Introducing a New Item for AP Assassins: Temporal Sphere
The Deathfire Grasp (DFG) item was originally designed to be a tank killer, but it ended up being a necessary item for AP assassins. However, it has lost its usefulness over time. The Void Staff and Liandry’s Torment are now more than enough to handle tanks and deal % health damage. The role that DFG was meant to fill is no longer needed. Instead of trying to replace what DFG used to be, we should focus on replacing what it became.
The Purpose of Temporal Sphere
The current purpose of DFG is to assist AP duelists and assassins in their gameplay. It became important when ADCs became overpowered, and assassins were needed to eliminate them. DFG’s issue is that it is too binary in its function. With Temporal Sphere, we aim to provide more counter play while allowing AP duelists and assassins to fulfill their roles effectively.
Temporal Sphere-3420 Gold
Combination of Needlessy Large Rod, Fiendish Codex, and 1000 gold
120 Ability Power
10% CDR
Unique Active: Reduces current cooldowns by 50% (180 second cooldown)
The unique active of Temporal Sphere works by cutting all currently ticking cooldowns by 50%. For example, if you have 8 seconds left until you can use a certain ability, activating Temporal Sphere would reduce it to 4 seconds. This active only affects champion spells. While Temporal Sphere doesn’t replace the initial burst of DFG, it gives players the opportunity to deal equal damage if they strategize accordingly. Using the active after a full Leblanc combo, for instance, allows for an extra spell cast before the bonus damage expires. Additionally, in late game when Leblanc tends to become weaker against tanky opponents, Temporal Sphere can help her remain relevant by increasing her chances of casting another rotation of spells.
One concern with Temporal Sphere is to ensure that no champion can abuse the active to use their ultimate multiple times in a team fight. Most mage ultimates have cooldowns greater than 60 seconds, so only a few champions like Leblanc, Karma, Diana, and Lux could potentially get two ultimates off consistently. Out of these champions, Leblanc is the only one with a potential abuse case. However, the trade-off with Temporal Sphere is that although Leblanc’s chances of 100-0ing a target are reduced compared to DFG, she gets another chance 10-12 seconds later. This trade-off seems fair.
Example: Let’s assume a target with 2000 HP and Leblanc with 500 AP.
With DFG:
DFG-Q-R-E = 3122 AP before MR applied
Without DFG:
Q-R-E = 2350 AP before MR applied
That’s a significant reduction in damage. If the target has 30 effective MR after penetration, Leblanc’s combo would only deal 1807 damage, which may fail to kill the target. However, the active on Temporal Sphere would allow the player to cast another full combo just 8 seconds later with maximum CDR.
The best feature of Temporal Sphere is that it challenges everything we thought we knew about AP champions. Competitive players have developed a feel for the game over years of practice, allowing them to react quickly to any situation. However, Temporal Sphere turns that knowledge upside down. Players will need to calculate immediately how the active affects each of the opponent’s spells. It adds depth and complexity to the game and should be a refreshing change of pace. While Temporal Sphere may need some adjustments to ensure balance, it offers a unique solution to an interesting problem.
AP Assassins, Temporal Sphere, Deathfire Grasp replacement, game balance