Brand
Release Year: 2011
Current Win Rate: 53.16% (#4)
Popularity: (3.89%) - Middle of the pack
Most Recent Changes:
When Brand was first released, he was touted as the new Annie, better, faster, stronger, and generally superior in every way imaginable.Pillar of FlameConflagration
- Mana cost reduced to 70/75/80/85/90 from 70/80/90/100/110
Pyroclasm
- Mana cost increased to 70/75/80/85/90 from 60/65/70/75/80
- Mana cost reduced to 100/100/100 from 100/150/200
- He didn't need to charge his stun
- His level 1~3 damage was much higher
- His range didn't depend on a difficult to smart-cast cone
- He was FUN
After dominating most of Season One with his ridiculous damage output, Brand was hit by the nerfbat, falling into low play. With the release of the Zombie Brand skin he saw some more facetime, but for the most part, other mages like Ahri and Zyra stole the show with much better mobility and/or CC with similar early game and late game AOE burst damage.
However, with the most recent mana changes to Brand's kit, he's suddenly seen a massive surge statistically from a very average champion with below average win rate to...the fourth highest win rate in the game?
His popularity is still a little low, as it's been since he was last buffed (his ultimate prioritized enemy champions if hit an ablaze target), since assassins like Akali, Talon, and Katarina were extremely popular. As everyone knows, dodging skillshots is pretty easy with an instantaneous blink.
However, now that the assassins are out of favor (except for Zed), it seems like Brand's making a pretty decent comeback. While he still doesn't do well against champions like Kassadin, he's more than a match for popular weak early game mages like Twisted Fate and Nidalee.
I personally would like to see a resurgence in Brand play since I feel that he's a very fun champion to play, and also a very fun champion to play against. While his damage is strong when he hits, it's also very easy to understand what you have to do to prevent getting gimped...dodge skillshots. While this isn't always easy to do, it does make for some "OHHHHH" moments.
What do you guys think? Is Brand's win rate a fluke? Is he insanely strong right now? Comment below!
I absolutely love Brand. He is my favorite AP champ. Maybe when players get to diamond level his usefulness tapers off though.
ReplyDeleteI saw this one coming. IMO Brand's annoying to play againts and i hate him, when i saw these changes i was like "seriously, riot?". I think he was fine before these changes and now hes something between strong and very strong.
ReplyDeleteWhat website is this from?
ReplyDeleteSkillshots becomes less valuable @ high elo and Brand is too easily countered. I think the main reason for the higher winrate is opponents unfamiliar with Brand and the fact that those who play Brand tend to like him and main him. He's not a FoTM with every noob in the world thinking they should play him for how OP he is. He's not bad but I wouldn't read too much into his winrate and the stats aren't over a large enough sample for how much Brand is played.
ReplyDeletewhere do you find the stats on win rate? i wouldint mind looking at at it. The one on lol king has different results then the one you are using
ReplyDeletelolking.net
ReplyDeleteBrand it's my main AP Champ and I love him, just it need to play a lot! Take care with some Champs, still in distance and burn everyone who approaches. Take fun.
ReplyDeleteBrand is one of my main characters, I have a 60% Win rate with him, It would be even higher if wasn't for shitty players on solo queue.
ReplyDeleteHe is very,very, strong, he is all about positioning, not much about high AP, you get liandrys and rylai plus the boots and you're a complete terror for the enemy team.