League 6.9 Mage Updates

MAJOR MAGE UPDATES

VLADIMIR ____________________________________________

Kicking off the Mage update, Vladimir’s changes are all about embracing his love of sustain and pushing it to the extreme. While Vlad’s high-stakes health management is compelling, his lack of windows for interaction (don’t be in range of Q) leaves opponents far less enthused. This is where many of Vlad’s balancing issues stem from. If Vlad’s too strong, he stat-checks you out of the lane, nullifying your aggression and healing it all right back. Following the same vein, a weak Vlad does most of the opponent’s job for them - damaging himself constantly while desperately trying to scale into the lategame.

Enter Midseason. To support Vladimir’s eccentric tastes, we’re looking to inject more interaction into the Crimson Reaper’s rotation. Vladimir’s swings are much more dramatic - larger health costs yield greater damage and healing, but also greater risk. Timing’s more important for Vlad as well: Crimson Rush’s cadence means Transfusion’s persistent threat goes down, while Tides of Blood’s new positional requirement can make or break a close-quarters encounter. We’re all for enabling Vlad’s indulgent, drain-tanking fantasy - provided he can survive long enough for his second wind to start the sustain train all over again.
General
BASE HEALTH 543 ⇒ 550
HEALTH GROWTH STAT 85 ⇒ 84
BASE ATTACK DAMAGE 48 ⇒ 52
ICONS Vladimir has all-new ability icons
Passive - Crimson Pact
BONUS HEALTH TO ABILITY POWER Gain 1 ability power per 40 bonus health ⇒ 25 bonus health
ABILITY POWER TO BONUS HEALTH Gain 1.4 bonus health ⇒ 1 bonus health per 1 ability power
Q - Transfusion
COOLDOWN 10/8.5/7/5.5/4 seconds ⇒ 9/8/7/6/5 seconds
DAMAGE 90/125/160/195/230 ⇒ 80/100/120/140/160
DAMAGE RATIO 0.6 ability power ⇒ 0.45 ability power
HEALING 15/25/35/45/55 (unchanged)
HEALING RATIO 0.25 ability power ⇒ 0.15 ability power
NEWCRIMSON RUSH After casting Transfusion twice, Vladimir gains Crimson Rush once Transfusion comes off cooldown. While under the effects of Crimson Rush, Vladimir gains a short burst of speed and his next Transfusion within a short period of time deals double damage and heals for a portion of his missing health.
CRIMSON RUSH DURATION 2.5 seconds
CRIMSON RUSH HEALING BONUS 40-240 (at levels 1-18) plus 1% missing health per 40 ability power
W - Sanguine Pool
DAMAGE RATIO 0.15 bonus health ⇒ 0.10 bonus health
UPDATEDE - Tides of Blood
Vladimir charges up a reservoir of blood, paying a portion of his maximum health over 1 second to increase Tides of Blood’s damage. On release (or after 1.5 seconds), Vladimir unleashes a nova of blood missiles, dealing damage to the first enemy hit in a large area around him.

COST 2.5% - 10% maximum health (based on charge duration)
COOLDOWN 9/8/7/6/5 seconds
RANGE 600
DAMAGE 30/40/50/60/70 - 60/80/100/120/140 (based on charge duration)
RATIO (1 per 40 maximum health)+(0.35 ability power) - (1 per 10 maximum health)+(0.7 ability power) based on charge duration
HEAVY At full charge, Vladimir is slowed while holding Tides of Blood. Fully charged Tides of Blood slows enemies hit by 40% for 0.5 seconds.
R - Hemoplague
DURATION 5 seconds ⇒ 4 seconds
DAMAGE AMPLIFICATION 12% increased damage from all sources ⇒ 10% increased damage from all sources
NEWHEALOPLAGUE Upon detonation, Hemoplague heals Vladimir for each enemy hit.
NEWBASE HEAL 75/125/175 per target
NEWHEAL RATIO 0.35 ability power per target


MALZAHAR ____________________________________________

Malzahar faces a constant dilemma: never use his abilities in lane or push constantly. This playstyle causes Malzahar to be very binary and non interactive; either he has enough AP to drop his spells on a wave and leave lane or he slowly pushes out, leaving him exposed to constant ganks. As well, the nature of his ultimate - cancelable by any CC - makes Malzahar’s power curve binary by necessity: you either stop his channel or somebody dies.

In both cases, what Malzahar needs is leeway; a brief window of protection. Adding that window allows us to dial back on Malzahar’s burst and wave clear while giving him more sustained threat in a larger fight. Malz’s actions shouldn’t feel inevitable, but at least he’ll feel less bad about trying to make plays.

