Hello, Librarian Husky here! Riot has decided to go all out for patch 14.19, as they’re nerfing almost every single item in the game. Their decision behind this move, and this is a quote directly from Riot, states that they want more time for players to play out their Champions’ gameplay fantasy and to put more emphasis on Champions than items.
Focus on Champions Over Items
In other words, they don’t want a champion’s strength being overly dependent on whether or not they can abuse an overpowered item. These item changes should affect certain roles, and we’ll discuss which Champions will reap the greatest rewards from them.
Adjustments to Top Lane Champions
There are just two top lane champions who will be directly adjusted for this patch. Let’s first dive into those, then we’ll discuss how the item changes will influence the top lane.
Cante’s Adjustments
Cante is getting several changes. His auto-attack range is being lowered from 175 to 150. Passive damage is increasing from a scaling 5-20 to a flat 20 at all levels. The passive will no longer convert damage to true damage when using R.
Additional Adjustments to Cante’s Abilities
Passive now grants an extra 1% max health physical damage on attacks, abilities, and passives. You’ll also gain 1% max health damage for every 100 armor and magic resist. Q’s base damage is increasing, though the AD ratio is being removed, while the resistance ratio is rising. The Q hitbox width is decreasing from 150 to 100 units.
Changes to W and RQ Abilities
The cooldown reduction on RQ is increasing from 25% to 33%, and Q will now slow targets. For W, base damage is going up, while the AD ratio is being removed. Max health damage will now scale with 2% per 100 armor and magic resist. W’s minimum charge time drops from 0.66 to 0.4 seconds.
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Cante’s Ability Changes and Adjustments
RW will now deal an additional 10% scaling to 100% true damage based on charge time. The reduction is going up from 60% to 75%. As for the E changes, the untargeted dash speed is dropping from 900 to 550, and the allied target dash speed is being lowered as well.
Changes to Dash and Cooldown Mechanics
The cooldown of E is decreasing by 0.5 seconds at all ranks. For the RE changes, you will no longer be able to cross terrain with an untargeted dash. The untargeted dash speed is reduced from 1450 to 950, and RE no longer increases untargeted dash range or reduces cooldown by 50%.
R Ability Adjustments
Additional changes include the initial damage and wall damage type being switched from magic to physical. The duration of R drops from 20 to 15 seconds, and it can no longer be canceled. R no longer provides bonus AD, but instead offers more bonus attack speed and 50% armor penetration.
Omnivamp and Other Adjustments
The omnivamp is now a flat 20% instead of scaling from 15% to 25%. With these massive changes, it’s difficult to determine Cante’s power level until he’s tested on live servers. As a result, his tier list placement won’t be adjusted for now, but changes will come mid-patch next week.
Vladimir’s W Max Strategy Nerf
It looks like Riot intends to kill off the W Max strategy for Vladimir, which has become extremely powerful lately. They’re doing this by reducing W damage to minions from 100% to 60%. We wouldn’t be surprised if Vlad’s win rate actually goes up this patch, as Q Max might return to the meta, which historically has had a higher win rate than W Max, even in patch 14.18.
Vlad’s Future Tier List Placement
If Q Max does make a comeback, like we suspect, then Vlad will remain a solid A-tier pick. However, if you’re still playing W Max, he’s probably no better than a B-tier champion now.
Influence of Item Changes on the Top Lane Meta
Let’s talk about how the item changes will affect the top lane meta and what some of the bigger shifts are. If you’re looking for a complete rundown of every item change, check out the patch 14.19 review, as it covers all the details in depth.
Fighter and Tank Item Adjustments
The key takeaway is that most fighter and tank items are losing anywhere from 5% to 15% gold efficiency. There’s a trend among Bruiser items where their damage is dropping, while a few are seeing their health increased. The primary theme is a reduction in damage, which will decrease the overall snowball potential and reduce the ability to secure solo kills when hitting item power spikes.
