Items changes with Patch 7.17 in League of Legends
If you’ve played League of Legends at all during the past few months, you’ve no doubt seen at least one of these two items in each and every game—the Gargoyle Stoneplate and Ardent Censer. To say that they’ve been at the top of the meta is honestly an understatement, because they’re so oppressive that you’re considered at a huge disadvantage if you simply don’t build one of them.
Even worse, if you’re a champion that doesn’t work well with them when another champion in your role does, you’re automatically considered weak. For example, if you’re a support, but you’re not Janna, Taric, or Lulu with an Ardent Censer, you’re weak. If you’re not a Sejuani, Cho’Gath, or Maokai that can build a Gargoyle Stoneplate, but you’re trying to play another tank that can’t build it effectively, you’re weak.
That’s an unhealthy meta to be in, and it’s an enormous red flag that the items themselves may be broken as well. Fortunately for everyone, they’re being nerfed with Patch 7.17 and we had talked here about this patch details.
Gargoyle Stoneplate
The Stoneplate’s Nerf is actually labeled in the patch notes as a bug fix, but it’s actually a pretty huge nerf.
That’s a little complicated, so to put it simply, the health bonus from Cinderhulk will now be applied after the bonus from the Gargoyle Stoneplate. This is a very, very big nerf. If you’ve built up 1,000 bonus health, which is only about two items if you’re a proper tank, the Stoneplate active would grant you 1,640 health. Now, it will give you 1,400. That’s a 240 health difference with only two items. With a full build, we’re looking at numbers near one thousand less health.
This is a massive hit for the jungle tank meta. Sejuani, Maokai, Zac, and Cho’Gath are going to much less tanky when they pop their Stoneplate.
Ardent Censer
Where the Stoneplate’s nerf is listed as a bugfix, the Censer’s is just a flat nerf.
If you’re not Janna, Lulu, Taric, Soraka, or Sona, you’re garbage, and it’s all thanks to the Ardent Censer and the wild steroid it gives carries when you shield or heal them.
Right now, the attack speed buff starts out at 20 percent and scales all the way up to 35 percent. Likewise, the health drain also starts out at 20 health stolen, scaling up to 35. This nerf is taking the attack speed and locking it in at 25 percent the entire game, and the drain will be locked at 25 health. This means it will be a small buff at first, but late game, when the item was really a problem, it’ll be much weaker.
These Nerfs are very welcome for these items.
