User blog comment:KeithCornell/Riot's Pre-Season 2017 Changes - Assassin Updates and more (OPINIONATED)/@comment-26815373-20161024005818

Good summary.

I think the changes to Shaco are very odd, and are more funtional than flavorful. I don't think they contribute to his character or make his fantasy more defined or clear. It feels like 20thCenturyFaux has just pushed numbers around and if by some miracle, their was no backlash among Shaco mains, vai la, success freework! We don't need to touch Shaco for another 7 years.

His Passive now 'crits' every 3 seconds for 120% (scaling as he levels) but this just another way of saying 'he deals 20% more damage from behind', right? So he loses the guaranteed crit on Q, as a way of gating his backstab bonus damage. Sure he deals 'bonus damage' now on Q and it scales with AP, but I think it really is a net thematic loss for Shaco. I think it's important for conveying what Shaco personality that he crit while attacking from Steatlh, and that his soon-to-be old Q was nearly perfect. Blink+Invis+Crit is a pretty clean design, and it's only on Shaco. I think 'Crit Chance' is something that should be on abilities were it gives meaning and context to the effects.

I don't like it and I'm sure 20thCenturyFaux would say 'well why wouldn't an attack from beind a critical hit?' and furthermore: 'doesn't attacking from behind being a crit have just as much thematic weight as attacking while invisible?'

And I'd answer:


 * 'It could be, but it I think it pushes the idea of Shaco hitting hard vs hitting precisely. Which makes more sense for Shaco?'


 * and to the second: 'not for Shaco. Shaco, as a character, is precise, is deadly, is careful, is cautious, does everything with malicious intent, and is never foiled because he sees it all coming (he has multiple ways getting sight of the enemy without being seen himself!)'

Shaco, in terms of power-level out of all of the champions within the game's lore and world and backstory, 'would be the one to be truly god-like. 'A servant of comedic justice, beholden to no one (a jester with no ruler, or maybe he is the ruler?) immortal, seemingly unkillable, a creature residing in the depths of the uncanny vally. An evil entity, but not one without a sense of humor. (He smiles because he's not worried, he laughs because all these, , and are a joke!)

Guinsoo got it right, I think. I think Shaco, of all the champions with invis, being guaranteed to critically strike from invis, makes the most sense. I think there is something kinda pure about Guinsoo's design in Shaco, the same kinda design that Morgana and Nasus have.

IDK, sorry for the rant, lmao.