He’ll still be the consistently damaging voidling master, but he should feel better about brawling near the frontlines when he brings more sustained cooldowns and a little bit of protection.
General
SPLASH Malzahar’s splash art has been updated
TEXTURES Malzahar’s base textures have been updated
ICONS Malzahar has all-new ability icons
UPDATEDPassive - Void Shift
Malzahar skirts the line between dimensions, activating Void Shift after avoiding direct damage for a period of time. During Void Shift, Malzahar takes heavily reduced damage and is immune to crowd control. Malzahar loses Void Shift 1 second after taking damage from a non-minion source or blocking a crowd control effect.

VOID SHIFT DAMAGE REDUCTION 90%
VOID SHIFT COOLDOWN 23-6 seconds after taking direct damage (at levels 1-18)
Q - Call of the Void
COST 80/85/90/95/100 mana ⇒ 60 mana
COOLDOWN 9 seconds ⇒ 6 seconds
DAMAGE 80/135/190/245/300 ⇒ 70/110/150/190/230
RATIO 0.8 ability power ⇒ 0.7 ability power
CAST TIME 0.25 seconds ⇒ 0.5 seconds
REMOVEDDELAY AFTER CAST TIME 0.5 seconds ⇒ Removed
UPDATEDW - Void Swarm
Summons a Voidling. The first time a Voidling attacks a champion, large monster, or epic monster, or assists in killing a unit, Malzahar spawns a new Voidling with the same remaining duration. When 3 or more Voidlings are active, they each gain 50% attack speed.

COST 60 mana
COOLDOWN 20/19/18/17/16 seconds
RANGE 450
VOIDLING DURATION 12 seconds
VOIDLING DAMAGE ON-HIT 10/15/20/25/30
VOIDLING DAMAGE RATIO 0.3/0.325/0.35/0.375/0.4 total attack damage + 0.1 ability power
MINION HATE Voidlings deal triple damage to lane minions below 25% health
MONSTER SYMPATHY Voidlings deal 75% damage to monsters
LOCKED OUT Additional Voidlings won’t spawn if the current Voidling has less than 4 seconds of duration left.
TARGETING Voidlings prefer to attack targets afflicted by Malefic Visions or Nether Grasp, gaining 100% movement speed when moving toward them
REMOVEDTHINK FOR YOURSELVES! Voidlings no longer prefer to attack champions that Malzahar has basic attacked
E - Malefic Visions
COST 60/75/90/105/120 mana ⇒ 60/70/80/90/100 mana
DAMAGE 80/140/200/260/320 ⇒ 80/115/150/185/220
RATIO 0.8 ability power ⇒ 0.7 ability power
MANA REFUND ON AFFLICTED KILL 10/14/18/22/26 mana ⇒ 2% maximum mana
KEEP WATCHING If an afflicted enemy is hit by Call of the Void or Nether Grasp, Malefic Visions’ duration is refreshed.
R - Nether Grasp
Malzahar suppresses a target champion for 2.5 seconds and creates a zone of negative energy around them that deals damage to all enemies inside for the duration.

NULL ZONE DURATION 5 seconds
DAMAGE 250/360/440 ⇒ 6/8/10% maximum health per second to all targets in the Null Zone
RATIO 1.3 ability power ⇒ 1.5% of the target’s maximum health per 100 ability power, per second
REMOVEDCAST TIME 0.25 seconds ⇒ Removed


CASSIOPEIA ____________________________________________

True to her half-snake nature, Cassiopeia bears twin identities of “poison mage” and “lightning-fast viper strikes.” However, the high-input gameplay of Twin Fang has left Cassiopeia wanting for greater impact in her poisons, instead viewing them as a gating condition for her combo damage.

Rather than giving her more damaging poisons (Singed has that market cornered), we’ve sharpened Cassiopeia’s poison fantasy by linking Miasma to another snake fantasy: immobilization. The new Miasma lets Cassiopeia weaponize her own immobility by bringing opponents to her level. By limiting the ability of champions to leave her kill zone, Cassiopeia dictates the ranges of an engagement, keeping foes at a distance where she can wail on them safely. Should her opponents play around Miasma, however, Cassiopeia loses that control and faces swift punishment from the champions she sought to keep at bay.
General
BASE MOVEMENT SPEED 335 ⇒ 328
SMALL SCALE ADJUSTMENTS Several of Cassiopeia’s other base stats have been slightly adjusted
ICONS Cassiopeia has all-new ability icons
UPDATEDPassive - Serpentine Grace
SNAKES DON’T NEED BOOTS Cassiopeia gains 4 movement speed per level. Cassiopeia cannot purchase Boots items.
Q - Noxious Blast
COST 40/50/60/70/80 mana ⇒ 60/65/70/75/80 mana
COOLDOWN 4 seconds ⇒ 3.5 seconds
DAMAGE 75/115/155/195/235 ⇒ 75/120/165/210/255
RATIO 0.45 ability power ⇒ 0.7 ability power
CAST RANGE 850 ⇒ 750
BONUS MOVEMENT SPEED ON HIT 20% ⇒ 30/35/40/45/50%, decaying over the duration
UPDATEDW - Miasma
Cassiopeia spews venom in an arc in front of her, leaving toxic clouds for a few seconds. Enemies in the cloud are continually poisoned, slowing and Grounding them, prohibiting the use of movement abilities.

