Vanguard
Although still holding a decent position in the Teamfight Tactics meta of season 5.5, the Vanguard trait still has certain limitations. Essentially, the first shield buff for the Vanguard trait will always target the unit with the most health. With this targeting method, the champions receiving the initial buff are often the tank units instead of the backline carries like Lucian or Akshan. This has made it difficult for the Vanguard composition to create overwhelming damage at the start of rounds.
Therefore, in patch 11.17, Riot has adjusted the effect of the Vanguard trait so that the first buff will always target the champion with the most items, in exchange for a slight reduction in the stats provided. This is a significant buff for the backline carries of the Vanguard trait, making the thresholds like 6/9 champions much more valuable. With this adjustment, it wouldn’t be surprising if the 6 Vanguard composition rises to the top of the meta, with Lucian and Akshan becoming highly contested carry units.
Kayle – Draven
In the upcoming patch 11.17, Riot Games continues to roll out buffs for the 4/6 Legion threshold. Conversely, important 3-cost units like Riven and Yasuo are being nerfed in damage output. As a result, compositions revolving around the 4/6 Legion threshold are likely to be “ignored” in the next patch. On the other hand, the composition featuring the “duo” Kayle – Draven has received extremely notable buffs and is expected to become some of the most sought-after Legion units.
Specifically, Draven will receive an increase in his base attack speed, while Kayle will also receive a similar buff along with additional starting health. These changes will significantly enhance the damage output of the Kayle – Draven composition even when these units are only 1-star. This will help the process of “rolling for champions” not cost you too much health. It is very likely that the Kayle – Draven composition will secure a spot at the top of the meta in patch 11.17.
Celestial
It seems that Riot Games has not given up on bringing Karma back to the meta as they continue to buff this champion’s damage at levels 1 and 2 in patch 11.17. Additionally, the increase in base attack speed for Soraka also helps the Celestial team counter opponents more effectively. Finally, the buff to Garen’s damage output and maximum energy reduction also allows this unit to cast spells and deal damage much more effectively.
A piece of advice for players wanting to try the Celestial composition is that you should not aim for the 6-unit threshold. Doing so will only weaken your composition’s durability as 3-cost units like Nidalee and Riven have been nerfed in defense. You can stop at the 4 Celestial threshold to add strong tank units like Nautilus, Rell, Volibear, and Ivern to cover up the weaknesses of this composition.
