A new League of Legends patch is on the way. Among those that will bear much of the brunt are supported champions. It will also bring some much-needed buffs, especially for Fiddlesticks.
The nerfs
Five champions are on the chopping block for this update. The kings of the jungle Trundle, Karthus, and pub favorite Wukong are slated to receive some pretty nasty nerfs. On the other hand, Nami and Bard are expected to have their skills reworked as well.
It would appear that Riot Games can’t get enough of Wukong, and has consistently nerfed the champion over the past couple of updates. Statistics have revealed that Wukong is an extremely overpowered jungler, especially on the platinum and challenger ranks.
Wukong has posted an impressive win rate when played on these two ranks. The champion has consistently ranked as one of the most picked top laner, something that might have caught the attention of Riot.
Another champion that has seen its fair share of professional light is Trundle. The giant troll is a consistent pick during the LEC Spring Split Playoffs. Not only is Trundle a favorite for professional players, but the champion is also a constant pick across almost every rank.
Yetter shared a complete list of upcoming changes through a tweet.
Patch Preview for 10.9:
Trying something new here by showing where specifically we see the champs over-performing that we intend to nerf. Let me know if you like this and if we should keep doing it.
Not showing details like this for buffs bc they are under-performing generally pic.twitter.com/oGjMPGZGGV
— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter) April 20, 2020
The buffs
As with almost every patch, every nerf is balanced by a buff. For this patch, six champions are receiving a buff. These champions are Kayn, Lissandra, Fiddlesticks, Quinn, Gnar, and Cho’Gath.
While Riot’s choice of champions to buff is interesting, a closer look at statistics and one can conclude that the upcoming buffs are negligible at best. These champions are some of the lowest picked in any rank. That is except one: Fiddlesticks.
Fiddlesticks was a consistent support pick. That is until Riot decided to rework his skills last month. The nerf dragged down the champion’s win rate to just 43%. Now, Riot is probably redeeming itself for the nerf.
Since the last update, Fiddlesticks had his base damage and health improved. This allowed the champion to perform well in the jungle.
However, when played as a support, Fiddlesticks is not fully resilient specially when faced with other champions. The upcoming update is expected to give the champion a bit of leverage.
Many in the community are expecting Riot to give Fiddlesticks the much-needed support buff. If this is true, he can be a viable bottom lane support champion. Riot Games is expected to roll out League of Legends patch 10.9 on April 29.