Patch 2.5.0 Notes

Mar 25, 2021

Metagame Snapshot

Since we’re updating quite a few cards in this patch, we felt like it was time for another metagame snapshot!

We first explored the idea back in Patch 1.14, to provide context for larger batches of card updates. Check it out for full context on our analysis methodology. The most important things to keep in mind are:

• Snapshot data looks at decks used in Platinum, Diamond, and Masters, across all four of LoR’s regional shards.
• Only “meta-decks” (defined as 3%+ play rate or 50%+ win rate) are represented in the play rates below, but win rates are based on all games played during the time period analyzed.
  • The meta-decks shown below are based off of the 3%+ play rate definition since they’re the decks you’re most likely to encounter, but there are a number of high win rate, low play rate decks that inform our balance decisions as well.
• As a rule of thumb, 55%+ win rate and 15%+ play rate are our normal benchmarks for corrective balance, but we do make adjustments outside of those numbers.
• Here’s how to read the deck summaries below:
  • Regions | Champions | Most distinct unifying card (on average)
  • Deck codes represent one of the most common examples of each meta-deck
  • Decks marked with a * are being affected by card nerfs in this patch.

Metagame Snapshot: Patch 2.3.0 / 2.4.0 | Mar. 10-17, 2021(The latest period we used to inform patching decisions)

Card Updates

Champions

Twisted Fate

Level Up Requirement (Twisted Fate Level 1): I’ve seen you draw 8+ cards → I’ve seen you draw 9+ cards

Twisted Fate's quest can be completed in extremely short windows of time. Considering his Level 2 is usually completely game-winning, we feel the need to increase the quest requirement slightly to broaden windows for interaction before he levels up. This is especially important for us to keep an eye on given both current and potential future content that involves card draw.

Fiora (Level 1)

Base Stats (Level 1): 3|3 → 3|2

Fiora (Level 2)

Base Stats (Level 2): 4|4 → 4|3

Fiora has a long history of going between breaking thresholds one week, and then being totally fine the next given certain metagame shifts. Recently, it's been doing more of the former given Golden Aegis and Shurima's regional weaknesses against her. By reducing her health, we're giving decks with less interaction more ability to power through, and introducing much more risk and disruptiabilty for Fiora's alternate win condition.

Jarvan IV (Level 1)

Base Stats (Level 1): 5|3 → 6|4

Jarvan IV (Level 2)

Base Stats (Level 2): 6|4 → 7|5

Jarvan IV has been the least-played champion of Empires of the Ascended. We'd like to give him a straightforward buff to his base stats to make him more of a threat on the board.

Shyvana (Level 1)

Change: Added Fury

Base Stats (Level 1): 4|4 → 3|4

Shyvana (Level 2)

Change: Added Fury
Base Stats (Level 2): 5|5 → 4|5

Shyvana originally did not have Fury given her thematics. However, the lack of Fury has caused enough gameplay issues in her usability for us to retroactively reconsider her design.

Lulu (Level 1)

Base Stats (Level 1): 2|3 → 3|3

Lulu (Level 2)

Base Stats (Level 2): 3|4 → 4|4

Lulu has been among the least-played Champions since her launch. We're looking to reinforce some of Ionia's aggressive capabilities in this patch, and we’re giving a small buff to Lulu to allow her the ability to attack profitably in more games.

Pick a Card / Twisted Fate’s Pick a Card

Cost: 3 → 2

Change: Place a card from hand into your deck to draw 3 at the next Round Start. Give them Fleeting. → Place a card from hand into your deck to draw 2 at the next Round Start. Give them Fleeting.

Pick a Card's draw power was both allowing significant lethal setups while also creating explosive card draw to Turbo level twisted fate on Round 5. We're streamlining the effect to reduce the ceiling of this card.

Wiggly Burblefish

Base Stats: 3|1 → 2|1

Wiggly Burblefish can both efficiently and reliably cost 0 mana. This is an exciting build around and payoff, so we're leaving this capability but flatly reducing its power to reduce the payoff and lethality of Fizz's friend, especially when copied.

Dreg Dredgers

Base Stats: 1|1 → 2|1

We’re reverting this previous change to give Deep decks a bit more early game.

The Dreadway

Cost: 9 → 8

Base Stats: 4|8 → 4|6

Changing The Dreadway has two purposes. First off, we want to prevent the Concurrent Timelines + Ledros into Dreadway from occurring, regardless of the decks power level. Variance has its places, but this particular combo is too decisive in gameplay considering it’s erratic nature.

Secondly, this change gives us an opportunity to adjust Dreadway for more decks to be able to use it and Gangplank more effectively.

Shadow Assassin

Base Stats: 1|2 → 2|1

We want to provide better options to use Ionia as a core part of any given strategy. Given the current power level and availability of new regional tools, we want to make an adjustment that we were a bit hesitant about when we originally changed Shadow Assassin.

Fae Guide

Base Stats: 3|3 → 3|4

Fae Guide looked like they could use some slightly better stats to help them be a bit more reliable in combat, and provide more realistic appeal to Ionia decks looking to capitalize on the effect.

Legion Rearguard

Base Stats: 3|1 → 3|2

We're reverting a previous change to Legion Rearguard that unfortunately had left him strictly worse than other cards over time. We’re making this change to support Noxus’s aggressive regional identity.

