TL;DR
- Patch 9.20 reduces Qiyana and Pantheon’s early game dominance while maintaining their core identities
- Shaco receives the most extensive rework, transforming him into a viable AP jungler with enhanced utility
- Garen’s kit modernization removes the Villain mechanic while improving overall gameplay fluidity
- Viktor gains significant quality-of-life improvements to address his low play rate
- The update won’t affect Worlds Championship as it remains on Patch 9.19
League of Legends enthusiasts should prepare for significant meta shifts with Patch 9.20’s targeted balance adjustments affecting multiple champion roles and playstyles.
Scheduled for deployment on October 9, this update represents Riot’s ongoing commitment to competitive balance. Lead gameplay designer Mark “Scruffy” Yetter has emphasized that these changes address both immediate balance concerns and long-term champion health for underutilized picks.
Strategic insight: This patch focuses on smoothing out extreme power spikes while maintaining champion identity, making it crucial for players to adapt their strategies accordingly.
Strategic Impact of Champion Nerfs in Patch 9.20
Qiyana’s early game pressure receives significant reduction with her Edge of Ixtal base damage scaling adjusted to 60-160 from previous values. This change specifically targets her oppressive laning phase where she could previously secure early advantages too consistently.
Common mistake: Many players will continue playing Qiyana aggressively in early levels, underestimating the damage reduction. Adjust your trading patterns to account for the weaker early damage output.
Pantheon’s Comet Spear undergoes similar adjustments, with higher level damage reduced to 75-215. This maintains his identity as an early game bully while reducing his scaling into late game teamfights.
Advanced tip: For Pantheon players, consider maxing E second instead of W to maintain utility despite the Q damage reduction.
Blitzcrank’s durability takes a hit following his hook range extension in the previous patch. His base armor and armor per level reductions make him more vulnerable to punishment when missing crucial grabs.
Strategic implication: These nerfs create more counterplay opportunities in lane phases, particularly benefiting strategic players who understand matchup dynamics over mechanical execution alone.
Champion Reworks and Modernization Updates
Shaco undergoes the most extensive changes in this patch, transforming him from a niche pick into a potentially viable AP jungler. His Backstab passive now provides scaling bonus damage to both basic attacks and Two-Shiv Poison, significantly improving his scaling potential.
Deceive receives cooldown reductions to 12/11.5/10.5/10 seconds, though it no longer reduces cooldown when bonus damage activates.
Jungle optimization: Jack in the Box now applies fear to minions and monsters, dramatically improving his clear speed and early jungle safety.
Two-Shiv Poison’s damage type conversion from physical to magic opens up entirely new build paths previously unavailable to the champion.
Garen’s modernization removes the outdated Villain mechanic while maintaining his core identity as a durable frontline fighter. Perseverance now provides more consistent healing over time rather than conditional doubling at low health.
Advanced gameplay: Decisive Strike now scales with attack speed, rewarding players who build appropriately while punishing those who ignore the new scaling dynamics.
Courage’s changes provide strategic depth—while granting less resistance per stack, the new 10% max health shield with 60% tenacity creates windows for aggressive plays previously unavailable.
Viktor receives crucial quality-of-life improvements aimed at addressing his chronically low play rate. Chaos Storm now persists after Viktor’s death, continuing to apply pressure in teamfights even when eliminated.
Siphon Power’s shield decoupling from maximum mana makes his builds more flexible and less dependent on specific itemization paths.
Additional Adjustments and Meta Implications
Ivern’s auto attack range normalization addresses player confusion around his hybrid melee/ranged identity, creating more consistent gameplay patterns.
Lissandra’s Iceborn Subjugation receives AP ratio increases from 30-50% to 50-70%, though this may not be sufficient to return her to competitive viability given current meta demands.
Varus gains minor damage and mana regeneration improvements aimed at smoothing out his laning phase without dramatically increasing his power ceiling.
Locket of the Iron Solari’s shield strength enhancement at lower champion levels creates new early game defensive options for support players.
Strategic consideration: These smaller changes collectively impact the support and control mage meta, potentially opening new strategic avenues for teams focusing on early game protection and sustained teamfight control.
Important note for competitive players: Despite Patch 9.20’s live deployment during the 2019 World Championship, the tournament will continue using Patch 9.19 exclusively, ensuring competitive integrity throughout the event.
Common pitfall: Many players will overvalue the Locket buff in early game scenarios. Remember that item choices should complement your overall team composition strategy rather than being made in isolation.
Action Checklist
- Test Qiyana and Pantheon damage thresholds in practice tool to understand new trading patterns
- Experiment with AP Shaco jungle builds focusing on the new magic damage conversion
- Practice Garen’s new shield timing in teamfight scenarios
- Evaluate Locket of the Iron Solari in early game support setups
- Analyze Viktor’s improved teamfight presence in late game scenarios
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