Teamfight Tactics patch 12.5 notes

March 23rd, True Justice Disabled

After fixing several bugs with our recent mid-week update, we shipped a new one that broke the True Justice Augment entirely. We are temporarily disabling the Augment with plans to fix it by patch 12.6.

• True Justice (Enforcer) Augment has been disabled

March 23rd, Bug Fixes

With regional finals starting this weekend, we want to make sure that a few of the most impactful bugs are fixed before patch 12.6.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue causing True Justice (Enforcer Augment) to benefit more from damage amplification than intended.
• VIP Draven no longer keeps his bonus Attack Range and Armor Penetration after Debonair is deactivated.
• Irelia is no longer locked out of generating mana when she is crowd controlled during Bladesurge’s recast animation.
• Corki’s Bombardment no longer fizzles if his target dies during his cast animation.
• Socialite 2,3, and 5 no longer grant more damage amp than intended

March 8th, Balance Changes

With a longer patch than usual, we've got a larger mid-week update than usual. Our intentions here are to keep the meta as healthy as possible until patch 12.6 goes live March 30th, while also decreasing the speed of combat.

Even before patch 12.5 went live, the pace of combat has interfered with the clarity of each battle.This pace has been accelerated with high damage from champions, and after looking at the data, we’ve been able to confirm that the damage is just that—too damn high. So, we’re shipping more numeric changes than the typical mid-week update, which we think will slow down combat with the outcome of increasing clarity and thereby empowering informed decision making. TL;DR Combat you can understand is combat you can better control!

Augments

Some trait overperformance (Debonair, Twinshot) and underperformance (Hextech, Enforcer) can be tied to the power of their high-roll trait linked Augments. We’re doing a quick sweep of the most offensive cases to keep the meta diversity wide by tightening the power disparity between the best and worst trait-linked Augments.

• Built Different Attack Speed: 50/60/70% ⇒ 60/70/80%
• Hexnova (Hextech) Mana reave range: 1 ⇒ 2 Hexes
• Irresistible Charm Damage reduction: 20% ⇒ 15%
• One For All Attack Damage & Ability Power per Stack: 20 ⇒ 15
• Sharpshooter (Twinshot) bounce damage reduction amount: 50% ⇒ 60%
• Sniper’s Nest (Sniper) stacking Damage amplification: 10% ⇒ 8% (total: 40% ⇒ 32%)
• So Small (Yordle) Dodge chance: 35% ⇒ 25%
• Three’s Company can now only appear on Round 1-4
• True Justice (Enforcer) Health threshold to active true damage: 50% ⇒80%

Traits

While many compositions have emerged viable in 12.5 a couple are looking too good, while one is striking out. While Stiker has struggled, many of its units have seen success in other comps, so we’re nerfing the units while buffing the trait to hopefully see Striker verticals open up as a viable option.

• Clockwork Base Attack Speed: 10/40/80% ⇒ 10/35/80%
• Debonair Health: 200/450/800 ⇒200/400/700
• Debonair Ability Power: 20/45/80 ⇒ 20/40/70
• Innovator Mechanical Bear Armor & Magic Resist: 70 ⇒ 55
• Innovator Mechanical Dragon Armor & Magic Resist: 100 ⇒ 90
• Striker Attack Damage: 30/65/110 ⇒ 30/70/120
• Syndicate Armor & Magic Resist: 55 ⇒ 50
• Syndicate 7 Bonus: 60% ⇒ 50%

Champions

We’re nerfing a series of core units to stronger compositions to create a more level (and slower) playing field for the next three weeks. Below I’ll provide some brief context for each composition:

Despite Twitch’s nerf in patch 12.5, reroll rat has been sinking his teeth on the cheese without triggering the trap that reroll comps often find themselves in—falling off in the late game. By hitting his AD scaling as he levels up, he’ll still be strong with levels (which provide a ton of base stats), but you may need damage from other sources later on.

Almost every variation of Debonair is overperforming, and it’s time the Debonairs become philanthropic with their power by giving some of their time in the spotlight to other comps.

Speaking of spotlights, a few Socialite units have become core enablers of various compositions, from Irelia carry comps, to Innovator, and the more rare, but powerful Enchanter Sniper comps.

Ahri’s orb pondering isn’t the only thing making the Syndicate a force to be reckoned with. Rerolling for one 2-cost carry often leads to many 3-star power houses for the price of one, leading to a focus on small, but widespread base damage nerfs across the entire shadowy organization.

