LoL Patch 13.21 Patch Notes Preview: Upcoming Buffs & Nerfs

LoL Worlds 2023 is underway with the best teams from all over the world competing to get their hands on the Summoner's Cup. Since the tournament will be played on one specific patch, Riot can now focus on adjusting the meta for solo queue players.

LoL Patch 13.21 will bring back Nexus Blitz, and we are going to be getting some brand-new skins along with the buffs and nerfs and champions adjustments. So let's go over all the changes that you need to be aware of.

LoL Patch 13.21: Nexus Blitz Returns

After years, the popular game mode Nexus Blitz returns to League of Legends. In 2022 the game modes team had promised a return of Nexus Blitz, but it was never added into the client which left many fans disappointed. Now, just in time for Worlds 2023, we are getting this for-fun game mode once more.

Nexus Blitz is a fast-paced game mode designed to deliver intense, action-packed matches lasting around 15 minutes. Set on a unique two-lane map surrounded by a jungle, teams compete to complete various fun and unpredictable events that grant powerful rewards.

Victory is achieved by either destroying the enemy's Nexus or winning the final sudden-death event: the Nexus Blitz itself, where both Nexuses come alive and battle each other in the center of the map.

Nexus Blitz Balance Changes

Some champions are going to receive some specific balance changes for Nexus Blitz. Two champions will receive some key adjustments for this specific game mode.

Ivern

• [NEW] Passive - Enemy of the Forest
  • It's time for Ivern's revenge. Ivern can damage monsters, and they can damage him. Source: Ivern the Cruel

Want to know in simple terms? Basically Riot disabled his passive for Nexus Blitz.

Champion Balance Changes In LoL Patch 13.21

Champion Buffs

Tahm Kench

• Passive - An Acquired Taste
  • Base Damage: 8 - 60 (1 to 18) >>> 6 - 48 (1 to 11)
  • Health Ratio: 3% bonus HP >>> 5%
• Abyssal Dive
  • Cooldown refund: 40% flat >>> 40% - 50%

With these changes, building HP on Tahm is going to feel even better, but it doesn't stop him from being a pretty average top laner. His damage has also been nerfed. We're going to have to see how these changes play out, especially in higher elos.

K'Sante

Phreak shared on Reddit that he's addressing some bug fixes for K'Sante, the top lane champ we love, in LoL Patch 13.21. He's working on improving K'Sante's combos and squashing other bugs that snuck into the latest LoL Patch.

13.21 K'Sante bug fixes from Phreak pic.twitter.com/P49gktIXao

— Spideraxe (@Spideraxe30) October 14, 2023

• Q - Ntofo Strikes
  • Bonus HP Cap: 1800 >>> 1200
• W - Path Maker
  • Maximum Channel: 1.0s >>> 1.5s
• R - All Out
  • R + P bonus damage: 35% >>> 45/60/75%
  • R+Q/E Resets: 0.1s >>> instant

Morgana

• W - Tormented Shadow
  • Damage: 12-52 >>> 12-56
    Monster Damage Modifier: 165% >>> 170%

Riot want to give her some more agency in the jungle, as well as mid role. Will these buffs be able to do just that?

Bel'Veth

• E - Royal Maelstrom
  • Cooldown: 24-18 >>> 20-16

With this small buff to her E, Riot is trying to make the ability a tad better without having players rushing to max the ability with a few points into Q.

Hecarim

• Base Stats
  • AD Growth: 3.2 >>> 3.7
• W - Spirit of Dread
  • Duration: 4 >>> 5

Since Hecarim was affected pretty hard by the recent jungle changes, especially the one to the blue pet, Riot is giving him some more AD and buffing his W.

