Views: 11625 Comparing Lux to Morgana regarding the support role
|
Report
I have been trying out support champions recently because I love the role and I want to find a support champion that I really enjoy. I looked up all of the available support champions, and I saw that 
Morgana and Lux both are listed. Never before seeing a duo bot Morgana support, I decided to look into the abilities. I saw many similarities in skills(ex. Light Binding vs. Dark Binding), which piqued my curiosity in this champion. I decided to look into their similarities and figure out which one is better as a support champion.
Beware text walls, ye who venture on.
~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
Light Binding vs. Dark Binding
They both have the same projectile speed.
So what do we take away from this? Light Binding can hit two targets, and it procs the targets with Lux's passive, Illumination if she(and only she) auto attacks them or uses her ultimate Final Spark on them.
Dark Binding has a higher range, shorter cooldown at earlier levels, does more damage, and stuns longer.
At level 1, if Lux lands her Light Binding and auto attacks the target, she deals 60(+0.7 per AP) + 20 magic damage(from passive) + 53.3 auto attack damage.
At level 1, if Morgana lands her Dark Binding and auto attacks the target, she deals 80(+0.9 per AP) + 55.08 auto attack damage.
With some basic math, we can see that Morgana does a tiny bit more damage with this two hit combo- about 2 more AD, and (.2 per AP) more magic damage. Her cooldown on Light Binding is also 4 seconds quicker.
Lux's Light Binding has more potential to successfully land because it can hit two targets- however, the second target receives a shorter snare that is much harder to capitalize on. In order for her combo to do the maximum amount of damage, she has to auto attack, which sometimes isn't an option.
Morgana's Dark Binding has a longer range and a shorter cooldown. It deals more damage without relying on landing an auto attack. Due to her passive Soul Siphon, she can get sustain without putting herself in danger.
If it wasn't for Light Binding's ability to hit two targets, I would instantly say that Dark Binding was better. However, because it can hit two targets and therefore be more reliable, I can't say if one is better than the other. In the situations where only one target is present, or at least no minions are present to block the skill shot, then I must give the point to Dark Binding for its longer range, longer snare, shorter cooldown, and higher damage/ap ratio. In the theoretical situation where there is more than one target in close proximity(like in the early game), I have to give the point to Light Binding for the invaluable utility a dual snare gives, even if its a 2 second snare on a minion and a 1 second snare on a champion. It is too difficult to decide which is better- a 2 and 1 second dual snare, or a 3 second single snare nuke.
Tie.
Prismatic Barrier vs. Black Shield ?
For the sake of comparison, I will assume each shield is being used on an ADC(since, as a support, you should be giving it to your ADC after all!) Prismatic Barrier blocks physical damage while Black Shield blocks magical damage. In the early game, a Lux shield can really help out with trades against an enemy ADC, especially with its shorter cooldown. However...
Black Shield is better. While blocking physical damage is nice in the early laning phase, no amount of physical block is going to matter if your ADC gets:
Whimsyed,
Aqua Prisoned
Power Fisted,
Pulverized,
Flinged,
Death Sentenced,
Crescendoed,
Tidal Waved,
Light Bindinged,
Rylai's Crystal Sceptered,
Buster Shot,
Counter Striked,
the list goes on!
If the ADC gets thrown out of position, no amount of physical block will save them. However, if you block their CC, they have the change to Flash, Ghost, or even rely on lifesteal to survive an encounter.
Point to Black Shield for its instant cast and 5 second CC immunity(as long as the shield doesn't break).
Lucent Singularity vs. Tormented Shadow?
The standard AoE abilities of Lux and Morgana.
They both cost the same mana and have the same cooldown at all levels.
When looking at support spells, utility is often more important than damage. While Tormented Shadow used to have a magic resist shred, that was removed in lieu of giving it more damage to lower-HP targets. Now that it has no utility and has been geared toward playing as an APC, the obvious winner of 'better support skill' is Lucent Singularity with its slow and vision potential. Only one point will give it the vision benefit, and more points will increase the slow amount. Like Light Binding, if an enemy is hit with Lucent Singularity, Lux has the potential to hit them to activate Illumination.
Point to Lucent Singularity.
Final Spark vs. Soul Shackles
The ultimate abilities! This will be interesting...
Both have the same mana cost at all levels. Both skills cannot be cancelled by CC.
While Final Spark does give strong burst potential at a huge range and vision of everything in the line, generally, a Lux player wouldn't use this simply to scout anything other than the Baron Nashor pit. Lux can be safe when she uses this skill, but, once again, all that Final Spark essentially brings to the table is damage and finishing potential.