COST 70 mana
COOLDOWN 22/20/18/16/14 seconds
DURATION 5 seconds
DAMAGE 20/35/50/65/80 per second
RATIO 0.15 ability power per second
SLOW 40/50/60/70/80%, decaying over the duration
RANGE 550-800
CLOUD RADIUS 160
E - Twin Fang
COST 50/60/70/80/90 mana ⇒ 60/65/70/75/80 mana
COOLDOWN 5 seconds ⇒ 0.9 seconds
DAMAGE 55/80/105/130/155 ⇒ 52-120 (at levels 1-18)
RATIO 0.55 ability power ⇒ 0.1 ability power
REMOVEDCOOLDOWN RESET No longer reduces the cooldown to 0.5 seconds upon hitting a poisoned target
REMOVEDMANA POSITIVE No longer refunds an additional 1.5% of Cassiopeia’s maximum mana on kill (still refunds 100% of the cost)
NEWSNAKE BITE If the target is Poisoned, Twin Fang deals an additional 10/40/70/100/130 (+0.35 ability power) damage
NEWHEAL If the target is Poisoned, Twin Fang also heals Cassiopeia for 5/10/15/20/25
HEAL RATIO 0.1 ability power
R - Petrifying Gaze
COOLDOWN 120/110/100 seconds ⇒ 120/100/80 seconds
SLOW 60% on targets facing away ⇒ 40% on targets facing away


ZYRA ____________________________________________

Zyra’s function as a zone-controlling plant mage has always been clear, but Midseason presented an opportunity to really let her playstyle bloom. Zyra’s plants are key to this zone-controlling strategy, but Rampant Growth’s seed-dispensing limitations have always left her wanting more. Zyra’s fantasy promises a sprawling landscape of minions to grow and do her bidding, but ends up as ‘grow two plants on a moderate cooldown that die pretty easily’.

Now, Zyra doesn’t just plant a garden - she is the garden. Cultivating the ‘Rise of the Thorns’ into more than just a title, Zyra’s becoming a walking zone of threat, deploying seeds that grow into explosive teamfight potential the longer she’s in an area. Combining Stranglethorns’ plant-enhancing frenzy with more plants than ever before, Zyra’s reclaiming her strategic identity as the disengage pick, making would-be divers heed the warning to keep off the grass.
General
BASE HEALTH 479 ⇒ 499
BASE MOVEMENT SPEED 325 ⇒ 340
TEXTURES Zyra’s base textures have been updated
ICONS Zyra has all-new ability icons
UPDATEDPassive - Garden of Thorns
Seeds spawn around Zyra periodically, becoming faster with level. If an enemy champion steps on a seed, it dies. If Zyra is hiding in brush, seeds will not spawn until she reveals herself. Casting Deadly Spines or Grasping Roots near seeds causes them to grow into Plants. Plants of the same type deal 50% less damage against the same target.

PASSIVE SEED LIFETIME 30 seconds
PLANT HEALTH 6 ⇒ 4
PLANT DAMAGE 23-140 (at levels 1-18) ⇒ 19-127 (at levels 1-18)
PLANT RATIO 0.2 ability power ⇒ 0.15 ability power
SIGHTLESS SEEDS Unlike seeds spawned by Rampant Growth, seeds spawned by Garden of Thorns grant no vision passively or when stepped on
Q - Deadly Spines
NAME Deadly Bloom ⇒ Deadly Spines
COST 75 mana ⇒ 60 mana
DAMAGE 70/105/140/175/210 ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180
RATIO 0.65 ability power ⇒ 0.55 ability power
NEWPLANTER BOX Size increased; now grows in a rectangle instead of a circle
NEWOVERGROWTH Grows plants slightly outside of the damage area (like Grasping Roots)
W - Rampant Growth
W SEED LIFETIME 30 seconds ⇒ 60 seconds
REMOVEDCOOLDOWN REDUCTION No longer grants cooldown reduction
NEWMAXIMUM PLANT HEALTH 10/20/30/40/50%
R - Stranglethorns
REMOVEDPLANT FRENZY No longer grants 50% attack speed to Plants
NEWPLANT IMPACT Plants enraged by Stranglethorns deal 50% bonus damage


BRAND ____________________________________________

Brand's always been the guy who sets the world on fire with area damage and percent-health burns. Unfortunately for him, the proliferation of the percent-health mechanic in other spaces has robbed him of half of that identity. Even among mages, the Rylai's/Liandry's combo allows other champions to fill the same niche. This leaves Brand as a pretty generic source of damage, meaning he’s only picked when overtuned, rather than for any strategic purpose.

