Season 4 Changes to Support.

Here are two posts which might interest you fellow support players for the up-coming changes in Season 4.

http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/1p4u6i/sight_beyond_sight_an_introduction_to_preseason_4/

http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/1p7g2b/how_to_carry_my_carry_an_introduction_to_support/

I'm actually pretty excited, and a little bit nervous, to see a limit being put on warding.  The post mentions about the pink ward battle end game which has become so commonplace it's boring. Ranked games can easily be turned around if they have more vision on the map, it's that simple. As a result, having a limit on the amount of wards everyone has is going to change the game dramatically.

"In a long game, shared lane Supports should now expect to be purchasing real items alongside their Boots and Sightstone.  They’ll still have the biggest impact on Vision, but now will have combat stats to make them feel like a more full and complete character.  A balanced Support Champion will be splitting their time between warding, helping allies push lanes to take towers and participating in combat to save allies and kill enemies."

(Xelnath Wizardlock, Right Hand of the 7th Order of Obsidian Blackfire Ebonstone Dark Witchlords)

Now, I'm slightly pessimistic by nature and experience, and I would like to run off some ideas of what I think might change in the game play.  So I apologize up front that there might be some slight negativity within my ideas . . . HEY . . . I get scared alright? Supporting is like a baby kitten I have cared for a long time and I would be very upset if it got harmed in anyway.

Thoughts On

Warding

Forcing a limit on warding can go two ways: either players who don't play Support will begin to realize how important warding is, and as a result we'll begin to see a big change on how every player starts to ward creating more communication and team play, or we will see players still not caring about the importance of vision and a game can snowball easily.

I would love to see some epic warding battle though for the new improved pink ward.  You stick one right at the back of the Baron pit; opposing team is going to take it out and takes a few hits to destroy it.  You're sitting at the purple side of the map waiting for them to take it out and BAM! Thresh pull goes in, Xerath ult unleashed, Zac bouncing on people, Graves in their faces and Tryndamere smacking people in the face.  GG.  I can predict a lot of players being more careful now in the jungle or some really sneaky catches.

AD Carry

"Masteries that grant bonus gold to players in a shared lane" - Now say this is a mastery that grants a certain amount of gold when your AD Carry last hits a minion.  If your AD Carry isn't very good at last hitting (which he should be . . . derp) then you are going to have a huge issue and can create a really snowball lane.

I'm sure it upsets you (like it does me) when I am against an opposing player who plays my role in a really poor fashion and wins the game.  I really do not want them to put too much emphasis onto this mastery of giving supports more gold.

WHY DO YOU THINK THIS PAD...WHY DON'T YOU WANT MORE GOLD?!

Ok, so opposing team has a good AD Carry, the one you wished you had in your team.  Your AD Carry is sub-par and you are trying your best to get him through the laning phase of the game.  While this is happening the difference in CS is gradually accumulating.  The opposing Janna is yawning in the brush near your turret.  You get annoyed and frustrated.  You comment about the CS difference to your Carry and hope he will try harder to catch up on the difference.  The new mastery of shared gold has caused the Janna to accumulate a lot of gold (for not doing very much) and she comes back with her Prada sightstone, Versace staff and Gucci Veil.  Meanwhile, you come back with a ward that your top laner gave you as he didn't want you to feel left out and that Liandrys that you managed to get discounted because the shop keeper likes your 'assets' (you're Taric btw). Krepo stated on his Facebook that it is possible for a Support to actually carry with these new changes, but it's important to note, Krepo is playing with other professional players like himself who know how to last hit, so I'm sure the mastery is lovely to him.  But if you have a bad AD Carry, I can't see how it can remain balanced.  Can you imagine the amount of flame an AD Carry may get because they have a bad game?


Items

The items really need to be outstanding for Supports to actually buy them.  If we are able to accumulate more gold then what is there to stop someone from picking a mage/caster mid and being another AP carry?  There was a discussion about buffing the Supports to prevent this from happening, so we will see!


I intended to begin writing some Support guides, but I've decided to leave it until Season 4 starts. Hope you guys are looking forward to it!

I'm calling it here first:  Janna + Orianna for the main supports of season 4.
 

I have two weeks to get my other account to Platinum (currently Gold 3), my 3v3 ranked team got to Plat and now I just need my 5v5 ranked to Plat! (Gold 1 atm).  So I will be prepared to start my epic journey to Diamond in the new season.

Regards,

Pad.