• Unofficial PBE Changes for 5/24

     PBE  3.8 Patch 6

    [PBE 3.8 Patch 1]  [PBE 3.8 Patch 2] [PBE 3.8 Patch 3] [PBE 3.8 Patch 4] [PBE 3.8 Patch 5]

    Champion Changes

    Aatrox

    • Blades of Torment [ E ] - Now has a 60% AD ratio (up from 40%)
    • Blades of Torment [ E ] - Range increased to 1000 (up from 900)
    • Blood Thirst / Blood Price [ W ] - Tooltip will now tell you how much the health is increased by when below half health
    • Massacre [ R ] - No longer does damage based on 15% + .01*AP of their maximum health
    • Massacre [ R ] - Now deals 200/300/400 (+1*AP) magic damage to all enemy champions around him,
    • [Passive] - now heals over 3 seconds (down from 4)

    VI

    • Assault and Battery [ R ] - Tooltip reworded to say "While charging,Vi cannot be stopped or slowed" (changed from While charging Vi is immune to Knockups and Knockbacks"

     

  • All-Star Day 1 Recap: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Some things don't live up to the hype. We wait and wait for big events and they are never quite what we expect them to be, but the All-Star games in Shanghai is proving to be the exception to the rule. The 1v1's are entertaining even if they aren't accurate representations of skill, but the true value has been in the 5v5's pitting region versus region.

    The stage itself was a thing of beauty and Riot pulled out all the stops for this blockbuster weekend of e-Sports. The best have come to compete and Day 1 was clearly just a taste of what we have in store. Let's take a look at what we can take away from the first day of games.

    The Good - Asian Dominance

    China and Korea both won their matches 2-0 against NA and Europe respectively, however, most people would not have expected NA to put up the better fight. The Korean team frighteningly efficient in their destruction of the European team in mid game and teamfights. Despite Diamondprox setting the tone in Game 1 and netting Europe several early kills on Evelynn, they weren't able to gain a big gold advantage never leading by more than about 1k gold.

  • TPA Season 2 World Champions commemorative skins

    TPA Season 2 World Champions commemorative skins

    It looks like the bundle we reported on yesterday will be for 25% off!

    Originally Posted by Riot (View RedTracker Source)

     

    Relive the drama and excitement of the Taipei Assassins' rise to victory at the Season 2 World Championship as we celebrate the 2013 All-Star Event. Suit up as TPA Shen, TPA Orianna, TPA Ezreal, TPA Nunu and TPA Mundo, complete with gaming headsets, jerseys and Willump as the looming manifestation of the TPA mascot. From the Summoner's Cup clutched in TPA Mundo's meaty fist to the thundersticks strapped to TPA Shen's back, these skins are decked out in championship gear.



    TPA skins will be available until 1 June for 750 RP each, or you can save 25% if you purchase a bundle of all five skins. That's 2812 RP for the bundle if you already own all five of the champions. You can also pick up any of the champions you're missing for 25% off as part of the bundle - the total bundle price will vary depending on content you already have! 



    After June 1, these five skins and the bundle will be retired to the legacy vault.

  • [UPDATE] Unofficial PBE Patch Notes for 5/23/2013

    PBE 3.8 Patch 5

    Another "Small" patch has hit the PBE, with some rather big changes to Aatrox.
    UPDATE: More Sona Changes

    [PBE 3.8 Patch 1]  [PBE 3.8 Patch 2] [PBE 3.8 Patch 3] [PBE 3.8 Patch 4]

     Twisted Fate New Q Range Indicator

    Obviously they need to work on the range a little.

