League of Legends Patch 13.4 Breakdown

The jungle role is once again undergoing changes. Patch 13.4 covers quite a few areas including support items. With the changes patch 13,3 making an immediate impact on the meta, it seems that we will need more articles to keep you up to date.

Champion buffs on League patch 13.4 

The revamped version of Ahri made its mark on season 12. Dominating at the highest levels of competition was an everyday occurrence. Her ASU sparked an increase in play rate this season, despite her being a suboptimal pick. Now, Riot is helping her survive the laning phase and buffing her ultimate ability. Her Base Health is getting increased from 570 to 590 while her Base Armor is going from 18 to 21. Her ultimate will also lose 10 seconds of cooldown at each rank. It will now be 130/105/80 seconds at levels 6/11/16.

Orianna received some love on patch 13,3 but it seems that those adjustments were not enough. She lost some of her damage and poking ability, but Riot doesn’t want to make her a nuclear threat. She now gains more safety and utility, by increasing her base armor from 17 to 20. Her W ability will also cost 10 less mana at every rank, making her escapes in this gank-oriented jungle meta more doable.

The biggest change on this buff list for the mid-lane has to be the Veigar buffs. The infinitely stacking mage has had trouble dealing damage since the durability update. But since adding more damage to his kit has never ended well, Riot are helping him with other facets. Increasing the range of his Q and W abilities should help him dish out damage from a safe distance. But it also should help him lane and scale up much faster.

Tank champion buffs on League patch 13.4 

With every new tank champion release, we get to realize how outdated the old ones are. If tanks aren’t stat padding their way into a win, they feel very underwhelming to play. This wasn’t the case during preseason, where beefy boys dominated the top lane and jungle meta. Cho’Gath is one of them, but he’s been struggling currently to win at later stages of the game. That is why Riot is increasing his armor growth per level, from 4,7 to 5. His W ability which silences enemies is also having its mana cost reduced by 5-20 depending on rank. His Q ability is also having its mana cost reduced by 10, while the damage is increased by 5-20 depending on rank.

When you mention damage, Malphite doesn’t come to mind for many League players. The AP build that everyone loves on ARAM has been nerfed to oblivion, where it’s only good when paired with a Yassuo. Malphite has been doing a fine job of shutting down AD threats, but his damage in the sidelane has been lacking. That’s why the cooldown on his W ability is getting reduced by 20 at all ranks. The cone damage from activating the ability is getting increased to scale better with his armor stacking. And the same thing is happening with the empowered basic attacks it gives, having another 5% of total armor being added to it as damage. 

Riven and Viego adjustments in patch 13.4 

A champion meant to counter this armor-stacking goliath is Riven. Two very old champions that still manage to find their footing in season 13. But Riven gameplay recently has become more and more about abusing items, rather than playing the champion. And those that did invest a lot of time mastering her, are making her feel oppressive. To solve both issues with one change, Riot is targeting her passive ability. It will now apply the bonus damage on towers as well, but only 50% of it. It will also show her stacks where her mana bar should be if she had any, making it easier for newer Riven players. The passive damage will now scale linearly, instead of having major power spikes at certain levels. It goes from 30/36/42/48/54/60% bonus AD on levels 1/6/9/12/15/18  to gaining 1.75% bonus AD per level.

Viego went on to dominate both ranked and competitive play shortly after his release. There was so much sustain, bugs, and frustrating mechanics that Riot had to chop off. Now he feels like a shell of his former self, with not enough damage. A good change he received last year was making his Q ability able to critically strike. Now the passive damage on it is also receiving the same effect, adding a bit more damage to his crit build. His ultimate ability will now also do more damage based on his bonus attack damage, further incentivizing this new trend.

Bot lane champion buffs on League patch 13.4 

Alistar was one of the few tank support champions that found themselves on the buff list for patch 13,3. But unlike the rest of the crowd, he didn’t benefit as much from them. Taking away the teammate’s healing on his passive in team fights turned out to be a game changer. That’s why they are reverting the change while keeping the buffs. In fact, the AP ratios on his Q and W abilities are getting increased once again by 10%. These won’t make AP Alistar viable outside of ARAM, but should help him gain a footing.

