League patch 10.14 finally gives Varus the nerfs he deserves

William Davis Published 10/07/2020

League of Legends has deployed patch 10.14, the most recent update for the game that brings new changes to affect the global meta.

In season 10, the meta has fallen into a point where teams are either going all-in with dives or poking the enemies from a distance. In pro play, we see the same champions over and over with little innovation. Patch 10.14 hopes to move the meta forward, introducing new picks and nerfing some of the champions that are performing too well.

Alistar gets buffed

There are two types of meta right now in League of Legends, a poke meta and a hard engage meta. The hard engage meta is becoming even more prevalent thanks to junglers like Volibear and Sett. These are two champions that want to run at the enemies and chase them across the map. Champions that can initiate or set up plays are ideal for these types of compositions. Thresh, Nautilus, and Braum can jump in and absorb damage, and all three have some sort of CC.

Alistar fits into this category of a tank that can initiate. In patch 10.14, the minotaur is getting a small buff on his Q.

Alistar

• Q – Pulverize, Cooldown 15/14/13/12/11 Seconds 

Riven wants to get back in the meta

The top lane meta is dominated by bruisers like Wukong, Volibear, and Mordekaiser. In the LCK, Illaoi is coming up as an option against these picks with mild success. All bruisers in the meta go for tanky builds so they can frontline, no problem. In Season 10, the item on everyone’s build is Death Dance.

Death Dance has it all: CDR, armor, magic resistance, life steal, and damage. It’s the perfect item for melee champions that might also go for a Black Cleaver. These builds, while popular, are not effective for Riven. Riot is taking into consideration Riven’s particular needs and giving her a buff to her more damage-oriented build.

Riven

• Passive – Runic Blade, Bonus Damage 30-60% Total Attack Damage (Levels 1-18) (Lifesteal and Critical Strikes also apply)

After the buffs, Riven might still not find her way back into the meta. In the current state, most compositions are trying to achieve something specific and Riven might not fit in that vision. Of course, there’s always a chance that a player in the LPL picks her up and makes her look OP.

Varus gets a necessary nerf

On the other side of the balance, Varus is getting a necessary nerf. So far, Varus has a 99% presence in pro play. Varus has been banned 315 times in pro play across all regions, and the second most-banned is Syndra with 200 bans. Varus has been left open and picked only 19 times.

Lethality Varus is the most overpowered champion in Season 10. Varus can snipe enemies with his piercing arrow and the poke is just too strong. In a poke composition, even if the enemy targets Varus, there might be other sources of damage within the team. Not even the strongest front line can sustain through Varus’ damage.

Riot is hoping to bring him back to a healthy spot with some nerfs.

Varus

• Q – Piercing Arrow, Maximum Bonus Damage Ratio 125/130/135/140/145% Total Attack Damage (Minimum Damage Is Always 66% Of The Maximum Damage)
• E – Hail Of Arrows, Base Damage 50/90/130/170/210

Pyke mid lane gets nerfed

Pyke recently discovered its new identity as a mid laner. On its own, this champion can fight in the one-versus-one and his kit allows Pyke to roam to the side lanes very effectively. Even in the bot lane, Pyke tends to go for an offensive build with lethality items and none of the typical support items.

The theory behind the nerfs in patch 10.14 is that by nerfing Pyke’s W, it takes away his ability to roam. The same patch buffs Pyke’s Q and E, making the support assassin potentially more effective in the bottom lane.

Pyke

• Magic Resist Growth, 1.25
• Armor Growth, 3.5
• Q – Bone Skewer, Cost 50/55/60/65/70 Mana. Cooldown 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 Seconds. Base Damage 85/135/185/235/285
• W – Ghostwater Dive, Bonus Movement Speed 40% At All Ranks
• E – Phantom Undertow, Base Damage 105/135/165/195/225

Pyke still looks like a good option in the mid lane. Losing 20% movement speed later might not be enough to send him back to the bottom lane. On the contrary, because he has more damage, he might be even more attractive for mid players looking for a slippery option.

Read Also

Esports Betting

The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon? Ben Boland The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...

League of Legends

LEC Playoffs Round 1 Betting Tips: G2 vs Vitality & Karmine Corp vs GIANTX Ben Boland The 2026 LEC Summer Playoffs are finally here in the world of LoL betting. After weeks of regular-season action, the battle to get to Worlds 2026 is heating up. Team Vitality, G2 Esports, GiantX, and Karmine Corp start their playoff run in the upper bracket. Both sets of matches have a lot of betting potential, with some decent value to be found. Here are some of the best bets to ...

League of Legends

Caps Hall of Legends skins prices and dates revealed Hannan Mundia Caps is the latest League of Legends player to be inducted into the Hall of Legends, and the LEC player’s dedicated skins have been revealed, including their prices and release dates. The Hall of Legends is Riot Games’ way to honor a handful of the most well-known and celebrated professional players associated with LoL. The first inductee was naturally Faker, while the second was Uzi. The third player is Caps, ...

League of Legends

Five Support Champions To Pick Up in LoL Patch 26.17 Ben Boland The support meta in League of Legends is one of the most highly discussed roles in the game right now. With Riot doubling down on the roaming support playstyle, we will likely see more champions added to the pool around the time of Worlds 2026, which begins on 15 October. At the time of writing this article, the current patch, 26.17, is being tested on the PBE, with the launch ...

League of Legends

These Are Five Top Lane Champions To Pick Up in League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland League of Legends patch 26.17 is just around the corner, and with that patch comes more changes to the role. The days of ADCs in the lane are starting to be a thing of the past, with more bruisers hitting the gym before the launch of 26.17. Many top laners are receiving buffs on the new patch, while powerhouses such as Nasus and Vayne are on the chopping block, making ...

League of Legends

Here Is What To Expect From the League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland It’s less than a week until the release of League of Legends Patch 26.17, and with this patch comes some significant nerfs to popular champions, item adjustments, and targeting roaming supports as mage bottom lanes dominate the meta. While there is plenty to unpack in this week's patch from Riot Games, two champions, Vayne and Xerath, have received the biggest nerfs across the board. Here are some of the biggest ...

League of Legends

Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR Ben Boland Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...