Patch 7.0f changes

Our take

Ferromancy is Rell's form swap, and since each form gives her a different role it sits at the centre of how she plays. Moving the cooldown from 5s to 9s widens the gap between swaps, so she has to commit to the form she wants before a fight starts rather than during it. Flipping forms just to see what happens no longer works — picking a form is now a decision in its own right.

Our take

Grandmaster's Might builds Jax up every time he connects with a champion, which is why the longer a brawl runs the better it goes for him. Raising the AR-based scaling from 40% to 50% and the MR-based scaling from 24% to 30% means the payoff grows with every defensive item he finishes. If he can stay in the middle of a teamfight and keep landing hits on several targets, he is far more likely to still be standing when it ends.

Our take

Lower AD growth per level means Smolder's auto attacks no longer scale up as quickly just from levelling. On top of that, both the base damage on Super Scorcher Breath and the bonus damage his passive adds to it are cut, which drags his output down across the early and mid game. With three sources reduced at once, building an early lead is much harder, and the play becomes surviving quietly until the items arrive.

Our take

This is the ability that let Norra keep constant pressure on the enemy — while it was available, stepping forward was risky for anyone. Pushing the cooldown from 18/17/16/15s out to 23/22/21/20s leaves a much longer gap after each cast, and that gap is when the enemy team gets to make its move. Norra now pays a real price for missing, so holding the ability until the cast is guaranteed becomes the correct habit.

Our take

Akali disappears faster once she steps into the smoke, with the fade time dropping from 0.8s to 0.67s, which shrinks the window where she is still visible and still standing there. Vanishing in front of someone who just dove her and repositioning becomes a far more reliable trick. On top of that, the first cast of Shuriken Flip can mark the Twilight Shroud smoke, giving her a way to reset her distance — or close it again — without leaving cover. Both changes serve escaping and re-engaging equally, widening what Akali can do in a fight.

Our take

Rapid Fire is where Tristana's damage comes from, and whether it is up decides how a trade goes. Trimming the cooldown from 18/17/16/15s to 17/16/15/14s means she is more likely to have it ready for a second skirmish that follows quickly after the first. It is a small change rather than a dramatic one, but it makes it easier to time an engage against the enemy's own cooldowns.

Our take

Death's Dance spreads incoming damage out over time so its holder can fight back and recover during the delay. Shortening that window from 4s to 3s means more of the damage lands at once when several enemies focus you, and that is often the difference between surviving a fight and dying in it. Defy's heal also falls from 10% to 8% of Max HP, so pulling yourself back from the brink is weaker as well. Fighters who rely on the item should be a notch more careful about when they step forward.