    Champion Changes

    Lissandra

    • [W] - Ring of Frost - Now deals 70/110/150/190/230 (up from 60/95/130/165/200)
    • [W] - Ring of Frost - Now has costs 50 mana (down from 70)
    • [W] - Ring of Frost - Now has a cooldown of 14/13/12/11/10 seconds (changed from 16/14/12/10/8)
    • [R] - Frozen Tomb - Self cast now lasts for 2.5 seconds (up from 1.5) [This may be from yesterday, It is NOT in any of the air client patches, but is in-game]

     Aatrox

    • [Passive] - Blood Well - Now also gets an additional 35% of the well's total pool
    • [Passive] - Blood Well - Now heals over 4 seconds.
    • [Passive] - Blood Well - Now gains 1% attack speed for every 2% in the Blood Well
    • [Passive] - Blood Well - Decay rate may have changed - looking into this one.
    • [E] - Blades of Torment - New AD Ratio has been added 40% BONUS AD
    • [R] - Massacre - Now increases attack speed by 40/50/60% (instead of 25/35/45 + 10 for each champion hit)
    • [R] - Massacre- No longer increases Aatrox's maximum health
    • [R] - Massacre - cooldown is now 100/85/70 (down from 120/100/80)

    Sona

    • [W] - Aria of Perseverance - Power chord's reduced damage on champion now only lasts for 3 seconds (down from 4)

    Zerglinator found another VERY interesting change to sona's passive. The power cord damage no longer goes up 10 per level. In fact, from levels 1 - 6 it is a different number per level. You can see the full chart below. [Note, old value was 8 + (Sona's level * 10)]

    • Level 1 PBE: 13

    • Level 2 PBE: 20

    • Level 3 PBE: 27

    • Level 4 PBE: 35

    • Level 5 PBE: 43

    • Level 6 PBE: 52

    • Level 7 PBE: 62

    • Level 8 PBE: 72

    • Level 9 PBE: 82

    • Level 10 PBE: 92

    • Level 11 PBE: 102

    • Level 12 PBE: 112

    • Level 13 PBE: 122

    • Level 14 PBE: 132

    • Level 15 PBE: 147

    • Level 16 PBE: 162

    • Level 17 PBE: 177

    • Level 18 PBE: 192

    Udyr

    • Had various words Capitalized 

    Diff Tables

    Old (Air Client v75)New (Air Client v76)
    Lissandra - [W] - Ring of Frost
    Lissandra - [W] - Ring of Frost
    Deals 60/95/130/165/200 (+0.6)magic damage to nearby enemies and roots them for 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5 seconds.

    Cost:     70/70/70/70/70 Mana

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     16/14/12/10/8    		 Lissandra - [W] - Ring of Frost
    Deals 70/110/150/190/230 (+0.6)magic damage to nearby enemies and roots them for 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5 seconds.

    Cost:     50/50/50/50/50 Mana

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     14/13/12/11/10
    Aatrox - [E] - Blades of Torment
    Aatrox - [E] - Blades of Torment
    Aatrox unleashes and sends forward the power of his blade,dealing 75/120/165/210/255 (+0.6)Magic Damage to all enemies hit and slowing them by 40/40/40/40/40% for 1.75/2/2.25/2.5/2.75 seconds.

    Cost:     5/5/5/5/5 % of Current Health ()

    Range:     900

    Cooldown:     12/11/10/9/8    		 Aatrox - [E] - Blades of Torment
    Aatrox unleashes and sends forward the power of his blade,dealing 75/120/165/210/255 (+0.6)(+)Magic Damage to all enemies hit and slowing them by 40/40/40/40/40% for 1.75/2/2.25/2.5/2.75 seconds.

    Cost:     5/5/5/5/5 % of Current Health ()

    Range:     900

    Cooldown:     12/11/10/9/8
    Aatrox - [R] - Massacre
    Aatrox - [R] - Massacre
    On activation Aatrox draws in the blood of his foes,dealing magic damage to all enemy champions around him equal to 15/15/15% + 0.01% of their Maximum Health.

    For     the next 12/12/12 seconds,Aatrox's Maximum Health increases by 100/175/250 + 50/65/80 per champion hit,Attack Speed increases by 25/35/45% + 10/10/10% per champion hit,and he gains 175 Attack Range.

    Cost:

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     120/100/80    		 Aatrox - [R] - Massacre
    On activation Aatrox draws in the blood of his foes,dealing magic damage to all enemy champions around him equal to 15/15/15% + 0.01% of their Maximum Health,increasing his Attack Speed by 40/50/60%,and gains 175 Attack Range.

