League of Legends Preseason Brings Big Changes to Jungle And Support Roles

[Steven Bogos]

League of Legends Preseason Brings Big Changes to Jungle And Support Roles

Riot are using the period in-between Season 3 and Season 4 to get players used to some substantial game changes.

Preseason, the time in-between League of Legends competitive "seasons" of play, is the best time for developer Riot to roll out substantial changes to the game. This time around, Riot has had a long, hard look at the support and jungle roles, the general game flow, and some of the pregame choices. Check out the video to the right for a nice little summary.

Basically, playing Support and Jungle late game is not very fun, because of how easily they fall behind their teammates in gold and experience. For support, Riot is addressing these concerns by heavily adjusting support gold to put more money in the pockets of duo-lane supports. Along with this, it is making changes to help core support champions scale their utility instead of their damage, and reinforce their unique identity while opening up new items that put all the new gold to good use and make their impact felt in late-game teamfights. Check out the new support items here [http://preseason.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/roles.html#roles_support].

For junglers, Riot is adding new masteries, as well as adjusting overall experience flow and changing up previous incarnations of jungler-specific items, such as giving these items a unique passive that increases the ammount of gold jungle creeps give. Check out the jungle changes here [http://preseason.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/roles.html#position_jungle].

Changes to the game's flow include some physical changes to the actual Summoner's Rift map (such as the removal of certain areas of bush), changes to how wards work, and the addition of the "trinket" item. A trinket is a free item that "evolves" at level 9, and can be upgraded a second time for an additional gold fee. Check out the game flow changes here [http://preseason.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/gameflow.html]

Riot have put together a full preseason website that details all of the upcoming changes, which you can check out here [http://preseason.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/index.html].

Source: Riot Games [http://preseason.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/index.html]


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[loa]

Less retarded snowballing by evening out the experience gain: Yes.

More retarded snowballing by giving more gold to whoever takes towers down and less gold to the team: Why? WHY??

1 free ward, ward limit so everyone has to ward: YES.

No ward slot or anything so you still have to sacrifice inventory space for wards and thus all the warding will still end up being on the support: Ehh...

Buffs scaling on AP: What. They obviously have no idea whatsoever how the meta expects supports to be played if they think this'll help in any way.
You don't build AP or at least not enough AP for it to matter and if the small amount of AP supports get does make a difference, it'll probably be completely overpowered if you go all out on AP.
If Zilean gets speed scaling on AP and gets it in an amount that makes a notable difference, that ***** will be all over the map 24/7 and permaslows people nasus style.

 

[The Wykydtron]

With a huge focus on vision, I still don't get why they haven't followed the logical step of separate ward slots. Still buffing supports is cool, perhaps Sona's Song of Celerity won't be total shite anymore and Nami's passive is one of the most underrated passives in the game. More stealth buffs pls ty. Hey maybe Taric isn't as redundant after these b-no sorry I can't say that with a straight face.

Ha, inb4 all the Bronze V screb ADs buy Relic Shield because they can't last hit to save their lives.

[sub][sub]I'm being elitist guys, am I cool yet?[/sub][/sub]

It's almost a shame that i've been focusing on my mid lane for next season. TF is all I can play so i'm learning all the annoying escape/lol instakill assassins AKA Ahri with a side of Zed. Mostly Ahri. 1. because her new skin looks awesome and 2. she's borderline OP. That Charm buff yo'

 

[BlueJoneleth]

With the support changes, the meta will change.

New meta will be:

AD Bruiser Top, Jungler, AP Mid, AD Carry and AP Carry 2 Bot

Soraka, Taric, Sona, and Nami will not see play. Bot lane supporter will be Lissandra, Fiddlesticks, Morgana, and others with tons of CC and AP scaling.

Also, with the stealth changes, Eve and Teemo will be gods until Riot realizes what they've done.

Full Tank Leona sounds fun.

