Red Post Collection: Low-Scope MYMU Mage Directions, SKT WC Skin Update, and more!

Posted on at 8:21 AM by Moobeat
This morning's red post collection includes a direction post for the lower scope Mid Year Mage Update changes, SuperCakes with an update that they will be holding off on releasing the SKT World Championship skins to improve them and add an SKT Azir skin, and more!
Continue reading for more information!



Table of Contents


Mid Year Mage Updates - Low-Scope Mage Directions 

First up we have Scarizard with a direction post for several of the lower scope champion updates in the upcoming Mid-Year Mage Update, including Anivia, Fiddlesticks, Kennen, Swain, Syndra, Veigar, Viktor, Xerath, and Ziggs.
"When we began talking about the Mid Year Mage Update a while back, we mentioned that we’d be taking a sweep through the rest of the class and not just reworking the ‘Big Six’ and calling it a day. Similar to the Marksman Update, we’ve targeted 9 champions with low-scope changes to their existing kits, aimed at improving their feel and thematics. These champions weren’t in need of in-depth playstyle changes or visual work like the Big Six did, but were great opportunities to apply a fresh coat of gameplay nonetheless. Like the other direction posts you’ve seen, we’ll do a rapid-fire breakdown of why we picked these champions and what you can expect coming into midseason. 
Let’s meet the team.  
Fiddlesticks 
What we’re happy with:
  • Sneaky. Fiddle’s always looking for the perfect opportunity to jump-scare the enemy team (and often wins the game because of it)
What we’re less happy with:
  • Low-engagement passive is just a stat-boost that’s hard to feel
  • Perma-drain on targets without CC to stop you lends itself to dull gameplay for both parties
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Fiddlesticks’ passive feels impactful and interactive
  • Make some general game health improvements and remove some of Fiddle’s overall clunkiness
Veigar 
What we’re happy with:
  • AP Stacking feels like you’re actively growing Veigar’s strength
  • Nukes a single target. We like Veigar’s presence in a game being meaningful for both teams - ‘how do we best enable his burst’ vs. ‘how do we defend against it?’
  • Strong fantasy. ‘Getting revenge on the big guys’ is a strong theme for someone that ultimately catches you out and destroys you.
What we’re less happy with:
  • Contributions drop off hard after ulting someone
  • Current passive just feels like an excuse to give him higher-than-average mana costs
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Veigar’s passive feels aligned with his thematics and overall game plan
  • Players understand when and why they get destroyed by Primordial Burst 
Kennen 
What we’re happy with:
  • Mark of the Storm lets Kennen show his mastery over chaining abilities to get stuns
  • Zone Control. Kennen generates a lot of threat over tight-spaces which creates tense pre-fight situations.
What we’re less happy with:
  • Slicing Maelstrom’s RNG makes it confusing for both teams to get a clear expectation of what Kennen’s going to contribute when the fight breaks out.
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Increased payoff & satisfaction when setting up the perfect Kennen Ult
  • Strengthened identity of ‘skirmisher with lots of crowd control potential’ 
Ziggs 
What we’re happy with:
  • Perfectly captures the Mad Bomber thematic.
  • Fills a unique artillery role by lobbing bombs constantly
  • Mega Inferno Bomb creates some high-moments and big plays
What we’re less happy with:
  • Has the ability to stall out games by keeping multiple minion waves pushed
  • Doesn’t distinguish himself enough from the other long-range mages (like Lux and Xerath), meaning you tend to just play whichever is the strongest
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Ziggs fulfills a strategic niche that rewards you for picking him over other mages in the right situations
  • His ability to stall a game is diminished to the point that a strong Ziggs doesn’t delay the outcome of games by large lengths of time 
Xerath 
What we’re happy with:
  • Keepaway. Xerath has a lot of tension built-in to wanting to be just far away to poke, but never close enough to be in threat range.
What we’re less happy with:
  • For a mage that feels like he’s ascending to ultimate power, Rite of the Arcane can feel really lackluster.
  • Playing against Xerath can feel like some of his abilities cheat in his favor
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Reinforce the use of his abilities at long-range while making them more fair to play against
  • Make Rite of the Arcane feel like a meaningful crescendo for Xerath’s poke-pattern 
Swain 
What we're happy with:
  • Sturdy. Swain's one of the few mages that can live on the front lines and take a punch.
What we're less happy with:
  • Damage-over-time spells, while central to Swain's damage output feel very 'fire-and-forget'.
  • Give Swain more meaningful decisions around his target selection rather than 'click on the nearest champion'.
What we're hoping comes out of the update:
  • Introduce more interesting decisions to Swain's pattern while keeping him familiar. If you like drain-tanking and DoT's, this won't change.  
Anivia 
What we’re happy with:
  • Strategic niche as a zone-control mage with R and W feels well-defined.
  • Feels very thematically tied to Ice
What we’re less happy with:
  • Effortless waveclear makes her hard to interact with when strong
  • ‘Feels old’ from a usability standpoint. Anivia’s one of our first champions and it shows.
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Focus her strategic niche by increasing the power and game health of her zone control
  • Improve her usability so she feels crisp to play 
Viktor 
What we’re happy with:
  • ‘Glorious Evolution’ thematic and Hex Core feel unique
  • Multiple cast paradigms make playing Viktor different from other mages
What we’re less happy with:
  • Viktor’s primary contributions to his team are overwhelmingly about getting damage off quickly, lending itself to a flat experience overall.
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Viktor provides a team unique ways to play around enabling his huge teamfight potential rather than feeling like a one-man show 
Syndra 
What we’re happy with:
  • Syndra’s interactions with Dark Spheres give her a unique combo feel
  • She’s an imminent threat that forces opponents to react to her as more Spheres pop up
What we’re less happy with:
  • Transcendence feels lame and forgetful compared to her fantasy’s promise of ultimate power
What we hope to see coming out of the update:
  • Give her passive some visceral power that Syndra can feel excited about
  • Follow-through on the promise of making her abilities evolve to allow stronger play-making 
And that’s the squad! We’ll be sticking around in the comments to answer questions you may have about anything you see above - otherwise, we’ll see you when Midseason rolls around soon."
Following t his post, a few Rioters hung around the thread answering questions!