With damage decreasing we’re shipping preemptive nerfs to Morgana and Vex to keep their tankiness in check.

Finally, we’re adding some power to our worst performing Legendary units to make them feel more like that boss that keeps killing you at the start of the game and less like reach trait bots.

• Brand VIP Sear reduced damage for second fireball: 30% ⇒ 45%
• Twitch Piercing Bolt Attack Damage scaling: 125/130/140% ⇒ 125%
• Ashe Attack Damage: 70 ⇒ 60
• Corki Bombardment Damage: 220/275/350 ⇒ 200/260/333
• Rek’Sai Furious Bite base Heal: 150/200/350 ⇒ 200/225/400
• Rek’Sai Furious Bite bonus Heal: 250/350/500 ⇒ 275/350/600
• Syndra Force of Will Damage: 225/325/500 ⇒ 225/300/425
• Talon Blade’s End Damage: 450/650/950 ⇒ 450/600/850
• Zyra Grasping Spines Damage: 325/450/675 ⇒ 275/375/575
• Gnar GNAR! Attack Damage scaling: 185% ⇒ 175%
• Lucian Relentless Pursuit Damage: 185/295/315 ⇒ 175/275/300
• Morgana max Mana nerf: 60/120 ⇒ 70/130
• Senna Attack Speed: 0.75 ⇒ 0.7
• Vex max Mana nerf: 40/80 ⇒ 50/90
• Ahri Damage per Additional Orb on Same Target: 80% ⇒ 60%
• Draven Attack Damage: 80 ⇒ 75
• Irelia Attack Damage: 85 ⇒ 80
• Sivir Ricochet Bounce Attack Damage scaling: 33% ⇒ 40%
• Galio Health: 1200 ⇒ 1300
• Kai’Sa Icathian Monsoon Damage per missile: 70/90/180 ⇒ 75/100/180

Bug Fix

• Mana gREAVEance: Cutthroat (Assassin Augment) now increases the target’s mana by the intended 50% instead of 65%
• Fixed an issue preventing Knife’s Edge, Battlemage, Featherweights, and Tri Force from being offered on 3-3 and 4-6
• My type of math: Calculated Loss no longer grants 2 gold on wins

Patch 12.5 will be live for four weeks (instead of the usual two) as all of us at Riot connect, reflect, and discuss our company-wide goals. Look, I know four weeks is a long time for a TFT patch, but we’ve got a plan to make 12.5 as healthy and stable as possible during this time.

You can read our detailed plan for ensuring a quality patch 12.5 here, where we’ll outline our goals for the patch and the precautions we’re taking/have already taken with its deployment.

Large, like the amount of time (4 weeks) this patch will be on live—read more about that by scrolling up.

Tome of Traits

Tome of Traits breakpoints have been nerfed slightly to make tailored Emblems appear less frequently. This allows us to nerf the early combination of five traits (with Yordle, Twinshot, Enchanter) to cheat out the Emblem that you want, while also nerfing Tome of Traits generally.

• No tailored Emblems: 0 - 4 active traits ⇒ 0 - 5
• One tailored Emblem: 5 - 6 active traits ⇒ 6 - 7
• Two tailored Emblems: 7 - 8 active traits ⇒ 8 - 9
• Three tailored Emblems: 9 - 10 active traits ⇒ 10 - 11
• Four tailored Emblems: 11+ active traits ⇒ 12+

Augments

It’s no surprise that many combat Augments are getting nerfed here. When taken early and combined with a second combat Augment, their flat values are often enough to get players into a top four position.

Some of the struggling yet fun Augments are getting a bit of love. Expect Woodland Trinkets to be made of more than just twigs.

Finally, we’re adding one of my personal favorites, High Five, back into the mix. You may have remembered seeing High Five during PBE, but it ended up being so underpowered that we pulled it right before the clock struck Neon Nights. Now that we’ve had time to rebalance it as the Prismatic Augment players chasing 3-star 5-costs deserve, it’s ready for the taking!