 

[Ov3rdose]

I am extremely annoyed that Escapist posts news about LoL patches but doesn't do it for DOTA 2

 

[Steven Bogos]

I am extremely annoyed that Escapist posts news about LoL patches but doesn't do it for DOTA 2

that's too bad

 

[Ferisar]

I am extremely annoyed that Escapist posts news about LoL patches but doesn't do it for DOTA 2

that's too bad

The avatar sells that line all too well.

(Also there's less DOTA 2 news because I doubt the people who write these articles aren't playing DOTA 2, ergo having no reason to post detailed patch changes to a game they have exactly zero familiarity with.)

OT:
Yeah, well, MEH

It's all borderline hypothetical napkin math at this moment. (exaggerating) If it actually works is something that we'll see soon(ish). I'm all for supports being a functional member of the team that's not just a ward-bot, but it's so ingrained (and has been so ingrained) that it may not change even with this stuff being prominent.

I'm holding off on all judgment until I see it in game.

 

[heroicbob]

No ward slot or anything so you still have to sacrifice inventory space for wards and thus all the warding will still end up being on the support: Ehh...

With a huge focus on vision, I still don't get why they haven't followed the logical step of separate ward slots.

correct me if im wrong but i think they specifically said that trinkets have their own separate item slot in the video

 

[Schmeiser]

So free wards from level 1? Yey for less action in the laning phase

 

[vipLink]

No ward slot or anything so you still have to sacrifice inventory space for wards and thus all the warding will still end up being on the support: Ehh...

With a huge focus on vision, I still don't get why they haven't followed the logical step of separate ward slots.

correct me if im wrong but i think they specifically said that trinkets have their own separate item slot in the video

Yes your absolutely correct, there's one trinket slot and three different kinds of trinkets to place in them. Trinkets are used to place wards, or give some other form of vision.

And I love the changes. They're pretty extreme, but I thing they'll make the meta a lot more enjoyable for supporters.

Also dragon scaling gold output is so awesome, Dragon was completely ignored after a certain point.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

perhaps Sona's Song of Celerity won't be total shite anymore

Celerity's insane mana cost still tops the benefits of the song. Besides, It's not like every ADC has slow to reap this benefit. Maybe it gets better lategame but useless 15 minutes in. Still not worth over other spells. Also, one thing Sona has over other supports are superior damage. This "better utility" better not be a overall nerf.

Nami's passive is one of the most underrated passives in the game.

I was never able to build more than 50 AP on supports. This buff is useless.

More stealth buffs pls ty.

You might some patterns if you look closely.
Like Akali nerf ages ago(along with gunblade nerf)
Talon, he will be missed.(Personally he is underrated.)
Rengar only got slight nerf some time ago.
After the nerf not many even play Kha'zix.
Twitch's stealth got nerfed on the beginning of S3. Expunge nerf few months ago.

Now on subject.

Spellthief butterknife: hitting autoattack is hard and risky. Thus making this item waste of gold. If you want slow there is item called "spooky ghost" that does better.

Ancient coin thingy: This will replace reverie.

WotA: Buffed. Yay.

 

[NightHawk21]

So free wards from level 1? Yey for less action in the laning phase

Ya that's what I would think too. I play dota 2 now, but its the same there, and having played LoL for a long time previous, the trend was and will be more wards = less aggression. Its just not worth ganking if you know you're going to get spotted. Might as well sit and farm in lane.

 

[nuba km]

Wait wriggles lantern has lost its life steal...well I am going to have to rethink my trundle build, and cry a bit.

 

[jayzz911]

So free wards from level 1? Yey for less action in the laning phase

Ya that's what I would think too. I play dota 2 now, but its the same there, and having played LoL for a long time previous, the trend was and will be more wards = less aggression. Its just not worth ganking if you know you're going to get spotted. Might as well sit and farm in lane.

Fairly sure they were also taking the stealth from one of the two ward types. And there is also a counter ward trinket isnt there?

 

[MCerberus]

Right, so buff scaling on supports...
Build derpcap on ARAM Zilean. Gotta go fast.

 

[Lyri]

With a huge focus on vision, I still don't get why they haven't followed the logical step of separate ward slots.

Because a support should not be getting 6 slotted.