We’ve got a little bit of everything in 14.3 with a ton of champion buffs, lots of nerfs to overpowered champions, and over 12 items being adjusted.

Comprehensive Update on League of Legends

We’ll be breaking it all down and providing you with a complete update on the solo queue tier list for every single role, thanks to the help of our Challenger players and analyzing the most recent data.

Item Changes and Adjustments

Let’s start off by covering all the item changes. First up, we have some buffs to Rageblade. The AD and AP on the item are both being increased by five, and the build path is being swapped around as well. Definitely watch out for Vayne this patch, as she’s a Rageblade user who has already been performing pretty well in 14.2. A few other champions who will benefit from this buff include Kalista, Kog’Maw, Master Yi, Kai’Sa, and Varus.

Essence Reaver has become one of the more niche items in the game, so Riot’s looking to buff it up for 14.3. The AD on the item is being increased from 55 to 60. Gangplank, Ezreal, and Sivir are the three champions who are building ER more than anyone else right now, so they’ll benefit the most from this buff. With the Collector and Ghostblade nerfed for this patch, we may see ER priority rise back up on Draven as well.

Luden’s Companion and Other Mage Item Buffs

A few buffs are being issued to Luden’s Companion, with its AP increased from 90 to 95, cost is being lowered from 3,000 to 2,900 gold, while the passive base damage per stack is up, while the scaling damage is down. Many of the weakest mages from 14.2 have been Luden’s users like Zyra, Orianna, and Zoe, so they’ll be getting a much-needed boost from these buffs.

A bit of a power shift is going on with Liandry’s Anguish as Riot will be reducing the cost of the item from 2,800 to 2,700 gold. However, they’re nerfing the damage overtime AP ratio from 6 to 5%. Magic resist shred is being altered as well, going from six scaling to 12 to just a flat 10 at all levels.

Some Archangel’s Staff and Rod of Ages buffs are on the way as well. The cost of Archangel’s is going to be lowered from 3,000 to 2,900 gold. As for Rod of Ages, Riot will be increasing the health on the item from 350 to 400.

Mana and Champion Boosts

Mana is going up from 300 to 400. Champions that can build both Rod of Ages and Archangels will see a nice boost for 14.3. Some of those notable champions include Anivia, Ryze, and Cassiopeia. Moving on to the item nerfs now, we have The Collector being targeted as the AD on the item is going down from 60 to 55. ADCs like Samira and Nila, who have been rushing The Collector in recent patches, will be hurt the most by this change.

Item Nerfs and Adjustments

Kik Rooker will be hit with its first much-deserved nerf of season 14. There are actually two separate changes: Riot will be reducing the shield max health ratio from 20 to 18%, and shield cooldown is nerfed as well, going from 12 to 15 seconds. Kic should still remain a great pickup in games where you’re trying to hard counter heavy magic damage, as we don’t see these nerfs killing the item by any means.

Ghostblade and Ranged Champion Nerfs

There are a few nerfs to Ghostblade planned for this patch, but the changes will only affect ranged champions. Out of combat movement speed is down from 40 to 25, and active movement speed has been lowered as well from 20 to 15%. Champions like Jace, Miss Fortune, Graves, and Jhin will be feeling this nerf the most.

Proc Damage Reduction on Items

A bunch of items will have their proc damage reduced in 14.3, including Lich Bane, Hextech Alternator, Rocket Belt, Echoes of Helia, Static Shiv, Stormrazor, Ravenous Hydra, and Titanic Hydra, all dealing less damage. Even though the damage proc on Static Shiv is being reduced, Riot will be compensating the item with a buff as the cost is going down from 3,000 to 2,700 gold. AD Twisted Fate has actually been really liking Shiv, so it will be interesting to see how these changes affect him.

Stridebreaker Overhaul

To round out all the item changes, we have the biggest change of them all as Stridebreaker will be getting a pretty massive overhaul. The build path is going to be changed as Phage is no longer a component and taking its place will be TMF. The cost of Stridebreaker is going up from 3,000 to 3,300 gold, health is being increased from 400 to 450, AD is down from 55 to 50, active cooldown is being reduced from 20 to 15 seconds, while the active will now have its damage back as it’s given an 80% AD ratio. Whether this change turns out net positive solely rests on how impactful the change to the active is. From the stats alone, the cost going up by 300 is not worth gaining 50 health and losing 5 AD, so where the value is being made up is in the active. The fact it’s taken this long to see Trundle nerfs is kind of crazy.

