League of Legends Patch 14.23 has arrived, and with it comes a flurry of big changes. Multiple champions are getting sizable kit overhauls and a bunch more  are being nerfed in a way that will affect their presence. Here is a list of the biggest changes coming in League of Legends Patch 14.23.

League of Legends Patch 14.23 Highlights

Champion Kit Overhauls

Aurora

League of Legends Aurora
Image Credit Riot Games

Passive – Spirit Abjuration

  • Spirits no longer grant bonus Movement Speed

Q  – Twofold Hex

  • Cooldown: 8/7.5/7/6.5/6 ⇒ 9/8.5/8/7.5/7 seconds
  • Range: 850 ⇒ 900
  • Cast / Recast Damage: 40/65/90/115/140 (+40% AP) ⇒ 45/70/95/120/145 (+40% AP)
  • Now automatically recasts if the duration runs out without Aurora recasting the spell (she can still recast to end early)

W – Across the Veil

  • Now grants 20/25/30/35/40% bonus movement speed on cast

E – The Weirding

  • Range: 800 ⇒ 825

R – Between Worlds

  • Duration: 1.5/2/2.5 ⇒ 2.5/3.25/4 seconds
  • Between Worlds no longer traps enemies inside; it will slow them by 75% for 1.5/1.75/2 seconds upon exiting
  • Now grants the same amount of movement speed granted by W instead of amplifying Aurora’s current movement speed

Aurora has been notoriously difficult to balance since her release. With this list of changes, Riot has raised the white flag and dumbed down her kit considerably. Aurora is getting a bit more damage and easier access to her movement speed in exchange for no longer being able to trap enemies like she’s Camille. A welcome change for sure.

Rell

Rell
Riot Games reveals a first look at Rell, a form shifting tank support. (Photo courtesy Riot Games)

Base Stats

  • Armor / Armor Growth: 36 + 4.2 ⇒ 30 + 4.3
  • MR / MR Growth: 30 + 2.05 ⇒ 28 + 1.8
  • Mana / Mana Growth: 350 + 45 ⇒ 320 + 40
  • Mana Regeneration and Growth: 6 + 0.35 ⇒ 7 + 0.7
  • Movement Speed: 330 ⇒ 315
  • Attack Speed Growth: 1.5% ⇒ 2%
  • Attack Windup: 0.336-0.312 (based on level) ⇒ 0.3
  • Attack Speed Animation Scaling: 40% ⇒ 100% (note: Attack Speed will animate Rell’s attacks faster.)

Passive – Break The Mold

  • Now deals 5% total Armor/MR magic damage on-hit
  • Minimum Resists Stolen: 0.8-2 ⇒ 1-2

Q – Shattering Strike

  • Stun Duration: 0.75 ⇒ 0.65 seconds

W1 – Ferromancy: Crash Down

  • Now stuns enemies for 0.8 seconds
  • Dismounted 10% slow has been removed
  • Cooldown: 11 ⇒ 10 seconds
  • Knock-Up Duration: 1 ⇒ 0.4 seconds
  • Dismounted Armor / MR: 12% ⇒ 15%
  • Dismounted Attack Speed: 30% ⇒ 20%

W2 – Ferromancy: Mount Up

  • Cooldown: 11 ⇒ 10 seconds
  • Knock-Up Duration: 0.4 seconds (note: unchanged)
  • Stun Duration: 1 ⇒ 0.6 seconds
  • Mounted Movement Speed: 335-380 out of combat, 332.5-355 in combat (levels 1-13) ⇒ 330/335/340/345/350/355 (based on ability rank)

E – Full Tilt

  • Movement Speed no longer ramps up from 75% effectiveness over 2 seconds
  • Cooldown: 15 ⇒ 14/13/12/11/10 seconds (based on ability rank)
  • Damage: 25/35/45/55/65 (+50% AP) (+3% of target’s maximum health) ⇒ 5/5.5/6/6.5/7% of the target’s maximum health (+3% per 100 AP)
  • Damage Cap: 150 ⇒ 150-300 (based on levels 1-18)
  • Initial Movement Speed Towards Enemies: 18/19.5/21/22.5/24% ⇒ 25%
  • Initial Movement Speed Running Away: 9/9.75/10.5/11.25/12% ⇒ 10%
  • Maximum Movement Speed Toward Enemies: 24/26/28/30/32% ⇒ 25%
  • Maximum Movement Speed Running Away: 12/13/14/15/16% ⇒ 10%

TL:DR, Rell has less crowd control now and has been given damage as compensation in patch 14.23. This is going to be a much bigger nerf than it appears. Without her reliable CC chaining and a new vulnerability to Tenacity stacking, Rell will find herself much less useful.

