Nautilus Soars in Popularity Ahead of the Mid-Season Invitational
Nautilus has quickly gained popularity due to recent buffs, just in time for the highly anticipated League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational. His win rate has surpassed 50 percent for the first time since version 9.4, reaching nearly 52 percent. Moreover, Nautilus has become the second most frequently chosen support champion in the game, as reported by the stats site op.gg.
Patch 9.8 Brings Significant Buffs to Nautilus
One of the primary reasons behind Nautilus’ increased popularity is the significant buffs received in Patch 9.8. His Q ability, Dredge Line, now deals an additional 20 damage at rank one, scaling up to an extra 40 at rank five. Additionally, the ability power scaling of Dredge Line has been boosted from 70 percent to 90 percent. Nautilus’ passive, Staggering Blow, also received a snare duration buff in the early game.
Success in Solo Queue and Competitive Play
Thanks to the buffs introduced in Patch 9.6, including improvements to armor and Staggering Blow cooldown, Nautilus has experienced a surge in playtime and success in solo queue. Not only that, but he has also seen increased playtime in competitive matches since Patch 9.6, including the LMS, LPL, and LCK promotion tournament.
Nautilus Finds a Place in the Mid Lane
Interestingly, Nautilus’ buffs have not only made him a more popular support pick but have also led some players to experiment with him in the mid lane. With changes to his ability power scaling, players are now rushing Hextech Protobelt and Morellonomicon to increase his health and scale his Titan’s Wrath shield. These items also provide valuable mobility and killing power through Grievous Wounds. Aftershock remains the preferred keystone rune, allowing Nautilus to survive team fights and isolate targets with Dredge Line or his ultimate, Depth Charge.
In a recent playoff series of the LMS, Flash Wolves’ mid laner Shin “Rather” Hyeong-seop even picked Nautilus mid against ahq e-Sports Club. Despite ultimately losing the game, Rather managed to hold his own against LeBlanc, maintaining a 30cs lead at one point.
While competitive games on Patch 9.8 haven’t taken place yet, it’s expected that Nautilus will make an appearance at the Mid-Season Invitational.
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