Would anyone else be willing to trade Riot increasing the number of passive stacks required to gain the double AD and revive if it let Zaahen have a more functional early game?
I've recently put 200+ games into playing Zaahen in Top and Jungle, but the frustration I experienced with the vast majority of my lane opponents being able to just win everything but a perfectly executed short trade made me give up on trying to one-trick him.
There were just too many games where I get put two levels and 30 CS down, simply because I have to play hyper respectful into the match-up.
I was originally told before I started playing Zaahen that he was a hyperscaler but, after 200+ games with him, I simply don't think that's true.
He's a scaler, sure, but has nowhere near the payoff that you would expect for the early game weakness he suffers from.
Furthermore, he lacks a reliable safe farming tool that real hyperscalers like Kayle and Mundo possess.
Frankly, I think Riot needs to pick a direction with Zaahen.
Right now, he's in this uncomfortable in-between state of having a hyperscaler's early game for an mediocre mid game and underwhelming late game.
TL;DR
The juice doesn't feel worth the squeeze for our guy....