Patch 7.1f changes

Our take

Kayle trades a weak early game for a strong late game, but that early game had become too punishing. The extra 4 base AD steadies her last-hitting and her short trades, while the higher mana regen lets her stay in lane longer. Celestial Blessing gains 30 healing at rank 1 and nothing at rank 4, so the help lands exactly where she needed it. Spending the whole laning phase pinned under tower should be a rarer outcome.

Our take

Taliyah arrived too strong, so this patch trims both her early damage and the range at which she can start a fight. Threaded Volley loses 10 damage on its first rock at every rank, slowing her wave clear and her poke so one-sided early shoves are harder to set up. Seismic Shove's cast range drops from 9 to 8, making it harder to commit from a safe distance. Unraveled Earth also loses 10 on the initial explosion, so throwing it out purely for chip damage pays off less.

Our take

This shifts Ambessa's shield away from the early game and slightly toward the late game. At level 1 the shield nearly halves, from 95 to 50, so she is much easier to push around in the opening trades. The ceiling rises from 319 to 330, keeping her durability once levels and items are online. The bonus AD ratio drops 5%, so even a finished build scales a little less than before.

Our take

K'Sante was too durable while transformed, so the cost of All Out goes up across the board. He now gives up 30% of his max HP and 80% of his bonus AR and MR, leaving him genuinely fragile in that form. If he dives someone and fails to finish the kill, he dies to the counterattack far more easily. All Out is now a button to save for moments when follow-up from the team is guaranteed.

Our take

Rank 1 damage falls from 65 to 35, while the max HP scaling rises from 7% to 8%. Gragas is noticeably weaker at low levels, so early lane trades and first-clear ganks land much softer than they used to. Rank 4 keeps its 140 base, and against health-stacking targets he actually hits harder than before. With the AP ratio down 20%, durable builds line up better with the ability than pure AP ones.

Our take

The passive's current-HP scaling loses 1% at every rank, so Viego grinds down high-HP targets more slowly. Because he chases with weaved basic attacks, that 1% adds up the longer a fight runs. Heartbreaker's radius shrinks from 3 to 2.75, demanding a more precise commit to catch a group. Hitting several enemies at once in a teamfight is simply harder now.

Our take

Every rank gains 5 base damage and 5% AD ratio. Rank 1 doubles from 5 to 10, which matters most in the level-1 skirmish where Akshan wants to win the first trade. Since he leans on Avengerang to clear the wave before moving, the faster shove also buys him more time to roam. The extra 5% AD ratio keeps paying out once his build comes together.

Our take

Norra's main damage tool loses close to a tenth of its output at every rank, slowing both her lane trades and her wave clear. At rank 4 the drop from 240 to 220 means some targets she used to finish with a full combo now survive it. Portal Palooza! keeps its rank 1 value and only loses power at ranks 2 and 3 plus the AP ratio, so the nerf bites hardest late. Relying on one ultimate to close out a fight is less dependable with a finished build.

Our take

The max HP scaling on Kog'Maw's empowered attacks loses 0.5% at every rank. Because he stacks attack speed and fires many shots per second, half a percent per hit translates directly into how fast a frontline tank comes down. The larger the enemy health pool, the more they notice the change. Teams that build health now have a little more room to step inside his range and close the gap.

Our take

Both the normal and empowered versions gain 0.5% max HP scaling at every rank. Shen's damage grows with his own health pool, so every defensive item he buys now contributes a little more to his offence. Baron lane trades and jungle clears both speed up, making his opening levels steadier. The 0.5% step is modest, so this sharpens his existing role rather than changing it.