When asked about the Xerath commentary, Riot Sotere  elaborated:
"Quote:
What do you guys mean when you say xerath feels like abilities cheat? Playing as xerath and against he feels pretty fair to me. He has clear windups and animations that give you as a player clear moments to dodge. If you fail to respect or recognize those animations you get punished hard.
Main offender in my mind was Arcanopulse (Q). Even with the warnings, it can feel undodgeable even if that's your only focus. We recognize it does have to have a decent amount of reliability as his main sieging spell, but there were cases where it seemed overly generous in his favor."

When asked if they plan to keep Fiddlesticks primarily a jungler, Beluga Whale  commented:
"Quote:
You looking to keep Fiddle primarily in the jungle? Or do you want to support support and mid fiddles as well?
Fiddle is definitely aimed at primarily Jungle"
Beluga Whale   continued: noting there won't be significant changes to R:
"Quote: 
All i request is that you keep fiddle's idea of being a teamfight legend, while providing more unique ways to do stuff so it isnt "hey, im just gonna stand here and go get a cup of tea while i drain you" or "oh you're just gonna cc me with all the new champ kits, so im worthless unless i ult."
fiddle needs change, but please keep his ult relatively the same. that thing is so Kreygasm 
i look forward to this tho, thanks rito
Theres some usability tweaks on his ult, but otherwise its not really changing. It does get affected a bit by the passive though"
When asked about the comments on Veigar's R, Beluga Whale clarified:
"Quote:
As a Veigar Main I am really happy that his passive is getting a bit more love as I do agree, his mana costs are stupidly high so his passive never feels very useful. I hope it makes his early game a little better so he can counter ganks/all ins without sacrificing his ability to stack Q as he runs our of mana. 
I'm also interested to see what is planned to make his kit a bit more useful without his ult.
Sorry, wanted to clarify that point, a bit got lost in transition. Its more about the ultimate being a rather flat ability that really doesn't have an "I used this in an optimal/sub-optimal way"."

