Kai'Sa, Daughter of the Void
Overview:
As is frequently the case with newer champions within the Major Redesigns section, Kai'Sa is "fine, but not amazing." Does she fulfill her role as an assassin-like marksman with a run-and-gun playstyle? Sure. Does she embody the fantasy of a Void biosuit-clad hunter, or bring anything new to the game? Not particularly.
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The main goals with this redesign, then, are to simultaneously bring out the unique elements of Kai'Sa's character (being a survivalist, wearing a cool symbiotic Voidling), and provide her with some unique tools that represent these aspects.
Bringing the biosuit to life in this case involves adding a bit of resource hunger to Kai'Sa's kit, while allowing her to tap into her biosuit's ravenous nature to keep it fueled. This biosuit, then, can help her hunt in a unique way (by jumping through the Void for extended periods), and is dynamically influenced by Kai'Sa's input (positioning for Q, basic attacks for Innate and W) rather than being directly controlled.
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Even though these changes are fairly divergent from her current kit, most of her functionality has remained intact - Q still wants to be used near isolated targets, W essentially acts as her old Innate, E still provides small bursts of aggressive mobility, and R remains a handy way to close in on distant enemies who are already in combat.
Kai'Sa also retains her duo sidelane capabilities, but now, being a lone survivor of Void-infested lands, she also has a natural talent for the jungle - chewing through monster camps before making a tactical leap into the unforgiving Void to either get the jump on an enemy jungler, or ambush vulnerable lanes.
All values in blue are meant to give a general idea of the ability's properties, and are subject to change.
Class: Marksman
Recommended Positions: Jungle, Duo Sidelane (Carry)
Complexity: Medium
Innate: Second Skin
If Kai'Sa hasn't used an ability within the past 8 seconds, the core of Kai'Sa's biosuit will detach and pursue the next enemy she attacks, dealing (30% total AD) physical damage every 1.5 to 0.5 (based on bonus attack speed) seconds and reducing the damage they deal to Kai'Sa by 15% (increased to 45% for minions and monsters).
While the core is feeding, Kai'Sa's other abilities are replaced with Core Recall, which causes the core to return to Kai'Sa, restoring 2% of Kai'Sa's mana for each time it dealt damage and incurring a 1.5 second period during which she cannot use her other abilities. Core Recall is triggered automatically if the core's target moves more than 700 units away.
Q: Icathian Rain
FIRST CAST: Kai'Sa charges for up to 3 to 1 (based on bonus attack speed) seconds, spawning 2 Void Seekers from her biosuit every 1 to 0.33 (based on bonus attack speed) seconds. If Kai'Sa finishes charging or is interrupted, she automatically initiates the second cast.
SECOND CAST: Kai'Sa unleashes her Void Seekers, which evenly distribute among nearby visible enemies, applying on-hit effects before dealing 45/60/75/90/105 + (35% bonus AD) each after a delay.
When empowered by Void Essence, each Void Seeker deals 8% of the target's missing health as bonus damage.
Non-minions take 25% damage from Void Seekers beyond the first.
Range: 600
Targeting Type: None
Cooldown: 8/7.5/7/6.5/6
Cost: 50 mana (increased to 150 mana over the course of the charge)
W: Killer Instinct
TOGGLE: Kai'Sa supercharges her biosuit, gaining 20/25/30/35/40% bonus attack speed and applying a stack of Caustic Wounds on-hit.
Kai'Sa's biosuit automatically fires a beam of searing plasma at nearby enemies with 5 stacks of Caustic Wounds, consuming all stacks to deal 30/55/80/105/130 + (75% bonus AD) physical damage.
When empowered by Void Essence, the plasma beam also applies Grievous Wounds for 3 seconds.
Range: Self
Targeting Type: None
Cooldown: 3
Cost: 13 mana per second
E: Predatory Surge
Kai'Sa activates her biosuit's thrusters, dashing in the target direction and gaining 30/35/40/45/50% bonus movement speed for 2 seconds if she arrives within 500 units of an enemy champion or monster.
When empowered by Void Essence, Kai'Sa is shielded for (100% bonus AD) while she has Predatory Surge's movement speed bonus.
Each subsequent Predatory Surge within 15 seconds doubles its mana cost.
Range: 500
Targeting Type: Skill Shot - Line
Cooldown: 5/4.5/4/3.5/3
Cost: 50 mana
R: Void Seeker
Kai'Sa channels for 1.5 seconds (increased to 3 seconds if she has taken damage within 6 seconds) before jumping into the Void for up to 10/14/18 seconds.
While within the Void, Kai'Sa cannot interact with other champions, minions, monsters, or structures, and enemies cannot see her position while she is not in combat (enemy positions are only revealed to Kai'Sa while they are in combat).
Additionally, a Void Hunter will spawn near and pursue Kai'Sa every 4 seconds (accelerating by 150% over 5/7/9 seconds), performing a leaping attack that deals 10% of her health as true damage when near her. Kai'Sa can kill Void Hunters with 3 attacks, absorbing their essence to restore 8/10/12% of her missing health and gaining a charge of Void Essence, up to 3/6/9, which is consumed by her basic abilities to empower them.
Void Seeker can be re-activated to exit the Void.
Range: Self, 400 (Void Hunter leap range), 1100 (enemy detection range)
Targeting Type: None
Cooldown: 90/60/45
Cost: 150 mana