Mostly patches carry bug fixes and champion nerfs and buffs, but the latest League of Legends, 5.13, holds a lot more. Changes to many popular items and a new champion on top of nerfs and buff will have us all looking at the game in a new light. And that is a great refreshing feeling! For top pro players though, the magnitude of these changes are greater, as their jobs depend on finding out the best way to play the game. Ryan Tang over at goldper10.com has noticed this too, and says in his latest article:
Mid-split patches are both exciting and introduce an interesting competitive element. These patches keep the game fresh and help retain fan interest. More importantly, they add an important competitive aspect by forcing teams to quickly identify appropriate power picks. For instance, there are a lot of junglers (Warwick, Master Yi, Shyvana, Kayle, Nocturne, to name a few) which seem like great picks with the new Devourer. On the other hand, the item may turn out to be a poor choice because it requires the jungler to forfeit too much map pressure. The teams that are able to identify the very best picks and build team comps around them will be the most successful. Adaptation is a critical skill and teams should be tested in adaptation on their way to the World Championships.
New champions entering the main stage with new items can throw a team out of the loop. Only the top teams will be able to keep up with all these game changes, and Ryan’s article shows how top teams and players have done this in the past. It is a great read on these exciting changes and you can catch it here!
