My Ryze Rework

On Jan 02, 2021 1:18 pm, by Gamer

The content of the article

Quick intro: I would like to thank everybody who has taken the time to give feedback on my rework posts (and those who will in the future). Somehow, I've managed to reach my ^thirtieth kit iteration, and the thoughtful responses I've received helped me hit that milestone.

I have made a

very detailed FAQ. It's got a lot of important context that I've cut out so that this post is digestible. Take a look if you have any questions, there's a decent chance it's already addressed there. Now, onto the kit:

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TLDR: Basic ability mana scalings are removed and replaced with non-damage scalings. Ryze has a new passive, The Scroll, which stores damage to be converted into shields. The rune charge system is removed, but Q resets remain. EW now slows, and EWQ roots. Autospread is removed and WE spreads flux. W can refund mana when it kills a minion. Realm Warp is removed and replaced with a new Desperate Power ultimate.

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Mana Scalings Changes

– RUNIC RESHUFFLING: Existing basic ability mana scalings and Arcane Mastery are removed.

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Passive: The Scroll

– MAGIC BATTERY: Ryze stores 30% of pre-mitigation damage from enemy Champions in The Scroll, up to . Only damage to Ryze's health counts, not shields.

Overload casts drain if available to give a 2-second decaying shield for the same amount.

Consecutive Overloads (less than 2 seconds apart) remove & refresh this shield, but only for half value (the drain is not halved).

Stored damage decays while out of combat with champions (full -> zero in 30 seconds).

5 bars (5 shields) is the maximum that can be stored. My FAQ (linked at the bottom) has a more in-depth explanation of my reasoning behind this mechanic. I think it's better structured to create openings for opponents (especially in lane trading) and work more intuitively.

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Q: Overload

– RUNIC DISCHARGE: Rune charge system is removed. Cooldown resets remain.

– OVERLOADED: Damage increased to . Ult-scaling bonuses are removed.

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W: Unstable Flux / Prison Flux

– Renamed to "Unstable Flux". It still slows by 35%, and the damage is dealt as a DoT.

– MACHINE GUN: Cooldown reduced by 2 (11/10/9/8/7).

– MINION SLAYER: If Unstable Flux kills a minion, is restored.

Skilled players should be able to punish this more effectively by abusing the trade-offs from a "W investment". At the same time, the skill gap from proper mana management should decrease, helping to make Ryze more approachable (a common rework goal). The reduced mana reliance should help open up new build paths and laning strategies. The mana restoration is WIP, let me know what you think about that number (I'm mostly worried about the early lane).

– SPELL SPLIT: When Unstable Flux is cast on Spell Flux (EW), it splits to create "Prison Flux" and slows by 35%. Overload hitting Prison Flux (EWQ) roots the target for 1.5 seconds.

My FAQ has some context, as well as responses for multiple common arguments. Overall, the intent is to reduce reliability. This adds vulnerabilities and limits CC setups that are disproportionately valuable for coordinated teams. I think there are also clarity improvements; the tradeoffs provide obvious weaknesses to play around, and the design standardizes "enemy-facing" combos loading their effects onto Q hits (IMO this is also a more satisfying root structure).

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E: Spell Flux

– LIKE BUTTER: Spell Flux spreads when cast on Unstable Flux (WE). This consumes W, removing the slow.

– MACHINE-GUN: Cooldown reduced by 0.25 (3/2.75/2.5/2.25/2).

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– FLUX THEM UP: Spell Flux deals damage (including spreads). This damage is dealt again when Overload consumes Spell Flux. The consumption ratio increases to 40% at 200 AP and 60% at 300 AP (see FAQ section 8).

This changes the W combo trade-offs to include waveclear and teamfight AoE. Ryze can no longer waveclear while conserving his root; he must "expose" himself to push quickly or maximize teamfight damage. This should help limit his push priority, especially when skilled opponents recognize and punish these windows. I tried to find a replacement combo for EEQ, but I felt like I was overcomplicating things for no benefit. This mechanic (specifically, the flux consumption damage) is a useful lever to help balance glass cannon builds separately.

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R: Desperate Power

– LET'S (NOT) GO: Realm Warp removed.

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PASSIVE

– GET OVER HERE: Ryze gains movespeed for 3 seconds towards visible enemy champions that damage him from outside Overload's range. This damage is stored in The Scroll with 100% efficiency.

I think that this Ryze (in terms of his "threat profile") is like a juggernaut. He doesn't have good tools to take the initiative and engage fights, but he's extremely dangerous to face in the middle of combat with his high durability and consistent damage. This mechanic helps Ryze enter those fights once opponents initiate. I expect that this will be quite useful in lane against artillery mages, and it should also help vs. long-ranged backline threats in teamfights. Since I've added many weaknesses in the kit, I feel like there's enough room in the power budget to give Ryze this boost and help him function more effectively. In my FAQ, I explain why I think this is healthier than a "generic" speed boost for the kit.

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ACTIVE

– This has a (150/120/90) second cooldown and a (6/9/12) second duration.

– KEEP YOUR DISTANCE: Enemies in melee range (<250) lose up to 20/25/30% magic resistance over 2 seconds.

– THIS ENDS BADLY: The ultimate passive speed boost is applied at half strength to attacks outside 250 range. Charge efficiency is not increased.

Enjoy my editing masterpiece. I've been struggling with this part of the kit. I want mechanics that "feel powerful", but the base kit should have enough power (especially with the shielding) that I want to be very conservative with the ult. The MR reduction is VFX-dependent, but it shouldn't be too difficult to make it satisfying. Movement speed is also a very "strong-feeling" buff. The two degrees of speed may seem a bit overcomplicated, but it really just boils down to Ryze running at people that attack him. If they're far away, he runs faster. If they're close, he runs slower. I've been experimenting with a lot of mechanics, so let me know if you think there's a better alternative to fit my goal.

– PROTECT THE SCROLL: If Ryze takes fatal damage, he spends half of his Scroll charge to regain 50% of his health and remain active. There is a 1.5-second post-death animation. Ryze dies if his HP hits zero or after (5/6/7) seconds.

I've put my explanation for this mechanic in the FAQ. You might find it strange and/or "wrong" at first, but I think that there is a good basis in Ryze's lore. Overall, I think this serves its purpose as a mechanic that feels impactful without affecting the power budget too much (at least, not for players that respect it and properly shut Ryze down). Ryze will keep his ultimate buffs during this time.

– OUT OF JUICE: Ryze cannot use The Scroll for 6 seconds when the ult finishes. Any remaining charge dissipates.

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