Major Changes Coming to League of Legends in Patch 8.5
League of Legends is set to introduce more major item changes in Patch 8.5. After the underwhelming AP item changes in Patch 8.4, the focus now shifts to the Locket of the Iron Solari.
Farewell to the Shield
In the upcoming patch, the Locket of the Iron Solari will bid farewell to its iconic shield. This active ability, which defines the item, will be replaced with a new one.
The New Active Ability
The new active ability of the Locket will be more geared towards teamfights, making it a valuable asset for cannonball comps and teams looking to counter dive power. Upon activation, a zone will appear around your champion for eight seconds, reducing incoming damage by 35 percent for all allies within this bubble.
Your movement won’t be interrupted when activating the ability, but the zone will remain in the spot where it was triggered originally and won’t follow you around.
Useful for All Support Champions
With no changes to the item’s price, this powerful teamfighting ability will make the Locket of the Iron Solari an excellent choice for any support champion. It is expected to gain popularity similar to items like Redemption and Knight’s Vow. Unlike its predecessors, the Locket won’t favor any specific type of support champion. The previous version’s shield scaled with the caster’s health, making it more useful for tanky supports with high health.
A Versatile Item
The new Locket won’t restrict players to any specific playstyle, making it likely to be used in every game for its usefulness. Riot may make some tweaks, such as increasing the damage reduction or zone duration based on the caster’s health, but as it stands now, the new Locket will benefit everyone.
Conclusion
Stay tuned for more updates on Patch 8.5. For a comprehensive list of changes from the PBE, check out our coverage on the upcoming patch.
League of Legends, Patch 8.5, Locket of the Iron Solari, shield, active ability, teamfights, support champion, item changes