• Battle Mage I / II / III bonus Ability Power: 30/45/60 ⇒ 25/35/50
• Chemtech Unity: Silver ⇒ Gold
• Concussive Blows: Silver ⇒ Gold
• Concussive Blows cooldown: 7 seconds ⇒ 6 seconds
• Cybernetic Implants III Health: 450 ⇒ 350
• Disintegrator I / II / III 2/3/4% ⇒ 1.5/2.5/4%
• Double Trouble I / II / III bonus AD, AP, Armor, & MR: 40/50/65 ⇒ 30/40/50
• Electrocharge I / II / III damage: 90/135/180 ⇒ 60/100/160
• Four Score Number of 4-cost Champions: 3 ⇒ 4
• Future Sight II, Golden Egg, Radiant Relics option, Mistral (Radiant Zephyr), Banish duration: 10 ⇒ 8 seconds
• Golden Egg and Radiant Relics option, Sunlight Cape (Radiant Sunfire Cape), max Health burn: 120% ⇒ 90% over 30 seconds
• Luden’s Echo I / II / III Spell Damage: 135/200/275 ⇒ 100/150/200
• NEW High Five (Prismatic): Gain 5 random 5-cost champions
• High Five (Prismatic) can only appear as the 3rd augment
• Portable Forge Armory option, Zhonya’s Paradox AP: 45 ⇒ 50
• Portable Forge Armory option, Zhonya’s Paradox Armor & MR: 35 ⇒ 50
• Portable Forge Armory option, Zhonya’s Paradox Invulnerability Duration: 2.5 ⇒ 3 seconds
• Second Wind III REMOVED
• Tri Force bonus Health: 233/333/433 ⇒ 133/233/333
• Tri Force can now only be offered if you have two or more 3-cost units in play
• Woodland Trinket Clone Health: 250 ⇒ 300

Traits

Every lobby is hard when you force Bodyguard. But with these buffs… eh, you still shouldn’t force it. Just let it come naturally like Braum’s gains.

Since Janna and Taric have become disenchanted with TFT, there’s been less outrageous healing, which has posed a problem for a trait whose power comes from enhanced healing and shielding.

Our adjustments for Hextech Dragon solve the powerful and yet unclear strength that the critical strike chance could give to champions with Infinity Edge, which converted the overflow critical strike chance into bonus critical strike damage. We’re removing this powerful synergy from the situation, without weakening the case for non-Infinity Edge users.

• Bodyguard starting Shield: 150/350/700/1200 ⇒ 200/400/800/2000
• Enchanter Heal & Shield Boost: 25/40/60/100% ⇒ 25/45/70/100%
• Enchanter Magic Resistance: 20/35/50/75 ⇒ 25/45/70/100
• Enforcer Stun duration: 4 ⇒ 3 seconds
• Hextech Shield: 100/150/300/600 ⇒ 120/170/340/600
• Innovator, Hextech Dragon ADJUSTED: The dragon’s roar no longer grants 75% Critical Strike Chance. Instead, units buffed by the roar will always critically strike if able (Spells still require Jeweled Gauntlet/Lotus).
• Innovator, Hextech Dragon Electrifying Roar Critical Strike Damage increase: 10% ⇒ 25%
• Innovator, Hextech Dragon Lightning Damage: 500 ⇒ 600

Units: Tier 1

Debonair has been lacking its Deboflair. Luckily Brand’s here to light it off!

We were thinking about renaming Jarvan IV to Jarvan VI because of the six people in each lobby going for him, but instead we’re just going to nerf the prince of early game comps. And with the early game power of Hextech, you’re probably not shocked to see Nocturne here as well.

• Brand base Sear Damage: 120/160/210 ⇒ 135/175/235
• Brand bonus Sear Damage: 150/225/300 ⇒ 165/225/300
• Jarvan IV Attack Speed: 0.65 ⇒ 0.6
• Jarvan IV starting Mana nerf: 60/100 ⇒ 50/100
• Nocturne Unspeakable Horror Stun Duration: 2/2.5/3.5 ⇒ 2/2.5/3
• Nocturne Unspeakable Horror Damage: 200/300/400 ⇒ 190/300/450
• Nocturne's Unspeakable Horror now correctly scales with Ability Power
• Twitch Piercing Bolt Attack Damage scaling percent: 125/135/150% ⇒ 125/130/140%
• Twitch Piercing Bolt base Damage: 25/50/75 ⇒ 30/50/70

Units: Tier 2

Rek'Sai’s been running into more than just punctuation errors. She can get into unkillable states too quickly too often, invalidate resistance items and traits, and do all this while working three different jobs: tank buster, tank, and damage dealer. By reworking Rek’Sai we’re giving her just one job: a tanky unit that buys time for her team through self-sufficient healing, and the option to pick up a Bloodthirster if she really wants to.

