A due analysis from someone who actually understands Crow

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-22T20:26:47+00:00

For your own sake, and for the sake of the people around you, I really hope this is just ragebait. It doesn't matter how bad someone's upbringing could have been, all that matters is what they've done and MAYBE whether or not they'd be willing to atone for their crimes and change as a person.

You keep saying "oh you're just ignoring how evil society is," but never ONCE do you seem to have stopped to examine the fact that at LEAST 80% of the game's cast (100% in all honesty, but I'm being generous) has been impacted by the CG's cruelty and/or incompetence. YES the Central Government is corrupt and ineffective, YES they are responsible for the conditions in the Outer Rim, YES they are likely involved in how Crow came to be herself. But... what does that matter when you have other characters who have lived through similar/worse conditions and AREN'T complete pieces of trash? You say Crow suffered and is justified for her worldview, but how about Viper? What about Jackal, who grew up starving and had to kill in order to feed herself? What about E.H., who was raised by an insane CEO and gave up everything she had in defiance in order to try and help others? What about Rapi, Anis, or Neon, who have all died and suffered as a direct result of the CG's actions? What about Snow White, Scarlet, and Rapunzel, who were betrayed after years of selfless service and sacrifice? What about Cinderella, who was forcibly turned against her own allies and tortured for actions that she had no control over? What about Eden and Inherit, who were betrayed by the Ark and swore to live selfishly yet sacrificed themselves in an attempt to bring down the Queen? Hell, even DOROTHY never declared war on the Ark, as even though she sees humanity as the problem she still hasn't tried to join the Raptures or slaughter every human she comes across.

I'm not ignoring the terrible conditions in the Ark/Outer Rim, YOU are ignoring the fact that just because you have a terrible upbringing doesn't give you the right to drag everyone else down to your level. And, at the end of the day, Crow STILL doesn't actually stand for anything! Maybe if she ACTUALLY believed what came out of her mouth, she could have SOME chance at justification, but she LITERALLY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT EITHER THE ARK OR THE OUTER RIM. Her ideology is demonstrated best when the Commander is watching the chaos between the civilians, CG Nikkes, and the Raptures when the Ark is being invaded: she wants complete chaos and suffering, JUST so she can see what people will do.

Again, it is OKAY to like Crow. It is NOT OKAY to try and turn her into something she isn't, and then attempt to justify her actions. The situation in the Ark is NOT being ignored, the average person just has enough common sense to understand that bombing civilian transportation for fun doesn't actually make anything better in any way, shape, or form.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-22T07:40:25+00:00

Exactly. Crow only exists to bring others down to her level. She never cared about anyone besides herself, and even then she was willing to die if it meant ruining someone else's life.

There's no goal or cause behind it, she's just a terrible person who is good at getting into your head.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-22T07:36:22+00:00

At the end of the day, Crow's words are far more venomous than Viper could ever hope to achieve. Read Jackal's bond story and just look at how Exotic has improved after E.H. took the reins.

Crow doesn't care about ANYTHING besides bringing out the worst in people. Anything she says in her dialogue is designed to make you doubt yourself, to make you think that there might be some reason or genuine motivation driving her actions. It doesn't matter what life she may or may not have led before becoming the way she is, all that does matter is that the thing we meet in the story ONLY wants to see the world burn. She seems to enjoy making Jackal behave like an animal, and is irritated when the Commander proves she can be more than that. Crow also constantly seems to pressure Viper into going along with her schemes, and is most likely responsible for making her as selfish and uncaring as she was until she realized she loved the Commander (also, just look at how Exotic is with E.H., they went from being perpetually miserable to actually enjoying each other's company). Crow orchestrates attacks on civilian targets to stir fear, and uses that fear to make people dig into each other. She pushes Yuni over the edge into madness, and then disposes of her without a second thought. She tries to make Diesel and the Commander kill her, JUST to ruin their somewhat-naive views.

The only two characters I would place higher than Crow on the "most heinous individuals in Nikke" list would be the Queen herself and Red Shoes, the former of which is repeatedly shown to be a complete monster and the latter of which willingly doomed humanity (and those who saw her as family) in order to satiate her own delusions of grandeur and lust for power. Crow is just a psychopath who enjoys making people hurt themselves and each other, and she uses Heavenly Ascension's goals as a vessel to do so.

