Teamfight Tactics First Patch of The Year Brings Big Changes

Patch 14.1, the first Teamfight Tactics patch of the year, is live. Because of the holidays, the previous patch lasted longer than usual. The game needed a big patch to shake things up. With so many changes, it is difficult to focus on all of them. Instead, some of the biggest changes will be highlighted below.

Headliners

One of the biggest changes on this patch is to the headliner system. Previously, whether a champion could show as a headliner depended on the entire lobby. Half or more of the champion being out of the pool prevented further headliners. According to Mortdog in his patch rundown, it did its job but was confusing. Thus, the team changed the rule to be simpler and easier to understand. Now, for one, two, and three-cost champions, there are no restrictions. If three copies of a champion are in the pool, a headliner can appear.

For four and five-cost champions, it only matters how many copies the player has. If the player has four or fewer four-cost copies, they can find a headliner. For five-cost champions, that number becomes three or less. Now the player just needs to track how many copies they have. For players who did not like tracking across the lobby, this change is good. It should certainly be easier to understand and more accessible than the old rule.

Streaks

Another change to the system is how streaks work. Streaks give the same amount of gold for consecutive wins or losses as always. However, the threshold to reach a streak level has been raised by one. The two, four, and five thresholds have become three, five, and six, respectively. This means that both win and loss streaks are harder to reach and maintain. In addition, ties now work differently. Previously, in the event of a tie, the player who hosted the battle lost. Now, both players take damage as if they lost the battle. However, for streak purposes, both players have their streak set to zero. The idea is to not reward players running no units to loss streak. This directly hurts the open fort strategy that had become popular recently. More losses are required to get streak thresholds, and running no units is riskier.

Raise the Stakes

On the trait side, one of the largest changes is to Heartsteel. There is a slight nerf to the five and seven trait levels. The bigger change, however, it the addition of the Raise the Stakes mode. Every four rounds, the Heartsteel player is given a choice. If the player cashes out, it is as if nothing has changed. The player gets the same rewards they would have on previous patches. If the player raises the stakes, things can get crazy. Heart gain is doubled in this mode, making crazy numbers possible. However, a single win will cost the player half their current heart total. This makes ridiculous cash outs possible for those who want to chase them. However, the increased risk makes this option very inconsistent.

Patch Summary

While these are some of the most notable changes, they are mostly about how things work. There are many other changes to consider. There are a lot of buffs, a few nerfs, and some rebalances. Jazz emblem can no longer be crafted. It has been replaced with Country emblem. There are also some new portals. The full patch notes can be found here, and will be summarized below:

Buffs

Traits

• 8-Bit attack damage (AD) per stack increased from 4.5/7.5/12% to 5/9/14%.
• Crowd Diver 2 bonus damage increased from 5% to 12%.
• EDM spell effectiveness increased from 80/100/110/125% to 90/100/110/130%.
• Emo mana reduction increased from 20/25/30% to 20/30/40%.
• Emo mana on ally death increased from 10/20/25 to 20/30/40.
• Executioner max critical strike chance increased from 15/35/55% to 25/100/200%.
• Guardian max hit point (HP) shield amount increased from 25/40/60% to 25/45/70%.
• Hyperpop mana per case increased from 3/5/7/10 to 5/10/15/20.
• Jazz max HP per trait increased from 1.5/2/3% to 1.5/2.5/4%,
• K/DA bonus max HP, ability power (AP), and AD at 7 increased from 22 to 24.
• Spellweaver 7 base AP increased from 60 to 70.
• Superfan Ziggs item changed from Archangel’s Staff to Spear of Shojin.