Soul Shackles offers damage like Final Spark, but it also offers utility from the slow and stun it causes- this, paired with an easy-to-land Dark Binding during the stun can remove the control of any target for an upwards of 4.5 seconds! The only problem, though, is that Morgana must be in the center of the enemy team to get the most benefit from this skill. If a Zhonya's Hourglass is made, however, that problem can be (expensively) solved.
These two ultimates are hard to compare in terms of 'better' or 'worse'-
During the laning phase or against solitary targets, Final Spark is very good at turning 'successfully escaped champions' into 'assists' for your ADC.
During teamfights, Soul Shackles opens up a lot of opportunities for your team to land their own abilities.
Final Spark can help your lane snowball starting at level 6 into the late game, and Soul Shackles can help your team make huge plays, win mid or late game team fights, and even the game.
Final Spark is a support skill that either bursts down enemies to initiate, or finishes them off. Soul Shackles is a support skill for your team with its burst and CC.
Because of the utility of the slow and the stun, I must give the point to Soul Shackles.
Lux vs. Morgana
So now that you have seen the comparisons, which is a better support character? Which character has a better kit to support their ADCs through the early game, and then transition into supporting their team in the mid and late game?
It seems that Lux is geared toward early-game support with her physical-block Prismatic Barrier and Light Binding that can potentially strike a target through the minion wave. Her Lucent Singularity can catch people out of position and separate teams in the mid game. Her Final Spark can be used to initiate a fight or end one with a strong burst and short cooldown.
It seems that Morgana is geared toward late-game support by blocking game-changing CC with Black Shield and causing huge stuns and snares in teamfights with Soul Shackles. In the early game, she can use the range on her Dark Binding and Tormented Shadow to harass enemies under their tower, and in the mid game, she can use the long range on Dark Binding to catch a target for the whole team to pile in on.
Many(if not all) supports are chosen to give the early game an 'easier' feel for the ADC. It is the role of the support to be able to give their carry sustain with health(and mana, in Soraka's case) or a shield, harass the enemy carry so their own carry can get a gold advantage, and/or have the CC to hold down a target so their carry can go to town. The threats at the beginning of the game are either the low-leveled CC skills from the support or the AD from the enemy carry. While Black Shield is invaluable in the later stages of the game, Prismatic Barrier will keep a carry alive in the laning phase. There also happens to be a lot of minions blocking skill shots, and champions tend to hide behind them for that protection. Light Binding has the potential to pierce the minion wall and land CC, however brief, for a possible Gank or initiation with Lucent Singularity. While both champions can be played in the support role, Lux will give a carry an easier early game.
Consider putting Morgana in the mid lane where her Tormented Shadow can strongly farm and clear a full minion wave, her passive Soul Siphon gets put to full use(since you shouldn't be farming as a support), and her Black Shield can protect her from any CC from ganks. With a cleared minion wave, you're free to land an easy Dark Binding! In the late game, Morgana truly shines brighter than Lux with the utility she can bring to a team with her Soul Shackles, but she isn't a better fit than Lux to support in a duo lane in the early game.
Winner: Lux.
Reason: Early game potential is stronger than Morgana's. The Support's most important goal is keeping their carry alive in the early game so the carry can perform their job.
Honerable Mention: Morgana in the mid lane and Lux in the support role in the same game makes for a strong carry and great team fights.
Morgana and Lux both are listed. Never before seeing a duo bot Morgana support, I decided to look into the abilities. I saw many similarities in skills(ex. Light Binding vs. Dark Binding), which piqued my curiosity in this champion. I decided to look into their similarities and figure out which one is better as a support champion.Beware text walls, ye who venture on.
~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
Light Binding vs. Dark Binding|
Range: 1175. Cooldown: 15 at rank 1(11 at rank 5). Light Binding can hit two targets(the second target gets a 1 second snare, though).Snare duration at rank 1: 2(1) seconds. Snare duration at rank 5: 2(1) seconds. |
Range: 1300. Cooldown: 11 at all ranks. Dark Binding does more flat damage per level, and has a higher AP ratio.Snare duration at rank 1: 2 seconds. Snare duration at rank 5: 3 seconds. |
They both have the same projectile speed.
So what do we take away from this?
