After two weeks of a TFT meta dominated by Ornn and Aurelion Sol legends, a wild variety of compositions and Ahri, the next balance changes have been announced.
Although patch 13.14b of Teamfight Tactics (TFT) is one of the most relatively balanced of Set 9, there are still a few outliers that the balance team is looking to adjust. For Set 9 TFT patch 13.15, there will be changes that tone down the power of Ahri and the ability to go level 9 as well as truly let all the 4-cost carries shine. Once again, TFT lead designer Stephen "Mortdog" Mortimer, has done a rundown of the upcoming changes. Here are the highlights of the Set 9 TFT patch 13.15 changes.
System changes in TFT patch 13.15
The balance team is implementing an incredibly important change to item distribution. Raptors, the stage 4 PvE round, will now drop fewer items on average. Those items will now be re-distributed into your Krugs and Wolves (Stage 2 and 3) PvE loot orbs. This will allow you to make better decisions on what direction to take based on items and help you have better combat strength throughout the entirety of the game.
Trait changes in patch 13.15
Riot Games is slightly buffing 2 and 4 Bastion in order to increase the viability of different early/mid-game frontlines. Noxus is receiving a change that buffs Noxus stats at lower amounts of stacks but caps lower than patch 13.14b at higher amounts of stacks. Zaun mods will be able to be removed by benching units. The first Zaun mod will be offensive or hybrid while the second will be defensive or hybrid. This means it is easier to play through Zaun early/mid-game and know if it is something worth committing to as a late-game composition.
Piltover is being reworked heavily. Currently, hitting 3 piltover in the early game usually means sacking Stages 2 and 3 and playing for Zeri carry with T-Hex as an extra damage/tank unit. The balance team wants to change the trait to be more of an economy/loot trait rather than introducing another unit to the team. T-Hex power levels are now significantly reduced and cannot be sold. Instead, accruing losses and then winning will automatically drop loot according to the table in the above image.
Augment changes in patch 13.15
The most notable augment changes for patch 13.15 are nerfs to Aurelion Sol's 4-2 gold and prismatic augments. This will make it tougher to reach level 9 when running Aurelion Sol. Additionally, Ornn's 3-2 silver augment is receiving a slight gold nerf. Medium-end shopping will no longer feature in the game as it is too weak as a silver but too strong as a gold augment.
Two Healthy will be nerfed significantly in that copies of 2-cost units will not count towards the health bonus. Additionally, the health bonus has also been reduced. The update also reduces Ravenous Hunter's cap on stacks as well, a much-needed nerf to one of the strongest "hero augments" in the game.
Unit changes in TFT patch 13.15
1-cost units
Kayle is quite weak in the early game, and the balance team wanted to make her more of a playable unit before reaching later breakpoints. Samira and Cassiopeia will have much faster casts, which should make them much stronger early-game carries.
2-cost units
Sett and Soraka are too reliable as early-game units. Teemo and Swain are being buffed rather significantly which could bring rise to a new Yordle reroll composition in the meta.
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3-cost units
A few of the 3-cost units are receiving some nice buffs, but the highlight of changes to 3-costs goes to Akshan. He has dominated the past two patches and so 5 base AD is being removed to bring him down a notch in power.
4-cost units
Azir and Kai'sa receive small buffs in the upcoming patch, increasing the viability of 4-cost carries. Gwen's targeting will be adjusted to attack multiple targets, supposedly the biggest buff of the patch. Time will tell if it will be a balanced state of 4-cost carries in the meta.
5-cost units
As mentioned previously, Ahri's power is being reduced as she is quite the oppressive legendary unit in the current meta. Most of the Ryze variations are receiving various buffs and nerfs, including Freljord Ryze. If you want all the details, be sure to check out the full patch notes below.
Item changes in patch 13.15
Most item changes for the patch are significant buffs and nerfs to Shimmerscale and Ornn items. The most notable change is Eternal Winter's 100HP nerf. Additionally, Morellonomicon will now proc its burn on physical damage spells, eliminating the reliance on magic and true damage.
Patch predictions
Two of North America's best players, Dishsoap and Wasianiverson, have made some predictions for next patch. Take a look if you want to stay ahead for the future meta!
Lastly, below is the full patch rundown on Mortdog's Youtube channel if you want to learn the full details. You can also check out the rundown in slide form via Kayna here.
Official patch 13.15 notesare available here.
That's all for now. Stay tuned on esports.gg for more news, guides, and updates.