Riot Games Nerfs Smolder, Producing Excitement Among League of Legends Fans
Smolder, the newest champion in the League of Legends universe, burst onto the scene with overwhelming power. However, Riot Games has taken steps to rein him in and restore balance to the game. The latest changes planned for Patch 14.6 have been unveiled, and League fans couldn’t be happier.
The Perils of New Champions
In League of Legends, players have come to expect two possible scenarios when a new champion is introduced: either they are underwhelming and quickly discarded, or they are so overpowered that the game becomes unbalanced. Smolder fell into the latter category, with his abilities dealing significant damage without the need for auto-attacks. Players hoped that Patch 14.6 would address his problematic strengths, and the planned changes have surpassed their expectations.
The Nerfs
The League of Legends community has been eagerly awaiting the nerfs that would put Smolder in his place. With Patch 14.6, several key changes have been implemented. The execute threshold for Smolder’s Q ability has been reduced, and the tier three stack threshold for execute and true damage has been significantly increased by 50. Additionally, the speed from his E ability has been decreased by 25 percent. These balance changes are set to alter Smolder’s playstyle and make players in the bot lane less aggressive. They are being hailed as the “killing blow” for the new dragon by League creator Express.
The Impact on Win and Pick Rates
The burning question on the minds of League fans is whether these nerfs will actually have an effect on Smolder’s win and pick rates. The answer is likely to be yes. Currently, Smolder has a win rate of 52.23 percent, according to U.GG, a League stat tracking page. The nerfs are expected to bring him closer to a 50 percent win rate, which is considered more balanced in the game.
The Verdict
League of Legends development boss Matt Leung-Harrison believes that these changes will make Smolder struggle more in the early game and address some of his frustrating aspects, such as his ability to escape and his mismatched hitboxes. If these adjustments push Smolder too far down, Riot Games may consider buffing him in the future. However, for now, it seems that Patch 14.6 is not favorable for Smolder mains. Nonetheless, other players are celebrating the changes, with some even thanking Riot for “murdering” the debutant AD carry.
These anticipated changes will be included in Patch 14.6, set to be released on March 20.