4/3 PBE Update

[WIP!] [STATUS: PBE is currently offline.]

The PBE has been updated! As we start the 8.8 PBE cycle, today's patch includes a new skin for Varus, new chromas for Dragon Master Swain and Badlands Baron Rumble, and more!

Continue reading for more information!

(Warning: PBE Content is tentative and subject to change - what you see below may not reflect what eventually gets pushed to live servers at the end of the cycle! Manage your expectations accordingly.)

Table of Contents

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New Skin

A new skin for Varus is now on the PBE [No name in the files just yet!]

x Varus

? RP

New Chroma

[New Chroma for Dragon Master Swain (4) and Badlands Baron Rumble (8)!]

Dragon Master Swain

   

Badlands Baron Rumble

      

New Summoner Icons

[Nine new summoner icons!]

    

   

New Ward Skin

[Files for new ward skin added, no name or images yet!]

Miscellaneous 

!

Balance Changes

* NOTE*: The PBE is a testing grounds for new, tentative, & experimental changes. Be aware that what you see below may be relative to other changes earlier this cycle! These are not official notes.

Champions

Ahri
[Context/Changelist]

• Vastayan Grace (Passive)
• • [Changed Effect] "If Ahri earns 2 spell hits against an enemy champion within a 1.5-second period, she gains 20% movement speed for 3 seconds (9 second cooldown)."

• Orb of Deception (Q) 
• • [Removed] no longer grants movement speed 
  • [New Effect] "If Ahri earns 9 spell hits (max 3 per cast) she gains Essence Theft, causing her next Q cast that lands to restore health on hit."

• Fox-Fire (W) 
• • Cost lowered from 50 at all ranks to 40 at all ranks
  • Initial Delay for Non-Priority Targeting increased from 0.25 to 0.4
  • [New] "Fox-Fire has priority targeting for targets that meet at least one of the following sets of conditions:
  • • The target is a champion affected by Charm's damage amp and is within 725 units of Ahri
    • The target is the most recent target Ahri has launched a basic attack against (within the past 3 seconds) and is within 725 units of Ahri"

• Charm (E) 
• • Damage changed from 60/95/130/165/200 (+60% AP) to 60/90/120/150/180 (+40% AP)
  • [New Effect] When Charm deals damage to a champion, Ahri's abilities deal 20% more damage to them for 5 seconds 

• Spirit Rush (R) 
• • Damage changed from 70/110/150 (+25% AP) to 60/90/120 (35% AP) 

LeBlanc
[Changelist 1 / Changelist 2 - tentative 8.8 release]

• Mirror Image (Passive):
• • "Mirror Image is back, currently no changes from pre-rework state."

• Sigil of Malice (Q):
• • Damage lowered from 55/90/125/160/195 (+0.5 AP) to 55/80/105/130/155 (+0.4 AP)
  • Mark Damage: 55/80/105/130/155 (+0.4 AP)
  • Mana Cost increased from 40/45/50/55/60 to 50/60/70/80/90 

• Distortion (W):
• • Damage increased from 40/55/70/85/100 (+0.2 AP) to 85/125/165/205/245 (+0.6 AP)
  • Mana Cost increased from 70/80/90/100/110 to 60/75/90/105/120
  • cooldown lowered from 18/16/14/12/10 to 14/13/12/11/10
  • Dash Speed lowered from 1600 to 1450
  • Snapback Lockout changed from 0.85 seconds from starting dash to 0.2 seconds from finishing dash

• Ethereal Chains (E):
• • Initial Hit AP Ratio lowered from 0.5 to 0.3 
  • Root Damage increased from 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.5 AP) to 80/120/160/200/240 (+0.6 AP)
  • Secondary damage lowered from 80/120/160/200/240 to 60/90/120/150/180
  • Secondary AP ratio increased from 0.6 to 0.7
  • Mana Cost increased from 40 to 70
  • Tether Range lowered from 885 to 865 

• Mimic (R):
• • RQ Damage lowered from 150/275/400 (+0.6 AP) to 70/140/210 (+0.4 AP)
  • RQ Mark Damage changed from 150/275/400 (+0.6 AP) to 140/280/420 (+0.8 AP)
  • RW Damage increased from 60/120/180 (+0.3 AP) to 150/300/450 (+0.75 AP)
  • RE Initial Damage lowered from 100/160/220 (+0.4 AP) to 70/140/210 (+0.4 AP) 
  • RE Root Damage increased from 100/160/220 (+0.4 AP) to 140/280/420 (+0.8 AP) 
  • Cooldown increased from 54/42/30 to 60/45/30