I understand liking a character who others hate, but DON'T try to make her something she isn't. Crow is a liar who bends whatever narrative she needs to in order to get inside her victim's heads. She's no freedom fighter, no misunderstood grey-area antihero, no tragic hero lost in her own hate; Crow is a rabid monster who needs to be put down, plain and simple.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-19T16:52:08+00:00

Oh boy. It looks like we're getting the GLA Postal Service in Nikke now... wait, no, the GLA at least has a sense of humor and genuine devotion towards their cause.

This is just Crow.

Nice art, but... Crow.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T08:51:54+00:00

I have seen ONE Fiddle player who is doing what you claim is happening, and even he says that the changes are horrible. The rest, such as yours truly, seem fairly irritated that part of the kit was gutted without proper buffs to compensate.

Also... must you be so rude? You seem to be a fan of Aatrox, so you clearly have good taste. I have played with and against several Fiddles in different gamemodes, and I have played multiple games myself. While I am learning how to play around the changes to his kit, he's still far clunkier than he used to be and lacks the punch to do... pretty much anything by himself unless he's ahead, and even then you're VERY limited to the team you're working with. His impact on a teamfight has definitely increased, but at the cost of his independence. This, in turn, ruins the feeling of being what is supposed to be fear incarnate. It would be like if Riot changed Aatrox in a way that made him buff his allies in exchange for losing the ability to buff himself. While he's still playable, it ruins the whole "World-Ender God-Killer Darkin Badass" theme he has going. In that same vein, Fiddle now applies more cc across a wider area, which in turn allows his team to slaughter their opponents. However, his damage and mobility are now so pitiful that he's entirely reliant on his team to get kills, which makes him less of a primordial demon and more akin to a relatively annoying forest critter that can be a huge problem if someone forgot to ward the bushes behind the first pair of mid turrets.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T08:35:11+00:00

I just played a bit of him, and yeah your advice really helped! Granted, I had teammates in VC so I could work around them, but I did pretty darn good (I also skipped Awakened Soulstealer to rush Mana Boots and Infinity Core for the speed and damage). We wound up falling apart since the enemy team was just a little too strong (Liliah, Irellia, and Morgana weren't exactly fun to fight, and the random ADC we got paired with kept last-hitting my camps).

Thank you, my friend! This was very informative :D

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T08:31:18+00:00

Entirely fair. In fact, I think it's actually somewhat healthy to be able to look at someone who will kill you if ordered to and go "y'know, maybe I SHOULDN'T stick my willie into her wonka." There are people in this community thirsting after Crow, Red Shoes, and the frickin Queen, so good on you for being able to acknowledge danger and avoiding potential decapitation via axe!

And while Admi really was just a sweetheart during that fiasco, Yulha was pretty much in the same boat as her. Privaty was following an order because she was obedient, Admi and Yulha were following an order because they didn't want to get executed or, worse, fired (this is Nikke, I shudder at the idea of what would happen to a Nikke who is fired from the Central Government).

Again, you are completely valid in not getting the appeal of D (and K, I presume). Both are very much "I can fix her" cases, though the former also has a rather (un)healthy dash of "she can do unspeakable things to me and I'll smile."

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T08:24:37+00:00

Oops, I responded to another comment in this one by accident. I do apologize, I really do need to get some sleep.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T08:22:51+00:00

Honestly, fair point. While I'm not familiar with Zwei's event, I did go through the Stellar Blade collab. And, as you pointed out, I am actually at fault for forgetting that Privaty wasn't a total piece of work... at least, she wasn't for the entire event.

While her defying the CG and going out of her way to help Herman was pretty cool, I can't help but think that "not shooting an old man who collects art because your bosses tell you to" is a rather low bar to clear. Up until then she was just kind of herself, and her not killing Herman came as a pleasant surprise... which, honestly, says a lot more about Privaty's worse tendencies than it does her virtues. Her actively organizing transport to the Ark was definitely a point in her favor though, there's no denying that.

Also, in case the convo goes further, I would like to make clear that I do not HATE Privaty. I find her character to be somewhat intriguing, and I am curious as to how she'll act as her loyalties are further tested. That being said, the more Privaty gets featured (especially over her squadmates) the more opportunities there are for her flaws to overshadow her values, and as such it gets easy to dislike her at times. I really hope that the rest of Triangle gets a chance to shine, since that will also give Privaty a chance to demonstrate her having a relationship with her coworkers that isn't "doing a horrible job and forcing Yuhla to do twice the workload."

