Runes you won't play for non-gameplay reasons

Hey there,

I was thinking of this the other day and thought it would be an interesting discussion. Are there runes that you would or wouldn't play for reasons other than gameplay. For example, I am very hesitant to play either the Nectar Fairy or the Tundra Barbarian because of the artwork (not that it is horrible, just not my cup of tea). Another example is I will not play more than one Dwarven Rougneck in my decks because it is my avatar, and there's only one Kraska per deck.

How about you? Any runes you don't play for reasons that have nothing to do with gameplay considerations?

 

I tend to always run 2x a certain champ unless my bg doesn't let me.

Firk good bgbuilding

 

I'm an avid 2xer, normalization of deployment potential reduces scrying, leads to a stronger late game.

 

Elder Garu. Poor thing clearly was dropped multiple times as a child.

Also dwarven king has awesome art but a terribad sprite.

 

I'm hesitant to play Savege Doombringer because it costs $23.98.

 

I've been contemplating this too. I typically play highlander in many of my BG's, because I like the variety of abilities each champ brings. However, 2x-ing can definitely bring more consistency.

 

I wouldn't play it because it's ugly.

 

Highlander can be "fun" because you get to use alot of different stuff. I often change out 1 or 2 runes (the pair) in my BGs even between a single game if I'm seeking variety.

But I look for the best runes to get it done and use those runes, I'll have 3-5 runes that are my "deploy on reveal" group and I'll 2x them. Then my support and utility runes are often 1x.

Here's an example, this was pre revamp, I'd never use a DMC now and when I was contemplating the change to Excavator I put in a Sentry in his spot:



My core early choice deploys were Axeman, Agent and Roughneck, I'd usually want 2 of those 6 runes out then a DMC or Scarlet and I perfer to deploy Sarge before DMC if possible. My non champ runes are all highlander except for Hammerstrike and TacMan for obvious reasons.

 

I refuse to own any copies of:

Oaken Defender
Skeezick Baiter
Skeezick Trapper
Prismatic Crystals
Forge Hammer
Sunder Axe

because their artwork is an insult to the game itself.

 

I don't play KF anyway, but even if I did, I would not run Elven Bard. I mean, come on--look at it. That face haunts my nightmares.

http://www.poxbase.com/champion/337

 

I can't bring myself to include Flamemage because she looks completely out of place with her demon elf pigmentation.
(Confused artist? Artwork substitution? An actual reason? *crunch* The world will never know...)

I also can't run Conclave Warden (even though she would be a good cheap foment champ) because her art, sprite, and snapshot in the rune dock just aren't appealing.

The look, feel, and composition of a rune has to be favorable for me to embrace it. This is why you won't see me running Ancestral Avenger or lots of other runes no matter how effective they are.

Strangely, Oaken Defender's hideousness begins to have a certain charm after you've been exposed for long enough...

 

So you run the rapey gnarlwood grappler?

 

I find nothing wrong with him groping a demon elf when the fancy takes him. It's a far cry from having purple bark and white leaves himself.

That said, I rarely ran him before because he brought nothing unique to the theme, and I won't be running him now because he's been grossly overpriced. Were it not for the last bit, I would gladly 1x him.

 

i woudn't run anything with low damage (lower than 6) even if they are support runes

 

Any runes that i dont play for being ugly? this guy , the archfiend is an undead vampyre with a beard, or hairy neck, and has only 3 fingers.
And basically every creeper look like a turd with eyes and different colors, except the dusk creeper who actually looks like a blue fox.

 

Hunter: Deep Elf Female?

 

Most of IS. Short People and Angry People are boring. Give me Dragon People, Tree People, or whatever the Skeezick are supposed to be any day.
Constructs, on the other hand, I want to play for non-gameplay reasons. RR has the sprite I want a real model of the most, and I really like robodog and the hoplite's sprites as well.

Spell-check wants me to change "hoplite's" to "shoplifters," for some reason. And robodog to... dogsbody? What?

 

Blizzard elemental, because the goddamned embodiement of winter's fury looks like a ghostbusters cartoon villain.

 

Frogs and ninja lizards.

 

Harbingers.
The non gameplay reason being, I don't own any.

 

I won't run Goblin Archer because I just think it's a dumb rune. Let's pair up scurry demunz with a little archer wuss... No.

Skybreak Dragon has an ugly-ass sprite, so no.

Every single Moga in the game pisses me off.

Dunes Manticore. Lamest manticore ever. Side note, why does UD not have any manticores? Get on the manticore hype train, DOG.

Fly Catcher. Dumb.

Mandrake, possibly the worst art I've seen and it doesn't have the flavor of a mandrake anyway.

Doombringers, and everyone knows why. Beachballs for the lose.

Magma Bunny and Bunny Lord. I swear, Underdepths and Sundered Lands collectively have some of the dumbest, most out-of-place runes in regards to their faction flavor. The bunnies are like the UD equivalent of those inexplicable undead Tortuns in FW (still don't know what that's all about).

Risen Grenadier and Tortun Bokor. Because what the hell is going on here. Who is responsible for these.

Oozing Slag, because hashinshin.

Forglar Jellyfish. It's a jellyfish with no special properties. What a magical world Poxanthuru is, where IRL jellyfish are able to engage in combat in an organized army. At least electric eel and razorfin slider look somewhat vicious.

Great Eagle. The 'Murica is strong with this one.

Muck Dragon, probably the ugliest dragon in the game.

Magnetic Rover, because it's a goddamn choo-choo train and I can't get over the fact that it's a non-sentient, inanimate object running around smacking people in the face.

Siege Engine. That face. THAT FACE.

Totem of the Fallen. Seriously, wtf is this thing.

Wizened Wren. I dunno what this weird "bird" theme in ST is all about (Remember when "Bird" was a race?), but at least Snow Rhea is pretty cool. This thing is just lame. On a forbidden gameplay-related note, I like how his text says he has a "scholarly understanding of magic" but then his attacks are physical and doesn't ****ing do anything except flap around and give you nora from Favor. Doesn't even have Wisdom or anything. What is this travesty. Get it out of my sight.

I'm getting kind of carried away so I'll stop here.