Hey all, Yangzera back with the most hype news of the month! It’s balance patch week and today we got a big one. Let’s get right into the changes cause there’s a lot of ‘em, shall we?
The Nerfs
Champions’ Strength
As someone who really despises the play pattern of every CS deck, I’m very happy to see this nerf. The decks take a substantial hit in power and the card demands a much more interesting play pattern where your units have to attack first and then rally, instead of just throwing in whatever trash units you can gather and press the “I win” button hoping it works.
Sump Monument
God bless Riot for this preemptive change. Puffcaps weren’t the strongest thing in the world, but with Eternal taking the power level of the game up a notch alongside a lot of buffs in this patch it is safe to assume a lot of combo oriented decks would use and abuse Sump Monument’s effect to guarantee one extra turn against pretty much every situation.
Condense
I really wish this change was a speed change from burst to focus, but a mana change is still pretty good as it gets harder to do extended combos with condense. Overall a very good change that works alongside other nerfs.
Swain
This change is a byproduct of how well Swain works with Watchful Idol
. I do think it’s a nice change but it means Swain is probably locked up in Bilgewater for the foreseeable future. Other Swain decks really got hur by this change while Illaoi Swain didn’t feel it a lot.
Purifying Flames
Elusives would be really strong after all these nerfs and taking them down a notch is probably a good idea. This nerf alongside the Sump Monument change will not only help delaying their clock but also diminish their toughness – I like it.
Pirouette
This is the most elegant change this card could have had. A lot of times Pirouette is used as a plunder activator to start combos without the need of committing cards you can’t fail to activate like Stylish Shot
. I really like this change but would still appreciate something on Samira
directly even though I think she’s a very interesting and fun card to play.
Fish Fight
It really deserves the nerf, being the best interaction Demacia or Jax have. It’s still a strong card at 3 mana, but at least now both Aatrox and Jax decks need to give up a little bit more tempo to represent it. As a side note, this change makes the Aatrox mirror extremely token turn and draw dependent, which takes away a lot of nuance to it. Sad, but needed.
Lord Broadmane
Broadmane is now vulnerable to much more things then before when at 5 health, and the jump from 4 to 5 really is huge. Being “sentry flockable” is a big thing in Eternal and dying to most interaction or double 2-damage spells is very relevant – good change.
Vaults of Helia
We have to see if this revert to Vaults puts it back in the unplayable tier (it probably does) or if Nasus
is still playable. I predict Vaults is dead and buried 6-feet under, but time will tell ifthis is true or not.
Squeaker
Another revert, but not as big of a chance as the next one. Squeaker really was the MVP of both Jinx
Kennen
and Jax
Teemo
. Most mecha-yordles are premium statted units, so having access to those on a nicely statted two drop was a little bit much. Squeaker will still be a relevant card, just not as easy to take a lot of value off as it’s pretty easy to favorably block him.
Return-O Wrench
They really did it. They killed this card. Words fail me as to how surprised I am that this amazing card was completely murdered. Poor card.
Fleet Admiral Shelly
I like this change, especially going into the Eternal season and given how they chose to approach Nami
, putting her in the center point of spell slinging archetypes. As a war kwiminal with over 🙂 300 confirmed kwills :), Shelly’s nerf is deserved and it really leaves players to find if there is still a way to abuse them.
Buffs (And oh boy there’s a lot of them)
Jax
Being able to gain Jax’s level 2 buff trigger on the same attack he levels up is very nice, but this will still delay his level up in most cases. Still, in the cases he does level up at the same pace, this is certainly a buff and a very welcomed quality of life change.
Akshan
This revert is massive for Eternal where we still have access to The Absolver
, but serves as a small push for Akshan in Standard, where he really feels lackluster compared to the format where shurima has in-region health buffs and easy access to Overwhelm.
Poro King
Poro King’s change is great and adds a lot of value to him. Currently, it’s too easy to miss value because you need to take at least two actions to generate one special Snax. This buff alongside the Eternal card pool giving poro decks access to Poro Cannon
is a massive change that can really help Poros make it as a viable archetype.