If you haven’t read a book in a while, it’s time to bring out Aphelios’ kit. This champion has been on a rollercoaster ever since he was released. With the latest buff, his passive will now grant more attack speed than usual. Gaining from 2 to 9% more attack speed per rank is a major change, especially for ADC champions. Stack lethal tempo on top of it, and you have a formidable bot lane carry. 

Senna and Thresh reunite on buff list

Senna has been another victim of Riot’s balancing woes they swore to fix in their Dev Diary. She has been bouncing between overpowered in both bot lane roles and completely unplayable depending on the meta. The LCK has done a great job of promoting ADC supports to the League player base, but Riot are having none of it. They are buffing her attack speed ratios, making her a better fit in the ADC role. Her ultimate ability received 50 more flat damage on top of the 15% increased bonus AD scaling. With 20 seconds of cooldown being shaved off her ultimate ability at every rank, we might see Senna return to the ADC role.

Thresh has always been one of the most unique champions in League of Legends. He can often be define a meta, but is also prone to finding himself being useless. This is mostly due to the high skill curve required to play him effectively, and his dominance in competitive play. Riot is trying to fix this by increasing his AP ratios by 10%  and adding 20 flat damage at max rank to his Q and E abilities. They are lowering the cooldown and the shield value on his W ability, making him more of a playmaker rather than a lantern bot. The cooldown on his Q ability is also being reduced by 2 seconds at max rank and landing the hook will reduce its cooldown by another 3 seconds. Combining this with a proper build, and some Thresh players can become a major problem that doesn’t let you move.

Champion nerfs  on League patch 13.4 

Samira was one of the main beneficiaries of the Infinity Edge changes on patch 13,3. That’s why we recommended her in our season 13 bot lane guide. But Riot seems to be onto us, so they decided to nerf her on the current patch. Bloodthirster also got buffed, which resulted in her ban rate skyrocketing. That’s why they are lowering the lifesteal effectiveness on her ultimate ability, from 66% down to just 50%. The movement speed her passive ability gives has also been retooled to make her scale more properly. It went from 3.5% per stack to 1/2/3/4% per stack at levels 1/6/11/16. 

Jax is another champion that has been stomping his opponents since his recent mini rework. He still scales into a late-game monster, while having a much improved early game. That’s why Riot is reducing his health on level one by 30 health points. The AP scalings on the minimum damage his signature E ability can do have been reduced by 30%, but the maximum damage has been buffed as compensation. It received a 40% AP ratio buff, but it will also be empowered by the number of attacks dodged. His ultimate ability is also undergoing changes, with lowered passive on hit damage, and lowered bonus resistances at level 6 when he first uses his ultimate ability. 

Mid lane champion nerfs on League patch 13.4

Anivia and Ryze are the other 2 mid lane champions to benefit the most from the Rod of Ages reintroduction. Kassadin was one of them and Riot nerfed him as soon as our season 13 Kassadin guide went live. The combination of items with Seraph’s Embrace has made Anivia a force to be reckoned with. The new-found sustain is forcing Riot’s hand and they are lowering her health growth from 96 to 92 health per level, as well as lowering her armor growth by 0,3 .

Well to no one’s surprise, Annie is one of the best mid laners in the game on the current patch. Riot realized their mistake, hotfix nerfing Annie just a few days later. Now she is undergoing even more balancing changes with her base health going from 594 to 560. Her E ability will still shield for the same amount but the return damage it does will be lowered by 5-25 damage per rank. The patch 13,3 Annie changes also made Tibbers a formidable foe, so they are increasing the cooldown on her ultimate ability by 10 to 20 seconds at each rank.

Azir nerfs after dominating early season 13

Water is wet, Malphite is rock solid and Azir is the best mid laner in competitive play. Who would have guessed? Riot Games is bringing down the nerf hammer on the Emperor, lowering his early game power while buffing other aspects so casual players can win some games on him. His base mana got gutted, going from 480 to 380. As compensation, his mana growth per level was increased by 15. It went from 21 to 36. The recharge time on his sand soldier was also increased by nearly a second at all ranks, removing a lot of his early-game presence.  But Riot is making sure to help him out in other areas. Azir’s E and ultimate abilities received an increase of 15% to their AP ratios, as well as flat damage buffs at all ranks. 

