Many items on the way to change in League of Legends
A ton of big changes to problematic items in League of Legends are on the way, according to Riot’s announcement. Some heavy-hitting items will be gutted, including the Ardent Censer and Gargoyle Stoneplate.
In the current Meta, there are a couple of items that everyone builds, regardless of their role, to be viable. Likewise, there are a few items that are so weak it’s never acceptable to buy them.
In terms of strong items, you probably haven’t been in a game in weeks without a Gargoyle Stoneplate or an Ardent Censer popping up on at least one team. Even after nerfs to Ardent Censer’s scaling in the last patch and nerfs to Stoneplate’s synergy with jungle items as well, the items remain at the top of the ladder.
If nerfs are pushed through for an item, and they don’t affect that item’s dominance in the Meta, that typically means that the nerfs weren’t drastic enough. This time, though, Riot is considering much more momentous changes. The current idea for the Censer is to remove one of its features completely—either its attack speed boost, its on-hit health drain, or its bonus on-hit damage.
For the Stoneplate, Riot believes that it’s too attractive for fighters, when it was designed as an item purely for tanks. When you activate the health boost, the item lowers your outgoing damage by a significant portion, which should be enough to deter fighters and juggernauts that rely on dealing damage. Since it isn’t enough to stop those champions from prioritizing the item, the damage reduction may be beefed up.
As for the other items on the docket, Riot is still in the investigation stage. Righteous Glory seems to be too strong as a rushed item, which may prompt an increase in cost. The Edge of Night, Zeke’s Herald, and Sterak’s Gage are also being targeted for investigation, but those would receive significant buffs rather than nerfs like the rest.
These item changes aren’t even on the PBE yet, we probably won’t see them until the next patch in a couple of weeks.