• Ashe Volley number of arrows: 6/7/8 ⇒ 8/8/8
• Ashe Volley range: Her Range ⇒ Her Range + 1 Hex
• REWORKED Rek’Sai Spell Base Damage: No longer scales with AP
• Rek’Sai Armor & Magic Resist: 40 ⇒ 45
• Rek’Sai Resist steal (removed): 10% ⇒ 0%
• Rek’Sai Heal: 150/250/400 (no Ability Power scaling) ⇒ 150/200/350 (Ability Power scaling)
• Rek’Sai NEW: If Rek’sai has already bit her target, she heals for 250/350/500 (scales with AP) health instead.

Units: Tier 3

Lucian goes in. He’s got low range, and loves to get into the heat of battle. He probably shouldn't have the same defensive stats as a backline Sniper like Miss Fortune. As for his damage buff, just remember that he shoots twice.

Malzahar’s been the great beneficiary of some of our Augments and Mutant 7 chase traits. We’re hitting him here, but will be keeping our vision on Arcanist if the trait continues to struggle.

• Ekko starting Mana nerf: 80/120 ⇒ 60/120
• Gnar: increased the range of Mega Gnar’s boulder by one hex
• Lucian Relentless Pursuit Damage: 175/275/300 ⇒ 185/295/315
• Lucian Health: 650 ⇒ 700
• Lucian Armor & Magic Resist: 25 ⇒ 30
• Malzahar Malefic Visions Damage: 625/875/1050 ⇒ 600/825/950\
• Senna Piercing Darkness Attack Damage scaling: 160% ⇒ 150%
• Senna Piercing Darkness Damage: 80/125/200 ⇒ 80/120/180

Units: Tier 4

Our Ahri changes below make her less dependent on Blue Buff for that first cast, allowing her to build Spear of Shojin (3 autos per cast after initial) for situations where you just can’t find that second Tear. Blue Buff will still be slightly more optimal; that is, of course, if you aren’t building Attack Damage Carry Ahri—which you shouldn’t be, for the record. The change in angle between her orbs allows her to more consistently hit her primary target with multiple orbs, leading to higher burst on earlier casts (shotgun effect) while still transitioning to a high spread fantasy.

We’re shifting Draven’s power away from his awkward AP focused Debonair build that seems to be overperforming. To be clear this is a buff for Draven’s floor, but an overall nerf to Draven’s capped out ceiling.

I heard that Vi is the star of a hit TV show, so if you want her to keep punching hard, then star her up!

• Ahri starting Mana buff: 0/50 ⇒ 30/50
• Ahri Angle Between Each Orb: 20 ⇒ 10
• Alistar Pulverize Damage: 200/350/1200 ⇒ 150/250/1000
• Braum Vault Breaker Stun Duration: 1.75/2.25/8 ⇒ 2/2.75/8
• Draven Range: 3 ⇒ 4
• Draven NEW: Now has innate 25% Armor Penetration
• Draven VIP Bonus Armor Penetration: 50% ⇒ 25%
• Draven Spinning Axes Attack Damage scaling: 150/160/400% ⇒ 170/180/400%
• Draven Spinning Axes Base Damage: 150/200/500 ⇒ 120/150/400
• Renata Toxic Wave Damage: 45/70/240 ⇒ 40/65/220
• Sivir Attack Speed: 0.7 ⇒ 0.8
• Vi Piltover Pulverizer Damage: 150/225/450 ⇒ 125/200/450
• Vi Piltover PulverizerThird Cast Damage: 300/400/900 ⇒ 250/350/900

Units: Tier 5

Now you’ll be less sad when Tahm Kench puts a Colossus in his mouth. Spit that out Mister Thomas Kench!

• Galio Colossal Entrance max Health Scaling: 5% ⇒ 6%
• Kaisa Attack Speed: 1.1 ⇒ 1.2
• Tahm Kench Devour Damage on Crowd Control Immune Targets: 35% ⇒ 50%
• Zeri Attack Damage: 80 ⇒ 85

Items

Assassin hard counter now counters a bit softer. We rarely want to completely hard counter something in TFT, as completely shutting down something a player has inVested in isn’t very fun. But in removing some of the ‘hard counterness’ we have to give Bramble Vest a bit more bramble (that's the spiky reflective damage).

• Bramble Vest Critical Strike bonus Damage reduction: 100% ⇒ 75%
• Bramble Vest Reflect Damage: 60/80/120 ⇒ 75/100/150

Small, like my chances of getting a 5 Mercenary opener.

