Rammus, the Armordillo
Overview:
Rammus is a simple creature with a very simple kit - not that there's anything wrong with that. My initial redesign was meant to rectify things I found thematically "off" about him at the time (such as taunting and making earthquakes), instead opting into accentuating his spikiness and giving him the means to more organically generate threat.
This time around, I wanted to approach the Armordillo from a different angle, using his newfound natural habitat of Shurima to expand upon why he does what he does and make him more mechanically unique. Like with some other champions, this also helps expand on the world, which is a nice bonus!
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The main question this (re)redesign seeks to answer is "why does Rammus do what he does?" Why does he roll around the map, taunt his enemies, and get awfully spiky? Some may prescribe all manner of meanings to this critter's bizarre behavior, but like with many real-world creatures, the truth is simple: the guy just wants to get his grub on.
Roaming the map as a spiky ball, Rammus's prerogative is to snack on the savory fruits provided by the cacti that grow throughout the map - and if he happens to get into a teamfight or chase enemies away from an objective on the way? All the better! Perhaps he sees the prickly plants as cousins bearing gifts, or maybe he just wants to secure his next meal, but Rammus will defend them all the same.
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As one of the (re)redesigns that bears more resemblance to his current kit than my previous interpretation of it, not much has changed about Rammus. The main difference is that he is now less about ambushing and more about controlling jungle objectives, with cacti appearing near all buff camps and epic monsters.
The cacti themselves have been taken nearly verbatim from another one of Shurima's denizens, Skarner*. It's a neat mechanic for a territorial creature, but Skarner's signature tools feel more appropriate for an aggressive, gank-oriented kit than one that wants to control small chunks of the map.
(NOTE: I will be taking another crack at Skarner soon, as the "multi-legged purple-and-blue desert creature that likes to dig around and jump out at people" niche seems to have been bogarted by a certain voidling...)
All values in blue are meant to give a general idea of the ability's properties, and are subject to change.
Class: Vanguard
Recommended Positions: Jungle
Complexity: Medium
Innate: Desert Nettles
Rammus's presence causes a number of Shuriman Cacti to appear at set points on the battlefield, which can be captured by champions who stand near them for 2 seconds.
Allies who capture them cause them to bloom and prevent them from being destroyed for 15 seconds, and enemies who capture them destroy them, preventing them from blooming for 15 seconds. Shuriman Cacti grant 30 gold split among its captors upon being capured, or 15 gold if only a single champion participated in its capture, and provide sight 1600 units around them for 1.5 seconds upon being captured.
While within 1600 units of a blooming Shuriman Cactus, Rammus bristles his spines in defense of his territory, causing him to spray spikes at enemies within 450 units when attacked (up to once every 1.5 seconds), dealing 10 to 25 (based on level) + (10% armor) magic damage and embedding spikes that increase the damage they take from future spike sprays by 25%.
Spikes stack indefinitely, but fall out of enemies Rammus hasn't damaged within 5 seconds.
Q: Powerball
Rammus tucks into a ball and begins to roll, channeling for up to 6 seconds, gaining
25% to 40% (based on level) bonus movement speed per second over the duration, up to a maximum of 150% to 240% (based on level) bonus movement speed.
Rammus stops rolling upon colliding with an enemy, knocking back all nearby enemies 100 units over 1 seconds, dealing 100/135/170/205/140 + (50% AP) + (30% armor) magic damage and slowing them by 40/50/60/70/80% for 1 seconds.
Powerball's channel can be ended early by re-casting it or by activating Defensive Ball Curl.
Range: Self, 112 (collision radius)
Targeting Type: None
Cooldown: 16/13.5/11/8.5/6
Cost: 60/65/70/75/80 mana
W: Defensive Ball Curl
Rammus drops into a defensive stance for 6 seconds, gaining 30 + (60/70/80/90/100% armor) bonus armor and 10 + (30/35/40/45/50% MR) bonus magic resist, triggering Desert Nettles's effects, and slowing himself by 30% for the duration.
Defensive Ball Curl can be cancelled instantly by re-activating it or by activating Powerball.
Range: Self
Targeting Type: None
Cooldown: 6 (once effects ends)
Cost: 40 mana
E: Frenzying Taunt
Rammus rattles his spikes and channels for up to 1.25/1.5/1.75/2/2.25 seconds, performing a threat display that taunts nearby enemies and immobilizes himself for the duration.
Frenzying Taunt's remaining cooldown is reduced by 0.25 seconds every second while within 1600 units of a Shuriman Cactus.
Range: 325 (effect radius)
Targeting Type: None
Cooldown: 12/11.5/11/10.5/10
Cost: 50 mana
R: Tremors
PASSIVE: Shuriman Cacti bear a Spikefruit every 30 seconds while blooming, up to 3. Rammus can right-click a blooming Cactus to channel for up to 3 seconds, eating a Spikefruit every second to restore 100/150/200 + (10% missing HP) health.
ACTIVE: Rammus burrows for 1.5 seconds, disappearing for the duration before reappearing at the target location, blinding nearby enemies for 1.5/1.75/2 seconds. Tremors's range is greatly increased if the target location is within 1600 units of a Shuriman Cactus.
Range: 650 (base range), 2500 (enhanced range), 350 (effect radius)
Targeting Type: Skill Shot - Circle
Cooldown: 50/40/30
Cost: 100 mana