Impact of Changes on the Top Lane Meta
What will this mean for the top lane meta? Champions with kits that scale well should come out on top. Less damage means fewer kills and longer games on average, so champions that get stronger as the game progresses will benefit from this patch.
Rise of Tanks in the Current Meta
Less damage also suggests that tanks will see a nice indirect rise. If it’s harder for fighters to take down tanks, they’ll be able to compete for priority in the side lane more easily and have a better chance of matching rotations when a team fight is about to start.
Key Tanks to Watch
Cho’Gath, Sion, and Dr. Mundo are a few tanks to keep an eye on, as they scale incredibly well and will enjoy the slower pace of the game. These champions thrive in longer matches where their scaling potential shines.
Fighters That Benefit from Slower Games
Other than tanks, fighters with true damage in their kits or those that scale well with time or levels will become indirectly stronger. Nasus, for example, should rise, as longer games directly benefit his ability to stack Q. Fiora, with her percent-health true damage from her passive, will also be a strong counter if a tank meta emerges.
Increasing Threat in the Side Lane
Fiora will remain strong as her side lane threat becomes more dangerous the longer the game lasts. Warwick and Olaf are also interesting champions to watch due to the changes Riot is making to Biscuit Delivery. Biscuits now grant more health on use and permanent health, rather than mana.
Biscuit Delivery Changes and Impact
With these changes, Warwick and Olaf, who thrive at lower health levels, could become even more deadly. They’ll be able to outlast enemies on low health and potentially become unkillable. Champions that fall off in longer games and lack impactful team fights will struggle in patch 14.19.
Champions Falling in Strength
Aatrox, Renekton, and Pantheon are a few melee top laners expected to drop in strength. These champions tend to struggle in extended games without major teamfight impact, making it harder for them to win in this patch.
Top Lane Tier List Adjustments for Patch 14.19
Fiora and Ornn are moving up to the OP tier, while Irelia, Pantheon, and Renekton drop to B-tier. Tanks are expected to become stronger, with Dr. Mundo and Sion moving out of B-tier. Cho’Gath and Ornn are expected to be the standout tanks, while champions with true damage like Darius, Garen, Fiora, and Camille should perform well, being placed in S or OP tier.
Elise Buffs and Jungle Meta Impact
In this patch, Elise receives a significant buff. The major change is to her E interaction with Flash, allowing her to now E-Flash, making catch plays more reliable. Her E cooldown is also reduced from four to three seconds. While experienced Elise players will see a power boost, the average player’s win rate might not rise significantly.
Elise’s Position in the Jungle Tier List
For now, Elise remains in the Jungle A-tier, but if this quality-of-life buff proves more impactful than anticipated, she may move up in the mid-patch tier list update. The changes will affect both top lane and jungle similarly, with fighter junglers losing damage on their one-item spikes.
Impact of Sunfire Aegis Changes on Jungle Tanks
Tanks in the jungle could see a boost, as Riot is increasing the monster damage ratio on Sunfire Aegis from 100% to 150%. Sunfire Aegis is not losing much early game power, with only its bonus health scaling on passive damage being nerfed. This change favors tanks like Zac, Amumu, and Rammus, who build Sunfire.
Thornmail and Rammus Buffs
Rammus, in particular, will be worth watching, as Riot is increasing the armor on Thornmail and reducing its cost from 2,700 to 2,450 gold. These changes should elevate his strength, especially compared to other fighter junglers.
Thornmail Buffs and Impact on Rammus
Many items are over 3K gold, so the fact that Thornmail is now only 2,450 gold will allow Rammus to hit his one-item spike much faster than most other junglers. Although most fighter and lethality items are losing damage, a few AP items are gaining power, leading to interesting shifts in jungle dynamics.
Lich Bane Changes and AP Junglers
Lich Bane is getting more flat AP, although its movement speed and haste are reduced to compensate. Champions like Evelynn, who can stealth and don’t rely as much on movement speed to find openings, could benefit. Evelynn will deal more damage on her one-item spike, making skirmishes against fighter junglers easier.
