All major TFT nerfs and buffs slated for Patch 12.18, per Mortdog Patch Rundown

Big changes equal more opportunities.

Image via Riot Games

A preview of all major Teamfight Tactics Set 7.5 balance changes taking place in Patch 12.18 dropped today through game design director Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer and game designer Kent “Riot Kent” Wu during the Patch Rundown. 

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Patch 12.18 is the first TFT balance update for the 7.5 Mid-Set, showcasing nerfs that tone down overperforming champions and comps without making them unplayable. The patch also has many buffs, expected to improve the viability of AP comps and underperforming champions while providing players additional team-building options to land a top four in a lobby. The early balance changes were revealed during the TFT 12.18 Patch Rundown and are subject to change prior to the official update on Sept. 21.

Items and Augments

A revert was applied to Last Whisper, reducing its armor penetration back to 50 percent after the Set 7.5 buff resulted in the item tearing up frontline units, according to Riot Kent. Lucky Gloves was adjusted to improve items given to tanks on the frontline while continually granting full items no matter the player’s level. And a new Draconic Augment was added called Dragonmancer Conference for the Silver-tier.

  • Last Whisper: Armor penetration reverted back to 50 percent. This includes Radiant Last Whisper as well. 
  • Cutthroat: Mana Reave increased from 50 to 65 percent
  • Dragonmancer Conference: New Silver-tier Draconic Augment
  • Dragonmancer Conference: Every two rounds, a random Dragonmancer unit appears on the bench and gains a Kai’Sa
  • Hero-In-Training: Buff percentage increased from 50 to 66 percent
  • Lucky Gloves: Tweaked to improve items assigned to frontline units. The Augment will also always grant full items and weaker options were removed to improve the Augment’s overall strength. 
  • Ricochet: Bounce damage reduction increased from 33 to 40 percent
  • Verdant Veil: Immunity duration increased from 15 to 20 seconds
  • Weakspot: Armor penetration reduced from 20 to 10 percent

Traits

A rework to the Astral trait should improve the quality of items from orbs while no longer counting duplicate Astral champions towards the star level count. Both Cannoneer and Dragonmancer were nerfed to tone down overpowered comps. And several Shimmerscale items were buffed following major nerfs that took place at the TFT Set 7.5 official launch. 

  • Cannoneer: Cannonball attack damage percentage reduced at four and six from 300/475 to 2540/450 percent
  • Dragonmancer: Base health at six and eight nerfed from 900/1200 to 800/1000 and base ability power at eight reduced from 75 to 70
  • Mage: Double cast ability power buffed at 5/7/9 from 100/125/150 to 110/145/180 percent
  • Ragewing: Slight nerf to Ragewing six, reducing attack speed from 175 to 150
  • Astral: Rework applied to Astral orb table, with quality of orbs increasing at every star level instead of breakpoints
  • Astral: Duplicate Astral champions will no longer count toward star level count for Astral orbs
  • Shimmerscale: Multiple buffs include Crown of Champion cooldown reduced from six to five. Determined Investor gold increased to 15. Needlessly Big Gem units per gold were reduced back to two. Mogul’s Mail health increased to 350. Goldmancer’s Staff chance to proc increased to 40 percent, and base AP and mana were increased from 15 to 20. 

Champions

One-cost champions like Wukong were buffed, improving the unit’s playability as a reroll carry. A nerf to Aphelios’ attack speed reduces the TFT champion’s DPS, resulting in a nerf that will affect Aphelios greatly during the early game stages. And Lux was slightly nerfed due to the Mage trait buffs, essentially putting her power level at what it was during Patch 12.17, according to Mortdog. 

  • Wukong: Attack damage percentage from spell buffed from 165/180/195 to 185/200/230 percent
  • Kai’Sa: Spell buffed from 35/55/75 to 40/60/85
  • Zac: Heal from spell buffed from 200/220/270 to 220/250/300
  • Aphelios: Attack speed nerfed from 0.75 to 0.7
  • Lux: Spell nerfed from 350/425/575 to 325/400/525, and animation was buffed to move slightly faster
  • Nunu: Bugfix resolved Nunu’s amplified bite so that it no longer scales multiplicatively with Giant Slayer’s damage amplification
  • Nunu: Threshold damage amplification nerfed from 33 to 20 percent
  • Zeri: Spell damage buffed from 160/240/420 to 200/300/475
  • Volibear: Spell damage buffed from 110/155/215 to 125/175/240
  • Zippy: Bugfix improved targeting, and attack damage was increased from 80 to 85
  • Daeja: Attack damage rework removed
  • Daeja: Attack damage increased from zero to 20, and passive damage nerfed from 40/60/180 to 25/40/150
  • Sohm: Spell explode damage increased at one and two-star from 275/375 to 300/420
  • Shi Oh Yu: Spell damage reduction buffed from 15/20/50 to 20/25/50 percent, and spell attack damage percentage from 230/250/1000 to 250/275/1000 percent
  • Tyrant Swain: Missing health percentage buffed from 11 to 12 percent
  • Aurelion Sol: Spell damage increased from 325/550/4000 to 350/575/4000, and Ascended damage increased from 15 to 20 percent

All TFT Patch 12.18 balance adjustments revealed during the Patch Rundown are subject to change prior to the Uncharted Realms official release taking place on Sept. 21. 

Author
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Danny Forster
Staff writer, lead beat writer for MTG and TFT
Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.
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