To truly understand why AP is so good on him, you have to take a look at his strengths and weaknesses as an AS character (Compared to other ranged carries)
Strengths
Built in Armor Reduction (-25)
Very good range and very good DPS in short bursts.
Decent poking potential
Weaknesses
Very poor range (When his w isn't active)
Damage is mediocre when Bio-Arcane Barrage isn't active
You have to choose between having no mana and almost never using your R.
Long Cooldowns
Mediocre farming capabilities compared to most carries.
Lack of escape mechanisms.
Now that you've looked at his strengths and his weaknesses, let me ask you a question. Why would you pick AS Kog'maw over any other ranged carry? Is that small window of high end DPS worth being mediocre the rest of the time? I think not.
The Metamorphosis
The second that you decide to go AP over AS, your role changes completely to the most unique one in the game. I consider AP Kog'maw to be an AoE nuker. Did you know that around 250 AP, the damage on his ultimate surpasses the initial damage of Annie's Tibbers? All in a spammable spell that reveals the enemy and let's you sit far out of harm's way.
Did you know that it's blatantly easy for your Void Ooze to reach 500+ damage, and that it has one of the longest ranges in the game, AND it slows, AND it's an AoE. Did you know that the slow is one of the most potent ones in the game?
The more you examine him, the more you begin to see the utility that lies in an AP focused Kog'maw. You don't have to worry about building defensively, because you're rarely, if ever, in the actual fight. The few times that you do get close enough to a teamfight to start throwing auto attacks, you can thankfully pop that range boost of yours and hit that 10% health per hit from a mere 400 AP.
Caustic spittle does everything that it did before, except now it's a single target nuke that does more damage than Annie's Disintegrate, while simultaneously smacking the target with an armor reduction in order to aid the actual carry.
What you stand to gain
- A complete fix to your mana problems
- A unique role that only AP Kog'maw can fill.
- Increased damage from a safer distance
- Said damage is 80ish% AoE
- Amazing farming potential (Void Ooze one shots entire creep waves.)
- HIgher damage on your Bio-Arcane Barrage
What you stand to lose
- Tower pushing power that doesn't amount to actual pushers.
- Using your passive often
Building AP Kog'maw Properly
The thing about AP Kog'maw is that you don't need any sort of survivability to get the job done, as you are rarely, if ever, in the fray.
Meki Pendant / Sapphire crystal + 2 HP Pots
Tear of the Goddess + Boots of Speed
Mejai Soulstealer
Archangel's Staff / Sorcerer Shoes
Sorcerer Shoes / Archangel's Staff
Rabadon's Deathcap
Archangel's Staff
Archangel's Staff / Void Staff
The classic glass cannon build, except much safer (Kog'maw's range FTW!). Mejai soulstealer is easily justifiable because of your amazing ability to catch fleeing targets, your massive range, and the fact that 90% of your damage is AoE.
2-3 Archangel's Staffs with a deathcap means you will be maxing your AP as far as it can go whilst giving yourself enough mana regen (50-75/5) to last you however long you need.
Skills an AP Kog'maw must have
- Awareness. Awareness of your surroundings, and map awareness. You need to be constantly knowledgeable of what is going on around you. You are very squishy, and one false move could kill you! Abuse your range, place wards frequently, and try not to get close unless you know it's safe.
- Decent aim and the ability to lead your target. It's important to be able to predict where your target will go, even in fog of war, and to place your ult accordingly.
- Patience. I've seen a lot of bad AP Kog'maw's that rush into the fray in order to use their entire burst. You need to know the best times for using your slow and your Caustic Spittle, and this will often require patience on your part.
Spell Choice
It honestly depends on what you are comfortable with. Flash, ghost, teleport, ignite, and exhaust are all nice choices.
Masteries
9/0/21 is what I use for AP Kog'maw.
Again, it depends on what you are comfortable with. My personal favorites are flat AP/level and flat magic pen. Cooldown is also a decent choice.
Here's some incentive for trying AP Kog'maw
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