - I've been playing Ahri as a support bot champion with a moderate amount of success. Ahri works well with AD carries that can abuse the assets she brings in the lane. Like most of my experimental support characters, Ahri should be built as a Support in lane, and transition to an AP character within Mid to Late game. While it's certainly not among the best of othordox, I'm fairly confident to say that Ahri has potential to be a good support champion for 2 main reasons.

1. Charm is a hard CC that can be very optimal in the lane since it's easier to land against two-character lanes [Particularly within certain 'zones' of Bottom lane where the passageway rather narrow], and the quality of the CC is much better than simple stuns, Snares, or slows.

2. Foxfire is a very mana-efficent harrass. And I mean VERY cheap in mana for how much damage it does even at level 1. With 2 potential targets, the over damage output is better than it seems. Of course, you run more risk of pushing the lane, being harassed yourself, and the fact that you're an aggressive support makes it slightly harder for your AD to follw up. However I think her passive really makes up for it since Foxfire scales better with Spellvamp due to its mechanic.

I think the major problem with Ahri is her transition to Mid and late game from a support. Building support items do not allow much luxury for Ahri to built what she normally is as a semi-beefy AP caster. I built a Philospher's and Kage's for the necssary gold.

Brand - I've had very rare oppurtunities to test Brand as a support. When I do, they come to be mediocre to good. Blaze is a powerful passive in lower levels, and since Bot lanes linger in the lower levels longer, Brand's damage potential is much greater. This is best utilized when using his E as a cheap form of harass to proc his passive. Brand's Ultimate is also VERY powerful since it has two targets to bounce off of. However I feel that Brand runs out of mana too quickly in the lane, and missed Spells garter more punishment due to long CDs. Brand offers little protection if the lane finds themselves in trouble by junglers or mid ganks, since long CDs on spells make him too vulnerable. And if he's open, so is the charge which he's left to protect. Definitely requires more testing.

I built Brand with very little support items, and tried to focus on mana and ability power for the land. Brand supports do better with just pure damage I believe. I run Gold quints, and a Philospher's for necssary mana regen and gold income.

Cassiopeia - Another seldom experiment. Cassiopeia offers one thing that most supports do not give, and that is a free zone. This alone can make or break the bottom lane. Q spams and long-range safety is very deadly to a typical bottom lane, and the constant damage that she gets out of a single spell can zone the enemy completely out of EXP range. The major flaw is that doing so makes Cass run out of mana quickly, and Q spams often push the lane, which is something you don't want to do unless you know you have complete control of the lane, as well as the jungle around. Once level 6 though, the lane can be more aggressive. Definitely requires more testing.

I built Cassiopeia more typically akin to her solo built, though built a Philospher's Stone to get gold for wards, while taking occasional CS to fund for later transitions.

Lux - I've had tremedous amounts of success with Lux. The utility she brings to the lane is massive, though most people already know that. However, I think the general consent of people's opinions view her too much as a solo-mid character and don't often see what Lux does as a whole. At level 1, a 2 second snare is massive. Combined with her AoE slow, and shield, she can protect her AD carry with no trouble at all. Utilizing her massive range and her early game damage abuse from her passive makes her more aggressive than typical supports, but I feel that Lux also does very well shifting to more defensive measures on the fly, making her very verstatile.

Lux also acts as a good burst mage after recieving her ultimate. Against a bot lane without heals,Lux does much better against.

I built Lux as a support for the laning phase, and move to mid and late game as an AP nuke/support easily with only a Philospher's and a Kage's to buy the necessary AP items. Lux has probably one of the easiest transtitions in the game since the natural utility of her spells make up for any damage she lacks for not being in the solo lane.

Orianna - The results are pretty good for Orianna, and I feel she is a viable support, if not just a little bit quirky from typical support characters. I feel that Orianna is like Sona is many ways that Orianna can support the team by doing a little bit of everything from buffs to shields, to initations, Chain CC, and even damage. However, unlike Sona, Orianna can do everything ONLY if she has the mana to do it. Orianna's major flaw is the fact that if you want to utilize all of her potential, you'll run OoM very quickly. I feel this makes Orianna one of the best supports in the game, but only for a very short burst of time. This can be remedied, but doing so makes her fall out in one area or another.

One thing that Orianna has that other supports do not have is The Ball. A very important aspect of her character is that Orianna can use the ball like a ward. Supports often use wards to cover the bottom bushes to see for sneaky jungle ganks from the lane, or just to see where the support characters are [since most hide in the bush]. Orianna does not need to sacrifice the gold necessary for wards in such cases, as the The Ball can be used as a make-shift ward for that purpose, and thus only needs wards to cover ganks from river or the jungle. This makes Orianna unique in a way that most people overlook.

Orianna is like Lux in that transitioning from the laning phase to mid-late game is generally very easy. I play Orianna with gold quints, and suffice with a Philospher's stone. However, occasionally, adding a Kage's can rush AP items earlier, making use of her damage sooner if necessary.

[To be Continued...]