Hg Season 3 Check-Ins!

[LazaHorse]

So we're officially in the preseason for season 3 (though I thought we were already in season 3 last week XD). They've finally implemented the new mastery, jungle, and item changes, and the meta is already shaking in its boots. I'd like to hear some of how you all are responding to season 3's changes, and your overall opinion on it. After my main was banned, I moved over to my smurf and am 8-1 on it right now (low elo is easy to stomp once you figure out how solo queue players work). I've found some things I really like about the preseason changes, some things I'm not a fan of, and some things I just find straight up broken. A bit of each:

 

What I like so far:

- The jungle changes have taken AoE tank junglers out of the jungle staple in place of single target damage junglers. Still, the best of both worlds is right now the ideal jungler (someone with both single target dps as well as AoE clear). As such, top tier junglers from what I've seen so far include Dr. Mundo, Jax, Shyvana, Diana, and Nautilus.

- The itemization for AD Casters and Bruisers is a lot more diverse than it was before. I've been playtesting and theorycrafting a couple things (Sword of the Divine Jayce for 6 straight high Attack Speed auto attacks that are either crits of near crit damage... find me in TS if you want me to explain it), and it's led to some interesting and powerful results.

- The base movement speed increase incentives non-"boots pots" starts, and encourages diversity in starting items. I've seen cloth 5's, dorans starts, bottle openers (crystalline flask, pots, and wards), and even some elixer starts that have been pretty potent early. Diversity is always good to help liven up stale gameplay.

- The mastery changes made the defensive tree MUCH stronger than it used to and added some fun masteries to offense (Frenzy) and utility (Pickpocket).

 

What I am not so much a fan of:

- APs seemed to get shafted with the item changes. A lot of commonly purchased AP items were nerfed (Rabadon's, Sorceror's Shoes, DFG) and the new AP items are either REALLY specialized or simply not strong enough in stats to warrant buying them for their effects.

- The mastery trees throw almost TOO MUCH power into the mid-late parts of each tree. For example, to get to the +5 armor penetration (points 17-19 in offense), you have to throw 1-2 mastery points into things like increased minion damage or increased percent damage (a horribly weak mastery btw). I hate having to waste mastery points on anything, but I guess it's almost unavoidable. The Defense tree is DEFINITELY a lot strong than either Offense or Utility, and it offers a lot more diversity in the mid-late levels.

- AD carries got new items, but they're either really wonky (Statikk Shiv) or a complete niche pick (Runaan's Hurricane). xShadow and I were discussing it all earlier, and we both came to the conclusion that AD builds will be mostly the same, but that most people will opt for Mercurial Scimitar instead of GA.

- Resistance and penetration both got nerfed across the board. Resist and Pen items now cost far more for less stats, perhaps to encourage people to put gold into offense rather than the 3-tank meta that lasted throughout Season 2. I'm not a fan, only because most of my favorite champs are Tanks/Tanky DPS (Irelia, Malphite, and Cho'Gath among others).

 

Things that as they are now are straight up broken (given the right exploitation):

- Frenzy (Mastery): 10% is a lot, especially given the AS nerf across the board in items. They were worried about RNG earlier and took out the crit chance mastery. This will only exacerbate RNG issues in lane as well as make AD Carries that much stronger off crits.

- Relentless (Mastery): 15% slow reduction. Wow. Slows are the most prevalent form of CC in the game, and now with the masteries we have a free 15% slow reduction, a free 15% overall CC reduction (includes slows), and even more if you purchase tenacity in items.

- Block (Mastery): Tank supports now have that much more reason to be aggressive in lane. Meanwhile, top solos who rely on trading often and tanking hits (hi, Shen) have more protection against ranged harass.

- Mastermind and Artificer (Mastery): This is WAAAAAY to much cooldown reduction on a LOT of utility for it to be this shallow in the utility tree. You can go only 9 deep in utility as a support and get a free 10% summoner spell reduction and 15% item cast (shurelyas, mikael's, locket, etc) reduction.

- Pickpocket (Mastery): It seems small at first, but supports who trade a LOT in lane with their auto attacks (Zyra, Lulu, Sona, Leona, Blitzcrank) will find this mastery to be very strong in my opinion.

- Mikael's Crucible (Item): You are a support. Your team's Vayne has Cleanse and Mercurial Scimitar. You just bought Mikael's Cruicible. If your Vayne ever dies again during the game, either he's the worst AD carry in the world, or you just broke the matrix.

- Mercurial Scimitar (Item): Quicksilver Sash used to be the cheap but powerful "waste of an item slot" that ADs had to get when CC was tearing them up. Yeah, well now it has a 60 AD upgrade that makes it WORTH KEEPING late game.

- Furor (Boot Enchant): Vayne was just gifted Sivir's passive. Go nuts AD carry players. In case you can't tell, I think Vayne will be VERY strong in the meta that will likely develop out of these changes.

- Black Cleaver (Item): It has so much different strength in it now including raw damage, raw pen, CDR, and armor shred. Gotta love seeing AD casters finally get some love. New core item on Pantheon, Jayce, Darius, Olaf, Talon, you name it.

 

Overall, I don't think the preseason is all that different yet, but it's only been a day or so. Once the pros begin playing enough to realize what new items are good, what old items are bad, and what to do about the loss of movement speed masteries, we will likely see a shift in the meta. Prediction-wise, I think Tanky DPS will return to the forefront, dedicated tanks will slowly recede except for a select few (Nautilus being one), and AD Carries who once had mobility issues keeping them from being tier 1 (Vayne, Kogmaw) will now be much stronger (especially with the addition of Runaan's Hurricane for Kog). In any case, I can't wait to see how this meta turns out.

 

Let me know what you think so far.

 

Real.

[BluHorse]

i like the fact that they made ryze a lot stronger (my opinion)

 

lets break it down.

 

archangel's upgrades into a super staff when fully charged that gives a mana shield on use based on a percent of mana.

glacial shroud + sheen build into a tanky AP item that gives a slow whenever it procs (snare + slow + spam = fun times) (would love to see how this item fares on singed)

furor on ryze should be fun as well so you can be even more mobile (2/3 of his damage spells are single target)

 

that and all the super items that ADC and Bruisers can build now (huge fan of the new BC and Mercurial Scimitar)

Edited December 5, 2012 by BluHorse

[-O-P-rime]

Support just got really fun.

[DarkMonotone]

I personally think they're making item customization, way too complex. It's gonna take me forever to read over these items and incorporate them into a build.

[BluHorse]

I personally think they're making item customization, way too complex. It's gonna take me forever to read over these items and incorporate them into a build.

 

or just figure out what new items are good for one of your favorite champions and research from there. not too difficult to figure out some of the new combos.