We're updating Blaze to cement Brand's status as the go-to battle mage for AoE damage. No one punishes a team for clumping together like Brand: the new Blaze creates a volatile chain reaction as detonations stack Blaze onto all enemies caught in the blast, hastening their own detonations for even more explosive damage. Toss in a markedly more sadistic targeting system for Pyroclasm, and Brand becomes a true living inferno.
General
ICONS Brand has all-new ability icons
UPDATEDPassive - Blaze
NEWYOU DROP THE BOMB ON ME Blaze stacks up to three times. Upon reaching maximum stacks, Blaze detonates in a large area around the target.
BLAZE DAMAGE 8% of the target’s maximum health over 4 seconds ⇒ 2% of the target’s maximum health over 4 seconds per stack
DETONATION DAMAGE 12-16% of the target’s maximum health (at levels 1-9)
DETONATION RATIO +1.5% of the target’s maximum health per 100 ability power
WET FUSE Brand can’t stack Blaze on targets who have exploded in the past 4 seconds
Q - Sear
DAMAGE 80/120/160/200/240 ⇒ 80/110/140/170/200
RATIO 0.65 ⇒ 0.55
STUN DURATION 2 seconds ⇒ 1.5 seconds
W - Pillar of Flame
COOLDOWN 10 seconds ⇒ 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 seconds
COST 70/80/90/100/110 mana ⇒ 60/70/80/90/100 mana
E - Conflagration
DAMAGE 70/105/140/175/210 ⇒ 70/90/110/130/150
RATIO 0.55 ability power ⇒ 0.35 ability power
COOLDOWN 12/11/10/9/8 seconds ⇒ 10/9/8/7/6 seconds
R - Pyroclasm
DAMAGE 150/250/350 ⇒ 100/200/300
RATIO 0.5 ability power ⇒ 0.25 ability power
NEWHEATING UP Now prioritizes detonating Blaze on champions. This means that Pyroclasm now prioritizes champions by default and prefers targets with 2, 1, and 0 stacks (rather than 3) in an attempt to trigger a detonation.
BLAZE BONUS Briefly slows enemies for 30/45/60%



VEL'KOZ ____________________________________________

Vel'Koz has some cool things going for him - his research-and-destroy thematic, the combo playstyle of his passive, and his giant face laser to name a few. Problem is, there's no direction to these aspects. It makes little difference how or in what order Vel'Koz uses his abilities, so long as he hits them all to maximize his passive procs. Repeated bursts of true damage are good in any situation, so where does Vel’Koz shine?

While some of our other mage updates overhaul the tools that define them, we're surgically adjusting Vel’Koz’s existing kit to accentuate his identity. Namely, Life Form Disintegration Ray's interaction with Organic Deconstruction has changed. Instead of quickly stacking his passive against anything in its path, Vel'Koz's laser now requires him to do his research first, paying off the investment with massive amounts of true damage. Where Organic Deconstruction stings, Disintegration Ray burns, making Vel'Koz is the artillery mage to pick when you need to melt through beefy tanks and fighters.
Passive - Organic Deconstruction
DAMAGE 35 - 205 (at levels 1-18) ⇒ 33 - 169 (at levels 1-18)
NEWRATIO Now additionally scales with 0.4 ability power
Q - Plasma Fission
NEWMANA POSITIVE Refunds 50% of its mana cost for each unit killed by Plasma Fission (up to a max of 150%)
W - Void Rift
FIRST HIT RATIO 0.25 ability power ⇒ 0.15 ability power
SECOND HIT RATIO 0.375 ability power ⇒ 0.25 ability power
E - Tectonic Disruption
RATIO 0.5 ability power ⇒ 0.3 ability power
R - Life Form Disintegration Ray
NEWRESEARCH AND DESTROY Deconstructed champions become Researched for the next 7 seconds (refreshed by basic attacks and abilities). Life Form Disintegration Ray deals true damage to Researched targets instead of magic damage.
REMOVEDSTACKBOT No longer applies stacks of Organic Deconstruction
DAMAGE 500/700/900 ⇒ 500/725/950
RATIO 0.6 ability power ⇒ 1.0 ability power
COOLDOWN 130/110/90 seconds ⇒ 120/110/80 seconds