LeBlanc

• W - Distortion
  
  • AP Ratio: 65% >>> 75%

• E - Ethereal Chains
  • E2 AP Ratio: 70% >>> 80%

Master Yi

• E - Wuju Style
  • Cooldown: 18 >>> 14s

Varus

• W - Blighted Quiver
  • On-Hit Damage: 7-27 >>> 7-31

• E - Hail of Arrows
  • Slow: 25-45% >>> 30-50%

Champion Nerfs

Jinx

• Passive: Max Stacks 100 >>> max 5
• Attack speed only stacks on champion takedowns (can still get the first stack and refresh the buff with epics and structures)

Jinx is going to be a bit weaker this patch, but still a menace in the bot lane. Maybe not S-tier after these changes, but still in a decent spot to compete with champions like Xayah and Kai'Sa.

Briar

• Base Stats
  • Attack Speed per Level: 2.3% >>> 2%
• Passive - Crimson Curse
  • Healing on kill: 100% of remaining bleed >>> 125% of remaining bleed
• W - Blood Frenzy
  • Execute ratio: 4 %/100BAD >>> 3.5%/100BAD

These changes should take some power out of her stat check according to Riot Phroxzon on Twitter, so we're going to have to see. Oh, and this should make her a bit better in lane as well if you don't want to jungle.

Aurelion Sol

• Q - Breath of Light
  • DPS: 15-55 (rank) + 30-80 (level) +60%AP >>> 45-105 (rank) + 55%AP
  • Burst Damage: 40-80 (rank) + 20-30 (level) >>> 60-100 (rank) (AP/Stardust scaling unchanged)

With these changes, Riot hopes that players will be focusing on getting all of Aurelion Sol's burst, rather than just tapping the Q.

Cailtyn (Letahlity)

• Passive - Headshot
  • Crit Scaling: 81.25% >>> 85%
• R - Ace in the Hole
  • Cooldown: 90/75/60 >>> 90
  • Damage: 300-750 + 200% bonus AD, + 35% at 100% crit >>> 300-700 + 170% bonus AD, + 50% at 100% crit

Riot want players to move away from Lethality Caitlyn, which is why they're adjusting her so that she also has other build options out there.

Dr. Mundo

• E - Blunt Force Traume
  • Bonus AD: 2-4% Max HP >>> 2-3% Max HP

Rammus

• Q - Powerball
  • Damage: 100-200 >>> 80-200
• W - Defensive Ball Curl
  • Resists: 35 + 40-80% >>> 30 + 35-75%

Champion Adjustments

Zyra

• Base Stats
  • Base Attack Speed: from 0.625 >>> 0.681
  • Plant Base Damage: 20 - 100 >>> 20 - 88
  • Plant AP Ratio: 15% >>> 18%
• Q - Deadly Spines
  • Base Damage: 60 - 200 >>> 60 - 220
  • AP Ratio: 60% >>> 65%
• E - Grasping Roots
  • Base Damage: 60 - 240 >>> 60 - 200
  • AP Ratio: 50% >>> 60%

Riot want to give Zyra some more options to shine in and they believe buffing her for the jungle or even mid role will do just that. So they're shifting her gold scaling and ability rank to make her a viable pick in those roles without having too much of an effect on her support capabilities.

Brand

Context on the Seraphine, Brand, and Zyra changes from Phreak pic.twitter.com/kCkyT8b5xp

— Spideraxe (@Spideraxe30) October 17, 2023

• Base Stats
  • Base Attack Speed: 0.625 >>> 0.681
  • Attack Speed Growth: 1.36% >>> 2%
• Passive - Blaze
  • DoT Monster Damage: 120% >>> 360% (still capped at 80 pre-mitigation per tick)
• E - Conflagration
  • Base damage: 70 - 170 >>> 65 - 165

Seraphine

• Base Stats
  • Health Growth: 104 >>> 90
  • Base Mana: 440 >>> 360
  • Mana Growth: 40 >>> 50
  • Base Mana Regen: 8 >>> 11.5
  • Mana Regen Growth: 1 >>> .4
  • Base Armor: 19 >>> 26
  • Attack Speed Growth: 1% >>> 2%

• Q - High Note
  • Base Damage: 55 - 115 >>> 55 - 155
  • AP Ratio: 45% - 65% >>> 50% flat
  • Cooldown: 10 - 5 seconds >>> 9 - 5s

