The character spotlight is out! Lets do a review shall we?
Passive: Spider Swarm! (Scary!)
When you hit an enemy with an ability while in human form, Elise readies a spiderling. When she transforms into her spider-form, she summons the spiderlings that you have 'readied'.
I already see several issues with this.
1. Like Yorick, she has her own minions. Ok, I can deal with that. But, unlike Yorick, she has those minions until those minions die. Meaning if you transform back into your human form, you keep those minions that you already 'spewed' out.
2. Spiderlings have the same movement speed you do. Not a big deal, until you build Boots of Mobility! When you build this, the spiderlings keep the increased movement speed EVEN IF YOU LOSE IT. Seems a tad unfair.
Alright, enough with the passive. Onto the... Human... Abilities!
Q: Neurotoxin - Deals magic damage equal to a base amount plus a percentage of target's current health. Capped against monsters.
Again, several issues here.
1. Plus a percentage!? I truly hate abilities like these. Why you ask? They are uncapped. If you are at half health and are backing away and 'happen' to get hit by this ranged ability while near your turret, you shouldn't be punished because you have a low amount of health.
2. This isn't a skill shot. This reminds me a lot of how Nidalee's Q works but instead of being a skill shot, it's just a targeted ability. So, not only are you being punished by having any amount of health missing, but you can't dodge it either.
W: Summon a 'venom-engorged' spiderling that moves toward a location and explodes. Explodes when it nears an enemy or after 3 seconds. Also is a homing missile!
More... Issues.
1. Homing? Really? You give a skill shot that accepts failure? I am not sure if I like this at all. Every skill shot I have seen, no matter the speed, has NO room for error, except this one. I don't see Nidalee's Q curving toward her opponent, nor Ezreal's Q. Heck, if you mis-click on Pantheon's or Gangplank's ult, you don't get to see it chase after an opponent. Just a little over powered here.
The other problem with it being homing, and I am just shooting into the air here, but say I send this little bugger into a bush near mid lane. Does it see the possible ganking enemy in the bush? I am not sure here, but it most likely does.
E: Cocoon - Fire a web (like you freaking Spider-man) that stuns the first enemy target it hits for 1.5 seconds.
Issues.
1. This is a melee/ranged champion. I understand Jayce has a stun as well, but since this champion (and Jayce) have the ability to be ranged and melee just with a click of a button, I do not think they should have any CC. Now, if you change this ability to say like 'WEB!' and put a little webbing in a said area (as big as a mushroom like teemo or a trap from Caitlyn or Nidalee) and have it 'slow' a target on impact, than I think its completely fair, but a stun? No way.
Now, onto her Spider-form! Yes, more abilities.
Q (Spider-form): Lunge at a target with a poisonous bite that deals a base of magic damage plus a percentage based on target's missing health.
*cough* Issues. *cough*
1. (Copy and Paste from her human form Q)
2. Ok, so you don't throw poison into the target's face so it isn't exactly a 'skill shot' but it is still a 'targeted ability'. Unlike Nidalee's W in Catform, you just instantly jump on your target. I understand that Nid's W is really hard to land... Hell, I complain about it most of the time, but that is the skill of it. IT'S HARD FOR A REASON, that's what makes it a sort of 'skill shot'. Make it like Nidalee's W, and than I think we might have a balanced ability finally!
W (Spider-form): Passive: Spiderlings gain bonus attack speed! (Not a big issue.)
Active: Increase the attack speed of Elise and her spiderlings for 3 seconds. While active, Elise gains health when she OR her spiderlings attack.
Hey, guess what we have here? Issues.
1. I think the passive is a good idea, but more attack speed when activated? How much? 60/80/100/120/140%. *blinks several times* Ok, yeah, over powered. That is a lot of hitting capability for not just your champion but your minions as well.
