Conqueror Nerfed
This Keystone rune has certainly been giving Riot Games a headache for the past few years due to its imbalance. In the upcoming patch, they will raise the maximum stacks of this rune to 12, while the adaptive power gained per stack will be reduced, and when max stacks are achieved, this stat will be equivalent to the old rune. In summary, Riot wants champions using Conqueror to truly be the long-term fighters, rather than being abused by assassins as they are now.
This is not a huge nerf for Conqueror, as melee champions will still gain 2 stacks per auto attack, meaning this update is essentially just like adding one more hit. This is also an indirect nerf to long-ranged champions using Conqueror, as their stacking speed is much slower compared to melee champions.
Death Dance Undergoes Changes
Recently reworked, Death Dance has immediately become an incredibly strong item for most physical damage dealers due to its outrageous healing capabilities. This item was designed for Fighters; however, it has gradually become a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for Marksmen, who are typically supposed to be fragile and require careful positioning.
To reduce the current situation where Marksmen are too hard to kill, Riot Games will be reducing the burst damage converted into damage over time from 20% down to 10% for long-ranged champions. This change will make those who choose to use this item take more risks than before, instead of surviving unusually long thanks to Death Dance’s massive healing.
Ghost Spreads to Mid Lane
With the upgrade of Ghost, Fighters in patch 10.12 became extremely strong, and in patch 10.13, mid lane champions, especially control mages, are also taking advantage of this. It is increasingly recognized that the ability to move flexibly and position for spellcasting in team fights is the strongest aspect of mid lane champions. Not every champion has mobility skills, so utilizing Ghost for flexible movement will be extremely common in the upcoming patch.
Furthermore, with the nerf to Conqueror, Assassins are no longer too safe in trade-offs, which is also a reason why control mages are making a comeback. It won’t be surprising if in the near future, champions like Veigar, Orianna, Ahri, and Syndra with the Glacial Augment style return. If needed, you can also use the Nimbus Cloak rune to maximize mobility when activating Ghost.