MINOR MAGE UPDATES

ANIVIA ____________________________________________

One of our oldest champions, Anivia’s always been a power-pick for those willing to weather the storm of her steep mastery curve. While her strategic identity as a counter to heavy sieging is already strong, we saw an opportunity with Midseason to sharpen her traits as a disruptor even further. By focusing power into her already-potent CC, Anivia cements herself as a centerpiece for teams looking to seize control of the battlefield’s neutral ground.
General
BASIC ATTACK MISSILE SPEED 1400 ⇒ 1500
Q - Flash Frost
DAMAGE 60/90/120/150/180 ⇒ 60/85/110/135/160
RATIO 0.5 ability power ⇒ 0.4 ability power
STUN DURATION 1 second ⇒ 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5 seconds
SLOW 20% ⇒ 20/30/40% (scaling with rank of R - Glacial Storm)
E - Frostbite
MISSILE SPEED 1200 ⇒ 1600
CAST RANGE 650, measured from Anivia’s hitbox center to her opponent’s ⇒ 600, measured from Anivia’s hitbox edge to her opponent’s (overall range buff of ~35)
R - Glacial Storm
CAST RANGE 625 ⇒ 685
RADIUS 400 ⇒ 150
SLOW 20% at all ranks ⇒ 20/30/40%
REMOVEDATTACK SPEED SLOW No longer slows attack speed
NEWGLACIAL EXPANSION Now expands to a radius of 400 over 3 seconds
NEWFINAL FORM At maximum size, Glacial Storm’s damage, chill duration and slow are increased by 50%


ANNIE ____________________________________________

Annie's simplicity as one of League’s original 40 belies a surprising amount of depth, but there are a few areas where her gameplay simply needs to be brought up to modern standards. The first is the lack of clarity around her stun. A skilled Annie learns to bypass Pyromania's indicator by sitting on three stacks, then burning Molten Shield to proc Pyromania as she throws out a near-instant stun. While this lends some degree of mastery to Annie's kit, it means a significant chunk of her power has been tied to outplaying the UI. Pyromania is now tracked on a resource bar and we’re moving that power elsewhere -- more on that later.

The other half of Pyromania’s problem is actually Molten Shield, whose outdated design doesn’t offer enough for Annie to value it as anything other than a cheap Pyromania stack. Molten Shield is being modernized to a shorter, situationally powerful tool with clearer anti-burst uses against the likes of Zed ult, giving Annie a reason to feel good about it.

Returning to the question of how we’re compensating Annie for losing her invisible stun, that power is being reallocated to Tibbers, the most unrealized aspect of Annie's fantasy as pyro girl with giant bear guardian. For being such an integral part of Annie’s character, Tibbers serves little purpose outside of a safer AoE spell than Incinerate for a flash-stun combo. We're putting some fury into Tibbers’ bear swipes and smartening up his AI to make him a persistent threat until killed, befitting his status as the infernal familiar Annie's always deserved.
Passive - Pyromania
LET’S COUNT TO FIVE Pyromania stacks are now displayed under Annie’s health bar (similar to Jhin’s bullets)
W - Incinerate
RANGE 560 ⇒ 625
HEAT WAVE Fixed a bug where units would be hit if they had escaped the area after the cast
E - Molten Shield
DURATION 5 seconds ⇒ 3 seconds
REMOVEDRESISTANCES No longer gives 10/20/30/40/50 armor and magic resist
NEWDAMAGE REDUCTION Now gives 16/22/28/34/40% damage reduction for the duration
REMOVEDSPEED BEAR No longer speeds up Tibbers
R - Summon: Tibbers
DAMAGE 175/300/425 ⇒ 150/275/400
RATIO 0.8 ability power ⇒ 0.65 ability power
AURA DAMAGE 20/30/40 ⇒ 10/15/20
AURA RATIO 0.2 ability power ⇒ 0.1 ability power
TIBBERS ATTACK DAMAGE 80/105/130 ⇒ 50/75/100
NEWTIBBERS ATTACK RATIO 0.15 ability power
TIBBERS ATTACK RANGE 125 ⇒ 150
PRESENCE OF MIND Tibbers’ AI has been improved to better follow Annie’s commands and reduce cases where he suddenly stops doing anything
NEWFOLLOW ME Annie can command Tibbers to follow her by selecting herself as Tibbers’ target
NEWKEEP UP While out of combat for at least 5 seconds, Tibbers gains movement speed when moving toward Annie and regenerates 6.0% of his maximum health every second
BEARROIDS Tibbers enrages on summon, ignoring unit collision and gaining 275% bonus attack speed and 100% bonus movement speed (decaying over 3 seconds)
BURNING RAGE Using Pyromania on an enemy champion also causes Tibbers to enrage
BEAR VENGEANCE If Annie dies while Tibbers is summoned, Tibbers instantly regenerates 50% of his missing health, enrages, and targets Annie’s killer. If Annie’s killer is too far away, Tibbers will focus the lowest health champion instead.


