Since the new 14.6 Patch released this past Tuesday, new changes have reached Howling Abyss champions. With one exciting fresh balance change, and one champion receiving gamewide nerfs, things are sure to be shaken up in the next few weeks. Take an extended look at some of the most impactful changes below, and the full list of all champions adjusted at the end.
[See also: Sivir’s Strength: An Upward Trajectory]
Smolder: ARAM Dominance and Gamewide Nerf
The Changes
According to the 14.6 Patch Notes, Smolder was not changed for ARAM specifically. However, this was only because he already received significant overall nerfs during this patch, including execute caps, decreased E mobility, and a shortened W range.
According to MetaSRC, Smolder had a 57.58% win rate last patch. For reference, no single champion (other than Smolder) reached above 56.5% in Patches 14.5 or 14.4. Illaoi and Xin Zhao were the most recent champions to have done so in 14.3, and both were nerfed almost immediately after. So, it’s safe to say that playing against Smolder in ARAM was a bit tough last patch.
Although his new nerfs certainly look like a lot, are they enough to keep up with ARAM Smolder?
The Results
Although it is still quite early, Smolder seems to be powerful once again this patch. Though his win rate has dipped, he is still at a lofty 53.50% win rate on MetaSRC, placing him at champion #7 overall.
This is a great improvement from before, but it may not be enough.
ARAM Smolder Overall
In general, Smolder is quite difficult to play against in ARAM. Whether it’s his Ultimate taking up the entire lane, or his unavoidable execute killing the entire team before any health relics can respawn, Smolder certainly changes the dynamic of any ARAM game he enters.
And while it’s fine for champions to have strong abilities, his execute specifically seemed to change death/respawn cycles far beyond their normal – even more so than a champion like Karthus, because Smolder’s execute is always active. Thus, for some players, it passed the line from “strong enemy champion” to “unfun enemy champion.”
Because of this, it might be worthwhile to nerf him a slight bit more in ARAM, especially if his win rates continue on as they are now. Overall, though, he is in a much better spot than before. With the execute reduction, ARAM games against him have already started to feel more worthwhile. Smolder is reaching closer to balance, and may make it there soon.
Ziggs: From Sad to Superstar
The Changes
One of the most unique ARAM changes to have come out of Patch 14.6 is the Ziggs rebalance. According to Riot Riru, players were discouraged by Ziggs’ utter lack of damage, but the team did not want to overcompensate and make him too powerful instead.
So, they changed him around in a different way: Ziggs now has a reduced tower execute for his W, but his overall damage was buffed in return.
This was a creative way to handle his ARAM balance, and the idea behind the change leaves more room for Ziggs potential. Playing Ziggs in 14.5 could be rather boring, and he often felt lackluster at multiple different points in the game. However, a straight damage buff would have just created the opposite scenario, where playing against him feels like an instant loss.
Instead, players received a different compromise. Ziggs can not immediately push into the Nexus, but he gets more bang for his buck on the way there. This also fits the common goals of the ARAM. Many ARAM players are simply there for fun, and to skirmish and fight. While it’s great to secure a win and take the enemy Nexus, the casual nature of ARAM means that there isn’t always a huge rush to get there, especially at lower levels. The new Ziggs balance attunes to that, gets closer to providing the casual skillshot lobbing that many ARAM players know and love.
The Results
So far, the results have been… interesting. Within the first couple days of the 14.6 Patch, Ziggs has a 52.3% win rate per U.GG, but only 49.14 on op.gg. He is also rated by U.GG as an S Tier ARAM champion, but places #128 overall on op.gg and a ranking of 3 (where 1 is best and 5 is worst).
And although MetaSRC is consistent for previous patches, it lists Ziggs as 48.72% on his individual page, but 52.54% on the ARAM Stats page for 14.6. (Don’t worry regarding previous points, though: The Smolder win rate listed earlier is actually the lowest between his two MetaSRC pages and op.gg. Regardless of the source used, he’s looking powerful so far. All other data is sourced from 14.5 or 14.4, where MetaSRC is consistent.)
It’s safe to say that Ziggs needs a while longer before his statistics reveal any pattern. However, Riot seems to be on a good track with his direction.
Other ARAM Changes
Overall, Ziggs’ new ARAM changes and Smolder’s gamewide nerfs are two of the most striking ARAM differences in this patch. However, they are not the only two to have received changes. The full list can be found in the image below, or within the 14.6 Patch Notes. Other affected champions are Alistar, Diana, Lilia, Ornn, Twisted Fate, and Janna.
Smolder, Ziggs, and every other ARAM champion contribute to the fun of ARAM, hopefully even better than before. This could be the perfect time to play a few games and try out the new Howling Abyss balance.
Featured Images from Riot Games
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