Jungle champion nerfs on League patch 13.4

Amumu has been a dominant pick in all brackets of play for quite a while now. The changes to his Q ability also made him viable across multiple roles. Demonic Embrace keeps receiving nerfs, but Amumu is managing to pull through them in the jungle role. That’s why Riot is lowering his health growth per level from 100 to 94. The burn effect on his W ability is also taking a hit, mainly towards the later stages of the game. 

The season 13 jungle changes are making the Spider Queen the main protagonist in the jungle. Her clear speed only got better with the buffs in season 12 where she was basically nonexistent. But with this current meta where junglers focus on early skirmishes, she has found her niche. The team is taking away 10 to 30 base damage on her Q ability, to lower her first blood potential. They are also lowering the damage on her spiderlings in the early game, while giving them a small buff later on. That way, she can still retain her identity as a gank first farm later jungler, without ruining her late game which is already suboptimal. 

Patch 13,3 saw Jarvan IV receive a buff on his W ability which was sorely needed. It used to be one of the worst abilities in the game, but a small change made a lot of difference. AD heavy builds became the standard for Jarvan so they are scaling back a bit on his W. It will now have a longer cooldown by 1 second, at 9 seconds for all ranks. The AD scaling on the shield value is also receiving a small nerf, going from 80 to 70%. 

Maokai and Udyr reworks still overpowered

Riot Games has been hitting the mark on the recent mini-reworks. So much so that every champion so far has had to be nerfed in the near future. Maokai is next on the chopping block, with him performing admirably in 3 roles. The Saplings on his E ability have been overpowered ever since that update. Apart from being a great zoning tool that grants vision, they also do a lot of damage. This helps him clear the jungle and decide team fights in competitive play.

That’s why the cooldown on his E ability is getting increased from 10 to 14 seconds at all ranks. The saplings are also losing 5 flat damage at every rank. But losing 10% on the AP ratios, going from 35 to 25% will be felt a lot more. Not just in ARAM, but also combined with the Demonic Embrace changes. To compensate, his Q ability is receiving a 10% AP ratio buff. With this, he should still be a viable jungler, without relying so much on poke. 

Udyr has been a great champion since his VGU. One of the oldest champions in the game started dominating shortly after it, but not every facet of his kit is balanced. We already made a guide about the one shot Udyr build that focused on maxing his Q ability. Riot is nerfing it once again, by lowering the AD scalings from 30 to 25% on it. The slow on his ultimate ability stance has also been lowered by 5% at every rank. But that’s not all, with his health growth going from 98 to 92 and his base armor being reduced from 34 to 31. 

Item adjustments on League patch 13.4

Demonic Embrace has been the talk of the jungle for a few months now. Improving the clear speed of tanks has been instrumental to its rise in popularity. Not only does it scale well with their health, but it also serves as a strong power spike. That’s why the burn damage is now capped at 40 damage per second against monsters. 

Doran’s Shield has been overperforming as a starter item ever since the durability update. And that’s not because we have more tanks in the meta, although that synergy is concerning. Base health regeneration is getting reduced from 6 health per 5 seconds to 4 health per 5 seconds. 

Support Item adjustments on League patch 13.4

Nami and other enchanters have also dominated the bot lane meta since the durability update. Patch 13,3 saw some direct buffs to tank supports, but they still have a ways to go before matching in impact. Now Riot is trying to do that through their starting items. 

Relic Shield and Targons Bucklers are having their base health regeneration numbers increased by 25%. The first one went from 255 to 50%, while the latter went from 50% to 75%. The other tank support starting item in Steel Shoulderguard and Runesteel Spauders also received the same buffs.

Spectral Sickle and its evolution in Harrowing Crescent are having its charge regeneration time lowered by two seconds. Riot had enough ADC supports in the LCK, so these items will now recharge a stack after 12 seconds, instead of 10. These stacks granted 20 gold in a similar way Spellthief’s Edge works, so a minor nerf to all ranged supports.