2. You gave her life steal in a move? Ok, I understand you need some sustain in a champion or some sort of ability that allows you to survive in team fights, but if I am not mistaken, she already has a stun, a based of health 'beattheshitoutofyou' button, and a homing bomb, now she has another 'beattheshitoutofyou' button.
E (Spider-form): Elise and her spiderlings ascend into the air, becoming untargetable for 2 seconds, and then she can cast again to descend onto an enemy target.
I'm seeing a trend going on here. It has way too many Issues.
1. When watching the summoner showcase of Elise, I saw her use this ability to pretty much jump on anything within the circle. Meaning, when you are in the bush on bottom of mid lane, next to the rock toward purple side, you can cast this, REVEAL anything within the circle, and then jump onto them. Don't get me wrong here, I know champions that can cast skill shots across said rock, hit an enemy, and than jump to them *cough* Lee Sin *cough*, but YOU HAVE TO HIT A SKILL SHOT FIRST. This is not a skill shot, its a 'Hmm I wonder what I can hug today' shot.
2. The range on this ability is HUGE. I mean like, Nidalee spear throw huge! It's like Riot looked at the idea of a skill shot with this champion and said 'That's too hard, let's make it easy on our players'.
Now, I know her R really isn't an Ult but lets do a review shall we?
R: Transform to (Human/Spider)
Human form - You are ranged. Nothing is added because Human's suck.
Spider-form - You are now melee. You gain bonus magic damage with your abilities, 10 movement speed, and bonus Armor and Magic Resistance.
Issues.
1. Yes, with Nidalee's cat form, you gain 20 movement speed and bonus Armor and Magic Resistance, but you don't get an army of 'Catlings' and bonus magic damage with your base attacks!
2. Did I mention you start with this ability? Yes, you start with your transform right away. No joke.
OVERALL: This champion either needs a MASSIVE nerf from the Riot nerf hammer or needs a complete rework. Just going over the abilities in the Summoner Showcase made my eyes go super huge and made me say 'What the !@#$?!?'. In my mind, champion's that have both Melee form and Ranged form shouldn't be so versatile.
When you hit an enemy with an ability while in human form, Elise readies a spiderling. When she transforms into her spider-form, she summons the spiderlings that you have 'readied'.
I already see several issues with this.
1. Like Yorick, she has her own minions. Ok, I can deal with that. But, unlike Yorick, she has those minions until those minions die. Meaning if you transform back into your human form, you keep those minions that you already 'spewed' out.
2. Spiderlings have the same movement speed you do. Not a big deal, until you build Boots of Mobility! When you build this, the spiderlings keep the increased movement speed EVEN IF YOU LOSE IT. Seems a tad unfair.
Alright, enough with the passive. Onto the... Human... Abilities!
Q: Neurotoxin - Deals magic damage equal to a base amount plus a percentage of target's current health. Capped against monsters.
Again, several issues here.
1. Plus a percentage!? I truly hate abilities like these. Why you ask? They are uncapped. If you are at half health and are backing away and 'happen' to get hit by this ranged ability while near your turret, you shouldn't be punished because you have a low amount of health.
2. This isn't a skill shot. This reminds me a lot of how Nidalee's Q works but instead of being a skill shot, it's just a targeted ability. So, not only are you being punished by having any amount of health missing, but you can't dodge it either.
W: Summon a 'venom-engorged' spiderling that moves toward a location and explodes. Explodes when it nears an enemy or after 3 seconds. Also is a homing missile!
More... Issues.
1. Homing? Really? You give a skill shot that accepts failure? I am not sure if I like this at all. Every skill shot I have seen, no matter the speed, has NO room for error, except this one. I don't see Nidalee's Q curving toward her opponent, nor Ezreal's Q. Heck, if you mis-click on Pantheon's or Gangplank's ult, you don't get to see it chase after an opponent. Just a little over powered here.
The other problem with it being homing, and I am just shooting into the air here, but say I send this little bugger into a bush near mid lane. Does it see the possible ganking enemy in the bush? I am not sure here, but it most likely does.