Augments

Swift Justice used to give attack speed back in PBE, but now it gives true damage. We’ve renamed it to make more sense, and to pass on the message that true justice shouldn’t be rushed.

With Treasure Trove III already only appearing as the first or second Augment, we’re giving its counterparts the same quality of life treatment.

• Battlemage can no longer be offered if you are playing 2+ Snipers
• Dominance can only appear if you: won your previous combat ⇒ are on a 2+ win streak
• Golden Egg and Radiant Relics option,Covalent Spark (Radiant Ionic Spark), damage: 300% ⇒ 275% of max Mana
• Golden Egg and Radiant Relics option, Brink of Dawn (Radiant Edge of Night), second stealth Health threshold: 25% ⇒ 30%
• Golden Gifts can only appear as the 2nd augment
• Knife’s Edge can no longer be offered Knife’s Edge if you are playing: 2+ Arcanists, 2+ Scholars, 2+ Snipers, 2+ Enchanters
• Portable Forge Armory option, The Collector chance to drop Gold: 50% ⇒ 60%
• Swift Justice has been renamed to True Justice
• Treasure Trove I and II can now only appear as the 1st augment

Traits

Twinshot needs a better shot, especially when you have five Twinshots. Wait… shouldn’t that be Quintupletshot?

• Twinshot Bonus Attack Damage: 10/25/40/60 ⇒ 10/25/45/80

Units: Tier 1

• Ezreal Attack Damage: 50 ⇒ 45

Units: Tier 2

Corki Uncork(i)ed.

• Corki Bombardment Damage: 200/260/333 ⇒ 220/275/350
• Lulu Wild Growth Bonus Health: 325/350/375 ⇒ 350/370/390

Units: Tier 3

• Morgana Soul Shackles Shield: 425/550/750 ⇒ 475/575/675
• Tryndamere Spinning Slash base spin Damage: 60/90/150 ⇒ 50/75/100

Units: Tier 4

It’s time we desert Kha’Zix’s old spell name, as his trait makes it null and void.

• Irelia Attack Damage: 90 ⇒ 85
• Jhin Curtain Call Attack Damage scaling: 150/200/300% ⇒ 175/200/300%
• Kha’Zix Arid Assault has been renamed to Void Assault

Units: Tier 5

You’re perfect… with just 5 more Armor and Magic Resist.

• Jinx Armor & Magic Resist: 40 ⇒ 45

Items

• Edge of Night Health threshold for stealth: 50% ⇒ 60%
• Statikk Shiv lightning Damage: 70 ⇒ 60

Team Chat

Keep your Double Up strategies secret and safe… now by default.

• [PC] Team chat is here! Chat now defaults to partner only; use /all to send messages to the whole lobby.

• We've fixed an issue with nontypical mobile login methods that have been causing account lockouts
• We've fixed an issue with crashes related to brand spanking new phones that we weren’t prepared to support—until now!
• Hyper Roll components MIA: Fixed an issue where players would sometimes get fewer than the intended minimum number of components from PvE rounds.
• Stacking the Tri Force II and Tri Force III Augments will now grant the proper amount of Mana
• Recombobulator now spawns Magnetic Removers in the top left corner like other loot Augments
• One and done: Archangel’s Embrace II has been renamed to Archangel’s Embrace since there is only one tier
• Radiant Banshee’s Claw’s tooltip now specifies that it blocks up to 600 Ability damage, similar to normal Banshee’s Claw
• Fixed a bug where Tahm Kench would still “consume” and deal damage over time to units affected by Silco’s Unstable Concoction without actually consuming and disabling them
• Dawn of Nights: Enforcer no longer detains units with Radiant Quicksilver or units affected by Radiant Zephyr
• Thematically bugged: Warwick with Mutant Emblem no longer deals more damage than intended
• Fixed an issue where Yordle Mana costs would not always update immediately as players switched between Yordle 3 and Yordle 6
• Tahm Kench no longer stuns and deals damage to enemies who escaped his stomach with Edge of Night
• Fixed an issue where Cho’Gath’s Colossus Health bonus would not activate the first time Cho’Gath is placed onto the board
• Silco will no longer cast Unstable Concoction on a target that’s inside Tahm Kench’s belly
• Luden’s Echo will no longer deal 0 damage the first time a unit is put onto the board
• Hextech, Debonair, or Striker trait augments can no longer be offered after picking Built Different
• The Soul is a construct: Fixed an issue causing Innovator Soul to never show up as an augment offering