Patch 12.16 Overview

Rilea

Aug 25, 2022 • 3 min read

It's crazy to think we're only a few short weeks away from Worlds, and preparations have already begun. 12.16 focuses on some of the most broken champions in pro play, and reintroducing some old favourites back into the meta.

ADCs

Sivir, Twitch and Zeri have defined the ADC meta over the last few weeks. Twitch and Sivir have managed to dodge nerfs, but Zeri has received another round of nerfs:

Q (Burst Fire) - damage reduced to 8/11/14/17/20 (+ 100/105/110/115/120% AD) (+60% AP), down from (+ 105/110/115/120/125% AD)
W (Ultrashock Laser) - damage reduced to 20/55/90/125/160 (+ 100% AD) (+ 40% AP), down from (+ 130% AD) (+ 60% AP)

These changes are welcome, but will unlikely resolve the fundamental issue of Zeri's ridiculous mobility combined with her high damage output. Meanwhile, Caitlyn, Kai'sa and Tristana have been received major buffs to try and diversify the ADC meta:

Caitlyn - Passive (Headshot) - AD ratio increased to 60/90/120% (based on level), up from 60/85/110%
Utlimate (Ace In The Hole) - damage is now increased by 0-25% based on current critical strike chance

Kai'sa - Passive (Second Skin) - Plasma on-hit base damage increased to 5-23 (based on level), up from 4-16
Caustic Wounds additional damage increased to 1-12 (based on level), up from 1-8
Q (Icathian Rain) - damage per missile increased to 40/55/70/85/100 (+ 50% bonus AD) (+30% AP), up from (+25% AP)
Ultimate (Killer Instinct) - shield strength increased to 70/90/110 (+ 90/135/180% AD) (+ 120% AP), up from (+ 90% AP)

Tristana - Q (Rapid Fire) - attack speed increased to 65/80/95/110/125%, up from 50/65/80/95/110%

Caitlyn and Tristana will now be even more powerful in the late game, while the increased AP ratios may make items like Nashor's Tooth viable on Kai'sa.

Support

Yuumi has been in a great spot for a while, but was made even stronger when paired with Sivir, Twitch and Zeri. Therefore, her heal has been nerfed:

E (Zoomies) - cooldown increased to 12/11.5/11/10.5/10 seconds, up from 12/11/10/9/8
Movement speed decreased to 20% (+ 2% per 100 AP), down from (+ 6% per 100 AP)

Zyra has been irrelevant for a while now, failing to make her mark as a support or mid laner. She has received a notable buff to her E in 12.16, as the post-cast lockout is much shorter and more consistent:

E (Grasping Roots) - post-cast lockout reduced to 0.15 seconds, down from 0.15-0.4 seconds

Zoe has also received buffs which may make her viable as a support:

W (Spell Thief) - new effect - minions killed by allied champions will now also drop orbs if Zoe is within 1500 range
E (Sleepy Trouble Bubble) - magic damage increased to 70/110/150/190/230 (+45% AP), up from 60/100/140/180/220 (+40% AP)
Maximum pop damage increased to 70/110/150/190/230 (+45% AP), up from 60/100/140/180/220 (+40% AP)

Jungle

Finally, two of the strongest junglers have been nerfed. Diana has been running rampant with her new Sunfire Aegis build, ramping up over the course of team fights and becoming unkillable. Her damage has been nerfed while her AP scaling has been increased to incentivise AP builds:

Passive (Moonsilver Blade) - empowered cleave damage decreased to 20-220 (based on level) (+50% AP), down from 20-250
E (Lunar Rush) - damage increased to 50/70/90/110/130 (+ 50% AP), up from (+45% AP)

Poppy has been another power pick, particularly in pro play. Her mobility, durability and plethora of CC options have made her very difficult to deal with. Therefore, her jungle clear speed has been nerfed:

Q (Hammer Shock) - % health damage to minions/monsters cap reduced to 30/60/90/120/150, down from 50/80/110/140/170

Summary

12.16 may have a huge impact on the ADC meta, with champions like Caitlyn receiving large buffs. With Worlds just around the corner, it will be interesting to see which champions reign supreme heading into the tournament.