Patch 12.3 - Champion Overview

The latest patch introduces a slew of changes to the game, so let’s break down some of the biggest champion changes.

ADCs

In patch 12.2, Senna was a top tier pick after her Q was buffed to slow enemies hit by at least 20%. However, she has always been a notoriously difficult champion to balance given her presence as a support and an ADC. Consequently, she is now too strong as an ADC and has swiftly been nerfed, as souls are now drastically less likely to drop from minions and lesser monsters killed by Senna (a 2.7% chance down from 10%). Caitlyn has also been an excellent pick for a while now after a couple of buffs and the Lethal Tempo changes, so has received a moderate nerf. Her AD growth has been reduced while her base AD is lower in the late game, and her Q (Piltover Peacemaker) now deals less damage against secondary enemies. These changes will primarily target her late game damage and her ability to wave clear, though she will likely remain as an oppressive threat in the lane.

Zeri has had a very strong debut onto the Rift, and has consequently been nerfed. Her base movement speed has been reduced, the fully charged basic attack now deals less damage, and the chain lightning damage from her ultimate (Lightning Crash) has also been reduced. However, the chain lightning damage can now crit which may make some crit builds more viable instead of the potent Trinity Force builds.

Mid

Twisted Fate is one of the most consistent mid laners in pro play and solo queue thanks to his relatively simple kit, lockdown CC, and global ultimate. In pro play, he is able to build a lot of utility items (such as Everforst and Zhonyas) without sacrificing damage, so his power has been slightly shifted to encourage builds focused on either utility or damage and not both. The base damage on his Q (Wild Cards) has been reduced in the late game but the AP scaling has been increased, and his E (Stacked Deck) provides less attack speed in the early game. LeBlanc has also been a dominant pick for a while, so her W (Distortion) damage has been reduced in the late game.

Corki has been a frustrating and oppressive champion for a while, thanks to his consistent wave clear, long range missiles, and the huge team fighting power he provides with The Package. This is one of the strongest aspects of Corki’s kit, as it can single handedly win a team fight or push enemies away from a key objective, so it has finally been nerfed. The first Package now arrives at 10 minutes into the game, and its cooldown has been increased to 5 minutes (up from 4).

Ahri

Despite being one of League’s most popular champions, Ahri has struggled to find her place in recent metas ever since the removal of items like DFG. Therefore, she has received a mini rework on the same scale as the Janna update from patch 12.2:

Passive (Essence Theft) now heals Ahri for every 9 minions/monsters she kills, or when she scores a recent takedown against an enemy champion
Q (Orb of Deception) now deals more damage, costs a little less mana in the early game, but costs more mana in the late game
W (Fox-Fire) now deals more damage, costs a lot less mana, grants bonus movement speed for a longer duration, but only lasts for half the time (2.5 seconds, down from 5)
E (Charm) now deals more damage and costs less mana, but you no longer deal bonus damage to enemies hit by Charm
Ultimate (Spirit Rush) now lasts for 15 seconds, and if you can proc your passive by scoring a champion takedown, the duration is extended by and up to 10 seconds and you gain an extra charge of Spirit Rush (up to 3 stored at once)

The changes to her E and Ultimate are the most impactful, as she no longer deals bonus damage to champions hit by her E. Instead, she now has a lot more power in team fights and is focused on getting resets with her ultimate to become incredibly nimble and weave through team fights.

Summary

Given the amount of champion nerfs on the patch, we may see these champions slip from their position as a top tier pick (Senna, Corki and Caitlyn), while other strong champions who managed to avoid nerfs take their place.

-Rilea