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Items

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Runes

Context & Notes

WIP

1) ricklessabandon provided a changelist and context for Ahri this cycle:

[1] made several updates to the ahri changes, and will be putting this list up on the first 8.8 pbe update:

[2] will be focusing on fox-fire testing, how the passive is playing out, and starting in on the more serious balance passes

[3] basically two types of acquisition from fox-fire:
[1] priority (can happen 0.25 sec after cast)
targets: most recent unit attacked, charmed champions
range: 725 units from ahri
[2] non-priority (can happen 0.4 sec after cast)
targets: same as live
range: 550 units from flame

[4] since fox-fire flames orbit 150 units from ahri, 'priority' acquisitions can gain anywhere from 25 to 325 range than they'd normally have on live (or as 'non-priority' acquisitions)

[5] if the charmed target is within 725 range of ahri after the initial 0.25 seconds, then yes all 3 flames will simultaneously attack that target (in this new iteration)

2) AzuBK provided a changelist and context for LeBlanc this cycle:

[1] A new week, a new (small) changelist.
E2 Damage :: 80/120/160/200/240 >>> 60/90/120/150/180
E2 AP Ratio :: 0.6 >>> 0.7

[2] Coming into the home stretch, unlikely to see any major kit changes from here. Immediate goal is to land her in a reasonable place power-wise and follow up quickly. This week will mostly be rescripting (which will handle most of the bugs as well) and helping get assets done.

3) Here's Meddler's quick gameplay thoughts for March 30th, covering some 8.8 changes, Varus, and more:

"Hey all, 

Usual Disclaimers 

These posts will often contain talk about future work we're doing, or planning to do, that isn't yet guaranteed to ship. The nature of the work could change or, depending on what we discover, projects mentioned may get put delayed or even stopped. If you'd like to see a Tweet whenever a new one of these posts goes up: https://twitter.com/RiotMeddler 

Some 8.8 stuff 

We're working on a number of things for 8.8 and also working on midseason right now. Couple of lists below as a result that split 8.8 into things highly likely to happen and things we're hoping to look at but may or may not get to depending on how other work goes. 

Likely to ship:

• The kill streak bounty changes previously mentioned (solo gold instead of team)
• Kit adjustments as previously discussed to Leblanc and Ahri.
• Some trinket adjustments. At the least we'll be making it so Oracle's is available from level 1 instead of Sweeping Lens. Original reason to not to that was concern at how much lane brush control it would offer, we believe we can address that by having the Oracle's duration scale by level. Also considering some other possible things, including yellow trinket wards having a longer lifespan and longer CD (give a longer period of safety when you do use them, need to be a bit more deliberate about when that is however).
• A Tahm Kench nerf aimed at giving opponents more ways to deal with him when he's saving allies. What we're currently testing is that he no longer gains bonus movement speed when moving towards enemies if he has an ally devoured. Original intent was that that would encourage more aggressive ally devour cases. It mainly seems to result in TK running away faster because there's often an enemy along the line of his retreat (or close enough to, the directional check's pretty generous in its angles). 

Smaller balance adjustments (or at least investigations) if time permits. Not all of these will happen and some of those that do will show up later in the patch cycle:

• Buffs to Pantheon (post minion agro changes), Spellbinder Orb (underperforming compared to comparable AP options), Nautilus (needs larger work too, but is also just weak), Vi
• Nerfs to Archangel's (new build path and stats have made this a bit strong), Janna, Xayah, Caitlyn, Warwick, Braum, Sion, Kog (though also need to see where Rageblade nerfs in 8.7 leave him) 

Might also be some midseason changes we pull forwards from 8.10 to 8.8 to test a few things earlier, still figuring that out though. 

Varus 

A few of you might remember a change to Varus I talked about around a year ago that never ended up happening which would involve changing a bit of his kit's functionality. Was intended to ship around the same time as the addition of the Attack Speed ratio to his passive, ended up getting delayed repeatedly however because it needed visual effects/sound changes and other things were higher priority. We finally had a chance to get round to doing that art/audio work though, so will have that change in 8.8. That change is the addition of an active to his W that looks like this at rank 1. 

Active: Varus' next Piercing Arrow deals bonus magic damage equal to 6% to 9% of the target's missing health (scales with Piercing Arrow charge). 4

from
http://www.surrenderat20.net/2018/04/43-pbe-update.html