Sea Scarab

Base Stats: 1|2 → 2|3

Like with Dreg Dredgers, we think Deep’s early game could use a boost. We wanted to respond to feedback by both making it less detrimental when generated, reinvigorating Deep strategies.

Esteemed Hierophant

Change: When I’m summoned, advance your Buried Sun Disc 2 rounds. → When I’m summoned, advance your Buried Sun Disc 3 rounds.

Sun Disc decks are generally reliant on leveling up 2 Ascended champions to restore The Sun Disc. We want to give the Hierophant a minor adjustment allowing him to be a more meaningful inclusion in Shurima Decks revolving around the Sun Disc, allowing alternate paths to its countdown in some situations.

Callous Bonecrusher

Base Stats: 6|3 → 6|4

Callous Bonecrusher's stat profile is too off for serious consideration. We're making this change to help in Expeditions, and potentially see more niche Normal game experimentation.

Calibrum

Cost: 2 → 3

Severum

Cost: 2 → 3

Gravitum

Cost: 2 → 3

Infernum

Cost: 2 → 3

Crescendum

Cost: 2 → 3

Our initial goal for Moon Weapons was to be slightly better than collectible cards of the same cost, similar to Celestials. However, the ability to Phase and recreate weapons was too easily achievable. We’re moving Aphelios’ weapons to 3 cost to lower their efficiency and slow down his payoffs.

Gifts from Beyond / Aphelios’ Gifts from Beyond

Cost: 2 → 1

We want to retain the current total cost of Gifts From Beyond considering it's not creating Moon Weapons freely like Aphelios.

The Veiled Temple

Change: Each round, the first time you play 2 other cards, refill 2 mana and grant your strongest ally +1|+1 → Each round, the first time you play 2 other cards, refill 2 mana and grant your strongest ally +1|+0

While we have liked to see some of our newer landmarks having legitimate competitive power, The Veiled Temple can snowball games in multiple directions. We're removing the health buff from its trigger to allow players to attack or otherwise remove buffed units.

Labs Updates

Patch 2.5.0 brings a new rotation to Multilab:

• Lab of Legends (Updated!)
• Ultra Rapid Draw (New in 2.5.0!)
• United Front PvP

Heimerdinger’s Temporal Transducer has gone haywire! Everything is looking a little quicker than usual. Ultra Rapid Draw is a new spin on Quick Draw with more random cards, more mana, and everything moving at a rapid pace. There’s also a few more golden spatulas and manatee statues around than there are usually…

Additionally, Lab of Legends has been upgraded:

• Champions: Taliyah and Azir have joined the Lab of Legends lineup - each with their own unlockable icon for completing a run.
• Difficulty Tiers: Normal, Hard, Heroic, and Legendary difficulties added. Complete a run on each difficulty tier to unlock the next one!
• Reward Rerolls: Don’t like your rewards? Toss them out for a new batch! You only have 3 rerolls for each run though, so use them with care.
• Run Results: Share your glorious victories and painful defeats with new summaries added at the end of a run.

Personalization

Boards

Planet Urf

For Legends who know pyrotechnics are the key to victory.

Guardians

Urf

Carpe spatula!

Keep an eye out for flying fish... Urf has special visual effects when you tap or rub him.

Personality: Extra

Favorite food: Pancakes

Card Backs

• 1 new card back is available in the Store.

Planet Urf

Abs of gold > abs of steel.

Emotes

• 1 new emote is available in the Store.

Big Flex

Bundles

• The Planet Urf Bundle is available for 2169 Coins. Bundle includes:

• Planet Urf Board
• Urf Guardian
• Big Flex Emote
• Planet Urf Card Back
• Exclusive Urf Icon

Miscellaneous

• Taliyah’s Level 1 and Level 2 art has been updated.
• Effects for Strike, Cost Increase, and Cost Reduction effects have been improved.
• Added an on/off toggle for Prismatic Card Styles in the deck loadout screen.
• Standard and Singleton formats have been removed from Gauntlets; all Gauntlets have been updated to Best of 3 format.
• Maximum number of Prime Glories available from Gauntlets reduced from 5 > 4.

Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue where you couldn’t use a card as a deck cover if 3 copies of that card were in the deck.
• Fixed an issue where text was overlapping in some languages in the Mastery tab.
• Fixed a bug where Prismatic card sounds weren’t affected by the SFX volume slider.
• Improved readability of card text on Prismatic Azir and Fizz.
• Stoneweaving no longer incorrectly creates Buried Sun Disc in Expeditions.
• Kindred now correctly counts slayed units that were marked in previous rounds toward their level up progress.
• Fixed a bug where Spellshield wouldn’t protect against Lissandra's Entomb.
• Fixed a bug where Unworthy was able to target friendly units.
• Fixed a bug where Mimic was able to copy enemy champion spells (Mimic will only create the base version of the spell).
• Fixed a bug where transforming units were incorrectly healing themselves when transforming.
• Sea Scarab now has a Deep counter.
• Aurelion Sol's cost reduction effect should now behave more consistently with other cost reduction effects.
• Katarina, Viktor, and Draven have had their Play effects updated to be Summon effects to be consistent with other cards with similar effects.
• Lucky Find will no longer trigger a second spell cast upon selecting one of the three choices.
• More updates and corrections to card text, tooltips, and other text across the game in our continued effort to improve text consistency.