Hi everyone, welcome back to TGH’s TFT Patch 11.20 Rundown and Meta Predictions. This TFT patch rundown and meta prediction is curated and written by Trade (aka nathanielleung), a multi-set challenger TFT player.
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TFT Patch 11.20 is the final major patch of set 5.5 and along with it are some major changes to units and some fundamentals to the game. TFT Patch 11.20 brings a second armory item in stage 5, crazy radiant blessings, buffs to draconic and abomination, nerfs to reroll one-cost units and some fine-tuning around 4-cost carries. Without further ado, let’s get into the patch notes!
Patch Rundown:
Radiant Armory:
All players now get a second Radiant Armory at stage 5-1 (7-3 in Hyper Roll).
This is an incredibly interesting change to the Radiant Armory system as in every game, players will have two Radiant items in their final comp. It is extremely possible that this benefits the viability of the already strong strategy of win-streaking and playing around carries with extremely flexible itemization. Essentially, when playing a tempo-based comp with flexible carries such as Draven or Lucian, it may be extremely beneficial to win-streak the early game. Typically, the drawbacks of win streaking are the unfavourable item choices, as a player’s high health would ultimately lead to picking last on the carousel. However, by playing tempo carries such as Draven or Lucian with flexible item choices, a player can prioritize simply slamming strong early game, flexible items such as Sunfire Cape, Bramble Vest, Warmog’s Armor, Dragon’s Claw and Hand of Justice in order to save HP and streak and without having to worry about having an itemized carry as there is now a second armory on 5-1. Due to the fact that Draven and Lucian can run a huge variety of items, a player can simply pick up two radiant offensive items for their carry in addition to one regular carry item. Both Lucian and Draven can run almost half the Radiant Items in the game without suffering a big DPS loss.
This may also mean that comps that run duo carries become much stronger in the meta. As a player may often be forced to take an extra radiant carry item due to lack of better options, comps that run two carries such as Karma + Teemo, Draven + Riven/Kayle, Aphelios + Akshan, Lucian + Akshan, Heimerdinger + Teemo, Vel’koz + Fiddlesticks any many more comps may benefit from having two carries to itemize.
Finally, having two Radiant items on a hypercarry or a supertank like Galio will definitely be very strong, however, it is very likely that a player will already have three carry items made by 5-1 which is why prioritizing front line items and playing flexible carries or running two carries will likely be the best strategy going into this patch.
Radiant Blessing
Chance of getting a high quality drop: 10% ⇒ 18%
NEW: Added VERY rare high quality drop of 8 Item Components (0.54% chance)
NEW: Added VERY rare high quality drop of 3x Force of Nature (0.18% chance)
NEW: Added VERY rare high quality drop of 2x Neekos Help + 20gold (0.18% chance)
This is unlikely to severely impact the meta or play in any way as the newly added drops are extremely rare and a player should not go into expecting to play around these new rewards; however, this may make open-fort style comps that receive the Radiant Blessing very early just a little bit more consistent and worth the risk.
Abomination
Abomination Monstrosity Base Attack Damage: 70/80/100 ⇒ 70/90/110
Abomination Monstrosity Attack Damage Per Level: 7/8/10 ⇒ 7/9/11
The buff to the Abomination trait at 4 and 5 make mid-game boards that run 4 Abomination fairly stronger. It is unlikely that a capped late-game board will start to run Kalista simply because of this change, but this buff will make high-rolling an Abomination Emblem much more powerful and may justify running Kalista to hit 5 Abomination.
Draconic
Draconic (3) four turn egg chance: 2% ⇒ 4%
Draconic (3) average Value of Egg: 2.9g ⇒ 3.1g
Draconic (5) five turn egg chance: 1% ⇒ 2%
Draconic (5) average Value of Egg: 6.8g ⇒ 7.3g
Draconic (5) added a new 5 turn egg possible drop of 1x Force of Nature, 2x Item Components, and 3x Heimerdingers. (20% chance inside the egg)
This buff to the Draconic trait should not severely alter a player’s approach to Draconic. The trait should still be run if hit early as a means to greatly accelerate a player’s economy. However, given a higher chance for high-roll eggs in combination with slightly better Radiant Blessing drops, it may be beneficial to play 3 or 5 Draconic for a few extra rounds to greed a few extra eggs before selling the Draconic units and pivoting out. In addition, this will likely make the Draconic/Spellweaver Zyra comp that was played a few times at the Reckoning Worlds tournament that is already quite strong with the right opener just a little bit stronger. This will likely also make some upcoming Ashe and Sett carry comps a little more viable as well.
