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The Definitive Dominion Discussion Deli[]
So why don't you stay for a spell and allow me to create some interest in the most underrated game mode there ever was - Dominion. Now, you might be asking yourself: "What is this Dominion thing this insanely handsome fellow is talking about?" Well, why not let Phreak himself introduce it for ya bud!
Beginner's section, featuring Youtubes[]
If you're looking to start out Dominion, here's a handy beginner's guide in video form, just long enough to describe all the things you need to know before jumping into your first game of Dominion. Or, probably more realistically, your second game of Dominion after the first one alienated you.
If you're looking for some more advanced tips and a deeper insight into the current Dominion meta, this is a good watch.
So, what's so dang exiciting about Dominion?[]
It is extremely fast-paced - 4on4 teamfights right out of the base, allowing for big plays from the second minute on until the very end, this game mode is simply quick and awesome!
Thanks to the elimination of the laning phase and the strong passive gold gain, the game mode allows for a variety of crazy and imaginative builds to be pulled off. Ever been playing Taric as the second fiddle to your ADC and wondering what havoc you could cause with a bruiser build? Stop dreaming and reach for the stars, kid. Like your laning phase? Try out Dominion's bot lane - it's like Summoner's Rift top lane, on steroids.
The passive gold gain also makes early mistakes much more forgiving, allowing for insane comebacks - quite often I've seen a team being pushed to the 10-point mark, only to proceed purely dominating their opponents, bursting them from >300 points to zero.
Another big thing to mention is that the community of Dominion is much, much less toxic and much friendlier than on Summoner's Rift. And even if you happen to come across a toxic Dom player, you can be sure you won't have to endure him for longer than 20 minutes. That's actually one of the things that really pushed me into playing Dominion, and its addictive, fast-paced gameplay has gotten me hooked ever since!
But don't just take my word for it - popular Youtuber and video game reviewer Angry Joe ranked the game mode at #2 in his Top 10 of 2011 and only had praise to tell of it. Take them away, Angry Joe!
If you're looking to try out some Dom, why are you even still reading? If you happen to be on EU West, feel free to add me (summoner name: Toto vT) and I'll queue up some Dom with you (offer only extends to a single match)
Obligatory Rambling[]
Now, with the introductions out of the way, onto business: What I want to create is a handy thread for all Dominion-related information such as patch changes specifically concerning Dominion, and maybe I'll even end up increasing the Dominion player base in the process. I'm aware that there's probably already been many blog posts similar to this one, but I haven't seen any yet that are still on-going. I've been a Dominion regular pretty much ever since it had been released, and I'll do my best to keep this thread alive. You may actually already know me from past Dominion blog posts such as, The League of Hextech Sweeper or Are the new Dominion items on PBE actually a joke or a programming mistake?
Dom Patches[]
- 4.7
- Champions
Kassadin
Riftwalk
- Crystal Scar only: Cooldown changed to 9 / 7 / 5 from 9 / 8 / 7.
Thresh
Damnation
- Crystal Scar only: Souls are now worth 2 stacks, down from 4.
- Items
- Soul Anchor (New Trinket)
- No cost (Trinket)
- Availability: Dominion only
- Active: Consumes a charge to instantly revive you at your summoner platform and grants 125% movement speed that decays over 12 seconds. Soul Anchor starts with 1 charge, and gains additional charges at levels 9 and 14. (Max: 2 charges).
- 4.6
- Items
- All maps Hextech Sweeper
- New recipe: Glacial Shroud + Kindlegem + 330g = 2130g.
- Old recipe: Fiendish Codex + Kindlegem + 330g = 2000g.
- Total cost increased to 2130g from 2000.
- Health reduced to 225 from 250.
- Stats: +25 armor, +250 mana, +20% cooldown reduction.
- Ability power removed (reduced to 0 from 40).
- Active: stealth detecting mist.
- New recipe: Glacial Shroud + Kindlegem + 330g = 2130g.
- Item availability needs updating. Blackfire Torch
- Movement speed removed (reduced to +0% from +5%).
- 4.4
- Champions
- Talon
- Noxian Diplomacy
- Base damage reduced to 30 / 55 / 80 / 105 / 130 from 30 / 60 / 90 / 120 / 150.
- Shadow Assault
- Cooldown increased to 85 / 75 / 65 seconds from 75 / 65 / 55.
- 4.3
- Items
- Dervish Blade (new item)
- Availability: Dominion and Twisted Treeline
- Recipe: Quicksilver Sash + Stinger + 200g = 3000g
- Stats: 50% attack speed, 45 magic resist, and 10% cooldown reduction.
- Unique Active - Quicksilver: Removes all debuffs, and if champion is melee, also grants +50% bonus movement speed for 1 second (90 second cooldown).
- Mercurial Scimitar
- No longer available on Twisted Treeline and Dominion.
- B. F. Sword
- No longer available on Twisted Treeline and Dominion.
- Prospector's Blade
- Attack damage reduced to 16 from 20.
- Health reduced to 150 from 200.
- Life steal removed.
- Now grants 15% attack speed.
- Prospector's Ring
- Ability power reduced to 35 from 40.
- Mana regeneration reduced to 6 from 10.
- Health reduced to 150 from 200.
Things to know, aka links for reference[]
Dominion also has a bunch of oddities which are barely explained, anywhere. For reference, I will link explanations in this section, including a list of Champs with changes to their skills/stats on Dominion.
List of links explaining Dom mechanics[]
The mechanics employed on Dominion range from reasonable to bizarre. Some of these things you can live without knowing, some can be handy to know; but, if you're just starting out, you definitely shouldn't worry about them.
List of champions with changes on Dominion[]
Some champs have tweaked values on Dominion. Mostly, cooldowns on impactful abilities are increased, traps last shorter and champs who are strong at team fights have their power lowered. You should be able to find their exact changes on their wiki pages, just below their regular ability descriptions.
