Pantheon, the Unbreakable Spear
Overview:
As one of the oldest champions, Pantheon's original kit had aged worse than most. His recent VGU turned what was otherwise a very flat, boring, and binary character into something fresh, impactful, and healthy for the game. That said, I still feel like more can be done to make him feel like an artisan of war wielding godly power.
My initial redesign focused on the "artisan of war" bit (since this was back when he was just a normal guy with normal weapons) - emphasizing judiciously switching between an offensive spear stance and defensive shield stance. But, with the cool new tools he's been given, I'd like to bring them fully to bear.
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Combining stance-based gameplay with godlike gear, this (re)redesign is meant to keep Pantheon's identity intact while expanding upon it in new ways. The steel-willed warrior is now more concerned with mastering his weapons than managing a 5-point resource, and forgoes a mundane stance-switching button for something more fitting for a (former) god of war.
Now with the ability to lodge his unbreakable spear into his enemies and recall it at will, Pantheon is given a much more impressive way to choose between hunkering down or going on the offensive. With tactical flexibility (and a little added mid-fight mobility), Pantheon may still end up outnumbered, but rarely will he be outmatched.
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Since these changes are more about adding thematic flair and using it to drive his unique areas of mastery, just about every function and skill (save for his previous resource management) has been kept in some way. That said, many of these functions have been split in half due to his stance-based gameplay.
All values in blue are meant to give a general idea of the ability's properties, and are subject to change.
Class: Diver
Recommended Positions: Solo Sidelane
Complexity: Medium
Innate: Mortal Will
Every X seconds, Pantheon's next basic attack will strike 3 times, dealing (50% total AD) physical damage with each strike and rooting his target for 1.75 seconds. These attacks will critically strike against enemies below 20% health.
While not wielding his spear, Pantheon will instead strike with his shield, dealing 8% of the target's health as bonus physical damage and stunning them for 1 second.
Q: Comet Strike
Pantheon thrusts his spear in the target direction, dealing 75/110/145/180/215 +
(100% bonus AD) physical damage to all enemies hit, ignoring 40% of their armor.
If Pantheon is not wielding his spear, he will instead jab with his shield in the target direction, dealing 30/60/90/120/150 + (50% total AD) physical damage and silencing enemies hit
for 1.5 seconds.
If Comet Strike is held, Pantheon will instead hurl his spear in the target direction,
embedding it in the first enemy struck and dealing full damage on impact, or embedding it in the ground (should it miss). If Pantheon is not wielding his spear, he will call it back to him, pulling any enemy it was embedded in 350 units towards him.
While the spear is embedded, Pantheon will continue to fight without it, altering his abilities. The spear deals 20/30/40/50/60 + (25% bonus AD) physical damage to the enemy it is embedded in every second while Pantheon is within 600 units of them, and reduces the damage they deal to Pantheon by 13/16/19/22/25%.
Range: 575 (base range), 1200 (spear throw range)
Targeting Type: Skill Shot - Line
Cooldown: 5/4.75/4.5/4.25/4
Cost: 40 mana
W: Dauntless Vault
Pantheon leaps to the target enemy, dealing 50/75/100/125/150 + (80% bonus AD) physical damage and immediately preparing Mortal Will's empowered attack. Pantheon's next movement command within 2 seconds will cause him to roll 350 units in the target direction.
If Mortal Will is already prepared, its next empowered attack within 4 seconds only incurs a 2 second cooldown.
Range: 600
Targeting Type: Targeted
Cooldown: 13/12/11/10/9
Cost: 55 mana
E: Unbreakable Assault
Pantheon performs a spear flurry in the target direction for 2.5 seconds, during which he is unable to attack or use other abilities, and deals 55/105/155/205/255 + (350% bonus AD) physical damage over the duration in a cone to all enemies struck, reduced by 50% against minions.
While not wielding his spear, Pantheon will brace his shield in the target direction for 2.5 seconds instead, becoming invulnerable against damage dealt by non-turrets from the target direction. After 2.5 seconds, Pantheon will perform a shield bash in the same direction, dealing 55/105/155/205/255 + (100% total AD) physical damage to enemies struck.
Range: 400 (range), 60° (angle)
Targeting Type: Skill Shot - Cone
Cooldown: 22/20.5/19/17.5/16
Cost: 80 mana
R: Grand Starfall
Pantheon channels for 2 seconds to leap high into the air, then marks and reveals his destination before crashing down along the target area 2.75 seconds later. He remains untargetable until the landing is complete. If Pantheon is not wielding his spear, he will instead channel for 1.25 seconds and land at the spear's location 2 seconds later, retrieving it.
The landing deals 250/350/450 + (150% bonus AD) physical damage, decreased by up to 50% at the edges of the area.
Grand Starfall's cooldown is reduced to 30 seconds if the channel is interrupted.
Range: 5500 (target range), 1350 (landing path length), 900 (landing width), 125 (inner radius)
Targeting Type: Skill Shot - Oblong Path
Cooldown: 180/165/150
Cost: 100 mana