Forgotten
Forgotten Bonus Attack Damage & Ability Power per stack: 20/40/70/200 ⇒ 20/40/60/150
This Forgotten trait change doesn’t affect the majority of comps as Draven, Miss Fortune, and Vayne carry comps rarely play more than 4 Forgotten units. However, given only one Forgotten Emblem, it may no longer be worth pivoting into 6 Forgotten and players may simply wish to opt into some stronger 4-cost units such as Diana and Rell. Despite its seemingly big nerf, 8 Forgotten is probably still extremely powerful and should still be pursued if the game offers two or more Forgotten Emblems.
Ranger
Ranger Attack Speed: 80/180/400% ⇒ 80/200/500%
With slight buffs to Ranger 4, running 4 Rangers may be more viable but should probably only be done if a player’s carry does not have Guinsoo’s Rageblade or the player high-rolls a Ranger Emblem
Sentinel
Sentinel bonus Attack Speed: 25/90/500% ⇒ 20/80/500%
Sentinel Shield: 175/900/2000 ⇒ 175/800/2000
The 5% attack speed nerf to Sentinel 3 definitely make the Sentinel opener just slightly less oppressive and strong. However, as 3 and 6 Skirmishers are getting buffed (see below), the opener will likely remain one of the strongest openers in the game. Additionally, the Sentinel 6 nerf will probably tune down how stable a Lucian comp can get by simply rolling a Lucian 1 and 5 other sentinels on 3-2 or 4-1. A player may need better Lucian items or a couple more upgraded sentinels in order to stabilize after a rolldown.
Skirmisher
Skirmisher bonus Attack Damage per second: 3/8/16 ⇒ 4/10/20
Skirmisher 3 has gotten a decent buff but this will likely only counteract the Sentinel 3 nerf, as Skirmisher 3 and Sentinel 3 are almost always played together. Skirmisher 6 has actually gotten quite a significant buff and might make Skirmisher 6 playable in the late game. By getting 10 AD per second, Skirmisher 6 is literally getting twice as much AD as it used to at the beginning of the set. This is may make Udyr/Olaf reroll potentially viable and might make Jax comps opt into 6 Skirmishers over 4 Knight unless a player hits Galio 2 and Garen 2, especially into AP heavy lobbies where Ironclad will not be very effective.
Kled
Kled Violent Tendencies 4th auto, Attack Damage scaling: 200% ⇒ 150%
Kled Attack Damage: 65 ⇒ 60
The nerfs to Kled are quite sizable, and with the nerf to other one-cost carry comps, this is potentially the end of Kled meta and perhaps the one-cost reroll meta as a whole. Perhaps Kled is still good, but given her slight buffs this patch, it’s likely that Tristana will end up taking his place as the premier Hellion AD carry. This is also an overall nerf to using Kled as an item holder, and a two-star Kled with 4 Knights will likely not bring a player to level 8 with ease anymore unless their board is fully upgraded.
Brand
Brand Sear Damage: 600/900/1500 ⇒ 650/950/1750
These Brand buffs are quite sizable, especially at three-star. Be on the lookout for any potential Brand-Cavalier reroll comps that may appear in the next few days. If a reroll Brand comp fails to pick up any traction, this Brand buff will simply make Brand and Ziggs better item holders for Gwen and Karma.
Aphelios
Aphelios max Mana nerf: 0/150 ⇒ 0/170
At the Reckong Worlds Championship, Aphelios was seen as one of the most consistent comps carries of the entire tournament as it allowed players to stabilize until they hit Akshan 2. This Aphelios nerf probably won’t hurt the viability of his current build much, but this change makes it very punishing if a player does not have a Guinsoo’s Rageblade itemized on him. Consider running 4 Ranger, Spear of Shojin, Invokers or simply pivot to Akshan if Aphelios does not have Guinsoo’s Rageblade.
Jax
Jax Empowered Strike Attack Damage Scaling: 200/220/400 ⇒ 220/240/500%
This change, with the combination of the 6 Skirmisher change and nerfs to some other 4-cost carries may make Jax one of the premier AD carries in this patch along with Draven.
Hellion
Hellion Attack Speed: 10/30/80/140% ⇒ 10/30/70/125%
This Hellion attack speed nerf is not negligible but will likely also not impact the current power of Hellions too harshly. Kled has already gotten nerfed, and this change does not nerf the Tristana comp as it runs 4 Hellion and 4 Cannoneer unless a Hellion Emblem is hit. If given some Hellion Emblems, Hellion 6 and 8 will likely still be very good, but without Emblems, consider simply playing other strong upgraded units that synergize with the Hellions such as Garen, Volibear, Fiddlesticks, Ivern, Rell, and Galio instead of a 5th and 6th Hellion.