Light Binding can hit two targets, and it procs the targets with Lux's passive, Illumination if she(and only she) auto attacks them or uses her ultimate Final Spark on them. Dark Binding has a higher range, shorter cooldown at earlier levels, does more damage, and stuns longer.At level 1, if
Lux lands her Light Binding and auto attacks the target, she deals 60(+0.7 per AP) + 20 magic damage(from passive) + 53.3 auto attack damage.At level 1, if
Morgana lands her Dark Binding and auto attacks the target, she deals 80(+0.9 per AP) + 55.08 auto attack damage.With some basic math, we can see that Morgana does a tiny bit more damage with this two hit combo- about 2 more AD, and (.2 per AP) more magic damage. Her cooldown on
Light Binding is also 4 seconds quicker.WHICH SKILL IS BETTER?!
Lux's
Light Binding has more potential to successfully land because it can hit two targets- however, the second target receives a shorter snare that is much harder to capitalize on. In order for her combo to do the maximum amount of damage, she has to auto attack, which sometimes isn't an option.Morgana's
Dark Binding has a longer range and a shorter cooldown. It deals more damage without relying on landing an auto attack. Due to her passive Soul Siphon, she can get sustain without putting herself in danger.If it wasn't for
Light Binding's ability to hit two targets, I would instantly say that Dark Binding was better. However, because it can hit two targets and therefore be more reliable, I can't say if one is better than the other. In the situations where only one target is present, or at least no minions are present to block the skill shot, then I must give the point to Dark Binding for its longer range, longer snare, shorter cooldown, and higher damage/ap ratio. In the theoretical situation where there is more than one target in close proximity(like in the early game), I have to give the point to Light Binding for the invaluable utility a dual snare gives, even if its a 2 second snare on a minion and a 1 second snare on a champion. It is too difficult to decide which is better- a 2 and 1 second dual snare, or a 3 second single snare nuke.Tie.
Prismatic Barrier vs. Black Shield ?|
60 mana at all levels. Multi target 1075 range line. 1400 projectile speed. Lasts 3 seconds. Can be refreshed, can't stack. Cooldown at: rank 1(14), rank 5(10) Strength at rank 1: 80(+0.35 per AP) Strength at rank 5: 180(+0.35 per AP) |
50 mana at all levels. Single target in 750 range. Instant cast. Lasts 5 seconds. Cooldown at rank 1(23), rank 5(15) Strength at rank 1: 95(+0.7 per AP) Strength at rank 5: 355(+0.7 per AP) Special merit: Blocks all CC if active. |
WHICH SKILL IS BETTER?!
For the sake of comparison, I will assume each shield is being used on an ADC(since, as a support, you should be giving it to your ADC after all!)
Prismatic Barrier blocks physical damage while Black Shield blocks magical damage. In the early game, a Lux shield can really help out with trades against an enemy ADC, especially with its shorter cooldown. However... Black Shield is better. While blocking physical damage is nice in the early laning phase, no amount of physical block is going to matter if your ADC gets: Whimsyed, Aqua Prisoned Power Fisted, Pulverized, Flinged, Death Sentenced, Crescendoed, Tidal Waved, Light Bindinged, Rylai's Crystal Sceptered, Buster Shot, Counter Striked,the list goes on!
If the ADC gets thrown out of position, no amount of physical block will save them. However, if you block their CC, they have the change to
Flash, Ghost, or even rely on lifesteal to survive an encounter.Point to
Black Shield for its instant cast and 5 second CC immunity(as long as the shield doesn't break). Lucent Singularity vs. Tormented Shadow?The standard AoE abilities of
Lux and Morgana.
|
Cast Range: 1100 Diameter of Spell: 350 Strength at rank 1: 60(+0.6 per AP) Strength at rank 5: 240(+0.6 per AP) Special merit: Gives 575 ranged sight. Special merit: Slows targets by 20%/24%/28%/32%/36% per level |
Cast Range: 900 Diameter of Spell: 350 Damage at rank 1: 24(+0.22 per AP) per second Damage at rank 5: 80(+0.22 per AP) per second Special merit: Increases damage to lower-HP targets. |
They both cost the same mana and have the same cooldown at all levels.
WHICH SKILL IS BETTER?!
When looking at support spells, utility is often more important than damage. While
Tormented Shadow used to have a magic resist shred, that was removed in lieu of giving it more damage to lower-HP targets. Now that it has no utility and has been geared toward playing as an APC, the obvious winner of 'better support skill' is Lucent Singularity with its slow and vision potential. Only one point will give it the vision benefit, and more points will increase the slow amount. Like Light Binding, if an enemy is hit with Lucent Singularity, Lux has the potential to hit them to activate Illumination.Point to
Lucent Singularity. Final Spark vs. Soul ShacklesThe ultimate abilities! This will be interesting...
|
Range: 3000 in a line. Cooldown: 80/65/50 Damage: 300/400/500 (+0.75 per AP) Special merit: Will reveal the area around the beam. Special merit: Will activate Illumination and reapply the proc for extra damage(extra damage depends on Lux's current level- at level 18, 670(+ 0.75 per AP)). |
Range: 600(Targets can wander within 1000) Cooldown: 120/110/100 Initial Damage: 175/250/325 (+0.7 per AP) Maximum Damage: 250/500/650 (+1.4 per AP) + 1.5 second stun Special merit: Slows targets by 30% for 3 seconds on initial damage Special merit: Soul Shackles will persist through Zhonya's Hourglass activation.
|
Both have the same mana cost at all levels. Both skills cannot be cancelled by CC.