Riven
This small buff doesn’t change almost anything about Riven mechanically, but fixes her interactions with equipment buffs, which is a nice QoL change.
Nami
This is a nerf and a buff at the same time. While it’s infinitely more difficult to level Nami up, the massive payoff to doing so is finally back! There will be experimentation with nami and there is no doubt in that, but we will have to see if Eternal is too fast paced for the tidecaller to find the moonstone and save her people. I’m really happy with this change.
Lee Sin
It was about time Lee Sin got his old level up quest back. Especially now that Momentous Choice
is a single cast spell, I believe Lee Sin can go back to what he was and not be a problem.
Vladimir
Vladimir’s rework looks amazing. An extra piece of removal for his decks, even if it’s as much as 2 damage sounds very nice. You can also instantly flip him given the right circumstances and turn him into a big removal piece. Very excited to test him out on Freljord and even SI builds with Hecarim
.
Blimp-Pack Poacher
A small buff to an underused Ambush card. It’s not a good card by any means after this, but it’s a less terrible pull off of manifest cards, which is decent.
Bristlehog
I didn’t understand why this guy wasn’t a 3/3 when he was first released and I’m glad riot went ahead and fixed the problem! Still, I don’t think that makes the card much better, but it’s at least playable now.
Sun Guardian
As riot said, the recent nerfs to daybreak and Samira really hurt the deck, so bringing Sun Guardian back sounds like not a bad choice.
Dragonguard Lookout
As much as I like this change, it feels like dragons is an archetype that wants to go slightly later then a 6 drop rally can do. I might be proven wrong, but I’d say the Confront
and Strafing Strike
changes are much better for that goal.
Confront
This change is amazing. Dragons as an archetype lacks a little bit of value outside of combat and the new Confront unifies both. Alongside Strafing Strike and Dragon's Clutch
can put dragons on the menu of midrange strategies. We’ll have to see, but for the first time I’m hopeful for the archetype.
Strafing Strike
Read Confront.
Dawning Shadow
Just when I was questioning myself where was the Heimerdinger
Jayce
nerf, they come up with a random buff to Ferros Financier
, and therefore, to Heimer Jayce.
Rocket Barrage
I’m not hopeful for Rocket Barrage, but it is a much better card now. My only concern for it on Eternal is that there’s not a lot of 1 health units, most have 2 or more health. This card certainly messes up Jinx Kennen but the nerfs to Return-o Wrench and Squeaker definitely do a better job at that.
Eradication
There aren’t many mana breakpoints that change with Eradication’s buff other then you being able to play a 2-drop like Ceaseless Sentry
on round 4 before casting it.
Realm’s Caretaker and Portal Scholar
These changes are so minor but I am very interested in how much will change that these cards can be discounted by Gleaming Lantern
. I think curving Lanter on 3 into Caretaker on 4 is massive and there should be something there.
Withering Mist
This one change sounds really big because the card really is some sort of Avalanche
now depending on the circumstances, and you can curve it with a 2 drop like Ceaseless Sentry.
The Fangs
In my opinion the game has evolved to the point that a 4-drop with 2 health won’t really make a difference in the meta but I don’t completely disregard The Fangs buff. It really is a long time coming and I’m excited to finally play invoke again.
Thorny Toad
As a fearsome blocker now, Toad looks like a playable card, but I don’t think the Deep deck has room for more cards, especially in Eternal where it has to fit in Atrocity
. Non Sea Monster units generally Toss 3 cards so even though Thorny Toad is a much better and playable card, I sadly don’t think it will make the cut on deep decks.
Yone
This revert on Yone is very welcomed, and we have to see if he’ll fit into a Seraphine
Ezreal
type of deck in Ionia. The possibility is there, but testing is necessary.
Windfarer Hatchling
I like this buff, but I think Windfarer Hatchling comes a bit late for what Ionia elusives would like to do.
