League of Legends Patch 26.01: New Tier List Reveals Big Changes

Top Lane Changes in Patch 26.01

With the release of Season 16 on January 8th, significant adjustments are coming to the meta, particularly for top lane champions in League of Legends. This patch brings new items, increased crit damage, and role quests, among other updates. Here, we'll explore how these changes affect some key champions: Gangplank, Garen, Quinn, and Tristana.

Gangplank

Gangplank will undergo notable changes in this patch. As crit damage increases from 175% to 200%, Riot is adjusting his kit to maintain balance:

• Passive Damage: No longer scales with crit chance, reducing his base crit damage from 813 to 759 on three items.
• Q Damage: Increases due to the overall crit strike damage buff.
• E Damage: Decreases, with base damage dropping from 195 to 155 at max level.

These updates suggest that Essence Reaver, which is returning to a sheen item, may become a priority for Gangplank. This shift moves the focus towards more crit-heavy builds, deviating from Trinity Force rush strategies.

Garen

Garen also sees minor alterations with a nerf to his E damage crit ratio:

• Crit Ratio: Lowered from 80% to 70%.
• Teleport Access: Gains a free teleport mid-game, enhancing his mobility.

The increased crit damage suggests that Mortal Reminder or Infinity Edge could emerge as favorable third item options over Spear of Shojin. Despite these changes, Garen is expected to remain in the S tier.

Quinn

Quinn's adjustments center around her passive and role quest completion:

• Passive Damage: Slightly lowered, with base AD ratio adjusted.
• Role Quest Advantage: Ability to complete quests quickly due to lane dominance.

Her capacity to snowball is strengthened as she can complete role quests faster, giving her a tactical advantage with free teleport usage.

Tristana

Tristana stands to gain considerably from this patch, benefiting the most from the crit damage increase:

• Q Ability: No longer provides base AD but scales with missing health.
• Crit Damage: Always deals more damage with crits in 26.1.
• W Ability: Slow effect reduced in both magnitude and duration.

Tristana's late game is anticipated to improve significantly, especially as more crit-focused items become viable.

These changes will shape the top lane meta, offering new strategic options for players. Keep an eye on how these modifications impact gameplay dynamics in Season 16.

Top Lane Impact: Teleport and Tower Changes

With all the adjustments covered, it's clear that teleport and tower mechanics are significantly impacting the top lane meta. Tristana, Tryndamere, and other crit-reliant champions are expected to thrive thanks to increased crit damage potential. Tryndamere, in particular, is positioned to ascend to the S tier due to several favorable changes:

1. Improved Crit Damage: Once fully equipped with crit items, Tryndamere becomes a formidable dueling threat.
2. Enhanced Split Pushing: With additional turret plates and the new crystalline overgrowth effect, split push champions gain more gold and efficacy.
3. Strategic Teleport: The new free teleport from role quests offers Tryndamere vital flexibility for map influence and backdoor plays.

   Role quests in the top lane are another game-changer this season, granting bonuses that significantly elevate a champion's scaling potential:

   • Free teleport upon quest completion
   • 600 bonus experience points
   • Increased XP from all future sources
   • Level cap raised to 20

   These changes suggest a shift towards champions with strong early kill potential and away from mandatory teleport use. For champions like Kennen and Urgot, ignite could become the summoner spell of choice, allowing for pressure in the early game without forsaking teleport utility later.

Concerns for Nasus and Dr. Mundo

Not all champions adapt smoothly to these sweeping changes. Nasus and Dr. Mundo face potential struggles due to:

• Weak Early Games: With ignite increasing in popularity, these champions might have difficulty surviving and countering early aggression.
• Quest Completion Lag: Slow early game translates into delayed role quest completion, impairing their comparative effectiveness early to mid-game.

Jungle Meta Adjustments

The jungle meta also sees impactful changes. Elise's nerfed early clear reduces her early game effectiveness. Her reliance on early dominance makes these nerfs particularly challenging, moving her from an S tier to an A tier position for now.

Conversely, Graves is benefiting from seasonal updates:

1. Crit Damage Increase: Despite minor passive crit ratio reductions, Graves will deal significantly more damage with crits.
2. Reduced Early Gank Pressure: With increased visibility from fail lights, early gank-reliant junglers may struggle more than before.

   Graves' ability to efficiently farm his camps aligns well with these shifts, potentially elevating him from A to S tier in the jungle hierarchy.

Kindred Adjustments

Kindred's adjustments involve a reduction in E ability damage cap to monsters, responding to the broader crit damage enhancements. This compensation nerf reflects efforts to maintain balance, given Kindred's reliance on crit scaling.

