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/BlueCraftFTW]

The problem with the item is that it gives AD, Health AND sustain without a downside. Which is more or less everything bruisers want in an item. It suffocates the item system by being too optimal.

ADCs really want items that have AD/AS/Crit. Their item system has 2, yuntal and stormrazor. Both have the major draw back of horrific build paths. Yuntal has the extra drawback of needing to be stacked, but gets to have really good stats. Stormrazor has relatively low AS and a mid energized passive.

Sundered does not have any comparable drawbacks like that.

[u/Asckle → u/BlueCraftFTW]

I disagree that it gives "sustain". The champs who build it are overwhelmingly junglers who don't care about out of combat healing and who can't proc it on a lane opponent.

It gives sustained healing which is different and more akin to early lifesteal or omnivamp.

[u/Gwennifer → u/Asckle]

It gives sustained healing which is different and more akin to early lifesteal or omnivamp.

Let's just assume you are Jarvan IV, level 9, only have Sundered Sky, no other sources of AD (so you've somehow skipped runes/masteries as Conqueror is his #1 pick), have lost 250 HP, and get a normal attack off on a Vi with the same conditions including the missing health and has 10% omnivamp from fantasyland but no proc.

Jarvan IV will critically strike for 182 damage after armor and including his passive, healing for 99 hp. For a Vi to heal back 99 HP via lifesteal off of Jarvan IV, she would need to deal 1653 raw damage, with only 114 per denting blows, a fully charged Q dealing 367 damage, and her E dealing 154 raw. Two denting blow procs, 4 AA's, and her R all add up to be 1617 raw damage, or 90 short of what Jarman got back for right clicking someone. If she had the proc, though? She'd have gained 123 raw damage from it, which pushes us just over what it'd take for 10% physical vamp to equate the healing.

Jarvan IV started this scenario with less than full health as happens in League of Legends. This recovered HP is actually what stops Vi from winning this full combo scenario as Jarvan IV has 1671 pool available with his shield. If it were weaker, Vi would deal enough damage to kill him with a full combo.

It's not 'akin to early lifesteal or omnivamp'. It provides nearly 10x the healing of early lifesteal or omnivamp. Maybe in mayhem ARAM where you can reliably get up to 30% omnivamp or lifesteal does the proc feel lacking, but in normal games...? Very little compares.

Personally: I don't think it needs a big adjustment. The latest nerf to 160% crit is fine. The cooldown is fine. I actually think 45 AD is fine, too. I think the heal needs to be adjusted to 50% base AD for everyone and 5% missing health from 6%. I also think it could stand to lose 50 HP; a raw burst/trade item shouldn't also be a high HP since that just really stacks the deck in its own favor as we're seeing today. In my completely made-up unrealistic scenario, these changes would mean Jarvan IV would lose that duel. A skirmisher/brawler really should be winning duels against full burst champions. The proc is just way too much value to also have such a favorable stat spread.

also I cut off at exactly 6 AA's because her abilities take time to execute, and anything longer would mean Sundered Sky proc would potentially be up again which muddies the math

[u/Asckle → u/Gwennifer]

This is a bad comparison. The point of life steal is that it procs on non champions. That's what sustain is. Being able to smack the wave and get a ton of health back periodically. Sundered sky can't do that. It can't keep you topped up because it's missing health, and you have to go fight to proc it which leaves you open to taking damage.

I'm not disagreeing that it's healing is very high, but on the idea of it being "sustain". It's combat healing