Trundle Adjustments in 14.3

But we’ve got some coming for 14.3 as Riot has two nerfs lined up. The base health of Trundle is being reduced from 686 to 650, and Q base damage is going down as well by 10 at all ranks. These are nerfs that solely target Trundle’s early laning power but don’t really affect his mid to late-game split push. Definitely nerfs that will hurt the champion, and he’ll no longer be OP, but with the split strength of the champ still intact, we still believe Trundle will be a really great top lane pick for the lower ranks. Especially for the tier list placement, we’ll be shifting Trundle from OP into S tier.

Yorick’s Comprehensive Changes

Riot has a plethora of changes planned for Yorick. Let’s have a look: Q Mana cost is going down, Q heal is no longer doubled when below 50% health, however, Q will now heal for four scaling to 8% missing health. Q healing is going to be reduced by 50% against minions and monsters.

E cast time is buffed, going from 0.33 to 0.25 seconds. R mark damage is being reduced, however, R mark proc cooldown is being removed. It’s really anyone’s guess as to how impactful these changes will turn out as there’s just so much going on here.

We’re not going to jump the gun and preemptively move Yorick up the tier list until we see how these changes shape out on live servers, so he’ll remain in the C tier for now, and we’ll provide you with a more accurate rating for our mid-patch tier list update.

Illaoi’s Significant Enhancements

These Illaoi changes are looking absolutely incredible and should give her so much more viability for 14.3. Illaoi’s tentacle range is being increased, showcasing a significant improvement in her ability to control the lane. Now, with the extended reach, Illaoi can impact the mid-lane dynamics more effectively, enabling her to hit the enemy even if they’re positioned centrally.

This adjustment adds considerable strength to Illaoi’s trading pattern in lane, enhancing her lane presence and skirmish capabilities. However, to balance this substantial buff, there are some compensation nerfs. The base damage on Illaoi’s tentacles is being slightly reduced, and the tentacle AD ratio is also seeing a decrease.

Overall, these modifications are expected to be highly beneficial for Illaoi, potentially elevating her status in the game. With the enhanced utility and strategic depth these changes introduce, Illaoi is likely to rise in the tier list, transitioning from A to S tier, reflecting her increased potency and versatility in gameplay.

Top Lane Tier List Reshuffling

The upper echelon of the Top Lane sees a bit of retooling for 14.3 as a result of Trundle leaving the OP tier. Three champions will now lock down OP tier spots as we’ve got Aatrox, Malphite, and Zac. Aatrox has been by far the most popular top lane champ in recent patches and for good reason, as he’s a powerhouse solo carry in season 14, synergizing really nicely with the new item Sunfire Aegis. Zac in the OP tier is probably a shock to many; however, recent indirect changes have been huge for him, and he started to gain a lot more attention in the top lane with more health being added in runes.

Zac’s Adaptation in Season 14

For 14.2, it’s perfect for Zac as he has a massive amount of health scaling in his kit. The new magic resist items that were added for season 14 make Zac an incredible answer to magic damage comps. Being able to run Hollow Radiance instead of Sunfire Aegis and then build into Spirit Visage second makes Zac unkillable against AP heavy comps.

Shift in Top Lane Meta

At the very start of the season, we saw a lot of AP top laners dominating and played at pretty high rates, so it indirectly shifted Malphite’s priority down. However, AP tops are now being played way less due to many of them being nerfed, and it’s given rise back to Malphite as one of the most consistently powerful top lane picks. We’ll be taking a look at the Wukong changes in just a moment when we cover the jungle changes; however, the buffs will positively affect Top Lane Wukong as well, so we’re moving him up the tier list.

Jungle Adjustments and Champion Changes

Eight junglers are being changed for 14.3, and first up, we have Nidalee. Nidalee will have her magic resist growth increased, going from 1.3 to 1.45. Her E will receive three separate buffs with the base heal going up, heal AP ratio going up as well, and E attack speed will be getting a nice boost. For the higher ELOs, Nidalee could make a push back into the meta as a decent jungler, but for the majority of ELOs, we don’t see these changes moving the needle enough, so we’ll be leaving her in the B tier for now.

Shyvana’s Potential Resurgence

AP Shyvana has been an absolutely terrible pick to start season 14, so Riot’s trying to help her out a little. Q attack speed ratio is going to be increased by 10% at all ranks. Q first hit AP ratio is up from 35 to 50%. W movement speed AP ratio is going up from 80 to 120%. A Bruiser style of Shyvana with Titanic Hydra and Sundered Sky has been performing way better than AP so far this season, and we don’t see that priority shifting as a result of these buffs. If you really want to play Shyvana right now, definitely try out this Bruiser build on her as it’s performing quite well. We definitely think Shyvana is a little bit better than her overall win rate of 46% may suggest right now, so with these buffs factored in too, we’ll be pushing her out of the Jungle basement, going from C into B tier.

