The Pre-Season 2022 patch is set to be updated worldwide, promising to bring the most exciting experiences for League of Legends players. In addition to the pet feature supporting the Jungle position, Riot Games will add and modify many items. Among them, a few names that have previously appeared but were removed by Riot Games due to balancing difficulties are highly anticipated to return. Let’s take a look at the 3 items that the League of Legends community is most looking forward to making a comeback on the Summoner’s Rift.
1. Sword of Sho-jin
The Sword of Sho-jin previously appeared in League of Legends and was removed by Riot Games in patch 9.23. In the past, this item allowed players to use basic abilities (Q, W, E) with a very short cooldown after activating their ultimate. Therefore, champions like Jax and Renekton would unleash massive power as they effectively utilized the effects from the Sword of Sho-jin.
In the upcoming Pre-Season, the Sword of Sho-jin will officially return to the Summoner’s Rift. However, the item’s function will be somewhat different from before. Specifically, the Sword of Sho-jin now provides lower cooldown stats but does not require players to activate their ultimate to utilize the effects. Additionally, players will gain movement speed if their health is depleted.
Therefore, the Sword of Sho-jin remains a fantastic item for physical Fighter champions reliant on their ability kit. For example, Renekton will become stronger when equipped with this item as the Butcher of the Desert needs a fast cooldown skill set. With the additional skill cooldown stats, players can use the Cull the Meek (Q) along with Slice and Dice (E) almost continuously to close in on targets. Even the added movement speed enhances the mobility of this champion. Moreover, other champions like Jax, Wukong, Tryndamere, etc., are also very suitable for the Sword of Sho-jin.
2. Serpent’s Fang
Recently, the Serpent’s Fang has become one of the weakest items in the Summoner’s Rift after Riot Games reduced its total lifesteal stats. Currently, the basic stats are not commensurate with the cost of the Serpent’s Fang, prompting Riot Games to modify the item.
In the Pre-Season 13 patch, players can gain additional stats for the item by taking down minions, jungle monsters, or enemy champions. Besides the basic stats, players will now receive 0.6 attack damage and 0.1% total lifesteal for each stack. The item can hold a maximum of 40 stacks, equating to 24 attack damage and 4% total lifesteal. Compared to the current version, the new Serpent’s Fang is significantly stronger and worth its 3300 gold cost.
However, players will lose half of their stacks upon being taken down, similar to the effect of Bloodthirster back in Season 3. The Serpent’s Fang is suitable for Split Push champions such as Camille, Fiora, Jax, etc., so the loss of stacks does not significantly impact their power. They just need a few minutes to regain the lost stacks. If enough maximum stacks are accumulated, the Serpent’s Fang will provide players with 89 attack damage and 14% total lifesteal. This number surpasses other completed items in the Summoner’s Rift.
3. Rod of Ages
The Rod of Ages has existed for many years in the Summoner’s Rift, being a staple for many League of Legends players around the world. This item was perfectly designed by Riot Games, providing players with stats for health, mana, and ability power. Due to its lack of weaknesses, the Rod of Ages was removed by the publisher to make room for Mythic items. However, all Mythic items for Mages have fallen short compared to the Rod of Ages in the past.
That’s also why Riot Games wants to revive this item in the upcoming Pre-Season 2023. However, using the Rod of Ages will require players to sacrifice power in the early and late game. Specifically, the Rod of Ages requires time to accumulate stats every minute, affecting the early stages of the match.
Additionally, the effects of this item do not exhibit breakthrough power in the late game. Some other items like Crown of the Shattered Queen, Hextech Rocketbelt, and Rylai’s Crystal Scepter will possess stronger effects than the Rod of Ages after the 35-minute mark of the match. Therefore, the timing for the item to reach its maximum power is during the mid-game (minutes 20-35).
In the past, many champions faced disadvantages when the Rod of Ages was removed, such as Ryze, Cassiopeia, Kassadin, etc. Soon, when the item returns, these champions will gain advantages to stabilize their offensive and defensive capabilities.
The mentioned names all have champion qualities that interact well over the course of the match. If using the Rod of Ages, the item will help these champions perform well in fights during the mid-game. When the item is no longer strong in the late game, their champion qualities continue to shine in its place.