League of Legends Patch 8.5 Jungle Buffs for Olaf and Nocturne
League of Legends Patch 8.4 was just released today, but the balance team is already testing big jungle buffs for Patch 8.5. Olaf and Nocturne are the first champions to receive these buffs, which could potentially make the duo viable.
Nocturne’s buffs are focused on improving his jungle clear speed and health, as these are currently his biggest concerns. His poor scaling makes it difficult for him to keep up with other assassins and divers as games progress, but these buffs to his camp clear might mitigate the issue.
His ability, Shroud of Darkness, will now fear monsters in addition to its normal function. This means that monsters can be reliably feared and won’t hit him as much. Additionally, triggering the new fear will double the attack speed provided by the ability’s passive for three seconds. So not only will his clears be safer, but they will also be much faster. The sight-reduction effect of his ultimate will also be extended by two seconds.
On the other hand, Olaf’s buff is more combat-oriented because he doesn’t need any help with jungle clearing. The duration of his Vicious Strikes ability is being extended by one second, which may seem insignificant, but his ultimate’s buff is much more significant. The bonus armor, magic resistance, AD boost, and duration of the effect provided by his ultimate are all being increased.
After this buff, Olaf will become a force to be reckoned with when he uses his ultimate. His biggest weakness this season has been his inability to effectively catch opponents during the mid-game. With a more powerful ultimate, he won’t have to worry about that as much.
These changes are expected to be implemented on March 7, following the usual patch schedule.