Tia’s Enhancement in 14.3

Tia is getting a really simple but extremely effective buff for 14.3, as Riot will be increasing her Q damage by 10 at rank one. Nice buff to help with Tia’s early clear and give her a bit more added skirmish power and kill threat when looking for ganks. E cooldown is being buffed as well, going from 16 scaling to 14 seconds to just 14 flat at all ranks. Tia has been hovering just below an A-tier position in recent patches, so with these buffs, we’ll be bumping her from B into A.

Wukong’s Top Lane and Jungle Buffs

A couple of Wukong buffs are penciled in this patch, with his Q buffed in two separate ways. Q bonus range is going up from 75 to 135 scaling to 175, so the exact same at max rank but way higher at rank one, which will give Wukong some added skirmish power early on. This buff honestly helps the trading power of Top Lane Wukong more than it will for Jungle, though the next buff is a scaling change to Wukong’s Q bonus AD ratio, going from 45 to 55%.

Wukong’s Buffs and Potential Impact

Down is the final buff, as it’s being reduced to the later ranks only, going from 10 scaling to 8 seconds to 10 scaling to 7 seconds. Likely not quite enough to actually bring Wukong back into meta as a highly competitive pick, but we’ll be moving him out of the C tier and into B due to the changes.

Jungle Champions Facing Nerfs

So, with those jungle buffs out of the way, let’s have a look at the champions being nerfed. No surprise to see Brand on the nerf list, as he’s held upwards of a 54% win rate in 14.2. To try and combat this, Riot will be reducing Brand’s passive monster damage from 220 to 200%. On top of this, Q base damage will be lowered by 10 at all ranks. These changes really shouldn’t be the end of the line for Brand jungle, as we still expect him to remain a competitive pick, so we’ll only be adjusting him from OP down into S tier.

Lillia’s Adjustments

Competing with Brand throughout 14.2 for the title of the most OP jungler was Lillia, so she’ll be nerfed this patch too. Passive damage AP ratio is dropping from 1.5% max health to 1.25% max health. Q AP ratio is down as well, from 45 to 35%. So, more of a scaling nerf here to Lillia, but considering that’s really where she’s thrived in recent patches, the changes will definitely hurt. Since you’re able to proc passive damage so consistently throughout an extended fight, the nerf will definitely add up over time. Just like Brand, Lillia will be removed from the OP tier in 14.3 and pushed down into S.

Rengar’s Early Game and Scaling Adjustments

Rengar nerfs will be dropping this patch, with his early game and scaling strength both being targeted. Base health is dropping from 620 to 590. Q AD ratio is being lowered but at the later ranks only. Empowered Q AD ratio will be reduced from 140 to 130%. Deserved nerfs for how much Rengar has been excelling in recent patches, and as a result, we will be moving him from S into A tier.

Shaco’s Jungle Focus Changes

We have a few Shaco changes that are skewed more positively towards jungle instead of support. Mana growth is being reduced from 0.45 to 0.35. W Mana cost is going down, but the later ranks only. W damage to monsters is up by a significant margin, being increased by 10 at rank one and by 30 at max rank. E Mana cost will be increased, going from 65 to 75. So, the biggest takeaway from these changes is that Shaco’s early clear will become a bit faster in 14.3. Will that really be enough to bring him back into meta, though? Most likely not, so we’ll be leaving him in the jungle B tier for now.

Shift in Jungle Tier List

So, if we have a look at the jungle tier list, with Brand and Lillia both hit with nerfs, we’ll see priority shift a bit for this patch. Brier and Nocturne will be taking over the OP tier slots. Remember, Ghostblade nerfs only affect ranged champions, so Brier is safe from that one. The Collector nerf will hurt her a little, but even though lethality builds are most popular on Brier right now, it’s Bruiser that’s becoming better, so she really shouldn’t be affected by the 14.3 changes. Nocturne has continued to assert his dominance in season 14 and is an exceptionally strong champion right now.

Impact on Trundle and Malphite in the Jungle

Now, being able to abuse a Hexplate rush to its fullest potential, Trundle and Malphite are both being nerfed due to their excellent standing in other roles, but those nerfs will negatively affect them in the jungle as well, which is why they’re being moved down the tier list.

Mid Lane Adjustments

Much lighter of a patch for mid lane compared to jungle, as there are just three midlaners being adjusted. Azir is first up and, as far as we know, Riot just has one nerf in the pipeline. There may be another, though, so just watch out for the patch notes. Base mana regen will be dropping from 7 to 5.