E: Cocoon - Fire a web (like you freaking Spider-man) that stuns the first enemy target it hits for 1.5 seconds.
Issues.
1. This is a melee/ranged champion. I understand Jayce has a stun as well, but since this champion (and Jayce) have the ability to be ranged and melee just with a click of a button, I do not think they should have any CC. Now, if you change this ability to say like 'WEB!' and put a little webbing in a said area (as big as a mushroom like teemo or a trap from Caitlyn or Nidalee) and have it 'slow' a target on impact, than I think its completely fair, but a stun? No way.
Now, onto her Spider-form! Yes, more abilities.
Q (Spider-form): Lunge at a target with a poisonous bite that deals a base of magic damage plus a percentage based on target's missing health.
*cough* Issues. *cough*
1. (Copy and Paste from her human form Q)
2. Ok, so you don't throw poison into the target's face so it isn't exactly a 'skill shot' but it is still a 'targeted ability'. Unlike Nidalee's W in Catform, you just instantly jump on your target. I understand that Nid's W is really hard to land... Hell, I complain about it most of the time, but that is the skill of it. IT'S HARD FOR A REASON, that's what makes it a sort of 'skill shot'. Make it like Nidalee's W, and than I think we might have a balanced ability finally!
W (Spider-form): Passive: Spiderlings gain bonus attack speed! (Not a big issue.)
Active: Increase the attack speed of Elise and her spiderlings for 3 seconds. While active, Elise gains health when she OR her spiderlings attack.
Hey, guess what we have here? Issues.
1. I think the passive is a good idea, but more attack speed when activated? How much? 60/80/100/120/140%. *blinks several times* Ok, yeah, over powered. That is a lot of hitting capability for not just your champion but your minions as well.
2. You gave her life steal in a move? Ok, I understand you need some sustain in a champion or some sort of ability that allows you to survive in team fights, but if I am not mistaken, she already has a stun, a based of health 'beattheshitoutofyou' button, and a homing bomb, now she has another 'beattheshitoutofyou' button.
E (Spider-form): Elise and her spiderlings ascend into the air, becoming untargetable for 2 seconds, and then she can cast again to descend onto an enemy target.
I'm seeing a trend going on here. It has way too many Issues.
1. When watching the summoner showcase of Elise, I saw her use this ability to pretty much jump on anything within the circle. Meaning, when you are in the bush on bottom of mid lane, next to the rock toward purple side, you can cast this, REVEAL anything within the circle, and then jump onto them. Don't get me wrong here, I know champions that can cast skill shots across said rock, hit an enemy, and than jump to them *cough* Lee Sin *cough*, but YOU HAVE TO HIT A SKILL SHOT FIRST. This is not a skill shot, its a 'Hmm I wonder what I can hug today' shot.
2. The range on this ability is HUGE. I mean like, Nidalee spear throw huge! It's like Riot looked at the idea of a skill shot with this champion and said 'That's too hard, let's make it easy on our players'.
Now, I know her R really isn't an Ult but lets do a review shall we?
R: Transform to (Human/Spider)
Human form - You are ranged. Nothing is added because Human's suck.
Spider-form - You are now melee. You gain bonus magic damage with your abilities, 10 movement speed, and bonus Armor and Magic Resistance.
Issues.
1. Yes, with Nidalee's cat form, you gain 20 movement speed and bonus Armor and Magic Resistance, but you don't get an army of 'Catlings' and bonus magic damage with your base attacks!
2. Did I mention you start with this ability? Yes, you start with your transform right away. No joke.
OVERALL: This champion either needs a MASSIVE nerf from the Riot nerf hammer or needs a complete rework. Just going over the abilities in the Summoner Showcase made my eyes go super huge and made me say 'What the !@#$?!?'. In my mind, champion's that have both Melee form and Ranged form shouldn't be so versatile.