Riot Games has recently unveiled their latest addition to League of Legends, a jungler named Briar. Known for her wild and untamed nature, Briar is expected to make a big impact on Summoner’s Rift due to her incredible potential to disrupt the game.
In recent years, Riot has been creating champions with overloaded kits, and Briar is no exception. She possesses a multitude of powerful abilities, including multiple sources of healing, armor break, three dashes, a point-and-click stun, attack speed and movement speed boosts, bonus damage based on enemy health, a slow, a knock-back that stuns if enemies hit a wall, fear, and additional armor, magic resist, and movement speed from her ultimate ability, Certain Death (R).
This extensive list of abilities can be overwhelming, especially when combined with items like Sterak’s Gage, Spirit Visage, and Death Dance. With these items, Briar has the potential to become an unstoppable killing machine that is difficult to counter.
Briar’s ganking potential is particularly strong, making her a formidable opponent on Summoner’s Rift. To stand a chance against her, players will need to invest in Grievous Wounds to reduce her healing and utilize hard crowd control to lock her down and burst her down quickly. However, even with these strategies, Briar’s kit seems almost flawless, except for the loss of control when she enters her frenzied state.
The introduction of Briar raises concerns about the balance between more simplistic champions, such as Anivia, who only have one wall ability and occasional revives. Briar’s Chilling Scream ability, for example, is similar to Qiyana’s Supreme Display of Talent (R) but without the initial burst. Additionally, Chilling Scream slows enemies, reduces damage taken, and heals Briar, making it a versatile and powerful tool.
Based on the current information, it is likely that Briar will be released with Patch 13.18 in September. If she manages to bypass the pick-and-ban phase, she has the potential to dominate the game and may require immediate hotfix nerfs. Balancing her for professional play will also be a challenge, as Riot may need to gradually strip away some of her abilities, similar to what was done with Akali.
In conclusion, Briar’s arrival in League of Legends is highly anticipated, but her overwhelming kit and potential game-breaking abilities raise concerns about balance and gameplay. Only time will tell how she will truly impact the game and whether Riot will need to make adjustments to ensure fair and enjoyable gameplay for all players.
Source: DOTESPORTS
