Riot Games may have been on an extended break between League of Legends patches in July, but that doesn’t mean they’ve slowed down at all. Instead, League Patch 13.14 is going to be a big one, with the champions getting buffs to include Aatrox, Diana, Lissandra, Shaco, Shyvana, Volibear, Xerath, and Zyra.
In particular, the planned changes for Zyra and Lissandra, revealed in further detail by Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison on July 11, are quite extensive even though both League champs are performing well on the Rift in season 13.
Zyra plants get ‘modernized’ makeover
Several buffs are coming to Zyra’s kit in League Patch 13.14, specifically to her plant damage, Rampage Growth (W), Grasping Roots (E), and Stranglethorns (R).
- Plant Damage Buffs
- Plant Damage taken from AoE Spells went from four to three.
- Plant damage taken from ranged autos increased from four to five.
- Plant damage to Monsters went from 150 percent to non-epic monsters to 40 to 100 bonus magic damage (scaling with level) to all monsters
- Rampant Growth (W) Buffs
- Seeds on First Rankup increased from one to two.
- Grasping Roots (E) Buffs
- Grasping Roots (E) no longer locks out flash during the cast
- Stranglethorns (R) Buffs
- Cast Paradigm (referring to the target location) changed from Wall to Position to Casts at Max Range.
- Missle Damage Update Cadence changed from four seconds to 16 seconds.
Riot Phroxzon, the boss behind all League’s balance changes, mentioned these plant changes should help to modernize them—and they do. Zyra’s plants always felt fragile, and the plant damage buffs mean that supports can now utilize them more.
And, we now get more seeds on the first rank up of Rampant Growth (W), which means Zyra players will have more chances to poke in the lane, get more vision opportunities from seed placement, and our plants will even take less damage from AoE spells. So, playing Zyra in season 13 should feel much better in the early game.
The chase will last longer after Lissandra buffs
Like Zyra, Lissandra is set to receive several buffs to her abilities, including Iceborn Subjugation (Passive), Ice Shard (Q), and Frozen Tomb (R).
- Iceborn Subjugation (Passive)
- Passive no longer stops at the final frames before detonation
- Passive follows enemies into the brush if they are being chased
- Passive thralls are revealed to enemies through Fog of War
- Ice Shard (Q)
- It slows all enemies hit rather than the first enemy that’s hit
- Ice Shard missile casts from the position after the cast rather than before the cast
- Frozen Tomb (R)
- Heal amount went from 90/140/190 (+25 percent ability power) [increased by zero to 100 percent based on missing health] to 100/150/200 (+55 percent ability power) [ increased by zero to 100 percent based on missing health. However, there’s now a maximum value of 30 percent health)
- AoE damage and slow update cadence went from four seconds to 16 seconds
- The logic has been updated slightly around stopping dashes.
One of the more notable buffs to Lissandra is Iceborn Subjugation (her passive). The introduction of the mechanic, where it will follow enemies into the brush, means enemies can no longer escape—and it’s a significant change because it now offers an additional way to do damage and will be useful in going after fleeing opponents.
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The fact her Ice Shard (Q) will now slow all the enemies hit by it is huge too and will create more opportunities in fights and for Lissandra when she’s ready to go all in.
Every League champion to be buffed in Patch 13.14
While Zyra and Lissandra have received the most extensive buffs in Patch 13.14, the other buffs aren’t anything to scoff at and include the following:
- Aatrox: Q damage buff, AD damage ratio increased, and increased damage to minions.
- Diana: W shield strength increased, damage per orb’s AP percentage increased, and E’s AP ratio increased.
- Shaco: Q’s AD bonus damage increased, backstab’s bonus crit increased, and R and Prowler’s Claw passive to Clone is now fixed.
- Shyvana: Q’s ratio increased, and there’s now an increased attack speed; E’s Mark damage on hit has increased.
- Volibear: Passive AP ratio increased, and W’s missing health heal increased.
- Xerath: His mana has been reduced, and his passive’s cooldown has been increased, but it will be reduced by two seconds on kills and procs on structures. His R recast has increased, and its damage and additional AP percentage have been decreased, but you’ll get bonus damage for every champion hit.
Many of these changes will be welcome, especially considering some are underperforming in the League meta right now. That said, we can’t know how big a difference the changes will actually make until they go live when Patch 13.14 hits the Rift on July 19.
