Lvl 1 Ekko is somewhat like a Zoe he takes a great risk as he attacks, has low health and with his 4 cost you better have him already leveled up as you play him.
Lvl 2 Ekko has is crazy high value but value alone doesn't win games... hmm hard to say if he actually be that good despite he really has all the value you can ask from a champion (that you proably play as a 1-2 of because he has hardly any ongoing value)
The Glorious EvolutionViktor and Arise! finish is certainly not that viable but... it has style so it's totaly worth it if you don't want to maximize your winrate.
But: it's not that commital of a backup wincondition since it consists of 3 cards that you can all run as a 1/2 of in a predict archetype
It was quite certain from his natural synergies that Zilean would end up in P&Z. Sure he also can work with Go Hard but cost 2 when drawn mechanic + Insightful Investigator + the plenty 2 mana cards from Zilean worked well together from the first second. The is no way that predict investigator won't be viable I think...
I find it strange that you name all the cards from today's reveal exept the most competitive of them Time Trick that has good chances to become a P&Z staple.
Sure anti aggro tools are nice but anti aggro isn't the only quality a deck has to have.
Zilean has now more than enough anti aggro tools but we need more things to do than that.
My guess is still investigator zilean playing around Chirean Sumpworker, playing a lot of 2 cost created cards that we turn all into 0 mana augment cards with the Glorious Evolution and Viktor as the lategame plan. Then a simple Arise! will then be enought to deal 60+ damage in one attack... from no cards on board but Viktor
I know this might be a bolt call but I think Pyke won't be that powerful of a champion because he is so reliant on strike effects while having no protection himself, being in a region with no unit protection tools.
Like what does Pyke do against frostbite, spot removal barrier and the likes of that...
I have the feeling you gonna have to draw him 2 times in a game to reliably level him and all the struggle resulting from these conditions will make him quite unreliable...
now THIS is a card that you should watch out for. In mtg this effect has been a staple in every single meta of standard and since Runeterra has a lower powerlevel I think this card goes straight into every p&z list
I am very certain the issue with elites is not the amount of support they get but their bland identity and lack of mechanics.
This makes them easy to understand and playable at a basic level but in the end we deal with a bunch of semi vanilla units that do not do more than buff each other in cost and stats...
And let's be real here: having elites viable would not be much different from dragon midrange now would it?
I don't know if that is actually a good card. It is a well statted unit but shuffleing elnuks into one's deck only works if you run the whole elnuk package and I don't consider that viable.
Outside of an elnuk deck this is a 3/4 with downside and in an enuk deck it is a 3/4 with sligh upside... not that impressive imo
Seriously WTF is this? I know it's burst speed but 5 mana to summon two 2/2? What use does this have? push for 4 damage? Give two chump blockers? Dunekeeper can do both and he only cost 1 mana.
But he can't do so on burst speed ;) I am quite sure at 4 mana this card would have been nuts and at 5 mana it is still playable.
Now you doubt but soon you will be a believer, the glorious evolution will come and with it the greatness that (non tlc) combo players ever have been waiting for.
Do I think of it as actually being top tier? Well i can't say right now I got to tinker a little around it but I have no doubt that if you think hard enough of a fitting build you can turn this card in combination with Viktor (who levels up through the Evolution in no time) into a game winning spell.
Goldspan Dragon (a card from mtg that costs 5 mana and gives you 2 mana whenever it attacks or becomes targeted by a spell) was the centerpiece of a dozen of combo decks I play and now this card can essentially be the same.
It's tricky to make work yes, but I am way more exited about these extreme puzzle cards that have a lot of potential than a 4 mana birdman...
With Viktor being leveled this card means that every card costs 2 less and I could see some sick combo emerging from that. It is still 10 mana to pay but... it has style hasn't it?
In general riot did little to nothing in order to buff noxian builds...
I guess they want aggressive decks getting back more to bilgewater and also tune down aggro enough so that p & z can have it's time in the sun.
As long as noxus will rise again in the next expansion I can live with that and embraze the glorious future of zhaun in the meantime
it basically is a 6 mana spell with extra delay. It's really powerful for a 6 mana spell and I could see this being a 2 of in some predict decks
Lvl 1 Ekko is somewhat like a Zoe he takes a great risk as he attacks, has low health and with his 4 cost you better have him already leveled up as you play him.