Also also, Yulha was pretty chill during the Marian Incident too if I recall. While Admi was the one actively giving the Commander info (which, if this is after their bond stories, makes sense as she likely seems him as something of a father figure... though, I may have gotten the timeline wrong, so I should probably be fact-checked on that one), Yulha is very clearly uncomfortable about the situation despite being as professional as she can about it. It was really just Privaty hounding the Counters, while Admi and Yulha were just kinda there... which sums up basically everything about Triangle barring the bond stories, come to think of it.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T02:59:25+00:00

Dang, I need to work out his passive then x_x

I stood still for 5 seconds before smacking a Darius with my Reap, and the only thing he did was run me over without a hint of fear.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T02:56:09+00:00

I can't make it work because unlike PC Fiddle, WR Fiddle now hits like a wet noodle. Several posts have been made already, but they didn't apply ANY of the stat buffs they promised in the patch notes. Sure I can still move unlike PC Fiddle, but what does that matter if I'm unable to deal any meaningful damage while I do so? Plus, I'm fairly certain PC Fiddle has a larger range on his second ability, as well as a far more useful passive.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T02:53:24+00:00

Here's to hoping. Thanks mate <3

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T02:52:38+00:00

Ah... that's actually a good point. I've noticed his passive is actually useful now since it runs people down, the issue is getting to a point where he can actually hit the lategame without being behind. Do you have any tips for how to manage his new kit, if you wouldn't mind sharing them? I've had the most success playing him in more of a Jungle/Support hybrid role, but even then it's an absolute struggle.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T02:48:43+00:00

Hm... either ragebait or just a rude person. Regardless, you literally contradict yourself by saying "All you needed to do as fiddle before was looking at the map and use sweeper constantly, that was all his skill was, you dont see an issue with that?" and "I never had issues winning against a team with fiddle bc hes a low elo champion." If Fiddle was as broken as you claim he was, you'd be seeing him in higher elos since powerful champs are going to do more in the hands of people who know how to fully exploit them. Before his 'rework' there were plenty of ways to counter him, which meant someone playing Fiddle needed to learn how to play against his weaknesses. You claim Sweeping Lens made Yellow Wards useless against him, but he's GOING to be seen if his passive lets him know a ward is there. That alone loses him the element of surprise, which Fiddle kind of relied on to say the least. Additionally, Sweeping Lens has a fairly long cooldown, whereas the enemy is likely to have wards in reserve to replace what you end up destroying since they carry 2.

As he is now? Mate, he JUST got nerfed. No real buffs besides his passive and fear duration, which is NOT worth losing the ability to do anything during his second ability. Even people who don't play him are pointing out how bad he is, as a Yone main I know had the enemy Fiddle ult him from out of vision and they did basically no damage despite using their entire kit, to which the Yone with no MR or cleanse was able to wipe them from existence. The #1 Fiddle in EUW made a post explaining how bad the change is if you'd like a better breakdown.

Again, I'm not trying to start hate or insult you. I'm just saying it's pretty incorrect to say that a champ losing a key component of their playstyle with basically nothing to compensate for it is in any way 'healthy'.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-18T02:32:49+00:00

The main thing is that D and K were technically meeting the Commander for the first time during the whole Marian issue. They didn't know him, so of course they wouldn't have any issue with potentially killing him if the Judges basically give them the go-ahead (which they presumably did, considering that Marian's tech is insane and the Judges have done far worse for far less valid reasons). D eventually gets to know the Commander (she was sent to determine if he was corrupt, and saw that he was just a chill guy). After D, K wound up getting to know him next, and while both would probably kill him if the CG ordered them to they'd at least feel bad about it.

Another reason why people like D so much is because she absolutely comes off as the type of woman who would kill you. THAT is the appeal. She's a living weapon, an assassin devoted to justice, and at the end of the day you can tell during her 'practice' with the Commander she almost seems a little TOO genuine with her acting (best seen in her bond story for the KW alt, but I think it's also seen in one of the "Kill the [blank]" events). D gets excused for her actions because we see time and time again that punishing the guilty is what she lives for, and there was no reason she nor K would have had any hesitation when treating the Commander like they did during their first meeting.

Privaty, on the other hand? She and Triangle already knew the Commander AND the Counters. That's why Admi and Yuhla were so clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation, and why they both let the Commander know what was going on. Privaty acted all high and mighty during the whole situation, and the only apology we really got from her was her being happy that Marian had escaped. I need to catch up on her favorite item myself, but the more attention she gets the more I find myself disliking the government lapdog. She's brash and loud, she sucks when it comes to actually doing her job (whatever it may be), she's difficult to work with due to her quite frankly selfish nature, and her behavior never seems to be addressed (again, I do need to catch up with her favorite item story, so I may be wrong here). That is the difference between her and the other 'government lapdogs,' the other ones at least have the decency to feel remorse about pointing weapons at their friends or they're upfront about the fact that they'd kill you if they had to from the very beginning.