Other Junglers Benefiting from Lich Bane
Junglers such as Ekko, Elise, Nidalee, and Diana, who rush Lich Bane, will also see stronger burst damage on their one-item spikes. On the other hand, Liandry’s is being nerfed, with its AP dropping from 90 to 70. This should impact meta junglers like Amumu, Udyr, and Lillia, though the impact will depend on their matchups.
Nerfs to Eclipse and Fighter Junglers
Eclipse is getting a flat nerf, losing 10 AD and seeing a cost increase. Champions like Lee Sin, Hecarim, Jarvan, Xin Zhao, and Kayn will become weaker as a result. Overall, many fighters and AP junglers are weaker this patch, while tank junglers and certain AP junglers should see marginal improvements.
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Tank Junglers Rising in 14.19
Zac is moving up into the S tier as tank champions are expected to perform better with longer games. Zac, being a tank with percent health damage, will thrive in extended matches. Shyvana is also moving back into the S tier since her E damage and dragon form scale with levels, making her tankier as she stacks more dragons.
Junglers Weakened by Eclipse Nerfs
Junglers who rely on early to mid-game power, especially those who rush Eclipse, should be weaker in patch 14.19. Lee Sin, Hecarim, and Xin Zhao are examples of junglers likely to suffer from Eclipse’s significant nerf. Although Rek’Sai doesn’t build Eclipse, her reliance on snowballing the early game means she’ll lose relative strength as well.
Lich Bane Changes and Affected Junglers
Nidalee and Elise are harder to evaluate since Lich Bane, though nerfed in movement speed and haste, is gaining more flat damage in 14.19. Unlike other items, Lich Bane isn’t seeing a flat-out nerf, so these junglers remain unchanged in the tier list for now, as their performance depends on how they adapt to the patch.
Kindred’s Scaling and Patch 14.19
Kindred is one jungler who should benefit from longer games, thanks to her natural scaling through collecting marks. As the game stretches out, her potential for scaling damage will make her stronger in this patch compared to other early-game focused junglers.
Mid Lane Champion Adjustments for Patch 14.19
We’ll give Syndra a bump into A tier for now. Mid lane will be interesting in this patch, as several champions won’t be heavily impacted by item changes. For example, Syndra remains strong due to Luden’s and Storm Surge retaining their damage, even though their movement speed and haste are slightly reduced.
Scaling Mages Benefiting from 14.19
Syndra has built-in scaling from her passive, so longer games will benefit her. Mages with strong extended fight power, such as Anivia, Orianna, Swain, and Aurelion Sol, will also enjoy this patch. These champions will likely see an uptick in strength as longer fights and games play to their advantages.
Burst Champions Struggling in Patch 14.19
Burst champions may find it harder to win in patch 14.19, especially AD assassins. Zed, for example, has been rushing Eclipse, but with the item losing 10 AD, he’s likely to get weaker. Unless a new meta build for Zed emerges, he will struggle if Eclipse remains the best option.
Fizz and the Impact on Burst Assassins
Fizz, another burst assassin, will also face challenges in this patch. Since many burst items are being hit with nerfs or adjustments, Fizz’s ability to close out fights quickly could be diminished, making him less effective than in previous patches.
Mid Lane Adjustments for Patch 14.19
Champions like Yasuo and Yone will be worth watching due to the return of Lethal Tempo. Their overall effectiveness will depend on how strong the rune is once it hits the live servers, making it challenging to predict their power levels accurately. For now, we will place them in A tier.
Mage and Burst Champion Trends
The overall trend for mid lane in this patch shows that mages with extended fight strength are rising, while champions reliant on bursting are dropping. Looking at the mid lane tier list, the OP tier now features Sylas, Aurelion Sol, and Syndra. Sylas was already strong in patch 14.18, and with less burst damage in the game, he should thrive even more.
