User blog comment:Raknut/My Nidalee rework- v1.0/@comment-9705522-20140526203524/@comment-9705522-20140527122819

A scaling mana cost like Kassadins ult? Err, that would actually make people feel bad. If you spam your q and then you know you need it to kill someone, but the mana cost is too damn high. It would work balance wise, but the player would feel bad.

Now ill add my 2 cents. The problem with her q is that its either unfair or pointless. On top of that, its not very fitting to her theme. I mean, yes, its a spell that can deal a lot of damage if it hits, and throwing spears is fitting. But the fact that despite being a feral huntress she always stays at range and kills without ever getting close .... doesnt feel right.

I feel like her q should be less of a killing tool and more of a set-up. You know, you chuck the spear, cripple the prey, and go in to kill it. If we follow that idea both the idea of a slow on q and the idea of a prey debuff is quite fitting. The problem would be to prevent it from being a stupid mindless poke. So the damage needs to be cut and put more on her other abilities, and instead replaced with both of these ideas. So, off the top of my head, a damage that goes from, idk, 230+0.6-345+0.9 and a slow that goes from 0%-80% and the prey debuff, which enhances the cougar form.

Now on to w. I feel like it should be the way it is now, just with the prey debuff. It does fit the theme quite well. You step into a trap, and now you are prey which is probably going to die.

Next, e. Unfitting. Why does a huntress have a crazy heal? It doesnt fit her theme at all. So what should we replace it with? Thats a tough one. Another damage spell? Might go overboard. CC? errr, maybe. A sustain spell based on combat/kills? Would fit well, but might be a problem itself. Especially if it would result in infinite sustain. It might also be a boring spell. So what might fit? Something that helps her hunt down people i would say. The way i would change nidalee is to make her human form a set-up form, and her cougar form the kill form. So as for her e, one possibility would be a "marking" spell. You mark an enemy, giving them the prey debuff permanently, increasing Movement speed towards them, and giving a heal upon kill. Now this might have its own problems, but its a rough idea anyway.

Now, cougar form. Its supposed to be a kill form. So i would say getting enhanced damage in cougar form might be the way to go. Q is fine, might use an ap ratio though.

W should not be a "get out of jail free card". So the idea would be to make it decrease in cooldown if you hit someone with it, otherwise its a higher cooldown. Also increase damage a little.

E feels a little underwhelming. So i would change it to give it an increased damage debuff while reducing its own damage a little.

As for what prey does, im not sure yet. This is all a rough idea i had in a few minutes, and i will update on it if i get a better idea, but thats the direction i would take.