Scattered Pod
What I really dislike here is it losing the 6th point of health. Aside from that, playing a card early is always nice, and now Ionia gets a well-statted 5 drop. Curving Pit Professional
into Smooth Mixologist
doesn’t have to be followed by Sett
anymore.
Mountain Scryer
This guy has a real body now which is amazing. It’s still hard to see a mono targon deck outside of Atrocity things, but that is still a start. I predict Mountain Scryer will see a lot of experimentation.
Ancient Crocololith
I don’t think this buff does anything outside of making the Concurrent Timelines
Combat Cook
highroll even more annoying to deal with.
Swiftwing Lancer
This is a pretty good change for the card itself but it will only be relevant in Remembrance
decks, in my opinion, but those (mostly Jayce Lux
) just got gifted Epic Scraptraption
, so I don’t see this card or Remembrance being used in main decks.
Greathorn Companion
Read Swiftwing Lancer’s thoughts.
Laurent Chevalier
This change is relevant for Demacia/Ionia decks, but the problem is competing for curve slot with both Shen
and Fiora
. Also, Demacia/Ionia isn’t the best region combination historically.
Academy Prodigy
Yay, revert Lucian
! Unplayable!
Lost Riches
There’s a chance this card gets tested out, but I don’t think Deep is winning through Treasures anymore, but it’s still a super funny card to play on meme decks.
Fuzzy Caretaker
This card is pretty good now, there’s a chance you can try playing Lulu
Shen in a more aggressive way with it.
Loping Telescope
The Fangs is still an infinitely better card as long as telescope is 3 mana.
Yordle Newbie
I don’t think you play this card anymore especially after a pretty good Yordle in Portal Scholar just became a Fae. It’s still a better card to pull from one drop generators like Marai Warden
or Island Navigator
, though.
Arbitter of the Peak
This guy do be big, and if Taric
Poppy
sees the light of day again, there’s a chance he comes in the package.
Giddy Sparkleologist
My favorite card! Hopefully the 3/3 statline is enough to make her playable, especially given how good it feels to land her buff on Zoe. The new Startipped Peak
activaets her on curve too, and that’s pretty good to have.
Wish
Tahm Raka is a specific meta answer deck that doesn’t really need Soraka
’s champ spell to function, but a buff is always a buff.
Startipped Peak
I always loved this card and now being able to play it on 3 and get the value early feels extremely good. It also activates Giddy Sparkleologist on curve if you need to use it on a 2 drop champion or something like Zoe
. I love it.
Rimefang Wolf
Random Ashe
buff no one cares about that won’t really change the deck or how strong it is, but maybe Zombie Ashe could benefit from this change if it gets to be meta.
Avarosan Outriders
The random Rickorex buff! I like Avarosan Outriders and there’s a fun little deck you can do with it but I think it will mostly not be played much.
Wyrding Stones
Stones got reverted to a 0/4, maybe if it gets reverted to 2 mana too it becomes a good card again.
Molten Breath
Another buff to Dragons that could work, but I would personally much rather if this card said “Your strongest Fury ally” instead of something you pick from your board so unit removal wouldn’t stop this card if you had at least 2 dragons on board.
Stalking Broodmother
This change sadly won’t make this card playable.
Abyssal Guard
This guy’s effect would be much better if he was an elusive, and I don’t think fearsome will make the cut for him because the buffs last for a round only.
Insightful Investigator
Piltover and Zaun has better draw tools then Insightful Investigator nowadays. Formula
does a magnific job at filling Piltover’s necessity for draw spells.
Radiant Guardian
Radiant Guardian’s 5th point of attack makes a bit of difference as it’s extra healing and damage being threatened. I like the change as that makes the activated Radiant Guardian much scarier because her clock is 1 round faster.
Ritual of Renewal
Perhaps my favorite change of the patch, even though it might not be as big as I’m predicting it to be. Ritual to burst speed really makes it so Ionian Tellstones
is an enticing card again but I’m worried about the loss of Homecoming
being too big for the card. I still don’t see a reason to run hard copies of Ritual of Renewal on the main deck, but I can be proven wrong by enough successful testing.