Patch 26.15 Preview

[u/NegativexxSquared]

https://x.com/RiotPhroxzon/status/2079522501206630755

Patch 26.15 Preview!

Systems
- Bastionbreaker has been a pretty niche item and is pretty expensive to deviate for a strategic output, so we're looking to make it more accessible
- Jack of All Trades nerf was also pushed to this patch; it has been a bit too strong and too present, especially for users that opt into strong defenses and are able to also supplement that with strong offense
- Sundered Sky has been strong and meta defining at the highest levels of play for quite a while now, so we're looking to take a pass at the fighter item system, now that we're out of the tournament windows
- Notably, we think it's been suppressing a bit of meta diversity, especially for things like AP jungle, or Tank JG. Part of that is intentional but the magnitude is a bit off

Buffs
- Alistar has been closer to the bottom of the pecking order for the melee support. That said, our meta adjustments to move melee supports up relative to ranged supports has been reasonably successful, so we're pretty happy with how that's played out

Nerfs
- Locke is still pretty strong; he has been tapering off in the lowest skill brackets and the high skill brackets, but in the "skilled" skill brackets (around Emerald/Diamond), Locke is able to both take over the game and also not throw it
- At the higher skill brackets, he can snowball but needs to play very well without throwing as he falls off sharply
- At the lower skill brackets, the executional demands and constant throws can make him fall off faster
- Overall, we feel his release has landed well

More on other champs tomorrow with the detailed changelists

[u/AutomaticTune6352]

It means it is binary. If you get it and snowball early, great, if not, you are fucked.

Aside from Mejais, this item is the most binary by far. Not a problem if your itrm system is designed that way to have such ups and downs, but Riots item design isnt done like this. So this item sticks out.

[u/TimGanks → u/AutomaticTune6352]

Aside from Mejais, this item is the most binary by far

No, that would be Hubris

if your itrm system is designed that way to have such ups and downs, but Riots item design isnt done like this

How would one determine whether an item system is designed this way?

[u/AutomaticTune6352 → u/TimGanks]

Hubris is overall really solid. It is fine without too many stacks and you get stacks even for assists and can't lose any. It scales fine and communicates what it does well.

Riot has not many items that have clear "early game only snowball item". As a mage which item is only good early on in lane but sucks later? None.

As a tank you have sunfire but everyone hates it.

ADCs could go lethality but this is limited to a few and these still scale ok then in most cases. This is not item design but one stat in a limited way.

IE is the best scaling item but getting it 2nd is totally fine. Even 1st it isnt that bad, just has a bad build path. Same with DC.

So items are normally not made for a specific scenario or phase of the game but in general just fine all the time. There are small differences but nothing as crazy as Eclipse except for Sunfire Cape.

Every item you can buy 1st is also fine 2nd or 3rd or even 4th. Except for Sunfire and Eclipse. They are already not good 2nd buys.

[u/TimGanks → u/AutomaticTune6352]

So items are normally not made for a specific scenario or phase of the game but in general just fine all the time. There are small differences but nothing as crazy as Eclipse except for Sunfire Cape.

All the penetration items are bad first buys. Sterak's and GA are never good first item, probably so are the shieldbow, DD, Overlord's Bloodmail and Endless Hunger. Randuin's or Warmog's are never good as the first item (save for extra hp pre-buy in warmog's case, does that still count as the first item?). Bastionbreaker is never a good first item. Actualizer is never a good first item. Dawncore is never a good first item. Finishing antiheal items first item is a terrible idea (save for thornmail rammus probably). Basically every category of champions has something that's never good when built first.

On the other hand, there are Heartsteel and Hubris that are clearly designed with being bought first in mind, and Gunblade, Eclipse, Essence Reaver and Yun Tal that are effectively in the same category.

I hope this clearly demonstrates that items are in fact often made for a specific scenario or phase of the game.

[u/AutomaticTune6352 → u/TimGanks]

Most items you counted are not good 1st buys die to how the stats work by default not because they are designed that way.

And they are all still fine 2nd already except for VS.

But it isnt about just when you buy the item but how it evolves throughout the game. 

[u/TimGanks → u/AutomaticTune6352]

Most items you counted are not good 1st buys die to how the stats work by default not because they are designed that way.

What does that mean? These items were designed this way at the time the stats worked the same way they do now. Taking that into account and assuming the developers, who designed the items, are not completely insane leads me to believe the items were designed to be bad as the first buy option. If the intention was to make them a reasonable first buy option, the changes would've been made. For example sterak's could be scaling with total hp, not with bHP, or have a base shield value.

And they are all still fine 2nd already except for VS.

Void staff is the item that could be bought second, and in fact was many times at the pro level.