The latest iteration of League of Legends, patch 13.21, brought sweeping changes to several champions, among them, a few who have undergone nerfs. This deliberate toning down of certain champions aims to address their overwhelming strengths or excessive dominance within the game. Let’s delve into the alterations made to Aurelion Sol, Briar, Caitlyn, Dr. Mundo, Jinx, and Rammus.
Key Takeaways
- Adjustments to Aurelion Sol’s scaling abilities and Jinx’s passive stacking cap aimed to reduce their overwhelming late-game impact
- Changes to Briar’s scaling, Caitlyn’s itemization impact, Dr. Mundo’s offensive potential, and Rammus’s early game strength
Table of Contents
Aurelion Sol: Diminishing Celestial Power
Targeted Ability: Q – Breath of Light
- Magic Damage per Second: 45/60/75/90/105 (+55% AP)
- Burst Magic Damage: 60/70/80/90/100 (+35% AP) (+3.1% Stardust) percent of target maximum health
Aurelion Sol’s trajectory from an overpowering late-game scaling mage to a more balanced champion began with this patch. The alteration to his Q ability focuses on aligning his late-game prowess with his early game performance, reducing his dominance in late stages without compromising his viability throughout the match.
Briar: Reducing Snowballing Power
Base Stats:
- Attack Speed Growth: 2.0%
Passive – Crimson Curse:
- Heal if Bleeding Target Dies: 125% of remaining bleed
Briar, a champion that shined a bit too brightly after the previous patch, has seen adjustments. The alterations to her attack speed growth and passive healing aim to control her scaling, preventing her from snowballing excessively as the game progresses.
Caitlyn: Balancing Lethality and Critical Strike Builds
Passive – Headshot:
- Bonus Physical Damage: 60/90/120% (+ (85% Critical Strike Chance) * (100% Critical Strike Damage))
R – Ace in the Hole:
- Cooldown: 90 seconds at all ranks
- Physical Damage: 300/500/700 (+170% bonus Attack Damage)
- Bonus Damage from Critical Strike Chance: 0-50%
The changes to Caitlyn in this patch revolve around her playstyle variation. The modifications to her passive and ultimate ability are meant to rein in the potency of her full lethality builds, maintaining a balance between lethality and crit-based itemizations.
Dr. Mundo: Trimmed Offensive Potency
E – Blunt Force Trauma:
- Passive Bonus Attack Damage: 2/2.25/2.5/2.75/3% maximum health
Dr. Mundo’s power was reined in by the alterations to his bonus attack damage, ensuring a more balanced offensive impact without compromising his ‘going where he pleases’ style of play.
Jinx: Tamed Explosive Potential
Passive – Get Excited!:
- Stacks Cap: Jinx can now only get 5 stacks of Get Excited!
Jinx’s overwhelming potential to end games quickly in uncontested situations was curtailed. This nerf restrains her ability to accumulate stacks, thus mitigating her rapid and game-ending movement across the battlefield.
Rammus: Reintroducing Weaknesses
Q – Powerball:
- Magic Damage: 80/110/140/170/200 (+100% AP)
W – Defensive Ball Curl:
- Bonus Armor: 30 (+35/45/55/65/75% total armor)
Rammus, who emerged as a dominating force in the previous patch, was subject to adjustments, primarily to reintroduce weaknesses in his early game. The alterations to his Q and W abilities aim to re-establish a more balanced gameplay experience, especially targeting his early game efficiency.
These nerfs across multiple champions in patch 13.21 showcase Riot Games’ dedication to maintaining a balanced and diverse gaming environment in League of Legends. By adjusting the strengths of powerful champions, they ensure that no single champion reigns supreme, encouraging a more strategic and engaging gameplay experience for all players.