Champions

• Annie’s Disintegrate damage increased from 195/295/440 to 220/330/495.
• Evelynn’s Whiplash attack speed (AS) on cast increased from 120% to 150%,
• Lillia’s spell’s mana cost decreased from 140 to 130.
• Nami’s spell mana cost decreased from 75 to 60.
• Olaf’s AD increased from 50 to 55.
• Olaf’s Berserker Rage attack speed per 1% missing HP ratio increased from .12% to .15%.
• Tahm Kench’s AD increased from 60 to 70.
• Tahm Kench’s armor and Magic Resist (MR) increased from 35 to 40.
• Taric’s Mirroball’s blessing damage increased from 100/150/225 to 250/375/565.
• Vi’s The Harder They Fall AD% increased from 220% to 330%.
• Vi’s The Harder They Fall empowered AD% increased from 320% to 450%.
• Yasuo’s Synthesizer Strike AD per kill increased from 1% to 1.5%.
• Bard’s Improv Doot damage increased from 190/285/430 to 200/300/450.
• Garen’s HP increased from 750 to 800.
• Garen’s Power-Up! HP gain increased from 200/215/230 to 215/230/245.
• Kai’Sa’s Got the Boom AD increased from 280/280/285% to 290/290/300%.
• Kai’Sa’s Got the Boom AP damage increased from 30/45/65 to 40/60/90.
• Pantheon’s Too Tough To Kill damage reduction AP increased from 15% to 20%.
• Twitch’s Bottled Anarchy AD increased from 225% to 250%.
• Katarina’s attack speed increased from .7 to .75.
• Kayle’s Fires of Ascension empowered attacks bonus damage increased from 35/50/75 to 35/55/80.
• Kayle’s Fires of Ascension final empowered attack damage increased from 210/315/475 to 240/360/540.
• Lulu’s Tastes like Glitter primary damage increased from 240/360/575 to 250/375/600.
• Lux’s Laser Light Show damage increased from 230/345/550 to 250/375/550.
• Miss Fortune’s Double Time AD increased from 270/270/275% to 280/280/290%.
• Mordekaiser’s Face-Melter damage over 3 seconds increased from 200/300/480 to 220/330/525.
• Mordekaiser’s Face-Melter final damage burst increased from 200/300/480 to 220/330/525.
• Neeko’s Cosplay shield from ally HP increased from 5% to 6%,
• Caitlyn’s Champ Hunt AP scaling increased from 25/40/120 to 40/60/200.
• Karthus’ Mortal Reminder number of targets at 3-star increased from 5 to 6.
• Karthus’ Mortal Reminder damage at 1 and 2-star increased from 220/330 to 270/405.
• Thresh’s HP increased from 1000 to 1050.
• Twisted Fate’s Hustle & Shuffle AS needed for bonus cards decreased from 40% to 20%.
• Viego’s Riff of the Ruined King slam AD% increased from 200/200/400% to 225/225/450%.
• Zac’s spell mana cost decreased from 130 to 120.
• Zac’s armor and MR increased from 60 to 70.
• Champion Zac’s Let’s Bounce! Heal per bounce increased from 100/150/800 to 120/160/800.
• Lucian’s AD increased from 65 to 70.
• Champion Lucian’s Arpeggio Shot AD% increased from 55/55/1000% to 60/60/1000%.
• Lucian’s Arpeggio spell scales with attack speed correctly.
• Sona The Drop Kinetic (heal form) heal per auto increased from 4/7/100% to 5/8/100%.
• Sona The Drop Concussive (damage form) AP per auto increased from 2/3/100 to 3/4/100.
• Ziggs’ AS increased from .8 to .85.
• Ziggs’ Chaos Theory small bomb damage increased from 70/105/400 to 90/135/500.

Headliners

• Evelynn’s bonus AP increased from 15 to 20.
• Olaf’s bonus armor and MR increased from 10 to 15.
• Tahm Kench’s bonus HP increased from 225 to 300.
• Taric’s bonus HP increased from 100 to 150.
• Vi’s bonus HP increased from 150 to 250.
• Yasuo’s bonus HP increased from 100 to 200.
• Aphelios’ bonus AD increased from 20% to 25%.
• Gnar’s jump delayed slightly.
• Gragas’ bonus damage increased from 15% to 18%.
• Neeko’s bonus mana to ally increased from 20 to 40.
• Zac’s bonus HP increased from 200 to 300.
• Zac’s bonus AP increased from 15 to 20.
• Kayn’s bonus AP increased from 5 to 10.

Items

• Adaptive Helm’s front row armor and MR increased from 35 to 40.
• Adaptive Helm’s back row bonus AP increased from 15 to 20.
• Archangel’s Staff’s bonus AP per 5 seconds increased from 25 to 30.
• Bloodthirster now grants 15 AP.
• Dragon’s Claw’s HP increased from 5% to 10%.
• Evenshroud’s armor and MR for 10 seconds increased from 20 to 25.
• Gargoyle Stoneplate now grants 100 HP.
• Hextech Gunblade’s base AD and AP increased from 10 to 15.
• Ionic Spark now grants 200 HP.
• Jeweled Gauntlet’s AP increased from 30 to 35.
• Morellonomicon now grants 15% attack speed.
• Rabadon’s Deathcap’s bonus damage increased from 8% to 20%.
• Jak’Sho the Protean’s armor and MR increased from 45 to 60.
• Urf-Angel’s Staff’s AP per 4 seconds increased from 35 to 40.
• Blessed Bloodthirster now grants 30 AP.
• Dragon’s Will’s HP increased from 8% to 18%.
• Dvarapala Stoneplate now grants 250 HP.
• Dvarapala Stoneplate’s base armor and MR increased from 30 to 50.
• Hextech Lifeblade’s AD increased from 10 to 30.
• Hextech Lifeblade’s AP increased from 40 to 50.
• Covalent Spark now grants 400 HP.
• Glamorous Gauntlet’s AP increased from 55 to 65.
• More More-ellonomicon now grants 25% attack speed.
• Rabadon’s Ascended Deathcap’s bonus damage increased from 12% to 50%.
• Royal Crownshield’s starting shield increased from 40% to 50%.
• Legacy of the Colossus’s base damage reduction increased from 9% to 12%.