Spellweaver
Spellweaver Ability Power per Stack: 2/4/10 ⇒ 2/4/8
This change is very negligible. Spellweaver 2 and 4 are untouched, and Spellweaver 6 (which requires 2 Spellweaver Emblems to be played), is already overkilling units by a lot. This change will likely not impact anything. Perhaps consider running upgraded front line units such as Volibear, Ivern, Fiddlesticks and Gwen instead of running the 5rh and 6th Spellweaver.
Kalista
Kalista Pierce Attack Damage Scaling: 180/200/240% ⇒ 180/200/220%
Kalista Pierce Base Damage: 350/600/1000 ⇒ 350/600/900
During the Kled meta last week, Kalista reroll was making a reappearance in high elo as a counter to Kled reroll, especially with Giant Slayer. Due to these and other nerfs to one-cost carries, she is likely back to being a mediocre comp at best. A player should not force Kalista reroll, but could still play her if given many copies of her before Krugs.
Kha’Zix
Kha’zix Taste their Fear Damage: 250/350/500 ⇒ 250/350/450
Kha’zix Taste their Fear Isolation Damage: 750/1050/1500 ⇒ 750/1050/1350
Similar to Kalista, as all one-reroll comps get nerfed, this is likely the end of the bug andwill only be playable if given many copies of Kha’Zix and/or Gragas before Krugs.
Vladimir
Vladimir Health: 650 ⇒ 700
This change makes Vladimir a slightly better item holder in the mid-game, especially with items such as Archangel’s Staff, Gargoyle’s Stoneplate and the Renewer trait. This likely will not make Vladimir carry viable, but will make three-starring him feel a bit better in Soraka and Sett carry comps.
Soraka
Soraka Equinox Damage: 175/275/425 ⇒ 200/275/400
Players should probably not commit to rerolling Soraka unless they hit many copies of her, so Soraka is hardly played at one-star except in the early game with a Dawnbringer opener. These are somewhat sizable nerfs to Soraka 3, especially considering that Deathcap, Jewelled Gauntlet, and the Dawnbringer trait are multiplicative with this nerf. This will make Soraka reroll a tad weaker, but not strongly impact Soraka’s place in the meta.
Tristana
Tristana Attack Damage: 65 ⇒ 70
With nerfs to Kled, Tristana will likely be the premier Hellion AD carry of this patch. Overall, not a huge buff but should likely make her playable in the current meta.
Nocturne
Nocturne Umbra Blades base Damage: 80/90/100 ⇒ 100/100/100
These changes will make carrying a Nocturne feel slightly better in the early game as a holder for a player’s AD items, especially if they find him from an early box. This will likely not change his current place in the meta.
Nunu
Nunu Consume Damage: 450/700/1750 ⇒ 450/700/1600
Nunu was probably one of the best performing three-star three-costs in the entire game, so these nerfs are quite justified. However, given that Nunu usually over-kills units at three-star, he will still be very much worth pursuing.
Draven
Draven Attack Damage: 80 ⇒ 85
As seen at Reckoning Worlds, Draven is already one of the most consistent comps in the game. Although he rarely wins lobbies, these buffs, combined with the Radiant Armoury changes and Radiant Quicksilver buff will likely push Draven to S tier, as Draven is incredibly consistent and already quite strong.
Akshan
Akshan Heroic Swing bonus Attack Speed: 70/85/400 ⇒ 60/70/400
As the strongest 5-cost AD carry, Akshan rightfully deserved these nerfs. Although it is quite a hit to his DPS and assassination potential, Akshan will probably remain the strongest AD carry; however, a player may want to consider keeping their items on Aphelios instead of putting them on Akshan if they are better suited for Aphelios.
Kayle
Kayle Attack Damage: 80 ⇒ 85
Kayle is a champion who fell out of favour in the last patch. She will remain a decent champion if high-rolling but is still not very strong and consistent comp in the current meta. These changes should make her feel a bit better.
Viego
Viego at three stars is now very powerful.
Cool!
Radiant Quicksilver
Quickestsilver bonus Attack Speed: 40% ⇒ 45%
This item is already one of the best items on AD carries such as Draven, Kled, Riven, Jax, Akshan, Yasuo, etc. especially if the enemy has a lot of crowd-control units. A player should strongly consider picking this item up if they are running any short-ranged AD carries.
TFT Patch 11.20 Meta Predictions
TFT Patch 11.20 S+:
Teemo
Due to nerfs to all the other comps, and a resurgence of Draven and Jax comps, Teemo will likely be the strongest carries of the patch. Although carrying Teemo requires an extremely expensive board, successfully transitioning into a capped Teemo board will almost always land a player in first. Consider pairing him with 4 Invokers and a Revenant front line.