Lvl 2 Ekko has is crazy high value but value alone doesn't win games... hmm hard to say if he actually be that good despite he really has all the value you can ask from a champion (that you proably play as a 1-2 of because he has hardly any ongoing value)
These changes all seem very appropriate.
Let's see if they get their job done
Edit: wait... they did not consider buffing Malphite?! I guess Riot wants to keep some meme cards of the game "intact"
The Glorious Evolution Viktor and Arise! finish is certainly not that viable but... it has style so it's totaly worth it if you don't want to maximize your winrate.
But: it's not that commital of a backup wincondition since it consists of 3 cards that you can all run as a 1/2 of in a predict archetype
It was quite certain from his natural synergies that Zilean would end up in P&Z. Sure he also can work with Go Hard but cost 2 when drawn mechanic + Insightful Investigator + the plenty 2 mana cards from Zilean worked well together from the first second. The is no way that predict investigator won't be viable I think...
I find it strange that you name all the cards from today's reveal exept the most competitive of them Time Trick that has good chances to become a P&Z staple.
Sure anti aggro tools are nice but anti aggro isn't the only quality a deck has to have.
Zilean has now more than enough anti aggro tools but we need more things to do than that.
My guess is still investigator zilean playing around Chirean Sumpworker, playing a lot of 2 cost created cards that we turn all into 0 mana augment cards with the Glorious Evolution and Viktor as the lategame plan. Then a simple Arise! will then be enought to deal 60+ damage in one attack... from no cards on board but Viktor
I know this might be a bolt call but I think Pyke won't be that powerful of a champion because he is so reliant on strike effects while having no protection himself, being in a region with no unit protection tools.
Like what does Pyke do against frostbite, spot removal barrier and the likes of that...
I have the feeling you gonna have to draw him 2 times in a game to reliably level him and all the struggle resulting from these conditions will make him quite unreliable...
sacrfizing actual viability for memes? Seems worth it!
It is Statikk Shock for 2 less mana and with 2 less carddraw attached to it... looks okay for discard aggro but nowhere else
Now this feels like a way less practical Jury-Rig for predict... it coulds see some play but 1 attack keeps being irrelevant often enough
now THIS is a card that you should watch out for. In mtg this effect has been a staple in every single meta of standard and since Runeterra has a lower powerlevel I think this card goes straight into every p&z list
I was wondering if I should put Counterfeit Copies into my Glorious Evolution list... now I know better :)
I am very certain the issue with elites is not the amount of support they get but their bland identity and lack of mechanics.
This makes them easy to understand and playable at a basic level but in the end we deal with a bunch of semi vanilla units that do not do more than buff each other in cost and stats...
And let's be real here: having elites viable would not be much different from dragon midrange now would it?
I don't know if that is actually a good card. It is a well statted unit but shuffleing elnuks into one's deck only works if you run the whole elnuk package and I don't consider that viable.
Outside of an elnuk deck this is a 3/4 with downside and in an enuk deck it is a 3/4 with sligh upside... not that impressive imo
But he can't do so on burst speed ;) I am quite sure at 4 mana this card would have been nuts and at 5 mana it is still playable.
Now you doubt but soon you will be a believer, the glorious evolution will come and with it the greatness that (non tlc) combo players ever have been waiting for.
Do I think of it as actually being top tier? Well i can't say right now I got to tinker a little around it but I have no doubt that if you think hard enough of a fitting build you can turn this card in combination with Viktor (who levels up through the Evolution in no time) into a game winning spell.
Goldspan Dragon (a card from mtg that costs 5 mana and gives you 2 mana whenever it attacks or becomes targeted by a spell) was the centerpiece of a dozen of combo decks I play and now this card can essentially be the same.
It's tricky to make work yes, but I am way more exited about these extreme puzzle cards that have a lot of potential than a 4 mana birdman...
With Viktor being leveled this card means that every card costs 2 less and I could see some sick combo emerging from that. It is still 10 mana to pay but... it has style hasn't it?
This card + Stand United seems really dangerous and I think that a new Shen archetype might want to play this dude
He is not bad but not really good eighter I could see him hitting some demacia lists but not being top tier