Riot Games continues the streak of patches with Patch 10.9 which includes the long-awaited FPX skins, dramatic changes to Sanguine Blade, and some much-needed nerfs... Keep reading for more details!
We mentioned in our previous article that Karthus needed some adjustments because his impact on the Summoner's Rift was overwhelming and Riot Games listened to the cries and tears of every Jungler and player around.
- READ MORE: League of Legends Patch 10.9: what to expect
Karthus has been laying waste in the jungle, so we’re nudging him back in line by targeting his ability to get around the map, while avoiding collateral to mid Karthus as much as possible."
Notable buffs
Patch 10.9 saw a wide range of champions buffed, namely:
- Cho'Gath
- Fiddlesticks
- Gnar
- Kayn
- Lissandra
- Quinn
Out of all of these, Gnar is a must-pick for the top lane in Patch 10.9. Riot Games is bringing this little guy's brawling potential up to the maximum. His Q, Boulder Toss, now refunds 70% of its cooldown if you manage to pick the Boulder back up. Also, Gnar's E Crunch has seen its damage increased significantly from, 50/85/120/155/190 to 80/115/150/185/220 per level.
A notable mention here and one champion to keep your eye on for Patch 10.9 is Quinn. Quinn will synergize very well with the new changes to Sanguine Blade, which will make her another priority pick for the top lane. Considering the recent buffs to the other melee champions for the top lane, it's about time this bird lady got some attention.
Notable nerfs
"We’ve seen players quickly (and effectively) harness the power of Wukong’s rework, so we’re further calibrating the monkey to bring him back in line.
As balance needs to be preserved, Riot Games has tuned down a few champions that were proving to be rather overwhelming and they are:
- Bard
- Karthus
- Nami
- Trundle
- Wukong
Wukong can't catch a break still as the rework is proving to be overwhelming to play against. The reduction in his armor from 34 to 31 will make it so damage dealers can, well, deal damage to Wukong. His Q, Crushing Blow, has been nerfed and the same goes for his W, Warrior Trickster. We hope to see this monkey behave himself a little more this Patch 10.9.
What's not clear here are the changes to Trundle. He's not a huge priority pick, even in professional play, but Riot Games sees things we don't and has nerfed his ultimate ability, Subjugate, to have an extended cooldown to stop him from targeting more vulnerable champions.