Rising Stars: Sylas and Swain
With built-in scalings, Sylas moves up to S tier, as longer games will allow him to stack more AP and become a greater threat. Swain is another mid-laner to watch; he has excellent scaling and can become incredibly tanky. His extended fight strength positions him as a sleeper OP champion in this patch, allowing him to front-line effectively in team fights.
Falling Champions: Fizz, Zed, and LeBlanc
Fizz, Zed, and LeBlanc are all being pushed down the tier list for patch 14.19. We believe that burst assassins will find it more challenging to achieve success in this patch, given the overall reduction in damage across the game.
Tristana Changes in Patch 14.19
In patch 14.19, Tristana is the only ADC receiving direct changes due to her dominance in pro play. With a win rate around 44% in solo queue, Riot aims to help her with several base stat adjustments. Base AD will increase by 80 per level, and her attack speed ratio will also see an increase.
Key Stat Adjustments
Tristana’s auto-attack range will rise, while health regeneration and armor per level will decrease. The passive bonus range is set to be reduced, and her Q ability’s bonus attack speed will increase by 10% at all ranks. The base damage of her W ability will be lowered, but it will now include a 75% bonus AD ratio.
Changes to Abilities
The slow effect on W will decrease from 60% to 40%, and the passive damage on E will also be reduced. E’s base damage will drop, but its bonus AD ratio will rise. The damage amplification per stack on E will change from 30% to 25%. Additionally, E’s crit strike modifier will increase from 33% to 100%.
R Ability Adjustments
Tristana’s R ability will see lower damage; however, it will now have a 70% bonus AD ratio. The cooldown will be adjusted from a scaling 120 to 100 seconds down to a flat 100 seconds. The R ability will also stun targets for 0.4 to 0.7 seconds. Overall, Riot seems to be shifting Tristana away from being a strong early-game champion towards a better scaling pick.
Tristana’s Transition and Item Changes
Riot’s adjustments aim to transition Tristana back into the carry role by reducing her early game power in the mid lane. This approach will likely diminish her strength significantly. The key question remains: will the scaling buffs compensate for the early game nerfs when played in the bot lane?
Impact on Tier List
It’s challenging to predict how these changes will affect Tristana until she is available on live servers, given the multitude of adjustments. For now, Tristana will remain in her current tier, with plans to reassess her mid-patch if necessary.
Changes to Legendary Items
The upcoming patch is expected to influence the bot lane meta significantly, particularly regarding ADCs’ first legendary purchases. Most options are being nerfed similarly: Blade of the Ruined King will lose 10 AD, while Kraken Slayer will see a reduction of 5 AD, 1% movement speed, and passive damage.
Item Cost Increases
Static Shiv will also lose 5 AD, with a 5% decrease in attack speed and 1% reduction in movement speed. The Collector’s cost will increase by 200 gold, alongside a drop in lethality by two. Infinity Edge faces substantial nerfs, losing 10 AD and also seeing its cost rise by 200 gold. Finally, Enchant Reaver will lose 5 AD, with haste dropping by five and cost increasing by 50 gold. The biggest impact will likely fall on champions that prioritize rushing The Collector and Infinity Edge.
Impact of Item Changes on ADCs
The increased cost of The Collector will significantly affect gameplay, as this item provides lethality, which is most valuable when obtained early. Delaying the acquisition of The Collector makes it less appealing, complicating snowballing opportunities. With longer game durations, the average value of lethality will decrease.
Affected ADCs
Samira, Caitlyn, and Nila have been the primary ADCs rushing The Collector in recent patches, making them likely weaker this time. The return of Lethal Tempo in patch 14.19 could be significant if the rune is strong upon release, potentially reshaping the meta by favoring ADCs that can maximize its benefits.