    Cost:

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     100/85/70
    Sona - [W] - Aria of Perseverance
    Sona - [W] - Aria of Perseverance
    Persistent Aura: Grants nearby allied Champions 6/7/8/9/10 bonus Armor and Magic Resist.

    Activation:     Heals Sona and the most wounded nearby allied Champion for 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.25)and grants 6/7/8/9/10 additional Armor and Magic Resist for 3 seconds.

    Power     Chord - Diminuendo: Reduces an enemy's total damage output by 20% for 4 seconds.

    Cost:     60/65/70/75/80 Mana

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     7/7/7/7/7    		 Sona - [W] - Aria of Perseverance
    Persistent Aura: Grants nearby allied Champions 6/7/8/9/10 bonus Armor and Magic Resist.

    Activation:     Heals Sona and the most wounded nearby allied Champion for 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.25)and grants 6/7/8/9/10 additional Armor and Magic Resist for 3 seconds.

    Power     Chord - Diminuendo: Reduces an enemy's total damage output by 20% for 3 seconds.

    Cost:     60/65/70/75/80 Mana

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     7/7/7/7/7
    Udyr - [Q] - Tiger Stance

    Items

    Wriggle's Lantern

    • Ward now lasts for 90 seconds, and has a 90 second cooldown (up from 1 min)

    Diff Tables

    Old (Air Client v75)New (Air Client v76)
    Wriggle's Lantern
    Wriggle's Lantern

    +25 Attack Damage
    +25     Armor
    +15%     Life Steal

    UNIQUE     Passive - Maim: Basic attacks deal 100 bonus magic damage to monsters on hit.
    UNIQUE     Active: Places an invisible Sight Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 1 minute (1 minute cooldown).

    (    Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)

    Cost:     500    		 Wriggle's Lantern

    +25 Attack Damage
    +25     Armor
    +15%     Life Steal

    UNIQUE     Passive - Maim: Basic attacks deal 100 bonus magic damage to monsters on hit.
    UNIQUE     Active: Places an invisible Sight Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 90 seconds (90 second cooldown).

    (    Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)

    Cost:     500

  • Nashor's Tooth vs. Guinsoo's Rageblade

    Nashor's Tooth vs. Guinsoo's Rageblade

    Hey guys, I'm trying to expand my articles to YouTube, so if you could watch the video above and/or subscribe to my channel I would really appreciate it.

    Today's article mirrors most of the content that is covered inside of the YouTube video, so it may be in a different format than many of you are used to. The topic of today's article is comparing Nashor's Tooth to Guinsoo's Rageblade. Both are items bought on champions who seek ability power and attack speed; they have similar stats and can be bought at similar price points. More specifically, I will be comparing the DPS output of both items when purchased on AP Kayle as rush items, as most Kayle players rush either one or the other in most builds.

  • League of Legends All-Star 2013 Login Screen and Music, and Possible TPA Skin Bundle!

    League of Legends All-Star 2013 Login Screen and Music, and Possible TPA Skin Bundle!

    It looks like an air client patch will be getting ready to go live soon. One of the more interesting files in this is an image titled: "tpa_bundle". Which is located in the store bundles folder! We may see a big bundle for these skins!


  • THE DANGER ZONE

    Rumble has been a tough champion for awhile. On release, he just felt OP, or at least I remember thinking that. And after a few weeks of dominating, he just sort of disappeared from the American scene entirely. But he stayed strong, seeing constant play in both the European and Asian scenes. And finally, the initial damage from his ult was HUGE. Regardless of nerfs, he's been a strong champion in the European scene; today, I'm going to look at what makes him strong, and how the two recent nerfs affect that.

  • Unofficial PBE Patch Notes for 5/22/2013 - Aatrox Changes, and More

    PBE 3.8 Patch 4

    Only a few changes today!

