Riot is not done with the bot lane, as Support items are getting some big changes to turn around the meta.
The jungle and bot lane have been the focus of Riot in League of Legends. Jungle has had quite several changes with the addition of pets, treats, and so on. Overall, it has brought a bit of freshness to the jungle with an easier approach for newer players.
Meanwhile, Bot lane had its fair share of issues, to say the least. The community was divided regarding whether the ADC role was strong or weak. Riot deemed it weak enough that wholesale of ADC changes were brought in to buff some champion basic stats and items. This update hit the live servers in Patch 13.1B.
However, all those changes and preseason adjustments made Marksmen being played in the Support Role. This article best explains why that became or is still the case. So, to deal with the meta of Enchanter and Marksmen Supports, Riot rolled out some buffs for Tank Support champion in Patch 13.3.
However, due to many issues at Riot due to the social engineering attack, they had to play it safe in terms of updates to not make unwarranted changes. So, Patch 13.4 is set to receive some substantial Support item changes to finally get the Support meta on track. Here is what we know so far.
Read More: Riot Hotfixes Aurelion Sol & Annie On LoL Patch 13.3
Support Item Changes Patch 13.4
As mentioned earlier, the Support Meta is currently Enchanters and Marksmen. Both of these classes of champions have been using either Spellthief’s Edge or Spectral Sickle to generate their gold income while in the Support role. Umbral Glaive is also a big pickup for Marksmen Supports, but that was nerfed in Patch 13.3.
Meanwhile, Relic Shield and Steel Shoulderguards are, no pun intended, relics of the past as Tank Supports, barring Nautilus, are not really prioritized in the current meta. While Patch 13.3 Tank Support changes will help the cause, it is not enough. So, Riot will buff the basic items that every Tank Support gets at the start of the game while nerfing items for Enchanter and Marksmen Supports.
The whole Support item tree is being amended for all of the changes. Spideraxe shared the details of the changes, and Riot TheTruexy backed them up on Twitter. Let’s talk about all the individual changes and why they are making them.
Relic Shield Item Line
Starting with Relic Shield, this has been a flex Support item for a while. Over the years, this item has been used on Tank and Enchanter Supports alike. Giving it more Health Regen will go a long way for champions like Leona, Alistar, and Rakan to have more tankiness and sustain in lane early on. Bulwark of the Mountains will remain unchanged.
Relic Shield (Starter Item)
- Base Health Regeneration: 25% >>> 75%.
Targon’s Buckler (First Upgrade)
- Base Health Regeneration: 50% >>> 75%.
Spectral Sickle
Probably the biggest item for Marksmen Supports, this has been Senna’ Supports’ go-to for a while. The item gives quite a bit of gold generation, allowing Marksmen to succeed in the role. Now, they are nerfing the charge timer so that they do not get the benefit as often. This leaves the door open for Marksmen Support in situation conditions while addressing the elephant in the room.
These changes should affect the entire item line but no confirmation of that.
- Charge Timer Cooldown: 10 seconds to 12 seconds.
Spellthief’s Edge
As Enchanter Meta has been going on for quite a while, Spellthief’s Edge item line is getting some mana regeneration nerfs. With the nerf of that and gold income, it is a long time coming. Hopefully, it will stick this time, and we will see more parity in the role.
Spellthief’s Edge (Starter Item)
- Charge Timer Cooldown: 10 seconds to 12 seconds.
- Base Mana Regeneration: 50% >>> 25%.
Frostfang (First Upgrade Item)
- Charge Timer Cooldown: 10 seconds to 12 seconds.
- Base Mana Regeneration: 75% >>> 50%.
Shard of True Ice (Final Upgraded Item)
- Charge Timer Cooldown: 10 seconds to 12 seconds.
- Base Mana Regeneration: 115% >>> 100%.
Steel Shoulderguards
Like Relic Shield, Steel Shoulderguard item line is also getting Health Regeneration. This is more built for champions like Thresh, Nautilus, etc. Let’s hope this improves the meta. Like Bulwark, Pauldrons of Whiterock received no changes.
Steel Shoulderguards (Starter Item)
- Base Health Regeneration: 25% >>> 75%.
Runesteel Spaulders (First Upgrade Item)
- Base Health Regeneration: 25% >>> 75%.
