Goodbye to Banner of Command item in League of Legends

Banner of Command item will be removed from all League of Legends modes with patch 8.13, according to the Riot announcement.

In a post on Riot’s developer blog, lead gameplay designer Andrei “Meddler” van Roon described the Banner of Command as impossible to balance.

“It’s an item that’s pretty consistently been either a poor choice or, when strong, been unhealthy for the game overall,” Meddler wrote.

After Banner was removed from ARAM last week, Riot attempted a last-second hotfix nerf to save it on Summoner’s Rift. But it just wasn’t enough to sway community opinion. It was only really good on certain champions, but those champions, like Singed, became totally broken with it. While Meddler did not rule out the item’s return, he did note that significant work would have to be done to change it.

The other item that’s seeing a change in Patch 8.13 is Guinsoo’s Rageblade. A firm direction for that item hasn’t been determined, but it’s currently a powerful first-item rush on champions like Varus and Kog’Maw. Riot will look at its viability as a rush item, how much AP it gives, and what the right cost point is.

Champions that are getting work include Kindred, who are not viable right now, and haven’t been for some time. They are getting some major fixes and tweaks. Singed, who’s totally overpowered in top lane, might also get a nerf.

These changes set to be arrive with patch 8.13 in few weeks from now.