The mage class is seeing similar nerfs to Spellthief’s Edge and its evolution in Frostfang. The charge regeneration time has been increased from 10 to 12 seconds, meaning poking shouldn’t be as beneficial as before. It was also made harder, due to the mana regeneration nerfs. The former went from 50% to 25% in bonus mana regeneration, while the latter went from 75% to 50%. Its third form in Shard of True Ice is also receiving nerfs, going from 115% to 100% in bonus mana regeneration.

Rune nerfs on League patch 13.4

Pro players have been abusing runes to enhance their power spikes for eternity. Having a completed item as opposed to 3 components makes a lot of difference, especially in organized play. It used to be selling the cookies, and now it’s the boots gained from the Inspiration tree. That’s why Riot are lowering the price they can be sold at. They will now grant just 90 gold, which is less than 30% of their initial value. Selling normal or tier two boots won;t be affected by this change. 

Riot did away with one broken rune in Ravenous Hunter, and replaced it with another one in Treasure Hunter. It quickly became one of the best runes to pick up in your secondary rune tree for nearly all champions. It’s making a big impact on the game through a lot of early snowballing, so Riot is tunning it down a bit. It’s going from 70 gold +20 per Bounty Hunter Stack, which equals 550 gold in total, to 50+20 per Bounty Hunter Stack, granting 450 gold.

Jungle changes on League patch 13.4

The preseason jungle changes made the Rift Herald one of the most contested neutral objectives. With drakes being tankier and Shelly giving more gold, teams have been fighting and contesting the Rift for the massive advantage it creates. That’s why the dev team behind League of Legends is increasing the leash range on Shelly from 1100 units to 1200. There also won’t be a soft reset state anymore, with the Rift Herald returning to its original position once its patience timer runs out. 

Clearing the jungle has been easier but slower thanks to the jungle pets added in the preseason. This has hurt champions who rely on farming to scale up, rather than ganking to create advantages. This is the reason Gromp is losing 150 health, going from 2200 to 2050. The sustain has also been buffed, with the base heal from monster kills going from 25 to 30 health. Those same jungle monsters have ‌higher AP scalings, making champions like Maokai and Elise omnipresent. Riot is turning down their damage by 3% of the junglers total ability power, giving AD junglers a better chance. 

Kill experience gains in the jungle

Junglers have always dictated the pace of the game. It’s just how the role works, and why everyone loves blaming it. But with how the most recent meta is unraveling, it’s time for some experience nerfs. Champions that farm cant compete with champions that create kill opportunities, and that’s not how balance works. Riot are making some major moves to restore this equilibrium :

• Level 1: 42 experience (15% of level) ⇒ 42 experience (15% of level)
• Level 2: 114 experience (30% of level) ⇒ 114 experience (30% of level)
• Level 3: 186 experience (39% of level) ⇒ 144 experience (30% of level)
• Level 4: 258 experience (44% of level) ⇒ 174 experience (30% of level)
• Level 5: 330 experience (49% of level) ⇒ 204 experience (30% of level)
• Level 6: 402 experience (52% of level) ⇒ 234 experience (30% of level)
• Level 7: 434 experience (49% of level) ⇒ 308 experience (35% of level)
• Level 8: 500 experience (51% of level) ⇒ 392 experience (40% of level)
• Level 9: 515 experience (48% of level) ⇒ 486 experience (45% of level)
• Level 10: 590 experience (50% of level) ⇒ 590 experience (50% of level)

Jungle comeback kill experience in season 13

The gameplay in League of Legends has been suffering for a while, mostly due to comeback mechanics. If champion bounties weren’t impactful enough, we got objective bounties last preseason. Riot Games is now increasing the comeback kill experience for jungle players. It goes from 16% per level difference between you and the champion killed to 20% per level difference (beyond the first) between you and the champion killed on patch 13.4. This means that farming junglers can play the game after the first 15 minutes even if they go wrong. We just have to be careful it doesn’t become counterproductive. A situation where both junglers are AFK in the jungle without making an impact on the map removes a lot of the skill expression to the game.