• W - Surround Sound
  • Base Shield: 50 - 130 >>> 60 - 150
  • Heal no longer scales with 0.4% per 100 AP missing HP
  • Mana Cost: 70 - 90 >>> 80 - 100
  • Cooldown: 28 - 20s >>> 28 - 16s
  • Base Heal: 5% - 7% missing HP >>> 3% - 5%

• E - Beat Drop
  • Base Damage: 60 - 140 >>> 60 - 200
  • Mana Cost: 60 - 100 >>> 60 - 80

These are changes that are meant to even out Seraphine support and bot. Riot Phreak explained that these changes are meant to bring the two roles closer together so that buffing her either in support or bot won't break the other.

Mid Seraphine has a 0.25% pick rate and if she becomes non-viable, that's acceptable collateral damage since it has less than half the pick rate of Jungle Teemo.

So sorry any Mid Seraphine enjoyers...

ARAM Balance Adjustments

There are also going to be a few ARAM changes in LoL Patch 13.21. Riot has been adding these into their patch notes as well and with every new balance change we also get a few buffs and nerfs on the Howling Abyss along with Summoner's Rift.

ARAM Nerfs

• Lillia - E cooldown: 14s >>> 18s
• Aurelion Sol - E cooldown: 12s >>> 14s

System Changes In LoL Patch 13.21

System Nerfs

First Strike

• Bonus True Damage: 8% >>> 7%

Phase Rush

• Melee Bonus Move Speed: 30-60% >>> 25-50%

Hullbreaker

• Bonus AR and MR
  • Melee: 10-75 >>> 70-60
  • Ranged: 5-37 >>> 5-30

Quickplay Testing On PBE Patch 13.21

Riot have also revealed that they're testing out the new mode Quickplay in the PBE cycle of LoL Patch 13.21. This game mode will be replacing Blind Pick and after testing on the Public Beta Environment will roll out slowly in different regions.

Riot have not revealed which regions will be the first to get Quickplay on their live servers though. We could imagine OCE, RU and EUNE, since Riot have used these before to test out specific game mode changes.

Coven Syndra To Be Released In LoL Patch 13.21

Coven Syndra will not release with the rest of her sisters. Instead, the skins team is going to be taking their time and making some crucial adjustments to the skin to improve it. The skin had received a lot of feedback from players and fans, which has prompted the skins team to make this decision and to delay the skin for LoL Patch 12.21.

But, what is Riot going to be changing on the skin? Here is a list of all the noted changes to the skin:

• Headpiece will be adjusted to match the classic Syndra silhouette; symmetrical
• Her makeup is being adjusted (removing feather element obscuring her face)
• Her hair is being changed to a platinum blonde
• Sigil behind her head is being updated to better match the coven shape language
• Orbs are changing to a new element (Still finalizing the details on). No more hairball orbs

Along with these changes, the splash team will also make changes to it according to the in-game skin. This is great that Riot is taking the time to improve a skin, but it is important to note that players should never harass game devs over an in-game cosmetic, even if it doesn't look how you'd envisioned it before.

New Café Cuties Skins In LoL Patch 13.21

Riot is also going to be releasing a bunch of new skins in LoL Patch 13.21. The Café Cuties skin line is making a return, which means we won't be getting new Halloween skins in 2023, something some fans had already predicted. Instead, save your RP for these new Café Cuties skins.

• Café Cuties Lulu
• Café Cuties Jinx
• Café Cuties Rumble
• Café Cuties Poppy

These are all going to be Epic skins which means they'll cost 1350 RP. Unfortunately we will not be getting icons or borders for these skins, but we can still enjoy them in the game.

LoL Patch 13.21 Release Date

This League of Legends Patch is going to be released on October 25, 2023 with the cosmetics getting added in a day later on October 26, 2023.

We are nearing the end of LoL Season 13, with only a few more months left. The World Championship has also kicked off with some exciting matches, but who will be victorious at the end of it all?

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