User blog comment:Typhron/Xerath QoL changes/"Rework"/@comment-80.26.201.23-20121027170339/@comment-60764-20121027194107

It's what makes him unique, but it doesn't really 'do' anything'. The 400 range bonus makes his spells have the reach of champions that don't need a special mode to do so (Cho'Gath's Rupture has a max range of 950 and an AoE range of 750 (Only going to the radius), meaning Cho can out-snipe Xerath with ease. And he's not the only one, since ~1200 range for a poke or 1k range is painfully average). That it has it's own problems (Self root that you can't cancel if you can't cast spells, 40% Magic pen coming down to imaginary numbers due to diminishing returns) while it's taking up another spell slot makes other Mages with similar kits and sniping capbility more attractive.

Take Lux, who only has 2 damaging spells on a cooldown and sometimes relies on her ult like Xerath. Lux's passive offsets this as it's an active/damaging type of ability, making up for the lost damage.

Most other mages come 3 primary forms of damage if their ult isn't a factor, or do enough damage with their 2 or one spells that it doesn't make much of a difference. With real!Locus is? It does more harm than good.