In conclusion, the meta for Season 16 is poised for dynamic shifts, with crit-focused strategies and teleport utility potentially redefining champion viability across roles. Adaptation to these changes will be key for maintaining competitive edge in the evolving gameplay landscape.

Kindred's New Build Options

With the return of Stormrazer, there's anticipation around potential new builds for Kindred this season. The current popular items like Kraken Slayer and Trinity Force lack critical strike capabilities, which could limit effectiveness with the new crit increases. Stormrazer, providing 25% crit, may become a preferred rush item, optimizing Kindred’s damage output. As the patch unfolds, more definitive build paths will likely emerge.

Rengar and Shaco Adjustments

The adjustment to Rengar's Q empowered AD ratio from 30% to 20% might seem significant initially. However, due to the increase in crit damage from 175% to 200%, the actual damage output remains unchanged for two-item Rengar. Thus, his position in the jungle meta remains stable in B tier.

Shaco, on the other hand, experiences mixed changes. While his passive AD ratio is slightly reduced, the increase in Q backstab crit strike damage is considerable. This could result in higher burst damage, but the earlier camp spawn timing at 55 seconds may negatively impact his clear speed, potentially challenging his effectiveness early in the game.

Viego's Positioning Remains

Despite multiple nerfs to Viego’s crit damage ratios, the overall impact appears minimal. This is largely because his initial item, Kraken Slayer, does not contribute to crit damage until further into the build. Interestingly, Viego's combo damage may see a slight increase in the new patch due to the general crit damage increase. His placement stays firmly in the A tier for junglers.

Meta Considerations for Patch 26.1

The new spawn timings for jungle camps and scuttle crabs introduce a strategic shift. Fast-clearing junglers like Karthus, Zyra, Diana, and Hecarim are anticipated to gain an edge due to their ability to complete clears before the first scuttle spawn at 2 minutes and 55 seconds. In contrast, slower clearers might struggle to maintain pace, opening opportunities for aggressive plays and denying resources.

Champions Benefiting from New Items

The inclusion of the Dusk and Dawn item brings significant potential for champions like Diana and Ekko. Dusk and Dawn’s passive allows for additional procs of on-hit effects, synergizing with these champions' abilities and bolstering their effectiveness. This item, offering stats crucial for both champions such as AP, health, attack speed, and ability haste, could potentially elevate their influence in the current meta.

Tactical Implications of Failites

The introduction of Failites, providing expanded vision through wards, adds complexity to ganking strategies. Junglers adept at farming and less reliant on early ganking may thrive, whereas those depending heavily on early aggression could face hurdles. However, champions like Talon and Rek’Sai capable of bypassing map terrain might find new avenues to capitalize on opponent vulnerabilities.

In summary, as the patch continues to develop, adaptation to these changes—whether through champion selection, itemization, or playstyle—will be crucial for maintaining a competitive edge.

Champion Adjustments and Tier Shifts

As changes sweep across the champion landscape, several adjustments are impacting individual champion strengths. For Auction, the buffs and nerfs are nuanced. His crit damage has increased from 175% to 200%, directly impacting his passive's second shot bonus crit damage ratio, which now scales from 30% to 100%. The Q ability also receives a buff—its base damage now starts at 45, scaling up to 165, albeit with a ratio shift from 80% total AD to 70% bonus AD. However, despite these buffs, Auction's E ability sees a reduction in strength, with base damage per shot moving from 15-75 down to 8-40, and a crit damage ratio decrease from 90% to 50%.

1. Buffs and Nerfs:
   • Q Ability: Base damage buffed but ratio adjusted.
   • E Ability: Significant nerf in damage and crit ratios.
   • R Ability: Crit damage ratio supposed to be doubled, yet testing suggests a potential nerf.

   These modifications could result in Auction being stronger with his auto-attacks and Q usage, primarily benefiting novice players. Meanwhile, experienced players at higher ranks might feel the pinch of the E ability nerf more acutely. Consequently, Auction is placed in the A tier for the upcoming season, given the increased crit damage and his core reliance on crit.

Cassiopeia's Role Redefined

Cassiopeia is undergoing a significant transformation with her ability to purchase boots. This change enhances her mobility and allows for tailored resistance through items like Mercury's Treads or Steelcaps depending on the matchup. Testing shows she gains around 30 additional movement speed upon completing her boots. This improvement not only boosts her manoeuvrability but also grants her enhanced tenacity and magic resistance, making her formidable against AP-centric opponents like Sylas and LeBlanc. Although the trade-off is a slightly slower progression towards core item completion, the mobility benefits far outweigh the negatives.