     [PBE 3.8 Patch 1]  [PBE 3.8 Patch 2] [PBE 3.8 Patch 3]

     Champion Changes

    Aatrox

    • Now marked as a fighter (instead of a carry)
    • [R] - Massacre - Now does it based on targets maximum health (instead of current health)

    Sejuani

    • [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds - Now does 10% bonus HP (down from 12%)

    Karma

    Still waiting for the game diffs for this, 

    • [Q] - Inner Flame - Now costs 50/55/60/65/70/x (down from 50/60/70/80/90/x)

    Diff Tables

    Champions

    Old (Air Client v74)New (Air Client v75)
    Aatrox
    Aatrox the Darkin Blade
    Damage:     55 (+ 3.2 )
    Health:     395 (+ 85 )
    Mana:     75 (+ 45 )
    Movement     Speed: 345
    Armor:     14 (+ 3.8 )
    Magic     Resist: 30 (+ 1.25 )
    Health     Per 5 Sec: 5.75 (+ 0.5 )
    Mana     Per 5 Sec: 0 (+ 0 )
    Range:     150
    Defense     Rating: 4
    Magic     Rating: 3
    Difficulty     Rating: 6
    Attack     Rating: 8

    Tags:     carry,melee

    Tips:     *Avoid engaging in a fight with low health unless your Blood Well is full so that you regain enough health to continue fighting.*Building Life Steal can be very potent on Aatrox to help compensate for his health costs.*Massacre is great at turning the tide of a battle,make sure to use it at the right moment to maximize the benefits from it.
    Opponent     Tips: *When Aatrox takes fatal damage he is healed for the amount currently in his resource bar,landing a fatal blow on him while the resource bar is low will result in him reviving with a lower amount of health.*When Aatrox casts Dark Flight towards your location,avoid being knocked up by moving away from the center of impact.*Aatrox is auto attack reliant for most of his damage and survivability,reducing his attack speed by purchasing Randuins Omen or Frozen Heart can help reduce both of those components greatly.    		 Aatrox the Darkin Blade
    Damage:     55 (+ 3.2 )
    Health:     395 (+ 85 )
    Mana:     75 (+ 45 )
    Movement     Speed: 345
    Armor:     14 (+ 3.8 )
    Magic     Resist: 30 (+ 1.25 )
    Health     Per 5 Sec: 5.75 (+ 0.5 )
    Mana     Per 5 Sec: 0 (+ 0 )
    Range:     150
    Defense     Rating: 4
    Magic     Rating: 3
    Difficulty     Rating: 6
    Attack     Rating: 8

    Tags:     fighter,melee

    Tips:     *Avoid engaging in a fight with low health unless your Blood Well is full so that you regain enough health to continue fighting.*Building Life Steal can be very potent on Aatrox to help compensate for his health costs.*Massacre is great at turning the tide of a battle,make sure to use it at the right moment to maximize the benefits from it.
    Opponent     Tips: *When Aatrox takes fatal damage he is healed for the amount currently in his resource bar,landing a fatal blow on him while the resource bar is low will result in him reviving with a lower amount of health.*When Aatrox casts Dark Flight towards your location,avoid being knocked up by moving away from the center of impact.*Aatrox is auto attack reliant for most of his damage and survivability,reducing his attack speed by purchasing Randuins Omen or Frozen Heart can help reduce both of those components greatly.

    Lore

    No Lore changes in this Patch.

    Abilities

    Shyvana has returned to live values

    Old (Air Client v74)New (Air Client v75)
    Sejuani - [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds
    Sejuani - [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds
    Sejuani's next basic attack deals 40/60/80/100/120 (+)bonus magic damage to the target and enemies near it.She then swings her flail,dealing 80/120/160/200/240 (+ [12/12/12/12/12% bonus HP])(+0.6)magic damage to nearby enemies over 4 seconds.

    If     this ability is reactivated,Sejuani immediately starts swinging her flail.

    Cost:     40/40/40/40/40 Mana

    Range:     350

    Cooldown:     11/10/9/8/7    		 Sejuani - [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds
    Sejuani's next basic attack deals 40/60/80/100/120 (+)bonus magic damage to the target and enemies near it.She then swings her flail,dealing 80/120/160/200/240 (+ [10/10/10/10/10% bonus HP])(+0.6)magic damage to nearby enemies over 4 seconds.

