Tank Junglers on the Decline with Upcoming Nerfs
After months of dominating the jungle meta, tank junglers may finally see a decline in their power. In Patch 8.5, scheduled for release next week, big nerfs are coming for Cinderhulk, Warmog’s Armor, and the Aftershock rune. These changes combined have the potential to bring down the titans of the jungle.
If successful, this means that popular tank junglers like Sejuani, Zac, Skarner, and Jarvan may become less prominent on the Rift, especially in professional games.
Cinderhulk Nerf
The first nerf targets Cinderhulk directly. As the first completed item for tank junglers, any nerf to this item will have a significant impact. The bonus health provided by Cinderhulk is being reduced from 20% to 15%, making it less effective in the late game as tanks stack more health.
Warmog’s Armor Nerf
The nerf to Warmog’s Armor seems specifically tailored to address the combination with Cinderhulk. Previously, champions could quickly trigger the Warmog’s passive by building it right after the jungle item to boost regeneration. Now, champions will need a total of 3,000 health to activate the passive, a significant increase from the previous requirement of 2,750 health.
With the combined reduction in bonus health from Cinderhulk, tanks like Sejuani and Zac will no longer be able to trigger the passive with just these two items. This change will make Warmog’s Armor more of a late-game purchase rather than a rush for the second item, resulting in tanks being less durable in the early stages of the game.
Rune Changes
The remaining changes are focused on the rune department. Aftershock, the go-to rune for tank junglers, will receive a significant nerf to its cooldown. Instead of a 20-second cooldown, it will now have a 35-second cooldown, reducing its frequency of use.
Additionally, there is a new rune called Conqueror, designed to deal with tanks, which will be introduced in Patch 8.6, two weeks after 8.5’s release. After four seconds in combat, your next attack will increase your attack damage and convert 20% of your outgoing damage into true damage. True damage ignores resistances like armor.
Implications
With these changes, the jungle meta may shift towards damage-oriented junglers in the coming weeks. For more detailed information, check out our comprehensive list of changes arriving with Patch 8.5 next week.
tank junglers, nerfs, jungle meta, Patch 8.5, Cinderhulk, Warmog’s Armor, Aftershock rune, Sejuani, Zac, Skarner, Jarvan, true damage, runes