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Assassin Update

This pre-season, we're giving assassins some shiny new tools to help them get good. Each will earn their takedowns with unique flair.

  • Fizz's shark gets bigger depending on how far Chum the Waters traveled.

    Fizz

    Fizz's shark gets bigger depending on how far Chum the Waters traveled.

  • Upon killing an enemy champion with Death Mark, Zed permanently gains a portion of their attack damage for himself.

    Zed

    Upon killing an enemy champion with Death Mark, Zed permanently gains a portion of their attack damage for himself.

  • Akali blinks a short distance, leaving Twilight Shroud at her original location.

    Akali

    Akali blinks a short distance, leaving Twilight Shroud at her original location.

  • Kha'Zix's evolutions are evolving, too. Q, W, and R are getting updates to be more suited for Isolated takedowns.

    Kha'Zix

    Kha'Zix's evolutions are evolving, too. Q, W, and R are getting updates to be more suited for Isolated takedowns.

  • Shaco's clone drops three Jack in the Boxes.

    Shaco

    Shaco's clone drops three Jack in the Boxes.

  • Ekko's passive no longer slows, but Chronobreak triggers Parallel Convergence as Ekko travels back through time.

    Ekko

    Ekko's passive no longer slows, but Chronobreak triggers Parallel Convergence as Ekko travels back through time.

Assassin Itemization

Current AD assassin items barely do more than increase the raw damage output of their wielders. While items still need to pack a punch so assassins can close out their kills, we're updating them to include more tricks to help assassins set-up, stalk, and ambush—not just burst.

Lethality

Flat armor penetration's been changed to Lethality. They're pretty much the same thing, but the bulk of Lethality's penetration scales with your opponent's level. This makes it less snowbally, meaning we can give Assassins more of it than we could flat armor penetration!

Serrated Dirk

The AD assassin's bread and butter.

Summary
  • + Attack Damage
  • + Lethality
  • + Out of combat movement speed

Poacher's Dirk

New

We're basically encouraging theft.

Summary
  • + Attack Damage
  • Passive: After poaching enough large monsters from the enemy jungle, transforms into a Serrated Dirk.

Edge of Night

New

Anti-anti-engage.

Summary
  • + Attack Damage
  • + Lethality
  • + Out of combat movement speed
  • + Magic Resist
  • Active: Veil: Briefly channel to gain a spell shield.

Duskblade of Draktharr

For when you're out of sight but not out of mind.

Summary
  • + Attack Damage
  • + Lethality
  • + Out of combat movement speed
  • Passive: Nightstalker: After being unseen, your next basic attack deals bonus true damage.
  • Passive: Blackout: Disable nearby enemy wards after being spotted by one.

Youmuu's Ghostblade

Now literally a ghostblade.

Summary
  • + Attack Damage
  • + Lethality
  • + Out of combat movement speed
  • + Cooldown Reduction
  • Active: Grants movement speed and ignores unit collision.

Maw of Malmortius

This isn't for you, assassins.

  • Now builds out of Caulfield's Warhammer instead of Serrated Dirk. Doesn't grant Lethality. Carry on.

Stealth Mechanics

The Assassin update seemed like a good opportunity to revisit stealth in League. Broadly speaking, we think of stealth in two ways which roughly map to long/moderate-duration effects (Evelynn), versus short-duration effects (Wukong). We're embracing the distinction to add consistency within the champs that occupy these two camps.

Camouflage

Camouflage is what we call 'strategic' stealth. It's strongest when used to get around the map unseen, moving from one victim to the next. Evelynn's had this mechanic for a while, and we're extending it to Rengar and Twitch as well.

Invisibility

Invisibility can be thought of as 'tactical' stealth and is the more common of the two mechanics. Invisibility effects don't last long enough for its users to move from one lane to another, but are well-suited for combat maneuvering (whether that's within a fight or starting one). Champs like Wukong and LeBlanc possess this mechanic.

Control Wards

Now that Rengar and Twitch are in the Camouflage camp, we're able to give power back to stealth champions. So, Vision Wards have been updated into a more focused anti-vision tool: Control Wards. Control Wards still grant their own vision, but also provide strong vision denial—they reveal and disable nearby enemy wards and traps—but they don't reveal Invisible champs.

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Talon

The Blade's Shadow

He's League's original cloak-and-dagger contract killer, and we're adding more precision to Talon's bladed assault. Outfitted with the new terrain-hopping Assassin's Path, there's no wall too steep to keep Talon from his targets.

Passive

Blade's End

New

Talon's abilities wound champions and epic monsters for a short duration, stacking up to three times. When Talon basic attacks a fully wounded target, they bleed for a large amount of physical damage over time.