• Movability Advantages:
• More accessible to kite and chase.
• Enhanced resistance against crowd control and magic damage.

With these updates, Cassiopeia is poised to be a top contender in the mid-lane for season 16, earning her a spot in the OP tier.

Yasuo and Yone Under Crit Changes

Both Yasuo and Yone are affected by the crit damage adjustments but not in ways that effectively weaken them. Despite Riot's specific crit strike damage nerfs, comparisons show minimal impact on their overall damage output.

• Key Observations:
• Yasuo: A minor reduction in crit strike damage but overall maintained strength.
• Yone: Remains largely unaffected despite the passive nerf.

These factors confirm their unchanged placement in the mid-lane A and B tiers, respectively.

Intriguing New Items and Meta Shifts

The introduction of new items is anticipated to reshape the mid-lane meta significantly. The return of Gunblade and the addition of Dusk and Dawn present fresh dynamics. Champions like Katarina and Akali could see considerable benefits, leading to higher placements in the tier list.

New item influences:

• Gunblade: Expected to boost assassins such as Katarina and Akali.
• Dusk and Dawn: Particularly potent for champions like Ekko and Diana.

The mid-lane meta's evolution is further driven by role quests, rewarding aggressive champions that can secure tower plates effectively. Champions like LeBlanc, capable of early pressure, are poised to thrive, whereas those with delayed power spikes, like Kassadin and Malzahar, might struggle.

ADC Adjustments in Patch 26.1

Significant changes affect the ADC lineup, with crit damage playing a pivotal role. As the crit damage percentage has increased, Riot compensates by nerfing several ADC abilities to balance their power.

ADC changes include:

1. Aphelios:
   • Various abilities see reduced bonus AD ratios and base damage.
   • Despite these nerfs, the broader crit damage boost maintains his A tier position.
2. Ashe:
   • W ability's AD ratio decreased, but crit strike chance boosted from 75% to 100%.
   • Here, auto-attack damage increases moderately counterbalancing the W ability nerf.

   These shifts reflect a strategic balancing act, ensuring that ADCs

ADC Tier List for Patch 26.1

Continuing with the adjustments for ADCs, we're seeing a variety of changes aimed at reshaping the power dynamics in the bot lane. Here's an in-depth look at how these updates affect key champions:

Caitlyn's Rise

Caitlyn is witnessing significant buffs this patch. With her passive crit strike boost from 85% to 100%, Caitlyn sees a noticeable increase in damage output. This change means her headshot crits become considerably more lethal, despite a reduction in crit strike scaling to 30%. The reintroduction of Stormrazor as a potential core item could see a revitalization in Caitlyn's build paths, potentially with combinations like Stormrazor, Rapid Firecannon, and Infinity Edge. These changes elevate Caitlyn from a middling position to firmly placing her in the S tier.

Corki's Dilemma

While Corki receives nerfs to his W ability, decreasing its damage scaling, the patch also reverts Essence Reaver to a sheen item. This could create an appealing option given the item’s synergy with crit's enhanced performance. However, Corki's current state remains lackluster, and he's placed in the B tier, pending further observations on Essence Reaver's impact.

Draven's Prospects

Draven's potential to dominate the early game remains despite direct nerfs to his attack damage and W bonus attack speed. The introduction of new snowball mechanics, including additional gold rewards, bodes well for Draven, keeping him impactful. As a champion reliant on maintaining an advantage, these mechanics could amplify his strengths, justifying his placement in the S tier.

Jhin's Uncertain Future

Jhin faces challenges this patch with his crit damage being reduced from 86% to 75%. Consequently, his damage output on crits is lowered relative to other ADCs receiving buffs. The re-entry of Stormrazor into the item pool may offset this to an extent, but Jhin's overall strength remains clouded in uncertainty, thus placing him cautiously in the A tier.

Summary of ADC Tier Placement

Below is a table summarizing the tier placement for key ADCs in Patch 26.1:

These shifts in the ADC landscape for Patch 26.1 emphasize strategic adjustments to builds and playstyles, providing new opportunities for some champions while presenting challenges for others. As the meta evolves, these changes will likely reshape bot lane dynamics throughout the season.

ADC Adjustments in Patch 26.1

Patch 26.1 introduces significant changes impacting the ADC landscape. Let's delve into how some specific champions are adapting and what strategies might help them excel this season.

