TL;DR
- Bami’s Cinder and mythic items receive significant burn damage reductions across all targets
- Jungle clear speeds for tank champions will decrease by approximately 15-20%
- Amumu’s dominance with over 60% win rate prompted immediate hotfix response
- Tank players must adapt farming patterns and consider alternative itemization
- The changes aim to restore balance between tank and damage-focused champion classes
The 2021 League of Legends preseason introduced a tank meta that quickly overwhelmed competitive play. Riot Games has identified this imbalance and is taking corrective measures through targeted item adjustments.
Since the deployment of patch 10.23, tank champions have consistently dominated victory conditions across Summoner’s Rift. This supremacy stems primarily from newly introduced tank items outperforming their damage-oriented counterparts by significant margins. Gameplay design director Mark “Scuffy” Yetter confirmed that the second hotfix for this patch specifically addresses these overpowered defensive tools.
Tanks nerf Hotfix coming today:
Hits Sunfire and Frostfire a bit harder than Chemtank.
Also includes bugfixes for Wardstone exploit and jungle+support starters.pic.twitter.com/7apxQz4UMw
— Mark Yetter (@MarkYetter)November 16, 2020
Bami’s Cinder will be nerfed in patch 10.23 hotfix
The foundational component driving tank superiority has been Bami’s Cinder, which transformed into an essential purchase for virtually all defensive champions. Tank junglers particularly benefited from its enhanced camp clearing capabilities, achieving unprecedented farming efficiency.
Bami’s Cinder itself undergoes substantial power reduction, with similar adjustments applied to its upgraded mythic item variants.
Bami’s Cinder
- Burn DPS 15 >> 12
- Burn monster damage 200% >> 150%
- Burn minion damage 150% >> 125%
Sunfire Aegis
- Burn DPS 20-40 >> 12-30
- Burn monster damage 300% >> 250%
- Burn minion damage 150% >> 125%
Frostfire Gauntlet
- Burn DPS 20-40 >> 12-30
- Burn monster damage 300% >> 250%
- Burn minion damage 150% >> 125%
- Frostfire slow 30% >> 25%
Turbo Chemtank
- Burn DPS 20-40 >> 12-30
- Burn monster damage 300% >> 250%
- Burn minion damage 150% >> 125%
Riot’s balancing team specifically targets the burn damage mechanics that have proven excessively effective against champions, minion waves, and jungle camps. These adjustments should position tank champions in a more balanced state while opening alternative itemization possibilities beyond mandatory Bami’s Cinder purchases.
Jungle clear times will increase by approximately 3-5 seconds per full rotation, requiring tank junglers to optimize pathing more carefully. Early game aggression becomes riskier as clearing efficiency decreases, potentially shifting meta priorities toward farming-oriented champions.
For laners, wave management becomes more skill-dependent without the crutch of passive burn damage. Top lane tanks may need to prioritize last-hitting precision over passive farming strategies.
Advanced players should consider timing their recalls to coincide with cannon minion waves, as the reduced burn damage makes clearing these waves more challenging. Consider pairing your tank itemization with our comprehensive Weapons Unlock guide to maximize damage output during this adjustment period.
Amumu emerged as the most extreme example of preseason imbalance, achieving win rates exceeding 60% across multiple ranks. The Sad Mummy capitalized tremendously on Sunfire Aegis area-of-effect damage, particularly when combined with supplementary items like Demonic Embrace.
Viral social media clips depicting Amumu solo defeating Baron Nashor at the 20-minute mark likely accelerated Riot’s decision to implement emergency fixes.
Other tank champions significantly affected include Zac, whose clear speed drops noticeably, and Maokai, who loses significant wave pressure. Sejuani players may need to adjust their ganking patterns due to slower camp respawn management.
The hotfix deployment to live servers is anticipated within hours of announcement. Players should immediately begin practicing last-hit timing and exploring alternative mythic items like Goredrinker for bruiser-style tanks. For broader strategic context, consult our Complete Guide to understand how these changes fit into the larger preseason landscape.
Understanding class synergies becomes crucial post-nerf. Our detailed Class Guide provides essential information for optimizing your champion selection during this transitional phase.
Action Checklist
- Practice last-hitting in practice tool for 10 minutes daily
- Adjust jungle pathing to prioritize camps with lower health pools
- Experiment with one alternative mythic item in normal games
- Review replay of first clear to identify timing inefficiencies
- Analyze win rates of affected champions 48 hours post-patch
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