FIDDLESTICKS ____________________________________________

Fiddlesticks is a special type of immobile: he actually has to stand still to use some of his abilities, leaving him slow to respond when team fights move away from him. By giving him the tools to go with the flow as the fight moves around, we’re sharpening his role as an explosive fight-starter, surprise party enthusiast, and spooky scary... scarecrow. This also gives us room to dial back on some of the more binary parts of Fiddle’s kit, like his long-ranged fear or his permadrain. The result is a more interactive Fiddlesticks who’s better able to position himself to make plays.
UPDATEDPassive - Dread
SCARECROW Fiddlesticks gains Dread after not moving for 1.5 seconds. Immobilizing crowd control resets this timer. If Fiddlesticks has Dread, moving causes him to gain bonus movement speed.
DURATION 1.5 seconds
MOVEMENT SPEED 25/30/35/40% (at levels 1/6/11/16)
Q - Terrify
RANGE 575 ⇒ 525
W - Drain
COOLDOWN 10/9/8/7/6 seconds ⇒ 4/3.75/3.5/3.25/3 seconds
DRAINED Cooldown now begins at the end of Drain’s channel
E - Dark Wind
NUMBER OF BOUNCES 5 ⇒ 7
TARGETING Now prioritizes Drain targets
R - Crowstorm
CLOSE ENOUGH Will cast at maximum range if cast out of range
STAND HERE FOR DEATH Now uses the ‘On My Way!’ Ping


KENNEN ____________________________________________

Kennen's niche of "dive the enemy team and stun kids" is well-defined, but the randomness of who his ult zaps means his teamfighting impact is often left up to chance. Sometimes Slicing Maelstrom focus-fires a priority target on the far edge of its range, other times it ignores the squishy that Kennen’s right beside as they saunter off to safety. This can be just as frustrating for Kennen’s opponents; it all depends on who draws the short straw. We’re removing Slicing Maelstrom’s randomness to make it more consistent for both sides: Kennen will always stun enemies he’s allowed to stay close to, so it’s never a waste of resources to peel him off your backline.

On a separate note, we cleaned up a few weird numbers in Kennen’s other abilities. Notably, Electrical Surge’s range was overly generous, so we’re trimming it to keep Kennen in harm’s way if he wants to jolt his enemies.
General
ICONS Kennen’s icons have been updated!
Passive - Mark of the Storm
#cleannumbers

MARK DURATION 6.25 seconds ⇒ 6 seconds
FIRST STUN DURATION 1.25 seconds (unchanged)
REDUCED EFFECT WINDOW 7 seconds after last stun ⇒ 6 seconds after last stun
ADDITIONAL STUNS 0.6 seconds ⇒ 0.5 seconds
Q - Thundering Shuriken
COST 65/60/55/50/45 energy ⇒ 60/55/50/45/40 energy
W - Electrical Surge
COST 45 energy ⇒ 40 energy
RANGE 800 ⇒ 750
R - Slicing Maelstrom
LIGHTNING ROD Slicing Maelstrom is no longer limited to striking the same target three times per cast, but only the first three strikes on a target will apply Mark of the Storm
DAMAGE 80/145/210 (+0.4 ability power) per bolt (unchanged)
NEWDAMAGE FALLOFF 25% per bolt (50% minimum damage)
DURATION 3/4/5 seconds ⇒ 3 seconds at all ranks
TICK RATE 0.25 seconds ⇒ 0.5 seconds
MAX DAMAGE PER TARGET 240/435/630 (+1.2 ability power) ⇒ 300/544/788 (+1.5 ability power)
EMP Each tick now strikes every target in the area, including minions and monsters




SWAIN ____________________________________________

Despite his title, Swain’s largely failed to live up to his promise of a master tactician. Instead, Swain mains have come to embrace him as an unkillable teamfight-tanking monstrosity. Sometimes a champion having split identities can lead to balancing awkwardness (like Kalista, the solo outplay carry with insane teammate synergies), but Swain is more odd than problematic. Sure, ‘Commander Bird Monster’ is weird, but so is Shen being a tanky ninja. We’re not here to judge.

Rather than force one identity over the other, we’re looking at ways to enhance Swain overall. Regardless of why you play the Master Tactician, he’s a tanky mage with DoT’s and that’s not changing. Instead, Swain’s updates are about using his abilities in the right situations to overcome the odds. Careful optimization and placement of his bread-and-butter spells gives Swain the room to tactically outpace the opposition before morphing into an even-more-Ravenous-Flock for the teamfight checkmate.
General
BASIC ATTACK MISSILE SPEED 1500 ⇒ 1800
Passive - Carrion Renewal
VISUALS Classic, Northern Front and Bilgewater Swain have received new mana regen particles
FLAT MANA REGEN ON KILL 9-27 (at levels 1-18) ⇒ 12-30 (at levels 1-18)
UPDATEDQ - Decrepify
Swain orders Beatrice to fly towards the center of target area for a short duration. While deployed, Beatrice will target the closest enemy, dealing damage per second and slowing it. Beatrice switches targets if the current target leaves or is killed.

