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RiotAether and DyQuill here on behalf of the gameplay devs! Everyone's heads-down getting these changes ready, so we'll be your guides through this early look at patch 8.11.
Two patches from now, we're releasing a bunch of changes to marksman items, runes, and stats. While we aren't shipping any champion ability overhauls, these changes add up to a significant shift in item and rune builds. Once everything's live, you'll see more marksman playstyles that aren't "late-game crits or bust".
We're sharing an early preview of those changes today so you have plenty of time to theorycraft. For more traditional dev blog-style context on everything here and on marksmen in general, head to the dev corner.
A quick note on Midseason
<blockquote class="blockquote context">
The past six months have been a lot to keep up with for you (and a lot to follow up on for us). Last preseason brought us Runes Reforged, the largest update to League gameplay we've ever released in one go. Since then, we've also packed big changes into even-numbered patches—think the AP item overhaul in 8.4 and the Conqueror keystone rune in 8.6—changes that would've normally had to wait for midseason.<br /><br />
Launching a big, flashy feature like Rift Herald or Elemental Drakes on top of all that felt like overkill, so 2018 won't have an uppercase-M Midseason patch. The lowercase-m midseason timeframe will still have big changes like the marksman work we're talking about here, but 8.11 is as big as patches will be until preseason toward the end of the year.
</blockquote>
<header class="header-primary"><h2>Runes</h2>
</header>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/HailOfBlades.jpg&resize=64:" /></a><span class="new float-left">NEW</span>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Hail of Blades (Domination keystone)">Hail of Blades (Domination keystone)</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"For quick fights."</h4>
<ul><li>Your first three basic attacks against champions in combat gain bonus attack speed. These attacks can exceed the attack speed limit.</li>
</ul>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/FleetFootwork.jpg&resize=64:" /></a>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Fleet Footwork">Fleet Footwork</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"Less safety early."</h4>
<ul><li>Less movement speed at early levels</li>
<li>Same healing at levels 1 and 18 but less in-between</li>
</ul>
<header class="header-primary"><h2>Items</h2>
</header>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/InfinityEdge.jpg?v=1&resize=64:" /></a> <span class="updated float-left">updated</span>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Infinity Edge">Infinity Edge</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"Crit-focused marksmen will have to wait longer to scale up."</h4>
<span><em>(B.F. Sword B.F. Sword)</em></span>
<span> Attack Damage</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive - Razor Sharp:</strong> Doubles your Critical Strike Chance.</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive:</strong> A portion of Critical Strike damage is converted to True Damage.</span>
<span class="attribute"><span class="removed">removed</span></span><span class="attribute-after">No longer grants Critical Strike Chance.</span>
<span class="attribute"><span class="removed">removed</span></span><span class="attribute-after">No longer increases the damage of critical strikes.</span>
<hr class="divider" /><hr class="divider" /><h4 class="change-detail-title ability-title"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/Zeal.jpg&resize=32:" />Zeal & All Upgrades</h4>
<p class="summary">"These cost more. Crit chance won't show up as early in lane."</p>
<hr class="divider" /><h4 class="change-detail-title ability-title"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/CloakOfAgility.jpg&resize=32:" /><span class="removed">removed</span>Cloak of Agility</h4>
<p class="summary">"Both its upgrades are being reworked, so it no longer has a home. Goodbye, Cloak of Agility!"</p>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/Stormrazor.jpg&resize=64:" /></a><span class="new float-left">NEW</span>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Stormrazor">Stormrazor</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"Hit hard, then hit fast."</h4>
<span><em>(B.F. Sword Pickaxe Dagger)</em></span>
<span> Attack Damage</span>
<span> Attack Speed</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive:</strong> If you haven't attacked recently, your next basic attack will critically strike.</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive:</strong> When you critically strike, gain a short burst of attack speed and movement speed.</span>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/EssenceReaver.jpg&resize=64:" /></a> <span class="updated float-left">updated</span>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Essence Reaver">Essence Reaver</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"Ultimate spell-slinging synergy."</h4>
<span><em>(B.F. Sword Caulfield's Warhammer)</em></span>
