In today’s LoR Patch 1.6 notes, Heimerdinger is getting a notable amount of changes by shifting around which turrets spawn at three different mana breakpoints. In addition to these changes, one of Heimerdinger’s key synergy cards, Flash of Brilliance, is also getting nerfed.
The Heimerdinger changes are as follows:
- Three-mana spells now create Mk3: Apex Turret
- 3|1 Fearsome (previously the four-mana turret keyword)
- Four-mana spells now create Mk4: Stormlobber
- 4|1 Overwhelm (previously the six-mana turret keyword)
- Six-mana spells now create Mk6: Floor-B-Gone
- 6|1 Elusive (previously the three-mana turret keyword)
With these three turrets having their keywords shifted by their costs, Heimerdinger now has access to more aggressive keywords like Overwhelm much sooner at four mana as opposed to six mana. This also shifts the reward of having an elusive turret much higher than before.
Riot stated that Heimerdinger having Elusive at such a cheap mana cost allowed Heimerdinger to participate in annoying gameplay patterns. The most prevalent pattern was where he got to spam three mana spells the same turn he came down if players banked enough spell mana. Any burst spells, like a discounted Deep Meditation, Flash of Brilliance, or Twin Discipline, allowed Heimer to receive 3/1 Elusive units that opponents could not react to prevent them from being made.
While the Elusive keyword turret is not gone, only moved up to six mana now, the development team is hoping to encourage players to cast more expensive spells to receive more powerful keyworded turrets.
In addition to these changes to Heimerdinger, one of Heimerdinger’s key cards, Flash of Brilliance, is also getting a nerf by one mana, and will now cost four mana. While the Elusive keyworded turret is no longer at three mana, having a window to create multiple 3/1 turrets without opponent interaction, even if they are no longer Elusive, led to game warping states as soon as turn five. And although the opportunity cost to playing Flash of Brilliance will now be one mana, as opposed to being “free” as it was before, when combined with Heimerdinger it now gives easier access to Overwhelm units. These Flash of Brilliance nerfs will heavily affect other spell based champions, like Lux, since she and her Mageseeker support cards relied on alternate ways to attain expensive cost spells and Flash of Brilliance was a strong path to get there.
Experience these changes to Heimerdinger when Patch 1.6 drops tomorrow July 22.