Augments

• Best Friends I’s AS and Armor increased from 10 to 12.
• Rolling for Days I’s rerolls increased from 8 to 9.
• Rolling for Days I can show up in 3-2 and 4-2.
• Extended Play now grants 2 gold per 2-starred Punk Champion.
• Heroic Grab Bag’s gold increased from 2 to 4.
• Ramping Rhythm’s starting stacks increased from 3 to 4.
• Return on Investment’s rerolls required to activate decreased from 18 to 16.
• Submit To The Pit grants the benefits based on nearby allies at combat start.
• Tiniest Titan+’s gold increased from 8 to 15.

Nerfs

Traits

• Country bonus armor and MR for Hecarim decreased from 0/20/60 to 0/15/50.
• Crowd Diver 6 bonus damage decreased from 60% to 50%.
• Dazzler enemy damage reduction decreased from 15% to 10%.
• EDM Jax spell frequency increased from 7 to 8 seconds.
• EDM frequency reduction decreased from 0/0/1/2 to 0/0/1/1.
• Emo 6 bonus AP decreased from 20 to 10.
• Executioner base critical strike damage decreased from 5/25/45% to 5/15/30%.
• Heartsteel base heart rate decreased from 100/250/600/1000% to 100/225/550/1000%.
• K/DA 3 bonus max HP, AP, and AD decreased from 10 to 9.
• K/DA 10 bonus max HP, AP, and AD decreased from 50 to 40.
• Pentakill 10 bonus damage decreased from 110% to 99%.
• Sentinel base armor and MR decreased from 16/35/60/125 to 16/35/55/100.
• Spellweaver 10 changed to Spellweaver 9.
• The Spellweaver 9 base AP decreased from 200 to 120.
• Spellweaver 9 AP per cast decreased from 10 to 4.
• True Damage 9 bonus true damage decreased from 125% to 99%.

Champions

• Annie’s Disintegrate powered up attack speed decreased from 50% to 40%.
• Annie’s Disintegrate powered up second Disintegrate damage decreased from 115/170/225 to 80/120/180.
• Corki’s Blown to 8 Bits AD% decreased from 320% to 300%.
• K’Sante’s Block the Haters base damage reduction decreased from 30% to 25%.
• Nami’s Disco Prison stun duration decreased from 1.5 to 1.25 seconds.
• Twitch’s Bottled Anarchy secondary shard explosions decreased from 6 to 4.
• Ekko’s Record Scratch stun duration decreased from 1.5 to 1 second.
• Ahri’s attack speed decreased from .8 to .75.
• Caitlyn’s Champ Hunt AD% decreased from 390/390/800% to 360/360/750%.
• Karthus’s starting mana decreased from 40 to 30.
• Champion Karthus’ Mortal Reminder number of targets at 1 and 2-star decreased from 5 to 4.
• Karthus’ Mortal Reminder damage at 3-star decreased from 1000 to 900.
• Poppy’s Hammer Time Heal per hit decreased from 6% to 5% of max HP.
• Qiyana’s Sample & Remix AD decreased from 500/500/1000% to 470/470/1000%.
• Champion Qiyana’s Sample & Remix itemless additional true damage decreased from 75% to 60%.
• Qiyana’s Sample & Remix number of copied items decreased from 1/2/3 to 1/1/3.
• Sona The Drop Ethereal (attack speed form) AS per auto decreased from 25/35/500% to 20/30/500%.
• Sona The Drop Ethereal (attack speed form) AS on cast decreased from 125/175/777% to 100/150/777%.

Headliners

• Headliner Vi’s bonus AD decreased from 20% to 15%.
• Headliner Garen’s bonus HP decreased from 400 to 350.

Items

• Blue Buff’s bonus damage on takedown decreased from 10% to 8%.
• Crest of Cinders’ AS decreased from 70% to 60%.
• Crest of Cinders’ bonus damage decreased from 10% to 8%.
• Rabadon’s Deathcap’s AP decreased from 60 to 50.
• Rabadon’s Ascended Deathcap’s AP decreased from 110 to 70.
• Red Buff’s bonus damage decreased from 8% to 6%.

Augments

• Cybernetic Bulk HP decreased from 222/333/555 to 200/300/500.
• Consistency has been disabled.
• Help is on the Way turns to wait increased from 6 to 8.
• Stationary Support turns to wait increased from 7 to 8.
• Crash Test Dummies stun duration decreased from 2 to 1.25 seconds.
• Expose Weakness shred and sunder decreased from 40% to 30%.
• Little Buddies HP decreased from 90 to 75.
• Submit To The Pit stats decreased from 5 to 3.
• Teaming Up II is only obtainable on 4-2.
• Three’s a Crowd HP per 3-cost decreased from 80 to 75.

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