    If     this ability is reactivated,Sejuani immediately starts swinging her flail.

    Cost:     40/40/40/40/40 Mana

    Range:     350

    Cooldown:     11/10/9/8/7
    Aatrox - [R] - Massacre
    Aatrox - [R] - Massacre
    On activation Aatrox draws in the blood of his foes,dealing magic damage to all enemy champions around him equal to 15/15/15% + 0.01% of their current Health.

    For     the next 12/12/12 seconds,Aatrox's Maximum Health increases by 100/175/250 + 50/65/80 per champion hit,Attack Speed increases by 25/35/45% + 10/10/10% per champion hit,and he gains 175 Attack Range.

    Cost:

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     120/100/80    		 Aatrox - [R] - Massacre
    On activation Aatrox draws in the blood of his foes,dealing magic damage to all enemy champions around him equal to 15/15/15% + 0.01% of their Maximum Health.

    For     the next 12/12/12 seconds,Aatrox's Maximum Health increases by 100/175/250 + 50/65/80 per champion hit,Attack Speed increases by 25/35/45% + 10/10/10% per champion hit,and he gains 175 Attack Range.

    Cost:

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     120/100/80
    Karma - [Q] - Inner Flame
    Karma - [Q] - Inner Flame
    Fires a blast of energy that explodes upon enemy contact,dealing 80/125/170/215/260/ (+0.6)magic damage to enemies in the area and slowing their Movement Speed by 25/25/25/25/25/% for 1.5 seconds.

    Mantra     Bonus - Soulflare: Deals (+)additional magic damage and leaves a circle of flame at the impact area or upon reaching maximum range,slowing enemies for 50%.After 1.5 seconds the circle erupts,dealing (+0.6)magic damage to enemies in the area.

    Cost:     50/60/70/80/90/0 Mana

    Range:     950

    Cooldown:     7/6.5/6/5.5/5/10    		 Karma - [Q] - Inner Flame
    Fires a blast of energy that explodes upon enemy contact,dealing 80/125/170/215/260/ (+0.6)magic damage to enemies in the area and slowing their Movement Speed by 25/25/25/25/25/% for 1.5 seconds.

    Mantra     Bonus - Soulflare: Deals (+)additional magic damage and leaves a circle of flame at the impact area or upon reaching maximum range,slowing enemies for 50%.After 1.5 seconds the circle erupts,dealing (+0.6)magic damage to enemies in the area.

    Cost:     50/55/60/65/70/0 Mana

    Range:     950

    Cooldown:     7/6.5/6/5.5/5/10

    Items

    Doran's Ring

    • Now restores 4 mana (down from 5)

    Tear of the Goddess (Crystal Scar)

    • Now grants +5 maximum mana (down from +8)

    Wriggle's Lantern

    • Now gives 25 AD (up from 20)
    • Now gives 25 armor (down from 30)
    • Ward now lasts for 1 min and has a 1 min cooldown (down from 3 mins)

    Diff Tables

    Old (Air Client v74)New (Air Client v75)
    Doran's Ring
    Doran's Ring

    +60 Health
    +15     Ability Power
    +3     Mana Regen per 5 seconds

    Passive:     Restores 5 Mana upon killing a unit.

    Cost:     400    		 Doran's Ring

    +60 Health
    +15     Ability Power
    +3     Mana Regen per 5 seconds

    Passive:     Restores 4 Mana upon killing a unit.

    Cost:     400
    Tear of the Goddess (Crystal Scar)
    Tear of the Goddess (Crystal Scar)

    +250 Mana
    +7     Mana Regen per 5 seconds

    UNIQUE     Passive - Mana Charge: Grants +8 maximum Mana (max +750 Mana)for each spell cast and Mana expenditure (3 second cooldown).

