One of Mobile Legends Forsaken Light Heroes is the Fighter/Mage hybrid, Julian. Many players say he’s broken because of his high damage output and some invulnerability with his 2nd Skill (Blink). However, like all Heroes, Julian can be countered. In this article, we will look at ways to counter Julian by first knowing what builds he has and how his Skills work.
Julian, the Scarlet Raven: A Short Backstory
The last of the Forsaken Light, along with Yin, Melissa, and Xavier, Julian is possibly the odd man out of the four. Unlike his comrades, he likes to be a lone wolf. This is due to the events in his childhood that rendered him unable to reconcile his past when he joined the Ravens, which is the chosen assassin group of the Archbishop of the Church of Light, and upon knowing the circumstances as to why his mother left him after their family was branded as heretics by the same church that Julian joined. All of the revealing facts about Julian’s past were told by Xavier, and upon knowing the truth, Julian decided to turn his back on the Ravens and join the Forsaken Light with Xavier. That way, he would learn more about his past and come to terms with himself.
Julian Builds
While this article is not intended as an intensive article about Julian, my chosen approach to counter him relies on available information about his builds and abilities/Skills. We can develop a good counter-strategy from here for those who pick Julian in matches. Again, this article will not extensively explain his builds nor pick out the best builds for him, but we will work on what Julian players might build upon.
Since Julian is a Fighter/Mage hybrid, his builds will rely on Magic Damage when casting his abilities. This also fares well when he has the Magic emblem set equipped. Another part of Julian’s build is cooldown reduction. Having to deal near-continuous high-output damage with his abilities makes him overpowered at best.
Julian Abilities/Skills
All his skills deal Magic Damage. Interestingly, all of his Skills also deal area-of-effect (AoE) damage within a small range and triggers Magic Lifesteal, making up for his squishiness. Despite this, his normal attack has a small radius, making him vulnerable in long-range engagements unless he uses his Skill 2 (Sword) which he can use to close in on his enemies while also dealing damage. Players should watch out for this Skill. Skill 1 (Scythe) and Skill 3 (Chain) are his poking skills, but they can be deadly with his teammates, especially since Chain immobilizes enemies for 1.2 seconds after getting hit.
Heroes to Counter Julian
The most tricky part of choosing Heroes to counter Julian is making a build specifically to counter him. However, that makes this guide authoritative and absolute, something I do not want to impose on players. The general rule for me is that any Hero can be a viable counter pick, but some Heroes are better at it because they are more efficient at being the counter pick. As such, I will list down 3 Heroes that are both meta-defining and good counter picks.
- Saber – Keeping a safe distance and having a great escape option makes Saber a suitable counter-pick for Julian. This is also a Hero that beginners can pick up and learn. His Skill 1 (Orbiting Swords) can keep Julian away, while Skill 2 (Charge) can instantly reposition Saber into a safer place. His Ultimate (Triple Sweep) can greatly damage Julian, especially since he is a squishy Hero. It can also be a counter offense if Julian closes in with his Skill 2.
- Chou – Chou has good damage output and a good counter skill for Julian’s AoE skills with his Skill 2 (Shunpo), which also acts as an escape option similar to Saber’s Charge. His Skill 1 (Jeet Kune Do) and Ultimate (The Way of Dragon) are powerful. Despite this high-damage combo, Chou has a higher learning curve than Saber, but the rewards are higher since he never fell out of the meta.
- Benedetta – An Assassin with mainly dash attacks, which is the theme for this counter-pick guide. Her normal attack (Elapsed Daytime) charges her Sword Intent, in which she can use a dash attack once fully charged. Her Skill 1 (Phantom Slash) also makes her dash forward, while her Skill 2 (An Eye For An Eye) and her Ultimate (Alecto: Final Blow) makes her immune to crowd control skills which makes her perfect as a counter-pick against Julian.
General Strategy Versus Julian
As mentioned above, Julian has a small attacking radius and relies on his crowd control skills to either close in on his opponents or rack up some assists from his team. Ideally, a long-range Marksman may be a counter-pick against Julian, but they need the escape options that the three Heroes I mentioned have. It is essential, therefore, to have the counter pick and have someone poke Julian beyond his range. A late-game Layla might be suitable for this support role since her Ultimate (Destruction Rush) gives permanent sight range for the duration of the match. Keeping herself at a safe distance also gives her a damage bonus. However, she can not be the one to kill Julian; the same goes for the other Marksmen because of the lack of escape options.
To conclude this guide, the best counter-pick for Julian is someone who can play his game through dash attacks that may also act as an escape option and those who can negate crowd control effects. The three Heroes I mentioned above fit the criteria and may be the meta. Try them out and let us know what you think.
Also Read: Paquito Counter, Fredrinn Counter
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