League of Legends patch 10.4 will hit Soraka and Sona, according to a preview shared by gameplay designer Mark Yetter.
Patch 10.4 will make sure that Soraka and Sona stay in their lane down bottom. The two supports are getting significant changes in their kits that will make them almost useless outside of the bottom lane. Players have no one to blame for these drastic nerfs but the G2 Esports players. G2 was the first team to play Soraka on the LEC stage, a trend that has since spread around the world.
When Riot Games hinted that Soraka would be getting nerfed, the players move onto the next support that fits the role, Sona. To prevent any more madness, patch 10.4 is preventively nerfing Sona. This is the second patch in a row that targets this champion.
Patch 10.4 will increase the mana cost of Sona’s abilities by 25 mana. Each ability creates an aura that grants bonus damage, a shield, or movement speed. If the auras reach an ally, Sona gets 30 mana back. While this change prevents her from going to a solo lane, it also affects her effectiveness as a support.
Sona uses her Q to harass and poke the enemies in lane. It’s especially effective against melee champions and champions with short-range. In lane, Sona can play more aggressively and be constantly poking the enemy away from the wave. When she’s taking this approach, she’s often away from her duo so she doesn’t grant the Q aura. The change drastically reduces Sona’s ability to poke and will force the players into builds that grant mana.
Soraka quickly became the most obnoxious champion in the game. In the top lane, Soraka is hard to deal with and can be almost impossible to kill. Once the laning phase is over, Soraka becomes a heal bot that keeps the team alive through the extended team fights.
The changes in patch 10.4 will improve her base stats and reduce her scaling. Soraka will get significantly less mana and health per level. The self-healing and bonus movement speed on Soraka’s Q will be reduced, and the mana cost is going up.
The changes will not so dramatically affecting if Soraka is being played as a support as intended.
Overall, the changes make Soraka and Sona less effective when they are on their own. Considering that after 10 minutes Soraka wants to group up and walk around with her teammates, she might still be a strong pick.
Patch 10.4 will deploy on February 19.
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