<span> Attack Damage</span>
<span> Cooldown Reduction</span>
<span> Mana</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive:</strong> Basic attacks refund a portion of your missing mana.</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive:</strong> After casting your ultimate, your next basic attack grants bonus attack speed for a moderate duration. During that time, basic attacks refund a portion of your non-ultimate cooldowns.</span>
<span class="attribute"><span class="removed">removed</span></span><span class="attribute-after">No longer grants critical strike chance.</span>
<span class="attribute"><span class="removed">removed</span></span><span class="attribute-after">Basic attacks no longer refund a portion of maximum mana.</span>
<span class="attribute"><span class="removed">removed</span></span><span class="attribute-after">No longer grants cooldown reduction based on critical strike chance.</span>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/LordDominiksRegards.jpg&resize=64:" /></a> <span class="updated float-left">updated</span>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Lord Dominik's Regards">Lord Dominik's Regards</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"Now it punches through base armor, too."</h4>
<span><em>(Last Whisper Pickaxe)</em></span>
<span> Attack Damage</span>
<span><strong>UNIQUE Passive - Last Whisper:</strong> Gain a large amount of total armor penetration.</span>
<span class="attribute"><span class="removed">removed</span></span><span class="attribute-after">No longer grants increased damage against enemies with more maximum health than you.</span>
<hr class="divider" /><hr class="divider" /><h4 class="change-detail-title ability-title"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/LastWhisper.jpg&resize=32:" />Last Whisper</h4>
<p class="summary">"This also grants total penetration now."</p>
<hr class="divider" /><h4 class="change-detail-title ability-title"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/GiantSlayer.jpg&resize=32:" /><span class="removed">removed</span>Giant Slayer</h4>
<p class="summary">"Lord Dominik's doesn't need this anymore, so like Cloak of Agility, it's retiring."</p>
<hr class="divider" /><h4 class="change-detail-title ability-title"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/MortalReminder.jpg&resize=32:" />Executioner's Calling & Mortal Reminder</h4>
<p class="summary">"TBD. Stay tuned!"</p>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/BladeOfTheRuinedKing.jpg&resize=64:" /></a>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Blade of the Ruin King">Blade of the Ruined King</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"It's cheaper."</h4>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/TheBloodthirster.jpg&resize=64:" /></a>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-The Bloodthirster">The Bloodthirster</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"It's cheaper."</h4>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/GuardianAngel.jpg&resize=64:" /></a>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Guardian Angel">Guardian Angel</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"You'll be sturdier while you build this."</h4>
<ul><li>Builds out of Chain Vest instead of Cloth Armor</li>
<li>More attack damage</li>
<li>More armor</li>
</ul>
<a class="reference-link"><img src="https://am-a.akamaihd.net/image?f=https://news-a.akamaihd.net/public/images/articles/2018/may/811primer/MawOfMalmortius.jpg&resize=64:" /></a>
<h3 class="change-title" id="patch-Maw of Malmortius">Maw of Malmortius</h3>
<h4 class="summary">"Better stats and a shield scaling nerf marksmen won't care about."</h4>
<ul><li>More attack damage</li>
<li>More magic resist</li>
<li>Magic damage shield no longer scales with magic resist</li>
</ul>
<header class="header-primary"><h2>Stats</h2>
</header>
<blockquote class="blockquote context">
These numbers vary from champ to champ, but broadly speaking, <strong>bot lane</strong> marksmen are trading away some lane strength for more power later on. (Quinn, Kindred, and Graves play in other positions, so tuning them around bot lane felt like it'd do more harm than good.)
</blockquote>
<h4 class="summary">"Lane fights hurt more, but you won't get blown up as fast later on."</h4>
<ul><li><strong>-5</strong> armor</li>
<li><strong>-2</strong> base health regen</li>
<li>Between <strong> 6</strong> and <strong> 15</strong> base health (champs without poke damage get the bigger numbers)</li>
<li><strong> 6</strong> health growth</li>
</ul><h4 class="summary">"Less AD early, more late."</h4>
<ul><li><strong>-4</strong> base attack damage</li>
<li><strong> 0.7</strong> attack damage growth</li>
<li>When 8.11 ships, if you miss last-hitting a minion by 4 or less, we'll give it to you anyway. The training wheels will come off gradually in the patches after.</li>
</ul>
<hr class="divider" /><blockquote class="blockquote context">
The 8.11 puzzle has a lot of pieces, but if you've been itching to try new marksman playstyles, this'll be your moment. Let us know what you think the best setups will be!
</blockquote>