    (    Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)

    Cost:     120    		 Tear of the Goddess (Crystal Scar)

    +250 Mana
    +7     Mana Regen per 5 seconds

    UNIQUE     Passive - Mana Charge: Grants +5 maximum Mana (max +750 Mana)for each spell cast and Mana expenditure (3 second cooldown).

    (    Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)

    Cost:     120
    Wriggle's Lantern
    Wriggle's Lantern

    +20 Attack Damage
    +30     Armor
    +15%     Life Steal

    UNIQUE     Passive - Maim: Basic attacks deal 100 bonus magic damage to monsters on hit.
    UNIQUE     Active: Places an invisible Sight Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 3 minutes (3 minute cooldown).

    (    Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)

    Cost:     500    		 Wriggle's Lantern

    +25 Attack Damage
    +25     Armor
    +15%     Life Steal

    UNIQUE     Passive - Maim: Basic attacks deal 100 bonus magic damage to monsters on hit.
    UNIQUE     Active: Places an invisible Sight Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 1 minute (1 minute cooldown).

    (    Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)

    Cost:     500

  • All-star showdown on Magma Chamber

    All-star showdown on Magma Chamber

    You can see the video of this map here

    Originally Posted by Riot (View RedTracker Source)

    All-star showdown on Magma Chamber

    When your all-stars take the stage in Shanghai, China, you'll see them face off mano-a-mano (and two-on-two, in the case of bot laners) for the right to claim they're the best top, mid, bot or jungle players in the world. You'll also get a look at the upcoming Magma Chamber map, which is specially designed for individual and pair competition.

    Why preview Magma Chamber at All-Star Week?

    Watching the best players in the world duel it out for honor and glory is pretty damn exciting. If you were following the all-star race, you probably caught the epic showdown between Krepo and Soaz. Matchups like that are really fun to watch, so we wanted to make sure we had a proper battlefield for individual grudge matches. Since it's only natural to wonder who the best player in each role is, we thought All-Star Week was the perfect venue to give you a sneak peek at the map, and let the pros settle the score while we were at it.

    How does a head-to-head match work?

    One vs. one competition actually has a pretty long history in the League of Legends community. The first one on one tournament actually took place in beta, and we've seen many more battles of this nature since. We tried to stick close to the existing one vs. one conventions.

    During All-Star week, players will win a match on Magma Chamber in any the following ways:

    • Kill 100 minions
    • Destroy the enemy turret
    • Score first blood

    When can we play?

    While you can watch the all-stars treat their favorite champions to a magma tan today, remember this is a sneak peek and the public release is still on the horizon. We're targeting before the launch of Season 4 while we tackle the following:

    • Tech challenges: A one vs. one map is unlike any game mode we've ever launched, and releasing it to millions is a lot different than letting the all-stars play on tournament realm. Before launch we need to load-test the servers and make sure we have the right supporting hardware in place.
    • More testing and optimizing: So far, Magma Chamber's only optimized for tournament hardware, so there's a lot of polish and bug sweeping left to finish. Before we can launch, the map needs to run smoothly on our full range of hardware, from the humblest min-spec to the most impressive gaming rig.
    • Game balance: Getting a map ready for live requires a lot of iteration on the design side. Right now we know it's fun to watch the best players in the world throw down one vs. one, but we need more testing (including a full tour on the PBE) to make sure it's balanced and fun to play!

    We know Season 4 seems like it's a long way off, but we're using that time to get Magma Chamber shipshape and ready for launch. Stay tuned for more as we get closer to the new season. 


    Is this the Magma Chamber announced in 2010?!

    We realize that for some of you there's a giant, liquid-rock elephant we've got to clear out of the room.

    The short answer is: "no." That map was five vs. five, not one vs. one, and it really is cancelled. We know a lot of you were excited for a volcanic-themed map, so we decided to craft this new Magma Chamber in homage to the original concept.

  • Aatrox Reddit AMA Roundup

    [Dark] [Light]

     

    Sona and Sejuani Changes

    If you missed the PBE patch today, there were only a few changes. check them out here.

