Naafiri: The Newest League of Legends Champion That Teaches You How to Counter Assassins
Naafiri, the latest addition to the League of Legends roster, is considered one of the simplest champions to have been introduced in recent years. However, the developers believe that she not only helps players become better assassins but also teaches them how to counter the assassin role.
In a Reddit post on June 26, RiotRaptorr explained how Naafiri’s kit actually teaches players the fundamentals of being an assassin and how to counter them with smart macro plays. According to RiotRaptorr, Naafiri’s abilities help players answer three important questions: who should they target, when should they engage, and from which angle. By providing the answers to these questions, players gain a better understanding of assassins’ gameplay and can improve their results. On the other hand, failing to answer these questions correctly often leads to failure in the game.
Despite being a simple champion, Naafiri’s kit is quite powerful. Once a player masters the three fundamental questions, they can achieve success in getting kills and safely escaping due to the reset on her ultimate ability. RiotRaptorr wrote, “By boiling things down to just those three questions, we can hone in on teaching those core skills.”
In terms of countering assassins, RiotRaptorr addressed the sentiment of a lack of mechanic counterplay against assassins, including Naafiri. The developer agreed to some extent but explained that the proper counterplay against assassins lies in wise macro play rather than relying solely on specific mechanics. To counter assassins, players should stick with their team, track threats, play safe when assassins are not visible, ward flanks, and hold crowd control abilities until assassins engage. This emphasizes the importance of macro play in countering assassins.
Despite her simplicity, Naafiri still has a high skill ceiling, according to RiotRaptorr. The developers aimed to strike a balance between ease of use and allowing room for depth and mastery. Naafiri is expected to go live in League of Legends with Patch 13.14 on Wednesday, July 19, according to the current schedule.
Naafiri, League of Legends, assassins, champion, macro play, counterplay