COOLDOWN 14/13/12/11/10 seconds
COST 60/65/70/75/80 mana
CAST RANGE 700
BEATRICE RADIUS 350
DURATION 4 seconds
SLOW 20/25/30/35/40%
DAMAGE 25/40/55/70/85 per second
RATIO 0.3 ability power per second
MINION HATE Deals 100% bonus damage to minions
W - Nevermove
COST 80/90/100/110/120 ⇒ 80/85/90/95/100
E - Torment
DAMAGE 75/115/155/195/235 ⇒ 50/80/110/140/170
RATIO 0.8 ability power ⇒ 1.0 ability power
DAMAGE AMPLIFICATION 8/11/14/17/20% of Swain’s damage ⇒ 20% of Swain’s damage at all ranks
TARGETING If Swain afflicts someone with Torment, Decrepify will prioritize that target
R - Ravenous Flock
Swain spawns lesser ravens every 0.2 seconds, dealing damage to targets around him. Lesser ravens heal Swain upon returning to him. Prioritizes champions.

COOLDOWN 8 seconds ⇒ 10 seconds
COST 25 mana + 5/6/7 additional mana per second ⇒ 25 mana + 5 additional mana per second at all ranks
HEALING AGAINST MINIONS 25% ⇒ 15%
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF RAVENS 3 ⇒ 5
PECKING IMMUNITY Lesser ravens can’t attack the same target for 1 second


SYNDRA ____________________________________________

The Dark Sovereign’s promise of transcendence into an ultimate being of power currently feels more like a slight upgrade than an unlocking of untapped power. Syndra’s changes are light, but sharp: shifting power into the potential of Dark Spheres. By giving Syndra more influence through Spheres, we can reward her mastery of manipulation with masterful mid-fight CC combos. Syndra still has all the power necessary to crush a single target, we’re just adding an extra layer of expression to the mix.
Passive - Transcendent
DARK SPHERE BONUS Dark Spheres deal 15% extra damage to champions ⇒ Spheres last an additional 2 seconds
FORCE OF WILL BONUS Force of Will’s slow duration increased to 2 seconds ⇒ Force of Will now grabs up to 2 additional spheres within 400 range of the primary target, increasing the size of the slow/damage zone on reactivation
Q - Dark Sphere
RATIO 0.6 ability power ⇒ 0.75 ability power
W - Force of Will
THIS MUCH WILL Now displays a maximum throw radius while bending units to your will
E - Scatter the Weak
COOLDOWN 18/16.5/15/13.5/12 seconds ⇒ 16/15/14/13/12 seconds


VEIGAR ____________________________________________

Veigar's potential to go infinite with Baleful Strike’s AP gain on kill is a good fit for his theme of “little ball of evil with an overcompensation problem,” but means Veigar should care more about farming pitiful minions than blasting down enemy champions. We're retooling the mechanic as Veigar's new passive and opening it up to reward the Tiny Master of Evil for constantly asserting dominance over his opponents. While examining how Veigar antagonizes his enemies, we also changed Primordial Burst to give him the pick of the litter when obliterating low health enemies. He’ll have to press more than one button to erase an enemy mage, but even the most durable tank should carefully consider their health bar before re-engaging.
UPDATEDPassive - Phenomenal Evil Power
KIND OF LIKE A BIG DEAL Striking an enemy champion with an ability grants Veigar stacks of Phenomenal Evil. Phenomenal Evil gives Veigar 1 ability power per stack.
Q - Baleful Strike
REWARD ON KILL Grants a stack of Phenomenal Evil on kill. Grants 2 for large minions and large monsters
REMOVEDREWARD ON TAKEDOWN No longer grants 1/2/3/4/5 ability power on champion takedowns
COST 60/65/70/75/80 mana ⇒ 40/45/50/55/60 mana
W - Dark Matter
COST 70/75/80/85/90 mana ⇒ 60/65/70/75/80 mana
E - Event Horizon
COST 80/85/90/95/100 mana ⇒ 70/75/80/85/90 mana
R - Primordial Burst
DAMAGE 250/375/500 ⇒ 175-350/250-500/325-650 (based on target’s missing health)
RATIO 1.0 ability power ⇒ 0.75 - 1.5 ability power (based on target’s missing health)