    Aatrox Reddit AMA

    Below is a full roundup of every Q&A post from today's AMA. For more Aatrox goodness, check out PBE 3.8 Patch 1 for skill info, and patch 2 for video previews.

    Originally Posted by Riot (View Reddit Source)

    Q: [ddangho914]

    I might have simply not read his lore that closely, but I'll act as the dummy that doesn't pay attention in class and ask anyway. Through the Explorer Ezreal posts it clearly stated that Aatrox was a great mystery, and that he had existed throughout the history of Valoran as a shadow figure. However, how do we know that there are five remaining Darkins? And how do we even know what race he is? Did Aatrox share his secrets when he joined the league? Or did the League and Government agents of each state already know of the existence of the Darkins, but never revealed them in public?

    A: [RiotHarrow]

    The world as a whole doesn't know how many Darkin there are. That's some privileged information you get as a reader ;)

    As a bit of a future spoiler: three of the five, including Aatrox, are known to history, turning up in myths etc. The other two are completely unknown to the rest of the world. It's unclear whether even the other Darkin know of them. They don't talk much.

  • Making the Most of the Item Sets Tab

    The item sets tab is out and for the non-genius-level-player (or even for someone who is, perhaps), this can highly change your conception, understanding, and playing of the game. It can also be a huge timesink.

    So, yay or nay? I’ve spent a bit of time playing around with it and have some suggestions on pitfalls and how to maximize its usefulness.

    Limitations

    The first unfavorable thing I noticed is that the actual tool isn’t friendly to people who don’t know the items well as it’s a single column only to show them all. Unlike in the actual game, there’s no way to look at the items in a big grid format, which makes it a pain to find the items while in this tool. For that reason I highly recommend you play and think about builds elsewhere. There are better spots online for playing and thinking about item builds where you can access the items more quickly or see a bigger selection of them. Even a legal pad can be a better canvas for creating builds.

    While the items are out of date, http://s3.microtony.com/ lets you look at the in-game items  and more importantly, lets you see the current recommended items to let you see how much you wish to keep and how much you wish to discard. Keep in mind that the recommended items list is still going to be accessible for any character. If recommended items has the majority of the stuff you’d use anyway, building a tab is not worth the effort.

    The second unfavorable thing is that the sets are machine-side and not server-side. This means that if you make an item set, it is only on the computer you made it on, not your account. This doesn’t affect everyone, but if it affects you you’ve obviously noticed and been hesitant to make too many tabs.

    A program that lets you rip builds from another person and put into client is coming down the road. And a place that lets you see other people’s build and how they’re arranged should be out within a week or two if it isn’t by the time this article is posted. You can save yourself a lot of time waiting for other builds to come out and sticking those in.

  • Unofficial PBE Patch Notes for 5/21/2013 - Sona Changes

    PBE 3.8 Patch 3

    It looks like the changes for sona we first saw riot talking about here have reached the PBE.
    Both Ghost Bridge Morgana and Woad King Darius are now live on the PBE for 975 RP. 

    [PBE 3.8 Patch 1]  [PBE 3.8 Patch 2]

    Ghost Bride Morgana

    Some new voice files (attack and move) were added for this skin. HOWEVER, as of this time, they are 100% the exact same as her base model.

    Champion Changes

    Sona

    Don't forget to see Riots post looking for Sona feedback.

    • Base health increased to 380 (up from 340)
    • Base armor increased to 8 (up from 6)
    • [W] - Aria of Perseverance - Persistent aura now grans 6/7/8/9/10 bonus Armor (Changed from 3/6/9/12/15)
    • [W] - Aria of Perseverance - Activation now grans 6/7/8/9/10 additional AR and MR (down from 8/11/14/17/20)

    Sejuani

    • [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds - Now deals 12% bonus HP (down from 16%)