While
Final Spark does give strong burst potential at a huge range and vision of everything in the line, generally, a Lux player wouldn't use this simply to scout anything other than the Baron Nashor pit. Lux can be safe when she uses this skill, but, once again, all that Final Spark essentially brings to the table is damage and finishing potential. Soul Shackles offers damage like Final Spark, but it also offers utility from the slow and stun it causes- this, paired with an easy-to-land Dark Binding during the stun can remove the control of any target for an upwards of 4.5 seconds! The only problem, though, is that Morgana must be in the center of the enemy team to get the most benefit from this skill. If a Zhonya's Hourglass is made, however, that problem can be (expensively) solved.WHICH SKILL IS BETTER?!
These two ultimates are hard to compare in terms of 'better' or 'worse'-
During the laning phase or against solitary targets,
Final Spark is very good at turning 'successfully escaped champions' into 'assists' for your ADC.During teamfights,
Soul Shackles opens up a lot of opportunities for your team to land their own abilities. Final Spark can help your lane snowball starting at level 6 into the late game, and Soul Shackles can help your team make huge plays, win mid or late game team fights, and even the game. Final Spark is a support skill that either bursts down enemies to initiate, or finishes them off. Soul Shackles is a support skill for your team with its burst and CC.Because of the utility of the slow and the stun, I must give the point to
Soul Shackles. Lux vs. MorganaSo now that you have seen the comparisons, which is a better support character? Which character has a better kit to support their ADCs through the early game, and then transition into supporting their team in the mid and late game?
It seems that Lux is geared toward early-game support with her physical-block
Prismatic Barrier and Light Binding that can potentially strike a target through the minion wave. Her Lucent Singularity can catch people out of position and separate teams in the mid game. Her Final Spark can be used to initiate a fight or end one with a strong burst and short cooldown.It seems that Morgana is geared toward late-game support by blocking game-changing CC with
Black Shield and causing huge stuns and snares in teamfights with Soul Shackles. In the early game, she can use the range on her Dark Binding and Tormented Shadow to harass enemies under their tower, and in the mid game, she can use the long range on Dark Binding to catch a target for the whole team to pile in on.WHICH CHAMPION IS A BETTER SUPPORT?!
Many(if not all) supports are chosen to give the early game an 'easier' feel for the ADC. It is the role of the support to be able to give their carry sustain with health(and mana, in
Soraka's case) or a shield, harass the enemy carry so their own carry can get a gold advantage, and/or have the CC to hold down a target so their carry can go to town. The threats at the beginning of the game are either the low-leveled CC skills from the support or the AD from the enemy carry. While Black Shield is invaluable in the later stages of the game, Prismatic Barrier will keep a carry alive in the laning phase. There also happens to be a lot of minions blocking skill shots, and champions tend to hide behind them for that protection. Light Binding has the potential to pierce the minion wall and land CC, however brief, for a possible Gank or initiation with Lucent Singularity. While both champions can be played in the support role, Lux will give a carry an easier early game.Consider putting
Morgana in the mid lane where her Tormented Shadow can strongly farm and clear a full minion wave, her passive Soul Siphon gets put to full use(since you shouldn't be farming as a support), and her Black Shield can protect her from any CC from ganks. With a cleared minion wave, you're free to land an easy Dark Binding! In the late game, Morgana truly shines brighter than Lux with the utility she can bring to a team with her Soul Shackles, but she isn't a better fit than Lux to support in a duo lane in the early game.Winner:
Lux.Reason: Early game potential is stronger than
Morgana's. The Support's most important goal is keeping their carry alive in the early game so the carry can perform their job.Honerable Mention:
Morgana in the mid lane and Lux in the support role in the same game makes for a strong carry and great team fights.
Lux and Morgana scale terribly without gold, where as someone like Leona or Annie functions quite well with limited income. Neither Morgana NOR Lux should be played in the support role.
@C4 I don't think you're meant to judge a champion like that ;p "champion X is bad cuz most people can't do Y with him"