Gwen
Missing from the tier list two weeks ago, Gwen is currently one of the strongest AP carries of the patch, especially as she shares items with Karma, a player can easily flex between the two comps. Consider pairing her with 4 Knights, Ironclads and Mystics.
Akshan
Akshan likely remains incredibly powerful this patch despite the nerfs. A player may want to pair him with 4 Knights, 6 Sentinel, or a Revenant front line. Check out the 11.19 Tier List for more details and tips on how to play Akshan.
Draven
Given his buffs this patch and already strong status in the meta, Draven will likely be the most consistent AD carry of this patch. A player may want to run Legionnaires, Forgottens, Or Knights depending on his itemization. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
TFT Patch 11.20 S:
Heimerdinger
Heimerdinger remains incredibly strong in the current meta, only falling short of Teemo. The buffs Draconic and Abomination will make this comp easier to pilot and transition into the late game. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Karma
As an already strong comp, and with nerfs to Aphelios, Karma remains incredibly powerful. She does, however, lose the Draven match up until the Karma player is able to get Teemo, Volibear, and Garen. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Lucian
Despite nerfs to 6 Sentinel this patch, Lucian will remain one of the most versatile and consistent comps this patch. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Jax
With the buffs to Jax, 6 Skirmisher, and the nerfs to other carries, Jax will likely be one of the strongest comps this patch. It is uncertain whether the optimal playstyle will be to pair him with Knights or other Skirmishers, but the Skirmisher 6 trait is looking very promising.
TFT Patch 11.20 A:
Miss Fortune
Untouched this patch, Miss Fortune remains a very consistent reroll comp but may suffer when rerolling the same units as potential Cavalier Brand players and sharing some of the same frontline as Draven players. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Vel’Koz
Also untouched, Vel’Koz remains the most consistent AP carry this patch. The buffs to Abomination 4 and 5, as well as buffs to Draconic can make the Vel’Koz mid-game just a tad stronger and easier to pivot into. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Aphelios
Nerfs to Aphelios this patch will bring him down just a notch. With the right items, he will still be a very strong AD carry this patch, but may fall short in consistency compared to Draven.
More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Tristana
The nerfs to Kled and buffs to Tristana will likely make her the best Hellion carry of this patch. Consider pairing her with 4 Hellions and 4 Cannoneer with Galio front line for Knight and Sentinel.
Kayle
The buffs this patch will keep Kayle from falling short into the B tier. Although she is not extremely strong in the current meta, a high-roll opener can still lead a Kayle player to win lobbies, but expect the first-place finish to be contested by Teemo and Gwen players as they both have great matchups into Kayle. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Olaf/Udyr Reroll
This is a comp that was rising in popularity last patch before the 6 Skirmisher buff and is a BIG QUESTION MARK. It is potentially a very strong comp but a player should try at the risk of their own LP!!! It is unclear if this comp will be viable this patch.
TFT Patch 11.20 B:
Nocturne
With slight buffs to Nocturne this patch, Nocturne players will find themselves stabilizing a little earlier. The comp remains somewhat lacklustre after nerfs to the Assassin trait a few weeks back. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Yasuo
With further nerfs to Yasuo this patch due to the Radiant Armory changes, Yasuo will likely need two great Radiant items or a Cavalier Emblem to be powerful enough to win lobbies. Without high-rolling, a player should expect to place top 4 with this comp at best. More details about this comp on the 11.19 Tier List.
Riven
Similar to Yasuo, this comp remains mediocre in the current meta. As Huanmie showed at Reckoning Worlds, the comp can be extremely powerful with a little high-rolling, some Legionnaire Spats and some smart gameplay; however, Riven carry is not expected to perform amazingly without some luck.
Brand
Brand reroll will potentially be very strong in the next patch, perhaps even shooting up to A or S tier, but for the time being, he appears to simply be a weaker variant of the Miss Fortune Cavalier reroll comp.
Varus Reroll
Similar to Brand, Varus reroll remains playable and can be a decent choice if the game was to offer many copies of Varus to a player; however, using Varus as a mid-game holder to transfer items onto Draven, Aphelios, or Akshan may be a better idea.
TFT Patch 11.20 Honourable Mentions
One-cost carries usually succeed and falter together, as they pull units out of the pool to help each other out. With nerfs to four one-cost carry comps this patch, these comps will likely remain playable but should not be forced unless the game was to give many copies of the carry to a player.
Kalista
Check out this In-Depth Kalista/Aatrox Reroll Guide for details on how to play this comp.
Kled, Vayne, Soraka, Kha’Zix
Check out the 11.19 Tier List for details on how to play these comps.
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