Less than 24 hours into the new patch, and we already have another one incoming to hotfix most of the outliers. This is peak League of Legends for much of the player base since there are so many new things to try out in the preseason. Apart from new and reworked items, we also have massive changes to the jungle, experience, communication, and much more. Strap in as we go on a wild ride for a few months before everything falls into its place.

Preseason 13 brings new items

If you thought about playing assassins, good luck. Ever since the durability update midway through season 12, we have been going toward a tank meta. And this preseason didn’t change much in that matter. In fact, most would argue, tanks and bruisers have gotten even stronger. Apart from reintroducing some of the most broken items in the history of the game, we are seeing new ones pop up. 

New Tank Mythic items in preseason 13

Jak’sho the Protean

We are not sure what Riot were doing with the name and description of this item, but here we are. Each one of three new tank Mythic items builds out of extremely favorable build paths. Each component that’s used can be purchased for less than 500 gold.

The item gives:

• 400 Health
• 30 Armor and Magic Resist
• 20 Ability Haste

You might think that a 3000 gold price tag is low for an item giving so much combat power, but wait until you read the passive. For each second in combat, the item gives 2 armor and 2 magic resist per stack. And this stacks up to eight times. At max stacks, you deal 3% of your maximum health as magic damage to enemies around you. But you also heal for the same amount. Your resistances are increased by 10% for the rest of the fight and the mythic passive gives 5 Armor and Magic Resist for each Legendary item. Good luck to anyone playing against a Swain with this item in the preseason, we are in for a good time.

Radiant Virtue

Thankfully, the second new Mythic item for tanks is geared towards providing utility. Radiant Virtue gives the exact same stats, and builds out of the same components for the same price as Jak’sho. But the mythic passive of this item is focused on empowering you and your teammates. 

After you use your ultimate ability, the item will transcend you, increasing your maximum health by 10% for 9 seconds. Your allies in a range of 1200 units gain 15 ability haste on their non-ultimate abilities and heal for 1% of your maximum health every 3 seconds. This item gives 100 health for every Legendary item built but be prepared for Shen players abusing this as they use their ultimate in bot lane this preseason. 

Heartsteel

This is the last of the new Mythic items for tanks, which is focused towards dueling in a side lane. It builds out of the same build path as Warmog’s Armor, and gives similar statistics with 10 extra Ability Haste. The passive of the item charges up as you near an enemy, and your next basic attack against them does extra damage. 

You also gain 10% of the damage you did as a permanent health increase, with a 30-second cooldown per enemy. The mythic passive also gives 1% of your maximum health for every legendary item you have purchased and increases your champion size by 6%. Get ready for some really big Cho’gath’s this year, especially in other game modes. 

Spear of Shojin and Rod of Ages are back in preseason 13

For some reason, Riot continues to make the game feel like it’s 2016. This means, we are bound for another Ardent meta and gutting of the ADC items. Making tanks the most overpowered class in the game, and trying to counter them by reinstalling items that were removed for the same reason. Spear of Shojin on Jax and every other top laner is a meta nobody but top lakers had fun in, but here we are.

Spear of Shojin in season 13 gives 65 Attack Damage, 300 Health, and 20 Ability Haste for the price of 3400 gold. But it also gives additional Ability Haste based on your damage numbers when using immobilizing spells. The mythic passive also gives bonus movement speed the lower your health is, helping you chase or run away from enemies. Good luck to anyone trying to fight a Jax with 3 items and no cooldowns in a side lane, who you also can’t auto-attack or run away from. 

Rod of Ages

Rod of Ages is returning as a new Mythic item for mages in this preseason, mostly geared toward battlemages who are short-ranged and like extended fights. Ryze players must be ecstatic to see their favorite item return, giving a similar set of scaling statistics. Rod of Ages now gives 60 Ability Power, 300 Health, and 400 Mana for 3200 gold. The item gains 20 health and mana, as well as 4 ability power for every minute since purchasing it, stacking up to 10 times. Once fully stacked the item evolves, restoring mana equal to 6% of damage taken and health equal to 205 of mana spent. For every 250 health regained, you also get a 25% movement speed increase that lasts 2 seconds.  The mythic passive also gives 5 Ability Haste for each Legendary item purchased.

Machine-gun Cassiopeia is back on board with this item, helping her fight multiple enemies at once if the player is skilled enough.

Ravenous Hydra and Navori Quickblades on the rise in preseason 13

Well if tanks were getting new toys, it was only fair bruisers got new and improved ones as well.  Apart from Shojin being reintroduced, Ravenous Hydra also went through a few but significant changes in this patch. But they were so impactful, that the items started getting rushed every single game, leading to a hotfix nerf in less than 24 hours. 

The item received a new passive, giving it a scaling aspect and making it similar to Mejai for bruisers. You get one stack for every minion and two stacks for every champion, jungle monster and cannon minion you have slayed. At 40 stacks the item gives 24 Attack Damage and 4% Omnivamp, and you lose half of the stacks on death. Bruisers like Fiora, Riven and Irelia have been rushing this item with great success, making it impossible to fight them if you die once. 

On the other side of the map, bot laners didn’t see many changes to their role this preseason. Ever since the Mythic item update a few years ago, every bot lane champion has used Infinity Edge in their build. That’s why Riot is changing Navori Quickblades to make it an alternative to it, gearing towards champions that use abilities more than auto attacks.

 Similarly to Shojin and Infinity Edge, Navori now reduces the cooldown of your non-ultimate abilities by 15% if you have at least 60% Crit chance. Your abilities can also deal up to 204 more damage based on your critical strike chance. This is probably the first move to make champions like Xayah and Lucian use this item, implementing it alongside Essence Reaver. 

Old tank items receive changes in preseason 13

And just like that Turbo Chemtank, Sunfire Aegis and Iceborn Gauntlet are no longer Mythic items as preseason 13 rolls around. They lost some of their passive abilities, some of their stats and are now also cheaper as Legendary items.  But Randuin’s Omen and Abyssal Mask underwent the biggest adjustments of the already existing tank items. 

Randuin’s now costs 3000 gold, gives 400 Health instead of 250 but gives 60 Armor instead of the previous 90. The crit damage reduction has been moved away from the active to the passive like it used to be prior to season 12. This makes the item easier to use and fitting in more situations.

Abyssal Mask now builds out of Catalyst of Aeons, which gives it the same passive as Rod of Ages. The Mask has been underutilized and forgotten since the Mythic update, but returning the mana component should help tanks sustain even more.

Header: Riot Games