Civer's Adjustments

Civer is receiving a nerf to her Q damage, as her AD ratio declines from 85% to 70%, and the crit ratio decreases from a maximum of 50% to 40%. These adjustments suggest a challenging landscape for Civer, dropping her from S tier to A tier unless new items significantly alter her viability. One potential pick could be the new Fiend Hunter Bolt, which enhances DPS when her ultimate is active, making it worth considering as a core item if it proves effective on live servers.

Smolder's Potential

Smolder is an ADC to monitor closely due to the alterations in Essence Reaver, which massively boost his Q damage despite a crit ratio nerf. This improvement stems from integrating the Sheen proc, amplifying Q's damage in Patch 26.1. Despite these benefits, Smolder's weak laning phase may pose risks against aggressive opponents. His placement remains in the A tier but could rise to S tier depending on how the item adjustments enhance his power.

Tristana's Viability

Tristana's power is impacted by significant changes to her E damage, with a decrease in bonus AD ratio from 140% to 80% at max rank. Despite this, her crit damage is expected to increase overall due to season-long adjustments, balancing the E nerf with stronger basic attacks. She's positioned in the S tier, remaining a strong pick with potential benefits from the new Stormrazor item.

Twitch's Item Synergy

The combination of Twitch with the new Fiend Hunter Bolts makes him an exciting prospect. While he's receiving some minor nerfs to his attack speed and AD growth, this new item could radically enhance his assassination potential. Offering attack speed, crit, and movement speed, along with bonus attack speed and damage during the ultimate, it could enable Twitch to thrive despite a weaker laning phase. As such, he holds his place in the S tier.

Zia's Challenges

Zia faces a net nerf to her E damage, affecting her position relative to stronger early-game picks like Draven, Ashe, and Caitlyn. Despite possible synergy with the reintroduced Stormrazer, she is expected to linger as a B tier pick. However, on-hit ADCs like Zia remain steady, with no drastic alterations from previous patches.

Tier List Summary

Here's a concise look at current ADC placements:

Overall, Patch 26.1 presents a dynamic landscape for ADCs requiring players to consider item builds and lane matchups critically. Whether new items will dramatically tilt the current standings remains uncertain, but they definitely provide interesting avenues for exploration this season.

ADC and Support Strategy for Patch 26.1

Essence Reaver vs. Trinity Force

The upcoming changes in Patch 26.1 bring attention to the Essence Reaver and its potential impact on champions like Ezreal. If Essence Reaver emerges as a stronger option compared to Trinity Force, Ezreal might need to move up the tier list. Currently, he's placed in the B tier as the situation unfolds. The assessment looks at how early game ADCs could see increased prowess due to new roll quests—a mechanic rewarding ADCs that can secure kills and exert pressure in the lane.

Role Quests and Their Impact

The role quests profoundly affect the strategy, offering benefits such as 300 gold and additional gold for minion kills. To complete these quests, players of early-game ADCs should:

1. Secure kills in lane.
2. Destroy turret plates.
3. Achieve champion takedowns.
4. Bring down turrets.

   ADC champions like Ashe and Caitlyn, known for applying consistent lane pressure, may rise in prominence. Meanwhile, non-traditional options like Ziggs are likely to gain power due to their ability to secure extra tower plates.

Support Meta Analysis

In the support realm, Senna is undergoing changes impacting her crit damage scaling for 26.1, ensuring she maintains her previous power level, thus placing her in the A tier for support champions. The support quest grants reduced control ward costs, bonus item slots for wards, and an upgrade of the support item. These changes, however, are less game-changing unless they significantly speed up an ADC's roll quest completion.

Synergizing Support and ADC

With emerging ADC preferences for aggressive lane control, supports that facilitate quick turret pressure should find great success. Ideal support picks include:

• Karma
• Vel'Koz
• Xerath

These champions excel at wave clear and poking, allowing them to assist their ADCs in completing their roll quests swiftly.

New Support Items

The introduction of new support items adds layers of strategy:

• Whispering Circlet: Cost-efficient at 2,250 gold, benefiting Sona and Seraphine, who previously found Archangel's costly.
• Bandal Pipes: Boosts melee supports with health, armor, and magic resist while giving allies attack speed bonuses, making it ideal for champions like Braum.
• Zeke’s Convergence: Now enhancing ability haste, it favors champions like Rakan.

Conversely, passive supports with less lane presence, such as Yuumi, might struggle in the evolving meta, as these changes favor more active, snowball-oriented gameplay styles.

As Patch 26.1 unfolds, these insights offer a strategic roadmap for mastering the evolving dynamics of League of Legends’ changing support and ADC meta.