User blog comment:META mahn/I need a new champion./@comment-7945211-20140629105722/@comment-8506165-20140629184209

Poor CC, somewhat limited zoning, no heal. Doesn't really seem to be what he's after.

Vel'Koz does more damage than most supports, but I don't think that alone is enough to sell Vel'Koz support. I mean, Nidalee "support" was one of the most hated figures of Bronze Elo back in Season 3, justified by "she did a lot of damage" and "she had a heal" - her complete lack of CC/utility was what made it incredibly suboptimal, though. Vel has limited utility and no abilities that directly benefit his carry, making him suffer in a similar spot - he can still be useful, but often only in terms of the damage he brings. His utility isn't great enough to sell him as a support based on that alone, similarly to how Nidalee "support" wasn't sold just by having a heal.