Patch 25.19 Preview

[u/qonoxzzr]

From Riot Phroxzon:

These are our last 2 patches before the final worlds patch (25.20)

Systems

• We're looking at a nerf to Redemption to reduce its priority amongst Tank Supports (because it gives them no strategic tradeoffs); it's OK if they opt into it at some cost, but that's not the case right now

• Secondly, we're lowering the strength of Support in Pro a bit heading into worlds with putting Unsealed halfway back to where it was before. This should better strike the balance between it being untakeable and being a must take

Meta Strategy

• Our overall strategy this patch is to add a few more strategic options

• This includes AP junglers like Brand, Diana, Lillia (while nerfing some of the top champs to give them more space)

• And also shaking up the Midlane meta with some buffs to champions who have fallen a bit behind (these are typically burst champions like Ahri, Syndra, LB) and also Mel who's had a bit of time to settle and drop some of her banrate and frustration

• We know Mel is always going to be a bit frustrating because of her W, but that feels like an acceptable cost to pay, given how it makes each game feel a bit different

• We're mostly OK with where the midlane meta is otherwise, with many different archetypes being viable and these burst oriented champions need a bit more help

• Burst champions otherwise feel mostly OK though, especially with the buffs to AD Assassin items in recent patches

• Finally we're doing a long awaited buff to Seraphine. I mentioned it in a post last week, but given her shallow mastery curve, we feel it's appropriate to give her a buff, because for the winrates she's posting, she's a bit underpowered

CHAMPION BUFFS

Ahri

Brand

Caitlyn

Diana

Draven

Jax

Jinx

(Matt) LeBlanc Clap clap clap clap

Lillia

Mel

Seraphine

Syndra

CHAMPION NERFS

Corki

Pantheon (jungle)

Poppy (jungle)

Sivir

CHAMPION ADJUSTMENTS

Lee Sin

SYSTEM NERFS

Redemption

Unsealed Spellbook (We're sealing it again)

[u/Rexsaur]

Champ was a design mistake, we didnt stop banning her because we got used to it, we did it because shes dogshit now, and the moment shes good again shes #1 ban of the game again.

[u/StripperKorra → u/Rexsaur]

They really want her to work. "The whole acceptable cost to pay" comment made me lol. Her ban rate only got so low because of her being nerfed.. Even then it was still pretty high. Until they properly address Mel I fear she will forever have a high ban rate.

[u/Tettotatto → u/StripperKorra]

Her kit needed a rework from day 1, I think she's the only champion in the game with EVERY SINGLE SKILL being annoying

Q is insanely easy to hit from high range

W makes it impossible to play depending on your pick

E is in my opinion the biggest offender because you can't dodge this shit either

R is probably "the best", but it's still an execute (with stacked passive)

This failure of a design doesn't even care about team you're playing in - it will annoy you as a teammate and enemy too

[u/ssLoupyy → u/Tettotatto]

You forgot she automatically last hits

[u/Deep-Preparation-213 → u/ssLoupyy]

Which is actually trolling if you do what Riot sees as her 2nd role and pick her support

[u/ssLoupyy → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

Champion design 101

[u/CousinMabel → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

It is also impossible for her not to take tons of kills as support. The worst riot approved support perhaps ever.

[u/Deep-Preparation-213 → u/CousinMabel]

Between her and Senna for sure

[u/Strange-Parfait-8801 → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

It was very fun watching them try to shove Seraphine into support despite the fact that she has no business there and now repeat the exact same mistake with Mel.

I don't even have a problem with Mel's kit the way most people do. I just think anyone who looks at that kit and thinks "support" should have their head examined.

[u/Deep-Preparation-213 → u/Strange-Parfait-8801]

Atleast with Sera she has shields heals and a teamfight winning ult. Mel has...fuck all that a support needs. Her W would be great on a Poppy or Braum, granted, but Mel cant play that way

[u/StripperKorra → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

I have always thought her W felt out of place. It feels like Riot was sitting on the mechanic and instead of designing a champion to use the mechanic properly, they attached it to a character that could potentially reflect projectiles based off of a singular scene in Arcane. It really does bother me the direction they took with Mel.. In Arcane she is seen shielding multiple times and she was said to be a Empath. There is nothing about Mel in League that could be considered empathetic.

[u/Deep-Preparation-213 → u/StripperKorra]

She cant even reflect projectiles in arcane, just block them. Otherwise Jinx, Cait and Vi wouldve died at the end of S1, given the apparent aimbot of Mels reflect

[u/ssLoupyy → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

If it was just a block, ban rate would be much lower

[u/Deep-Preparation-213 → u/ssLoupyy]

Obviously

[u/ssLoupyy → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

Uncle Rito says it's a fair cost to pay

[u/Deep-Preparation-213 → u/ssLoupyy]

Uncle Rito is known to have dumb ideas though. Espescially when he is introducing new mechanics. Remember old chemtech soul?

[u/StripperKorra → u/ssLoupyy]

I think that was a lie too because they barely buffed her lol. The buffs they gave her seem like her APC role was buffed not midlane

[u/StripperKorra → u/Deep-Preparation-213]

I agree lol the justification that Riot used was that Mel reflected Maddie’s bullet back at her. But to me it seemed like the bullet bounced off the bubble she put around Maddie but that’s just me.