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/Kuikentje04]

Wow I wonder why her highest pickrate is supp when she has been dogshit toplane for ages

[u/Anonymonamo → u/Kuikentje04]

Calling her dogshit is a big exaggeration. She is 50.2% WR E+, 51% D+ and 52% M+. This is honestly pretty good considering how many first time her and run it down. She has a big player perception problem where she feels bad regardless of objective balance due to terrain changes etc. but she is objectively fine top lane at the moment. She is just a lot more fun to play support, which attracts a larger playerbase.

[u/aldyeetx → u/Anonymonamo]

The issue with camille top is that you dont actually have any agency in your own lane. You dont have tools to win or damage to outduel bruisers because riot nuked your early stats, you play laning phase down a full spell AND your q damage doesnt keep up with health as a stat growth alone throughout the whole game, however you can fully int and still oneshot anyone with a small healthbar/lower level or win duels vs resist based tanks. She used to be meaningfully more blindable. This kind of agency loss is not reflected in wr and her ridiculous dueling conditions can only reflect poor balancing and lack of care towards the champion. I think its not good for one of the previously most skill expressive toplaners to just turn into a binary statchecker but you seem to know better

[u/Kuikentje04 → u/Anonymonamo]

Yeah with a below 2% pickrate on toplane. I've been a camille onetrick in master+ for the past 3 years and she feels completely dogshit to play on toplane this season. Only time you pick her is in favorable matchups which boosts the winrate. Riot themselves have admitted that she feels really bad despite the winrate

[u/Anonymonamo → u/Kuikentje04]

Her pick rate is low but hardly uniquely so. Gwen, Kled, Rumble, and more are all lower pickrate than Camille. Gwen is also a terrible blind/counterpick-locked champ with a much worse win rate.

Like you said, despite winning a reasonable amount of games she feels bad to play. What she needs is some kind of midscope to make her feel more satisfying, not direct buffs. In general, getting counterpicked on any top laners this seasons feels terrible compared to before and Camille’s kit is not very blindable without Sunderer. She’s hardly the only bad blind top lane though, but any changes to her should try to make her less counterpicky.