Riot Games Buffs Shaco for Early Game Impact in League of Legends
Riot Games has made significant changes to Shaco in the latest Patch 9.20 of League of Legends. These changes have left many bottom lane players feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. The new updates have enabled Shaco to reach level three in a surprisingly short amount of time.
The most significant change that has made Shaco overpowered in the jungle is the modification to his Jack-in-the-Box ability. The boxes now attack multiple targets within its area-of-effect and fear non-champion targets for two seconds.
Due to this alteration, Shaco can now place four boxes at the raptor camp, swiftly clearing it while simultaneously taking the red buff with assistance from his bottom lane allies.
He can then proceed to the golem camp, clearing it as well, which places him at level three merely 38 seconds after the jungle camps spawn. This expedited clear gives Shaco players the ability to gank the bottom lane within two and a half minutes, while the enemy AD carry and support remain at level one.
This rework has significantly boosted Shaco’s early-game potential, as he can now impact his lanes much earlier than other champions. Riot’s intention with this rework was to empower Shaco to engage with enemies, particularly in the early game, as stated by Hanna “shio shoujo” Woo in the patch notes.
To counter Shaco’s early aggression, the best strategy is to disrupt his box placement and activate them before the camps spawn. By doing so, his rapid clear time will be sufficiently hindered, allowing your bottom lane to gain an extra level and defend themselves adequately.