Fiora, Jax, Yasuo are about to get big buffs in patch 10.16

League of Legends lead gameplay designer Mark “Scuffy” Yetter has revealed the first sneak peek for patch 10.16, and there are many different nerfs and buffs planned for the game. 

The next patch seems to include many smaller changes, which is not unusual leading up to the World Championship. Scuffy presented a long list of champions who will be either buffed or nerfed in patch 10.16, and this will without a doubt have an effect on the meta. 

Some of the most notable champions that will receive a nerf in patch 10.16 are Ashe, Bard, Syndra, and Volibear, all of whom are strong picks in the current meta. 

Ashe and Bard nerfs headline patch 10.16

Ashe

Ashe especially has been on the rise in both solo queue and professional play, because of her heavy utility and global engage tool. Ashe is currently sitting on a 52.42% win rate, the second-highest of all marksmen. The only marksman with a higher win rate is Caitlyn, but it doesn’t seem like Riot will be adjusting her in the foreseeable future given that she was just recently buffed.

For the upcoming patch, Riot is looking to nerf the attack speed on Ashe’s Q ability. This means that her general damage output will be reduced, but perhaps more importantly, this will affect her on-hit slows. 

• Q – Rager’s Focus, Attack speed 20-60% >> 20-40%

The attack speed buff won’t affect Ashe in the early game, but rather in the late game when her Q ability is maxed. The nerf doesn’t seem to be crucial for Ashe, but it might be enough to put her in more of a fair spot for both solo queue and professional play. 

Bard

Bard is another champion on the list that many people are probably happy to see. Bard has been dominating the professional scene in recent weeks and has a 53.11% win rate in solo queue while being picked in 9.5% of all games. Bard is currently able to set up his team for success in team fights while also roaming around during laning phase to get more of his teammates ahead. 

• Base HP 575 >> 560
• W, Caretaker’s Shrine, Full power heal 70-230 >> 55-215

Riot will be lowering the base HP of Bard, which takes away a bit of his early game trading power. His W ability will also take a hit on the full power heal, making his utility a bit less overtuned. Bard will still be a great champion to roam and set up team fights, but he might be easier to shut down after these nerfs take effect. 

Assassins and split pushing likely buffed in 10.16

The buff preview indicates that some solo queue terrors might be making a return to the meta. Riot is looking to buff Akali, Yasuo, Fiora, and Jax. All champions are known to be great picks for solo queue, able to single-handedly carry games if given a lead. 

Both Jax and Fiora will get much-needed buffs to be more viable in a top lane that is currently dominated by tanks that perform well in team fights. The buffs might shift the meta more towards split pushing and smaller skirmishes, where champions such as Jax and Fiora will be able to thrive. Both champions will get buffs that boost their dueling power, making them better able to do what they are best at. 

Yasuo

Yasuo will also be receiving a buff following the introduction of his half-brother Yone to the game. Yasuo has always been a contested pick in solo queue, but his recent win rates are not anything to write home about. The upcoming buff might put Yasuo back in the meta as a viable mid laner. 

• Base magic resist 30 >> 32
• R – Last Breath, Bonus attack damage ratio 150% >> 175%

Yasuo will receive a buff in the early stages and on his scaling. The buffs mean that Yasuo will now be able to lane against mages easier, while his ultimate ability will better scale into the late game.

Patch 10.16 is expected to hit the live servers Wednesday, August 5.