As of recent, those long term stealth characters in League of Legends have been either preforming poorly, completely useless, or even too strong in certain cases. While multiple changes have been implemented over the years, the right balance has yet to be achieved. Riot is once again trying to nail these “problematic long-term stealth mechanics” with this upcoming Zyra patch.
The contenders and focus of these changes are some of the very original champions, Evelynn and Twitch. While there are other quasi stealth champs (like Akali, Teemo, Vayne, LeBlanc, Talon, WuKong, and Shaco), Evelynn and Twitch are the ones who have had the minute+ long stealth durations. Due to circumstantial issues with these stealth skills, Riot decided to create new abilities and even adapt their already existing kits.
Ultimately, Riot wants LoL to be faster paced and when these stealth characters the opposite teams were forced to play more defensively thus making for longer matches. The other team has to buy pink visions wards and oracle elixirs just to stand a chance vs. these stealth champions. With these new changes, pinks and oracles will still help but the stealth abilities won’t be as brutal. Let’s look at the changes:
Evelynn – the Widowmaker
Abilities
- Shadow Walk (Passive): While out of combat, Evelynn enters stealth causing her to be detectable only by nearby champions or true sight. Additionally, Evelynn rapidly regenerates Mana while stealthed.
- Hate Spike: Evelynn fires a line of spikes through a nearby adversary, dealing magic damage to all enemies caught in their path.
- Dark Frenzy: Active: Evelynn breaks free from any slows affecting her and gains a massive Movement Speed boost for a short duration. Passive: Evelynn’s spell hits grant her a stacking Movement Speed buff. Champion kills and assists refresh Dark Frenzy's cooldown.
- Ravage: Evelynn slashes her target twice, dealing magic damage with each strike and gaining a massive Attack Speed boost for a short duration thereafter.
- Agony’s Embrace: Evelynn impales all enemies in a target area, dealing magic damage based on their maximum health and slowing them. She then gains a shield based on how many enemy champions she hit.
Eve will always be invisible out of combat due to her passive. Let’s face it, her old passive was the worst in the game… half damage from minions for a stealth character? This form of invisibility won’t work on nearby champs or vision wards still. Now with a speed boost ability she can get in and out which still gives her that assassin feel. Her ult now does AOE damage and gives her a shield finally making her able to keep up during team fights.
Twitch – The Plague Rat
Abilities
- Deadly Venom (Passive): Twitch’s basic attacks infect the target, dealing true damage over time.
- Ambush: Twitch becomes invisible for a short duration and gains Movement Speed. At the end of this effect, Twitch gains Attack Speed for a short duration.
- Venom Cask: Twitch hurls a cask of venom that explodes on contact, slowing targets in the area and applying Deadly Venom.
- Expunge: All nearby enemies secrete Twitch's Deadly Venom from their bodies, dealing damage for each stack.
- Spray and Pray: Twitch closes his eyes and rapidly fires his crossbow, quickly spraying powerful poisoned bolts ahead of him.
Unlike Eve, Twitch’s stealth will be an on use ability still. “Ambush” goes invisible for a short time and gets a movement speed boost while doing so. At the end he gets his attack speed boost still. It seems Twitch has been getting lessons from Gragas though, his “w” is cask throw that explodes on contact that slows all that is spreads on. Between his ability to move fast, slow multiple targets, and to attack fast out of stealth… his ult has high potential to deal ‘tons of damage’ during team fights; its’ all about positioning.
I’m so excited for all these changes that I’m patching the public test server as I write this. This will be one huge patch. Between these stealth changes, Zyra, and all these awesome new skins… it will be one for the books. THE BOOKS OF LEGEND!
Historian, teacher, writer, gamer, cheat master, and tech guru: follow on Twitter @AndrewC_GZ