Q

Noxian Diplomacy

Updated

Leaps to a target, dealing physical damage. If cast from melee range, Talon instead critically strikes the target. Whenever Noxian Diplomacy kills a unit, Talon regains a small amount of health.

W

Rake

Tosses a volley of blades in a direction, dealing physical damage and returning after a brief delay. On their return, the blades deal increased physical damage and briefly slow all enemies hit.

E

Assassin's Path

New

Targeting terrain allows Talon to do a super-cool vault over it. Talon can't vault over the same terrain for a long period of time.

R

Shadow Assault

Fires a ring of blades from Talon's location, increasing movement speed and making him invisible for a few seconds. When Talon emerges from stealth, the blades converge on his location, dealing physical damage each time they pass through an enemy. If Talon breaks his stealth by basic attacking or using Noxian Diplomacy, the blades will converge on his target's location instead.

Katarina

The Sinister Blade

Katarina's still the same whirlwind of blades, but now we're adding more lightning-speed shunpo-shenanigans to help you get the reset.

Passive

Voracity

Whenever an enemy champion dies after being recently damaged by Katarina, her cooldowns are significantly reduced.

Q

Bouncing Blade

Updated

Throws a dagger, dealing magic damage to the target and two nearby enemies before falling onto the ground.

If Katarina picks up a dagger, she flourishes, dealing magic damage in an area around her.

W

Preparation

New

Tosses a dagger in the air, gaining movement speed for a short duration. After a brief delay, Katarina can pick up the dagger.

E

Shunpo

Instantly blinks to target enemy, ally, or dagger. Upon arrival, Katarina deals magic damage to the nearest enemy. If Katarina targets a dagger, Shunpo's cooldown is massively reduced.

R

Death Lotus

Become a flurry of blades, rapidly throwing knives at the three nearest enemy champions and dealing massive magic damage over the duration. All enemies struck receive Grievous Wounds, reducing their healing.

Rengar

The Pridestalker

Rengar's pre-season changes are about giving him tools to be the Biggest Game Hunter in the League. With revamped Ferocity and a fresh Bonetooth Necklace, Rengar's ready to savor the Thrill of the Hunt.

Passive

Unseen Predator

Updated

While in brush, Rengar's basic attacks cause him to leap at his target. Leaping to enter combat generates one Ferocity. At four Ferocity, Rengar's next ability is empowered, granting special effects and increasing his movement speed.

Bonetooth Necklace

Updated

Rengar gains trophies whenever he takes down a unique enemy champion. For each Trophy, Rengar's attack damage is permanently increased.

Q

Savagery

Updated

Slashes enemies in an arc in front of Rengar, followed by a piercing strike, dealing physical damage and generating one Ferocity. If cast with four Ferocity, each strike's damage is massively increased.

W

Battle Roar

Updated

Roars, generating one Ferocity, dealing magic damage, and healing Rengar for a portion of the damage he's taken in the last few moments. If cast with four Ferocity, Rengar removes all existing crowd control effects and prevents incoming ones for a short duration.

E

Bola Strike

Tosses a bola in a targeted direction to deal physical damage, generate one Ferocity, and slow the first enemy hit for a short duration. If cast with four Ferocity, the bola roots the first enemy hit for a short duration instead.

R

Thrill of the Hunt

Updated

Rengar's predatory senses take over, stealthing him for a long period of time. While stealthed, Rengar gains movement speed and can see the nearest enemy champion to him from very far away. Rengar can leap to the revealed champion for a guaranteed critical strike.

LeBlanc

The Deceiver

While Leblanc's combo-kills are flashy, she's not always fitting of the title "Deceiver." This pre-season, we're adding some more tricks up her sleeve to misdirect her prey.

Passive

Sigil of Malice

New

Leblanc's abilities inflict Sigil of Malice, which can be detonated and consumed by her other abilities after a few seconds to deal bonus damage.

Q

Shatter Orb

New

Fires an orb that damages an enemy. If the orb triggers Sigil of Malice it shatters, consuming the sigil and dealing damage to the nearest available Sigil of Malice.

W

Distortion

Dashes to target location, dealing damage to all nearby enemies upon landing. Recasting Distortion within a few seconds returns Leblanc to her starting location.

E

Ethereal Chains

Launches illusionary chains in a direction, damaging and shackling the first target hit. If the target remains shackled for a few moments, they'll take additional damage and become rooted.

R

Mimic

Updated

Leblanc becomes invisible for a short duration, creating a Mimic to take her place and cast a stronger version of one of her basic abilities. The Mimic lasts only for a few moments and expires if it takes damage from champions or turrets.

Mimicking Leblanc's ultimate spawns a Mimic at a target location instead. Once formed, the Mimic will walk toward the nearest visible enemy champion, casting a non-damaging version of Leblanc's most recently used ability upon arrival.