I've always had a soft spot for Heimerdinger. He was the second champion I played (behind a very confusing game as Twitch), and the first champion I considered my "main". Call it a soft-spot for small, intelligent characters, but something about the little afro-headed genius clicked. Turrets that farmed for me? Instantly-hitting rockets? You had me at substandard intelligence!

Of course, as I continued my time in the League of Legends, the general stigma that followed my Heimerdinger obsession was made readily apparent; people, to this day, hate having the smartest Yordle ever on their team. His pick-rate is the fourth worst currently, and his win-rate fluctuates from average to 'meh'. Anyone playing him is instantly a "troll" or a "noob", and after a couple months of playing him, I was forced into different roles and champions.

But why is Heimerdinger so despised, left amongst the Lost Legends never to be seen again? He's had a rough balance history, and hasn't been touched recently, but does that mean he's as bad as his reputation? And with the sweeping changes of the ever-approaching Season Three, will he ever be considered pick-worthy?

There is potential in Heimerdinger; I noticed that in Season 2. The one match I had as Heimerdinger had more damage than my other, multiple-game AP mids. His turrets produce some of the most steady AP damage outside of Teemo, and his rockets have 285 base damage at max level. His grenade is potent as well, but landing it is tricky. Overall, the main problem with Heimerdinger is not that his damage is low, but merely inconsistent.

Getting Heimerdinger's abilities to work in your favor is tedious, especially during the laning phase. His turrets generally shoot at anything that seems least threatening, his grenade moves slower than electricity seemingly should, and timing his rockets to hit just before that third minion is able to block them can drive any Summoner to madness. Without any priority to his spell targets beyond distance and luck, Heimerdinger's damage requires a surprising amount of patience and skill for a champion who seems so simple. A lot of this is removed in team fights; as long as their aren't enemy minions/pets to worry about, the damage from his rockets alone is brutal.

Recently, I ran a sample blind-pick game to get some baring on whether the recent changes have made him any more viable. While I haven't had much luck picking him again (people tend to dodge games when they see Heimer), I will explain my thought process and build below.

Role: AP Carry, Mid Lane

Runes:


With my runes, I focus on getting as much penetration as possible, with mana regen and move speed for lane sustain and survival. The penetration Quintessence is optional, as an extra move speed rune in its place is just as helpful.

Masteries:


Fairly standard masteries. Defense or Utility really depends on play style, but I can see both working.

Summoner Spells:

Flash, Ignite, Teleport

Flash is essential, as it provides you with an easy escape (which Heimer is lacking). Secondary choice is more personal. Ignite is always nice, but Heimerdinger is usually not putting himself in range to use it. Teleport is the best alternative, but any can be used to match your play style.

Build Order:

Dorans Ring -> Haunting Guise -> Sorcerer's Shoes -> Void Staff -> Rabadon's Deathcap

Options:

Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Athene's Unholy Grail, Zhonya's Hourglass

With my items, I focus on getting as much magic penetration as possible, as quickly as possible. Heimerdinger's spells have high base damage with average ratios. I don't recommend instantly upgrading Haunting Guise, as it has the same penetration as Liandry's and the money is best spent elsewhere. After Void Staff, you've hit max penetration, and can start building damage. Rabadon's is essential, but after that the choice is more based on how team fights are going. Rylai's gets fully proc'd with each rocket, Zhonya's is great if you keep getting focused down in fights, and Athene's is a good solution for any mana problems.

Laning:

Heimerdinger is a defensive laner, and relies mostly on the poke from his rockets to keep his lane opponent at bay. Leveling skills generally goes in this order:

Rockets, Turrets, Grenade.

Rockets offer the best controllable damage, so I tend to level them first.

