Exploring Azir’s Ancient Arsenal: Unveiling His Original Abilities
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
Azir, the Emperor of Shurima, is a complex and iconic champion in League of Legends, known for his unique gameplay centered around commanding sand soldiers. Before his various adjustments and reworks, Azir’s abilities had some different nuances. His old abilities centered around the following core mechanics: His soldiers could pass through both monsters and minions, dealing reduced damage. Multiple champion hits in rapid succession also suffered from reduced damage. His soldiers were also tied to a traveling exhaustion system, where every move command to a soldier reduced their remaining duration by 2 seconds. Now, let’s delve deeper into the details and understand how these mechanics shaped the early Azir experience.
Azir’s Original Kit: A Detailed Breakdown
Passive: Shurima’s Legacy
Azir’s original passive was far less impactful than the tower-summoning powerhouse it is today. It granted bonus attack speed, which was based on his cooldown reduction. It was a simple but reliable stat boost that allowed his soldiers to attack more often, but lacked the strategic depth it has currently. The original passive also made it harder to build Azir; focusing on cooldown reduction made him scale better, but meant he was not building traditional AP.
Q: Conquering Sands
The core of Azir’s gameplay has remained consistent through its iterations. Conquering Sands has always served as his primary means of mobility and burst damage. The original version commanded all of Azir’s currently deployed Sand Soldiers to move towards a target location and slightly beyond it from their own locations, dealing magic damage to all enemy units struck. Crucially, subsequent hits on the same target resulted in diminished damage. This required more precise soldier placement and made it harder to “shotgun” a single target.
W: Arise!
Arise! was the ability that summoned Azir’s signature sand soldiers. These soldiers would stand at a location determined by Azir and would attack whenever he did. They were the vehicles for all of his auto-attack damage. The soldiers did not auto-attack on their own. Instead, Azir had to attack as if the soldiers were part of him. If Azir moved too far away from his soldier, it would deactivate. Azir was not able to move while the soldiers attacked.
E: Shifting Sands
Shifting Sands was, and still is, a dash that provided mobility and allowed him to reposition quickly during combat. The dash was straightforward, but the crucial part was that, upon reaching a soldier, he would get a shield. It was a powerful defensive tool in combination with his soldiers, allowing Azir to survive burst damage.
R: Emperor’s Divide
Emperor’s Divide in its original form was identical to the version that is currently on League of Legends. Azir summoned a wall of soldiers, which would either knock enemies back or be used as an obstacle to engage or disengage fights.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why did Azir’s early abilities have reduced damage on multiple hits?
This was designed to prevent Azir from “bursting” down a single target with all his soldiers at once. It encouraged strategic placement of soldiers and hitting multiple opponents, rather than stacking on a single target.
2. What was the significance of the soldiers’ “traveling exhaustion”?
The traveling exhaustion mechanic was an attempt to limit Azir’s mobility and reduce the frequency with which soldiers could be moved. It added a layer of complexity, requiring careful timing and planning. With every move command given, a soldier had its duration decreased by 2 seconds.
3. How did Azir’s old passive affect his gameplay?
The bonus attack speed scaling on cooldown reduction encouraged players to prioritize CDR items, which was unusual for AP mages at the time. This impacted the diversity of his build paths.
4. Was Azir considered strong or weak with his original kit?
Azir was generally considered to have a high skill ceiling, capable of incredible carry potential in the right hands. However, his early game was weak, and he was very vulnerable to being punished by champions with mobility. His coding issues also made him incredibly buggy for many players.
5. How did Azir’s old abilities compare to his current ones?
Azir’s current abilities are far smoother and less buggy to play. While his old kit had interesting mechanics, his current kit encourages a more deliberate and strategic playstyle. His passive change to the Sun Disc has significantly changed how he plays.
6. Did the diminished damage on soldier hits make him difficult to play?
Yes, the diminished damage aspect required meticulous positioning and good timing to maximize his output, making him a challenging champion to master.
7. How did Azir’s early-game compare to his late-game with his original kit?
Azir had a notably weak early game due to his low base damage and high mana consumption. However, in the late game, with item and level scaling, he could become a force to be reckoned with, with his soldiers.
8. How did Azir’s kit interact with his lore and thematic design?
Azir’s design was always intended to evoke the image of a powerful Emperor commanding his loyal subjects (his Sand Soldiers). The mechanics of his old kit, especially the need for tactical repositioning of his troops, embodied this quite well.
9. How did Azir’s old E: Shifting Sands differ from its current form?
His E has always been a dash that gives a shield, but with the original E, he needed to hit a soldier to get a shield.
10. What were the major complaints about Azir’s original ability kit?
The diminishing returns on soldier hits and the traveling exhaustion of soldiers were often criticized for feeling clunky and restrictive. His soldiers also had many bugs, and did not function as intended.
11. How was Azir’s ultimate, Emperor’s Divide, used in the original kit?
The ultimate was always a great way to disengage, or engage fights, and this remains the same. This is the one ability that did not receive a significant change.
12. Did Azir’s original kit require a lot of micro-management?
Yes, managing the positioning and timing of his sand soldiers while dealing with the traveling exhaustion mechanic demanded a high level of micro-management.
13. What was Azir’s weakness with his original kit?
He was weak early game, and prone to getting blown up in late game due to being a high-damage carry without any mobility or protection. He was also highly vulnerable to dives, and his kit was notoriously buggy.
14. Did the original kit’s difficulty contribute to Azir being seen as a niche champion?
Absolutely. The complexity and many caveats surrounding his soldiers made him difficult to learn and master, which resulted in a lower player base compared to simpler champions. He also had a very high ban rate.
15. When was Azir’s kit changed, and how did these changes affect his playstyle?
Azir has undergone several changes and adjustments since his release in 2014. These changes aimed to make him more fluid and less buggy, giving him a more consistent and less punishing playstyle. While he has lost the mechanic of traveling exhaustion, his overall gameplay concept of strategically placing and attacking with soldiers remains. Azir continues to be a unique and challenging champion with a high skill ceiling, capable of devastating plays in the right hands.