Why Does Graves Deal So Much Damage?
The question of why Graves deals so much damage is a common one among players facing him in the game. The short answer is that Graves is designed as a high-damage carry champion, built around a kit that synergizes with itemization and specific combat mechanics. This culminates in a champion capable of quickly dismantling opponents in both short skirmishes and extended engagements. Graves’s damage output stems from multiple factors working in concert, rather than a single overpowering ability. Key elements include his unique auto-attack mechanics, item synergy, and strategic use of runes and other enhancements. Let’s delve deeper into these aspects.
Graves’s Core Damage Mechanics
Shotgun Auto-Attacks: New Destiny
Graves’s fundamental damage source is his unique auto-attack, “New Destiny.” This passive transforms his basic attacks into a four-bullet shotgun blast. This mechanic is crucial because each individual bullet can critically strike, allowing for devastating bursts when combined with critical strike items. The shotgun pellets also act differently based on range. At close range, the bullets converge on a single target, dealing significant single-target damage. However, at longer ranges, the bullets spread out, allowing for AoE damage that can be effective against multiple grouped enemies, albeit with reduced single-target impact. This close range bonus is a major part of why Graves can deal so much damage in 1v1 scenarios.
Close-Range Damage Amplification
The close-range bonus of “New Destiny” is a major contributing factor to Graves’s damage output. When within melee range of an opponent, all four shotgun pellets are more likely to connect with the target, dealing maximum damage. This makes Graves a potent threat in close-quarters combat. In contrast, when at a distance, some bullets can miss or hit other targets. Skilled Graves players will position themselves to maximize this close-range damage potential. This encourages an aggressive playstyle where standing close to enemies is a primary tactic to ramp up damage quickly.
Item Synergy and Scaling
Graves benefits immensely from damage-oriented item builds. Items like the Black Cleaver shred armor with every hit, further enhancing his physical damage output and benefiting the entire team if multiple enemies are hit. Death’s Dance converts some of the damage he receives into damage over time, giving him a form of sustain that allows for more aggressive playmaking. Umbral Glaive provides damage along with lethality and vision control. These items, when combined, create a potent scaling curve for Graves, enabling him to remain effective throughout different phases of the game, particularly in the mid-to-late stages.
Runes and Attack Speed
Graves is also a champion that uses certain Runes extremely well. Legend: Alacrity provides a crucial attack speed boost, allowing him to fire more auto attacks, especially at close range. This rune becomes more potent over time by providing a substantial increase in his rate of damage application. In addition, Last Stand rune increases his damage dealt while he has low health, which is especially useful in long duels. These runes, while seemingly small, enhance the overall damage potential of Graves significantly.
Dueling Prowess
Graves’s damage profile is not just about raw numbers; his kit and design make him a very strong duelist. He can deal very high amounts of damage and is hard to burst with his defensive dash ability, Quickdraw. He can kite with ranged auto-attacks and also has a Smokescreen ability to create vision impairment and deny enemy vision, allowing him to gain the upper hand in combat. The combination of his high DPS output, mobility, and tactical utility makes him a formidable foe in 1v1 situations, frequently resulting in high damage totals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Graves’s Damage
1. Is Graves a late-game carry?
While Graves is effective throughout all stages of the game, he is more accurately considered a mid-to-late game carry. He scales well with items and levels, becoming progressively more dangerous as the game progresses.
2. Why is Graves strong in the jungle?
Graves’s ability to quickly clear jungle camps with his AoE shotgun blasts, combined with his strong dueling power, makes him an efficient and dominant jungler.
3. How does Graves’ passive “New Destiny” impact his damage?
“New Destiny” transforms his auto-attacks into a four-bullet shotgun blast that deals more damage at closer range, greatly enhancing his damage in 1v1 scenarios.
4. Does Graves do more damage the closer he is to an enemy?
Yes, Graves’s auto-attacks deal significantly more single target damage when he is close to the enemy. The further away he is, the more his shots spread out, turning into a less potent AoE attack.
5. How should I play against Graves as a melee champion?
Against Graves as a melee champion, prioritize dodging his Smokescreen and try to avoid prolonged engagements at close range. Try to disengage when he begins firing his auto attacks to minimize his damage output. Utilize your mobility skills to move outside of his optimal range of damage output.
6. What items are best against Graves?
Items that reduce his armor or inflict grievous wounds are effective against Graves. Armor items help to reduce his physical damage output and grievous wounds help cut down on his life steal effects.
7. Does Graves have any weaknesses in the early game?
Graves can be vulnerable to early ganks if his mobility abilities are on cooldown. He also struggles against certain champions with crowd control and early damage burst.
8. Can Graves out-duel most champions?
Yes, Graves is renowned for his strong dueling power due to his high damage output, mobility, and sustain. However, this can be situational based on the enemy’s items and champion mechanics.
9. How should I position myself when playing as Graves?
Position yourself in a manner that allows you to maximize your close-range auto-attack damage while avoiding crowd control and burst from the enemy team.
10. What is the best rune choice for Graves?
Legend: Alacrity and Last Stand are key runes for Graves, as they increase his attack speed and damage when low, boosting his overall damage output.
11. Is Graves easy to learn?
While Graves’s basic mechanics are simple, mastering his positioning and auto-attack range management takes practice. It can be considered easy to learn, but hard to master.
12. Why are items like Black Cleaver good on Graves?
Black Cleaver’s armor reduction stacks are especially effective with Graves’s multiple-bullet auto-attacks, maximizing damage against tanks and durable enemies.
13. Does Graves’ damage type change?
Graves deals physical damage primarily with his auto-attacks and most of his abilities.
14. Does Graves’s kit have any defensive capabilities?
Yes, Graves can use his Quickdraw ability as a defensive dash, which also stacks his defensive stats. This provides him with a way of escaping danger and engaging on priority targets.
15. How important is farming on Graves?
Farming is crucial for Graves, as items and gold are what make his damage output truly dangerous. He needs to strike a balance between farming and fighting to scale effectively into the mid-to-late game.
In conclusion, Graves’s high damage output is a result of multiple factors converging: his shotgun mechanics, close-range damage amplification, synergistic item builds, optimized rune choices, and high dueling potential. Understanding these elements is key to both playing Graves effectively and countering him successfully. By mastering his nuances, you can unlock his devastating damage potential.