    Diff Tables

    Old (Air Client v73)New (Air Client v74)
    Sona
    Sona Maven of the Strings
    Damage:     47 (+ 3 )
    Health:     340 (+ 70 )
    Mana:     265 (+ 45 )
    Movement     Speed: 330
    Armor:     6 (+ 3.3 )
    Magic     Resist: 30 (+ 0 )
    Health     Per 5 Sec: 4.5 (+ 0.55 )
    Mana     Per 5 Sec: 7 (+ 0.65 )
    Range:     550
    Defense     Rating: 2
    Magic     Rating: 8
    Difficulty     Rating: 1
    Attack     Rating: 5

    Tags:     support,ranged,recommended

    Tips:     *Make use of Hymn of Valor's bonus ability power for empowering your next spell.*Save Crescendo for the game-altering moment.*Constantly switching between Song of Celerity and Aria of Perseverance will grant you maximum survivability.
    Opponent     Tips: *Spread out when you see Sona so she can't make your entire team dance.*Kill Sona first,as she will heal up her team if left alone for too long.    		 Sona Maven of the Strings
    Damage:     47 (+ 3 )
    Health:     380 (+ 70 )
    Mana:     265 (+ 45 )
    Movement     Speed: 330
    Armor:     8 (+ 3.3 )
    Magic     Resist: 30 (+ 0 )
    Health     Per 5 Sec: 4.5 (+ 0.55 )
    Mana     Per 5 Sec: 7 (+ 0.65 )
    Range:     550
    Defense     Rating: 2
    Magic     Rating: 8
    Difficulty     Rating: 1
    Attack     Rating: 5

    Tags:     support,ranged,recommended

    Tips:     *Make use of Hymn of Valor's bonus ability power for empowering your next spell.*Save Crescendo for the game-altering moment.*Constantly switching between Song of Celerity and Aria of Perseverance will grant you maximum survivability.
    Opponent     Tips: *Spread out when you see Sona so she can't make your entire team dance.*Kill Sona first,as she will heal up her team if left alone for too long.

    Lore

    No Lore changes in this Patch.

    Abilities

    Old (Air Client v73)New (Air Client v74)
    Sejuani - [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds
    Sejuani - [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds
    Sejuani's next basic attack deals 40/60/80/100/120 (+)bonus magic damage to the target and enemies near it.She then swings her flail,dealing 80/120/160/200/240 (+ [16% bonus HP])(+0.6)magic damage to nearby enemies over 4 seconds.

    If     this ability is reactivated,Sejuani immediately starts swinging her flail.

    Cost:     40/40/40/40/40 Mana

    Range:     350

    Cooldown:     11/10/9/8/7    		 Sejuani - [W] - Flail of the Northern Winds
    Sejuani's next basic attack deals 40/60/80/100/120 (+)bonus magic damage to the target and enemies near it.She then swings her flail,dealing 80/120/160/200/240 (+ [12/12/12/12/12% bonus HP])(+0.6)magic damage to nearby enemies over 4 seconds.

    If     this ability is reactivated,Sejuani immediately starts swinging her flail.

    Cost:     40/40/40/40/40 Mana

    Range:     350

    Cooldown:     11/10/9/8/7
    Sona - [W] - Aria of Perseverance
    Sona - [W] - Aria of Perseverance
    Persistent Aura: Grants nearby allied Champions 3/6/9/12/15 bonus Armor and Magic Resist.

    Activation:     Heals Sona and the most wounded nearby allied Champion for 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.25)and grants 8/11/14/17/20 additional Armor and Magic Resist for 3 seconds.

    Power     Chord - Diminuendo: Reduces an enemy's total damage output by 20% for 4 seconds.

    Cost:     60/65/70/75/80 Mana

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     7/7/7/7/7    		 Sona - [W] - Aria of Perseverance
    Persistent Aura: Grants nearby allied Champions 6/7/8/9/10 bonus Armor and Magic Resist.

    Activation:     Heals Sona and the most wounded nearby allied Champion for 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.25)and grants 6/7/8/9/10 additional Armor and Magic Resist for 3 seconds.

    Power     Chord - Diminuendo: Reduces an enemy's total damage output by 20% for 4 seconds.

    Cost:     60/65/70/75/80 Mana

    Range:     0

    Cooldown:     7/7/7/7/7