Talk:Aatrox/@comment-10618458-20141015200725/@comment-3546228-20141015211515

I do remember this nerf - it was NOT needed unlike the passive nerf, which did make his early game way too ridiculous.

Aatrox relies on the E a lot - it's not just a CC spell or a nuke - it's his only way to poke and farm from a distance. In some lane matchups he might get ganked or he might lose a trade badly and get zoned from minions. The E will let Aatrox get some safe last hits until he's ready to fight his lane opponent.

The fact that the E deals magic damage is also a big deal - many times enemies will stack a lot of armor to negate his AD damage and the E and ultimate will allow him to inflict some punishment and also some people don't pay attention and get surprised from the damage it deals to them.

The AP ratio is there, but it's really for no reason. Riot just likes to put AP ratios on all kinds of spells. Kha'zix has an AP ratio on his heal, Sivir has an AP ratio on her Q but both of these champions never build AP items. The only AP they might get is from or Baron Buff. Same thing with Aatrox.

I have tried AP Aatrox though (in ARAM) and the 1.0 ratio on the ultimate is really fun, it hurts like a Ziggs ultimate. Does not work in real games though, he's obviously designed and built as an AD fighter.