Patch 8.7 Changes on League of Legends: What to Expect
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Patch 8.6 was finally released today after some technical difficulties. However, the focus is already on the next patch, Patch 8.7, which is currently being tested on the PBE.
Only one day into testing, Patch 8.7 presents a wide array of rune changes that have the potential to greatly impact the meta. Numerous runes like Approach Velocity, Bone Plating, Legend: Tenacity, Cut Down, Absolute Focus, Gathering Storm, Sudden Impact, and Zombie Ward have all undergone changes.
Here is a breakdown of the changes and what they could mean for the meta:
1) Approach Velocity
Approach Velocity receives a simple buff that increases its movement speed from 10 percent to 15. However, Cosmic Insight, in the same row, is still generally favored over Approach Velocity due to its overall usefulness. While this buff makes Approach Velocity more appealing, Cosmic Insight remains the more popular choice.
2) Bone Plating
Bone Plating, introduced recently, has quickly established itself as the top choice in the Resolve patch due to its effectiveness. To provide more balance in the rune selection, the cooldown for Bone Plating has been increased from a flat 45 seconds to 70-40 seconds, depending on level. This change aims to encourage the use of other runes in the same row, such as Demolish and Font of Life.
3) Legend: Tenacity
Tenacity has always been overshadowed by Alacrity in this row due to the trade-off between the tenacity stat and the attack speed provided. However, with the latest buff, each stack of Tenacity now offers a higher additional tenacity percentage, increasing from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent. This change makes it a much stronger option for attack speed melee bruisers like Jax and Irelia.
4) Cut Down
Cut Down receives a two-fold buff. First, the threshold for triggering the rune has been lowered by 500 health, from 2,000 to 1,500. Additionally, the maximum damage gained from the rune has been increased from 10 percent to 12 percent. These changes help Cut Down compete against other runes like Coup de Grace.
5) Absolute Focus
There is no actual buff or nerf to Absolute Focus. The change simply involves adding clarity to the description of the rune. Players often avoid it due to a lack of understanding of its benefits. The updated description now provides a clear explanation of the stats received at the start of the game.
6) Gathering Storm
Gathering Storm has long needed a nerf. Earlier this season, games on the pro stage became excessively long due to teams’ inability to close them out and the limited impact of Baron and Elder Dragon. As a result, Gathering Storm became a staple rune as games were expected to last nearly an hour. While the meta has changed, players still rely on the strength of Gathering Storm. To address this, the AP and AD provided at each threshold have been lowered from 8-168 AP to 6-126 AP, and from 5-101 AD to 4-76 AD.
7) Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact is currently used in almost every scenario as long as the champion has some form of dash, even if the magic or physical penetration is not maximized. To give Cheap Shot more room to shine, the cooldown for Sudden Impact has been significantly increased from four to 25 seconds.
8) Zombie Ward
After the removal of Sightstone and Tracker’s Knife, Riot aims to reduce vision across the map and promote more exciting fights. However, Zombie Ward currently stands as an overpowered rune counter to this goal. To address this, the duration of each Zombie Ward is being reduced from 60-180 seconds to 30-120 seconds. With this nerf, expect to see more players opting for Ghost Poros and Eyeball Collections in their games.
These rune changes in Patch 8.7 have the potential to greatly impact the meta. Players should keep a close eye on how these adjustments shape the game and adapt their strategies accordingly.
League of Legends, Patch 8.7, Gaming, Esports