The Lichbane changes are honestly the ones that will be more influential in shifting Azir’s power. He’s been liking Lichbane as a second purchase in recent patches, but with the damage proc nerf, it’s going to make his mid-game slightly weaker. We’ll be leaving Azir in the mid lane A tier for the time being but may need to shift him lower for the mid-patch update depending on how the Lichbane nerfs pan out.

Power Shift for Aurelion Sol

Aurelion Sol will be experiencing a significant power shift for 14.3, with a substantial portion of his strength being transferred from E to Q. Star Dust stacks per champion hit are increasing from 1 to 3, making engagements more rewarding. Additionally, the mana cost for Q is being reduced from 45 to 30, enhancing his ability to engage and poke in lane.

The W ability is also seeing improvements, with both mana cost reductions and cooldown enhancements. This adjustment, coupled with the increase in Q damage while using W, incentivizes a more dynamic and aggressive playstyle. However, the E ability is facing a nerf, with a reduction in Star Dust stacks gained from units dying within its effect, which curtails some of the passive play associated with E.

Overall, these changes are designed to promote a more active and engaging playstyle for Aurelion Sol players, encouraging constant interaction and strategic use of abilities in lane. This approach is expected to enhance the gameplay experience with Aurelion Sol, making it more rewarding and enjoyable in the long term.

Adjustments to Corki

Despite Corki being a weaker-performing champion in Solo Q, he’s seeing play in the pro scene again, which means Riot has to pay more attention to him. A few changes are being issued for this patch, and most notably, Corki’s passive duration is being lowered from 60 to 45 seconds.

Corki’s Passive and W Adjustments

This is a pretty big hit and will drastically reduce the window in which you can find catch plays with the package. A couple of buffs to W are being issued to compensate, but they’re pretty negligible. The W cooldown is being reduced, but at the later ranks only. The W mana cost is going down from 100 to 80. Considering W is not an ability that you spam out off cooldown in lane, the mana cost reduction doesn’t really matter that much. The W cooldown buff means very little as well since you max the spell out last and won’t get full benefit from that buff until Level 18. We honestly think Corki becomes weaker due to these changes, with the passive nerf outweighing the W buffs, so we’ll be moving Corki into the mid-lane C tier for 14.3.

Mid Lane Tier List Adjustments for 14.3

We have a couple of adjustments to discuss for the mid-lane tier list in 14.3, as the OP tier will be seeing a shakeup. Twisted Fate will remain on top as we moved him up during our 14.2 mid-patch update; however, he’s now going to be joined by Anivia and Cassiopeia. Buffs to Archangels and Rod of Ages indirectly benefit Anivia and Cassiopeia, and they’ve already been performing very well in recent patches, so we think these item buffs will push them over the top. We covered the Taliyah changes when going over the jungle, and they’ll be quite positive for mid-lane Taliyah as well, so she’s getting a push into S tier. Karma mid will become significantly weaker this patch due to the RQ AP ratio nerf, so we’re bumping her down into the mid-lane B tier.

ADC Changes and Implications

There are just two ADCs in line for changes for this patch. We have a few buffs to Zeri: base AD is going from 53 to 56. R cooldown is buffed at the earlier ranks only, going from 100 to 80 seconds at rank one. Considering Zeri has been the lowest win rate ADC in 14.2, these buffs are definitely needed, but they don’t seem big enough to actually push her into the upper echelon. We’ll be giving Zeri a small push up the tier list, going from C into B tier.

Ezreal ballooned into holding the highest play rate for any champion in the game during 14.2, so Riot is looking to pull back a bit in 14.3. Q AD ratio is being lowered from 135 to 130%. However, it’s worth noting that Essence Reaver is being buffed this patch. Therefore, the impact on Ezreal’s Q damage might not be significant when Essence Reaver is completed. The R damage will decrease, as both the base damage and bonus AD ratio are being reduced. Despite these nerfs, given the Essence Reaver adjustments, Ezreal’s overall impact might not be severely diminished, and he will remain in the ADC A tier.

Ziggs’ Bot Lane Buffs

Riot’s looking to bring some life back to Ziggs’ bot lane for this patch, as they’re buffing his armor. Base armor is going from 18 to 21, while armor growth is being increased from 4.5 to 4.7. W cooldown will be getting a nice buff as well, going from 24 to 20 seconds at rank one. Considering you max W out last on Ziggs, this is quite a nice change. Ziggs should be back in a pretty good spot.