As for if they will remove the enemy AP scaling on Veigar's R,  Beluga Whale confirmed:
"Quote:
Please tell me you're going to remove Veigar's ult enemy AP scaling in favor of something else.
Yes"
He continued:
"But we aren't particularly happy about that one so that's why we want to replace it - neither party really has a say this factor past champ select. If an AP mid asks "How am I supposed to deal with this", you can't really say "Uh. Don't build AP!""
Beluga Whale noted Veigar's Q stacks will also be shown as on him as a buff for all to see:
"Quote:
Can we get Veiger's Q stacks to show as a buff on his character like Nasus? It's fairly vital information to know when playing against him. This would be a great QoL feature.
Yes"
RiotRepertoir also commented they won't be turning Veigar's R into a skill shot:
"Quote:
Are you going to turn Veigar's ult into a skillshot?
No."

For more on the Mid Year Mage Update, check out these links:


SKT Worlds Skins Update - Holding off release & SKT Azir to be added.


Here's SuperCakes with an update on the SKT 2015 World Championship skins introduced in the 6.8 PBE cycle, mentioning they will be holding off release to improve the skin set and they will be adding an SKT Azir skin to honor Easyhoon's contribution to the team during the 2015 WC.
"Hey everyone, 
This is SuperCakes and I’m the Product Manager on Personalization (aka Skins Team). 
I want to take a minute to chat with you about this year’s SKT Worlds Skins. When we released these skins to PBE earlier this week, we were excited to see what you all thought. And what we found out is these skins haven’t lived up to expectations. 
Our approach to this skin line historically has been to treat it as something commemorative; a representation of a team’s victory at the World Championships. We would occasionally make a nod to a specific player, and we would try to choose champions that most reflected the team, but the focus was more on the team than the individual player. And that’s how we went into designing this year’s skins. 
But what we’ve heard from you is that you expect more from these skins. You want to see the player, you want to see the highlights and you want to see cooler shit. To be honest, we’re really excited about that potential. 
So, we’re holding off releasing these skins for now and looking for things we can do to make them even more awesome. 
And while we’re at it, we’ll be adding Azir. Making a skin for a sub was not something we’d had to consider before and we were worried about setting a precedent. But it’s time for us to start looking at these skins as a celebration of the winning team’s year instead of just Worlds. Easyhoon was way more than a sub. He was an integral part of their victorious year. 
This conversation reminded us how much this scene has evolved. It’s time for the skins to evolve with it."
While this means we won't see them released with patch 6.8, keep an eye out for more information soon!

Guinsoo's Rageblade and Devourer Changes in Midseason

In a board thread inquiring on if Riot plans to change Guinsoo's Rageblade or Enchantment: Devourer, Riot Axes noted they plan to have "significant changes" for both in midseason:
"Quote:
I've said they need to delete guinsoo's and devourer, but Riot gives no fucks as they rarely influence the LCS.
Both items have significant changes planned for the midseason patch."
This was also mentioned in the recent  State of the Season: Coming Up on mid-season article.

