More items are to be changed in the first patch of the season 11 of League of Legends, and some old favorites are getting tuned.
Mark Yetter, League’s gameplay design director, revealed in the Patch 11.1 preview that various underused and unloved items will be seeing some updates alongside the extensive changes to burst items that were previously revealed. Patch 11.1 is expected to release on Jan. 6 with a load of other changes as well.
Archangel’s Staff and its evolved form Seraph’s Embrace, have not had much use lately among most Ability Power-based champions since preseason began. This is because they cost more gold than other legendary items that perform the same job but better, like Muramana. These items will receive the love of an increased five AP each, bringing them up to a total of 65 AP given, which still might not be enough to incentivize the items.
Speaking of Muramana, the changes from patch 10.25 that took away the ability for most Mages to utilize the item has been reverted, as its passive shock will now apply to all spells rather than just physical ones. Muramana is also to be nerfed with this revert, with its total cost increasing from 2,600 to 2,900 gold, as well as its shock passive damage being lowered from 4 percent to 2.5 percent.
“We didn’t like the way the previous Muramana change (only procs on physical spells) was impacting the patterns of many of its core users like Ezreal, Corki, and others,” Yetter explained in a tweet. “So we’re reverting that change and doing a simpler nerf to the item to bring it into balance.”
The support items have been the subject of many debates among the League community, as Moonstone Renewer and Imperial Mandate have taken over the inventories of almost all traditional support champions, rendering the other Mythic items—Locket of the Iron Solari and Shurelia’s Battlesong—to be rather niche and unused. In this patch, the movement speed burst of Shurelia’s Battlesong will be increased from 40 percent to 60 percent when activated, which may help engage compositions triumph over their enemies. To combat the strength of support items and healing just a little, items such as Chempunk Chainsword and Chemtank Fumigator will have their grievous wounds passives last a second longer.
Runaan’s Hurricane, an item normally built on Marksmen that rely on Attack Speed such as Ashe and Kai’Sa, is also seeing extensive changes in this patch preview. Originally scheduled for a release in the 10.25b hotfix patch, these changes to the popular item include an overall cost decrease from 3,400 to 2,500 gold and its passive bolts damage ratio being set at a constant 40 percent of the player’s Attack Damage. Hurricane is also having its additional 25 base AD taken away, but retaining its Attack Speed, critical strike chance, and movement speed percentages.
Boots have not had many changes this preseason, but the implementation of new burst items have led many players to value Sorcerer’s Shoes for increased AP, or Plated Steelcaps and Mercury’s Treads for increased survivability.
In an attempt to diversify boot selection, the Ionian Boots of Lucidity will have an increase in Ability Haste to a total of 20, which may make it a contender for champions that are looking to use their abilities in rapid succession.
All of these item buffs and nerfs are subject to change prior to the release of League Patch 11.1 on Jan. 6, but it seems that season 11 and the item revamp are truly going to shake up strategies as the year continues.
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