VIKTOR ____________________________________________

Despite sporting a kit full of unique teamfighting tools, most of Viktor’s gadgets have been historically kept on a tight leash due to the efficiency of Death Ray’s infamous Augment: Shockwave. Viktor should feel rewarded for setting his schemes into motion (like trapping multiple enemies in a Gravity Field), but the ability to follow up with instant target deletion puts the ball too far in his court. By shifting Viktor’s damage to be higher over-time, we can hit two birds with one stone. Opponents aren’t evaporated for making a single mistake, and Viktor gets to carry a fight through intelligent play like the diabolical mastermind he is.
Q - Siphon Power
COOLDOWN 10/8.5/7/5.5/4 seconds ⇒ 8/7/6/5/4 seconds
MISSILE DAMAGE 40/60/80/100/120 ⇒ 60/80/100/120/140
MISSILE RATIO 0.2 ability power ⇒ 0.4 ability power
EMPOWERED ATTACK DAMAGE 20-210 (at levels 1-18) ⇒ 20/40/70/80/100
BASE SHIELD 30/50/70/90/110 ⇒ 8% of Viktor’s total mana
SHIELD RATIO 0.2 ability power ⇒ 0.15 ability power
E - Death Ray
DAMAGE 70/110/150/190/230 (unchanged)
RATIO 0.7 ability power ⇒ 0.5 ability power
AUGMENTED DAMAGE 100% of Death Ray’s damage ⇒ 20/60/100/140/180
AUGMENTED RATIO 0.7 ability power
REMOVEDDETONATION REDUCTION No longer reduces detonation damage by 60% against targets already hit by Death Ray
RAY+AFTERSHOCK DAMAGE 98/154/210/266/322 (+0.98 ability power) ⇒ 90/170/250/330/410 (+1.2 ability power)
LASER SPEED 780 ⇒ 1050
AUGMENTED EXPLOSION DELAY 0.6 seconds ⇒ 1 second
R - Chaos Storm
DURATION 7 seconds ⇒ 6 seconds
INITIAL DAMAGE 150/250/350 ⇒ 100/175/250
INITIAL DAMAGE RATIO 0.55 ability power ⇒ 0.5 ability power
TICK RATE 0.5 seconds ⇒ 2 seconds
STORM DAMAGE 15/30/45 ⇒ 150/250/350
STORM RATIO 0.1 ability power ⇒ 0.6 ratio
MAX DAMAGE 360/670/980 (+1.95 ability power) ⇒ 550/925/1300 (+2.3 ability power)


XERATH ____________________________________________

Rite of the Arcane sets up Xerath’s unique high point: a long-ranged barrage that forces opponents to dance. However, it was often Arcanopulse with its consistent poke that gave him his siege monster reputation. While Xerath should be able to effectively siege with his basic abilities, we also want his signature ability to be more impactful, giving players a reason to access its power more often and for longer. By dialing back a little on the inevitability of Arcanopulse and upping the impact of Rite of the Arcane, we’re giving Xerath more chances to succeed with his ultimate, ensuring higher highs for experienced ascendants.
Q - Arcanopulse
WIDTH 150 ⇒ 145
INDICATOR Warning indicator now better matches the damage zone
E - Shocking Orb
STUN DURATION 0.75 - 1.75 seconds (based on distance) ⇒ 0.5 - 2 seconds (based on distance)
R - Rite of the Arcane
DAMAGE 190/245/300 ⇒ 200/230/260
NUMBER OF BARRAGES 3 at all ranks ⇒ 3/4/5
RANGE Range increased by 10%
IMPACT RADIUS 190 ⇒ 200
DELAY BETWEEN SHOTS 0.6 seconds ⇒ 0.8 seconds
ASCENDED VISION Now zooms out to give Xerath a better view of the battlefield
VISUALS Rite of the Arcane particles have been updated


ZIGGS ____________________________________________

What would Ziggs do? The answer should almost always be “blow everything up,” but for an impulsive demolitionist, Ziggs spends a lot of time protecting turrets with his waveclear rather than knocking them down. Dialing back on his multi-lane wave clear lessens his ability to stall out games and drives more interactive gameplay with his opponents. In exchange, we’re giving the Hexplosives Expert the power to bring the boom to his enemies’ turrets, chunking them down with Short Fuse procs before hexploding them with Satchel Charge when they’re vulnerable. Let no turret be left standing!
Passive - Short Fuse
RATIO 0.25/0.3/0.35 ability power (at levels 1/7/13) ⇒ 0.3/0.4/0.5 ability power (at levels 1/7/13)
COOLDOWN REDUCTION ON ABILITY USE 4 seconds at all levels ⇒ 4/5/6 (at levels 1/7/13)
W - Satchel Charge
BOOM Can now be used on turrets below 25/27.5/30/32.5/35% of their maximum health to instantly destroy them
R - Mega Inferno Bomb
COOLDOWN 120 seconds ⇒ 120/105/90 seconds
REMOVEDMINION HATE No longer deals double damage to minions