It doesn’t matter that Rell has more on-hit damage because her gameplay pattern is “get the enemy killed before they kill you”. She’s still a broken, all-or-nothing support and will be the first dead in almost every fight. As a day one Rell player, these changes make the champion so much less satisfying.

Smolder

League of Legends Smolder
Image Credit Riot Games

Q – Super Scorcher Breath

  • Damage: 15/25/35/45/55 (+100% total AD) (+0.4 per Dragon Practice) ⇒ 65/80/95/110/125 (+130% bonus AD) (+0.3 per Dragon Practice)
  • Minion/Monster Damage Modifier: 110% ⇒ 100%
  • Q now restores 15 mana to Smolder if it kills a unit (once per cast)
  • Tier 2 – 125 Stacks Additional Projectiles Damage: 75% ⇒ 50%
  • Tier 2 – 125 Stacks Number of Projectiles: 1 (+1 per 67 stacks) ⇒ 2 (+1 per 125 stacks)
  • Tier 3 – 225 Stacks Burn Damage: 0.8% per 100 stacks (+1% per 100 AP) (+2% per 100 bonus AD) ⇒ 0.4% per 100 stacks (+2.5% per 100 bonus AD)

W – ACHOOO!

  • Mana Cost: 60 ⇒ 50/55/60/65/70
  • Glob Damage: 45/75/105/135/165 (+25% bonus AD) (+20% AP) ⇒ 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% bonus AD)
  • Explosion Damage: 25/40/55/70/85 (+25% bonus AD) (+80% AP) ⇒ 30/50/70/90/110 (+60% bonus AD) (+80% AP)
  • Combined Damage vs Champions: 70/115/160/205/250 (+50% bonus AD) (+100% AP) ⇒ 60/100/140/180/220 (+120% bonus AD) (+80% AP)
  • Minion/Monster Damage Modifier: 140% ⇒ 100%

E – Flap, Flap, Flap

  • Damage per Hit: 15/20/25/30/35 (+10% total AD) (+.2 per Dragon Practice) ⇒ 5/10/15/20/25 (+25% total AD) (+.1 per Dragon Practice)
  • Number of Attacks: 5 (+1 per 150 stacks) ⇒ 5 (+1 per 100 stacks)
  • Damage indicator tracks combined damage.

R – MMOOOMMMM!

  • Cooldown: 140/130/120 ⇒ 120 seconds at all ranks
  • 50% minion damage modifier added

Smolder has been given some ratio buffs to his damage based around AD and Stack count in patch 14.23. The goal is to make him carry games harder later, but that’s never been Smolder’s issue. Believe it or not, the reduced damage to minions on Q, W, and R is going to make it so much harder to get to that point. This is a huge nerf, and we’re likely not going to see Smolder in high level League of Legends for a while.

Champion Changes in Patch 14.23

Kog’Maw

Q – Caustic Spittle

  • Armor and Magic Resist Shred: 23/25/27/29/31% ⇒ 16/20/24/28/32%

E – Void Ooze

  • Damage: 75/120/165/210/255 (+70% AP) ⇒ 70/110/150/190/230 (+65% AP)

As a certified Kog’Maw hater myself, these changes are very welcome. AP Kog’Maw is incredibly frustrating to play against, as his wave clear and poke force an uninteractive lane. Hopefully this brings that build below his normal on-hit build in terms of popularity.

Teemo

E – Toxic Shot

  • Damage to Monsters: 150% ⇒ 125%

Though Teemo jungle is extremely funny, it honestly does clear way too fast for what should be a scaling carry pick. Karthus players rejoice, you’re back to being the quickest AP farming jungler in the west.