League at PAX East 

Next up we have a look at what Riot has planned for summoners venturing to Boston, Massachusetts for the upcoming PAX EAST  2016 event!
"(Header image by RinTheYordle) 
In case you missed our announcement, League of Legends is back at PAX East for 2016! From April 22 - 24, we’re setting up shop at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to join members of the League and wider video game communities for one of the best shows in gaming! 
This page will be updated over the next two weeks, so treat it as your one-stop shop for all things League-related at PAX East. Attendees should check below for all the info you’ll need to make the most of your time at PAX. Even if you’re not attending, check back as we’ll be providing daily updates and photos for you to see all the best in League cosplay, competition, and more! 
What to Expect 
  • Experience the League of Legends Riftwalk - an immersive, interactive journey through League’s history, showcasing memorable moments from the last six years, beloved community contributors, and the community that’s made it all possible. Located in rooms #153 A-C. More info below!
  • Watch the best in collegiate competition at the uLoL Campus Series Finals - check out the announcement here for now, and keep an eye out for more details as we get closer to kickoff. Located in booth #1256, PAX Arena.
  • Need to mend a wing or repair a foxtail? Look no further than the League Cospitality Room - here you’ll find an official cosplay photographer, changing rooms, costume repair supplies, and space to rest and take a break with fellow cosplayers. As always, the room is open to any and all cosplayers (and their handlers), regardless of inspiration. Located in room #152, open during show hours only.
  • Hear from some of your favorite community contributors at the Creator Showcase Panel - more than a dozen of the League community’s brightest lights will share their experiences as content creators. Saturday @ 1:30 PM EST, main PAX stage. Roster below!
  • We’re putting the finishing touches on a mobile app - this awesome resource will include a map & schedule for all League events, quests and prizes, a community feed, and the ability to add friends who’ll integrate with your League friends list! Last but not least, it’ll be a key component in creating a video chronicling your personal Riftwalk. Check back next week for download links!
  • Stay in touch on social media - more details to come, but we’re looking to hear about your PAX experiences on twitter, instagram, and more!
  • Other events
    • Live podcast recording and Q&A with Sp4zie - Friday @ 10:30 AM EST, booth #1256
    • Sp4zie meet & greet - Friday & Sunday @ 2 PM EST, booth #1256
    • League cosplay showcase - Friday @ 5 PM EST (4 PM signup), booth #1256
    • Nicki Taylor performs “Worlds Collide” - Sunday @ 11:20 AM EST, booth #1256
    • League will be pre-installed and available to play during show hours at the CybertronPC Room
Away from the hustle and bustle of the show floor, you’ll approach a mysterious overgrown facade before entering the expansive pathways of Summoner’s Rift itself. The Riftwalk will take you on an immersive, interactive journey and showcase some of the brightest moments and personalities from League’s rich community history. You’ll enjoy photo ops astride legendary locations from the Rift itself, as well as busts, concept art, and cinematics highlighting League's evolution. Finally, amidst celebrations of seminal community content, you’ll have the chance to meet some of the contributors themselves! 
We’ve also teamed up with the folks at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and 4 itchy Tasty! Cosplay to build what’s quite simply the most badass Thresh experience ever conceived. You’ll have the dubious privilege of meeting the Chain Warden in full 12-foot ghostly form and, should you master your fear, taking a photo that places you inside his lantern! 
Speaking of badass, it wouldn’t be PAX without the reveal of a new, larger-than-life statue produced by master creature artist Steve Wang, the guy behind previous Ryze, Katarina, and Ziggs statues, as well as the Annie & Tibbers who command the lobby here at Riot Games. His latest creation will feature Lucian in the midst of an epic duel as he continues his quest to purify Runeterra of the undead and cleanse the souls of the Shadow Isles. 
The Riftwalk will feature work by:
You’ll also have the chance to get to personally get to know Rioters involved in all sorts of League development:
  • Mike Maurino (Champion Update) | Sunny Pandita (Skins) | Brian Feeney (Game Designer) | August Browning (Champion Designer) | Colt Hallam (Champion Lead) | Brad Wenban (Sr. Game Designer) | Jess Frucht (Creator Support Program) | Scott Hawkes (Narrative)
And if you’re not headed to Boston, fear not! We’re so excited about this experience that we couldn’t possibly keep it to just one city - stay tuned for details later in the year as the Riftwalk experience travels to further events around North America. 
League Community Creator Showcase - Roster

[REMINDER] Rotating Game Mode Queue Live with Ascension

In case you missed it the brand new Rotating Game Mode queue is now live with the return of Ascension!  After starting Friday afternoon, the queue will stay up until early Monday morning server time. Check out this post for more information and a quick refresher on the Ascension game mode!

Each weekend a new game mode will be available for play through the Rotating Game Mode Queue, complete with champion mastery! Following Ascension, Legend of the Poro King will be available next weekend with Ultra Rapid Fire (URF) mode the weekend after that and Hexakill: Twisted Treeline to round out April!
For your convenience, I've also added the rotating game mode schedule to the sidebar of the site!

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