ADC Meta Shifts and Tier Adjustments

For solo queue, and we’ll be moving him from B to A tier as a result. It’s mainly the indirect changes to items that will influence the ADC meta for .3, so let’s have a look at the adjustments we’ve made to the tier list. The OP tier is no longer locked down by just Miss Fortune, as Vayne will be moving up and joining her. Vayne benefits from the Rageblade and Essence Reaver buffs this patch, as her on-hit build has her building Rageblade, while her burst build revolves around Essence Reaver. If you’re looking to spice up your ADC champion pool, ADC Twisted Fate is actually a legitimate pick now. He’s been performing really well with an energized build of Static Shiv, Stormrazor, and Rapid Firecannon, and you’ll find him placed in the ADC A tier.

Varus and Kalista’s Rise

Varus and Kalista are both being bumped up a tier due to the Rageblade buffs, while Samira and Aphelios are going to be moved down as a result of the Collector nerf. Samira is one ADC who’s solely been running the Collector as her rush item, so the nerf will hurt her the most.

Smolder’s Arrival and Potential

Smolder has now made his way to live servers and, despite his low win rate, he’s looking like a pretty strong champion. Essence Reaver buffs this patch will give Smolder a nice indirect boost, and as more players begin to understand his kit, the win rate should steadily rise. As we predicted in our Smolder starter guide, the champion is seeing much better success in the lower ranks due to his scaling power.

Support Adjustments: Pyke and Karma

Pyke has fallen behind the pack in recent patches, so Riot’s looking to bring him back for 14.3. Base armor is going up from 45 to 47. Q mana cost is being lowered from 74 to 70 at rank one. E damage is down at rank one; however, it’s being buffed at the later ranks. W movement speed is being increased, with the base value and lethality scaling going up. These buffs should do the trick to bring Pyke back into parity with many of the other good solo queue supports, so we’re shifting him from B into A tier.

As a result of her 14.2 buffs, Karma’s play rate spiked super hard, so a few nerfs are lined up for 14.3. RQ base damage is going down, and RQ AP ratio will be taking a hit as well, going from 70 to 50%. This change definitely hurts midlane Karma more than it does support; however, support Karma will still be negatively influenced, and we’ll be moving her from A into B tier.

Maokai’s Adjustments

Some much-needed Maokai nerfs are being issued, as the champion had an astounding 55% win rate throughout 14.2. Base mana is going down from 7.2 to 6. Passive base heal is being removed, while the max health heal is going up, but at the later levels only. Q cooldown is being lowered at rank one, while mana cost on Q is down from 60 to 40. E cooldown adjustments are also expected to balance his early game presence and scaling potential.

Maokai’s Gameplay Adjustments

The cooldown of Maokai’s E is being changed from 14 seconds flat to 16 scaling to 12 seconds. E Mana cost is nerfed early on but buffed when fully maxed out. R cooldown is the final change, with the spell being increased by 10 seconds at all ranks. Considering how dominant Maokai has been, these changes don’t seem that bad.

Early game strength is definitely down, but the mid to late game power of Maokai doesn’t really get affected that badly. E is actually now stronger when fully maxed out, so we may see a poke style of Maokai support come back instead of full tank. Even if Maokai were to lose up to 5% off his win rate from these changes, he would still be a viable support champion. We’d be surprised if these nerfs hit that hard. So for now, we’re only going to be shifting him from OP tier and into S.

Zyra’s Balance Update

The final champion being changed in 14.3 is Zyra, as we have four unique adjustments. Base Mana regen is being reduced, going from 13 to 7. Mana regen growth is up from 0.4 to 0.8. Q Mana cost is down from 70 to 55. W’s small unit cooldown refund is being increased from 20 to 35%. Whether these changes positively or negatively affect Zyra is hard to say; however, whichever way they go, we don’t expect a very big power shift overall, and Zyra will be placed in the support S tier.

Support Meta Overview for 14.3

The overall theme of the support meta won’t be changing very much for 14.3. The OP tier will be locked down by two champions, as we have Bard and Janna on top. Bard has been an insanely powerful carry in recent patches, and even though the Kick Rooker nerfs hurt him a little for 14.3, his power is not 100% dependent on that build, so we expect him to continue dominating in a meta where engage is king.

Janna fits in really nicely right now, as her disengage power hard counters so many highly picked champions. The meta continues to favor supports that have strong setup, as other than Janna, there aren’t any enchanters that really stand out right now. With so much early game focus being around bot lane in season 14, picking someone like Yuumi or Lulu is just not of great value, since they struggle quite a bit in those early skirmishes.

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