Talk:Direction-targeted/@comment-10428734-20150502204658

Artic Assault, Command: Attack, Chum the Waters, Crescent Strike, Death Ray, Dragon's Descent, Glitterlance, Hextech Micro-Rockets, Onslaught of Shadows, Quickdraw, The Equalizer, Undertow, Valkyrie (did I forget some?)

These abilities are all cast in a selected direction at a selected range. A direction and a range create a vector, a vector applied to the player (a point) is a point. Therefore, these abilities are cast at a selected point within range, which is the very definition of a ground-targeted ability. Therefore, shouldn't they be considered ground-targeted?

Targeting paradigms are meant to classify the way you cast abilities, regardless of the effects it has. If you cast any of the abilities I mentioned twice in the same direction, but at different ranges, the results will be different. Whether or not the ability affects units on its path does not modify how it was targeted in the first place.

This DOES make a big difference. You can target Mystic Shot at point-blank range and it will hit your target 1000 units away. If you target Chum the Waters at point-blank range, you'll just miss a kill (unless you're already on top of the target of course).

A few other examples:

Arcane Shift is a ground-targeted ability, isn't? You cast the ability where you want to blink, don't you? Now, where do you cast Valkyrie? However, Riven's Valor is indeed direction-targeted. Why? Because it has a fixed distance.

Unstoppable Force is a ground-targeted ability? You cast the ability where you want to initiate, don't you? Now, where do you cast Onslaught of Shadows?