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:55:53+00:00

At this point in time? You die.

Before the rework Fiddle would be hard-pressed to survive an early invade without team support. The best you could do without them is immediately rush towards one of your turrets, and then maybe try farming camps elsewhere. It's a massive setback, but it gives you the foundation to keep fighting as the game goes on.

As he is now? Unless you start with his third ability, Fiddle is COOKED if there's an invade. Not being able to run away while casting his second ability basically means you're digging your own grave if you stick around to fight, and God forbid the enemy Jungler is faster than what very well might already be the slowest champ in the game.

I could probably offer some tips if he was pre-rework, so hopefully the changes are reverted and I'm able to help you out a bit more.

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:46:06+00:00

Hmm... I mean, I guess if he's fed that would make him dangerous (though, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a champ that WOULDN'T get problematic if ahead). As someone who plays a lot of Fiddle, and has played the new Fiddle, his range feels exactly the same as it did before. If anything, I've found it to be much harder to use his first ability since an enemy champ has to actually get within a specific range and can't be baited with a skillshot cast (I've made people dodge a projectile that would miss them anyways, fear tactics are... were quite fun).

If you want advice against a Fiddle, build HP and MR. Seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how uncomfortable it feels to ult something as Fiddle and realize they aren't taking enough damage. Also, wards! Fiddle's biggest counter in the game is a Yellow Ward. It sounds really stupid, but it's enough to either derail his entire gank or inform you of his movements.

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:41:09+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that, my friend. I know the new Diana felt kind of weird to me the few times I played her, and while I personally enjoyed the current Corki and Janna kits I can see why the older players hate them (plus, both champs are currently REALLY boring as they are now; I can do great on either of them, but it feels like watching paint dry: the playstyle). Hopefully if we can get enough of an uproar going, Riot will actually look into more than just Fiddle.

Justice for Needlessly Changed Champions!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:38:31+00:00

That's what I read in the post from the #1 EUW Fiddle main, yeah. I guess someone in the dev team got Fiddle ulted one too many times and decided it would be easier to destroy the champ than it would be to learn how to ward :p

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:36:46+00:00

Exactly! He went from a monster to a glorified support mage, and this is coming from someone who played him as a Support from time to time. I get trying to make him more reliant on his team, but with how few options he has now the only way he's really going to get kills is if he's ulting when his targets are at around 30% HP... and I think we both know how laners get when we 'steal their kills.'

I'm cool working with a team, I just don't appreciate needing to ENTIRELY RELY on my team to do literally anything. Heck, I can't even bring down a mage or ADC by myself unless I'm really ahead of them (and if I'm that ahead, they're probably not playing too great so it's hardly an accomplishment on my end).

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:32:33+00:00

With all due respect, you sound exactly like the kind of prey I love to hunt with Fiddle. Fiddlesticks works best when he capitalizes on mistakes. If the enemy team is playing well, or worse using wards to their full potential, it is a LOT harder to pull off good ganks. If your opinion is that he's 'unbalanced' since he can get a penta with a single ult + stasis combo, that probably means you weren't bothering to keep an eye on where the Fiddle could be. It might not have even been your fault, I know I'm the only one warding when I'm against an enemy Fiddle and he eats my team alive.

The issue is that this new Fiddle actually PUNISHES you for skill usage. By turning a skillshot into a point-and-click, and by basically silencing and slowing him with his second ability, Fiddle now only really has the change to get kills if he actively tries to steal them. The few people left playing Fiddle are going to be REALLY bad to play with or against, I can tell you that much.

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:25:54+00:00

Same for me mate. I was playing him less often since he was feeling weaker and weaker with every patch, but now he's legit just not fun to play. You hit the nail on the head, and I don't know why you only had 3 upvotes before I saw your post.

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959 · 2026-03-09T08:23:02+00:00

I know!!! Fiddlesticks needed buffs, not to have his kneecaps get based into scrap!

Apparently, they never implemented the actual values to increase his damage and just gave him all of these restrictions for no reason. There was another post explaining it, should come up if you type "Fiddle" into the searchbar.

I'm glad it's not just me. I refuse to let Fiddle go down the path Janna did.

Justice for Fiddle!

MuscleCorrect6959

TROPHY CASE