Priority Picks for the Patch
Champions with built-in scaling who can leverage Lethal Tempo, such as Kog’Maw, Jinx, Vayne, and Kai’Sa, should be prioritized. Kog’Maw’s W provides percent health damage, while Kai’Sa has percent health damage from her passive. Vayne’s W deals true damage, and Jinx benefits from passive resets, making them strong choices.
Challenges for Early Game Reliant ADCs
On the other hand, ADCs like Draven, Lucian, Samira, and Nila, who rely on winning early to mid-game, may struggle. If games extend beyond 25 minutes, facing hyper-scaling enemies supported by enchanters will pose a significant challenge. The patch will likely result in longer games due to reduced damage on items.
Rise of Hyperscaling ADCs
Hyperscaling ADCs are expected to gain strength in the current patch. For the ADC tier list, Kog’Maw is moving up to the OP tier, while Jinx is dropping down to S tier. Kog’Maw should perform exceptionally well this patch as games last longer, making his percent health damage increasingly valuable.
Support Changes and Impact
There has been a noticeable shift towards enchanters in the support role. Lulu received buffs in patch 14.18 and is now seeing considerable play. Senna is currently regarded as one of the most overpowered supports in the game, while melee supports like Leona have been nerfed significantly, reducing their priority.
C Tier ADCs
Aside from Tristana, none of the ADCs in the C tier, which were nerfed in previous patches, are receiving buffs for patch 14.19. While champions like Smolder might improve slightly due to the patch’s reduced snowballing nature, their overall power remains low.
Notable ADC Options
For those looking to utilize scaling ADCs, Kai’Sa, Jinx, and Kog’Maw are among the most powerful options. Sivir, with a low play rate of around 2%, has been somewhat overlooked, but with the return of Lethal Tempo and her strong scaling, she may become a more viable choice and is being moved to the S tier.
Support Item Changes
To round out the discussion, there are no direct buffs or nerfs for any supports in this patch. However, the changes in the ADC meta could influence support choices moving forward.
Item Changes Overview
Let’s dive into the item changes affecting support champions. The legendary support items most frequently rushed are crucial to discuss. Echo of Helia is losing some AP, and both its siphon passive damage and heal are being reduced. Mandate is having its cost decreased by 50 gold, but its passive is significantly nerfed as ally bonus movement speed is removed.
Impact on Support Items
Moonstone will see its AP lowered by five, health reduced by 50, and its passive strength diminished. Locket is also receiving nerfs, becoming less tanky as it loses five armor and five magic resist. Warmog’s will be losing movement speed as both its base and passive movement speeds are decreased.
Support Meta Predictions
Overall, it appears that most rushable support items are losing a similar amount of power. For this reason, we anticipate that the support meta will not change significantly from its state in patch 14.18. If anything, the strong picks from that patch will likely become even more dominant, as ADCs will deal less damage.
The Rise of Enchanters
This adjustment should benefit enchanters, as they will not be as easy to eliminate. In contrast, melee supports are expected to lose some power due to these changes.
Support Tier List Overview
Support champions will not be as powerful with less damage coming from their ADCs. Considering this, here’s how we have aligned the support tier list for this patch. Senna is expected to be absolutely god tier, as her built-in scaling from her passive allows her to thrive in longer games.
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- Focus on Champions Over Items
- Adjustments to Top Lane Champions
- Cante’s Ability Changes and Adjustments
- Vladimir’s W Max Strategy Nerf
- Impact of Changes on the Top Lane Meta
- Increasing Threat in the Side Lane
- Elise Buffs and Jungle Meta Impact
- Thornmail Buffs and Impact on Rammus
- Tank Junglers Rising in 14.19
- Mid Lane Champion Adjustments for Patch 14.19
- Mid Lane Adjustments for Patch 14.19
- Tristana Changes in Patch 14.19
- Tristana’s Transition and Item Changes
- Impact of Item Changes on ADCs
- Rise of Hyperscaling ADCs
- Item Changes Overview
- Support Tier List Overview
- Focus on Champions Over Items
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New tier list for patch 14.19 – massive item update!