Legends of Runeterra: Top 5 champion changes in patch 2.18.0

Legends of Runeterra dropped patch 2.18.0 on October 19. It was the first major card balance change since the release of the Beyond the Bandlewood expansion in August.

Although the Bandlewood season was a success due to its diverse meta, there were complaints by many players as well. Certain players felt that the game was getting stale with the same decks dominating for a long time. Others thought that Legends of Runeterra's meta was stable for the better.

After going over the feedback, Riot Games decided to implement changes in their live balance philosophy from now on. As part of this change, players will receive monthly card changes and updates in Legends of Runeterra. This is being done to ensure that the game stays fresh and players won't have to depend on expansions for balance changes.

The 2.18.0 patch of Legends of Runeterra was the first launch of this monthly change system. Starting in 2022, players will get monthly card updates and tweaks. Let's look at the top-five changes made to champion cards in this patch.

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Legends of Runeterra: Top 5 champion changes for patch 2.18.0.

5) Nami

Nami is doing very well in the current season. She does well in any region and in any spell-heavy deck. Her level-up condition was the easiest and took place in Round 4, making her very difficult to combat. Nami's level-up will now take longer to trigger in Legends of Runeterra, making her more balanced.

Nami's changed card with longer level-up condition. (Images via Riot Games)

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4) Tristana

Tristana gets a buff, but it only applies to her Level 2. She will grant her allies Impact as well in Legends of Runeterra henceforth. This was a much-needed change to make her at least viable in the meta.

Tristana at Lv 2 will grant impact to her allies. (Images via Riot Games)

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3) Braum

The much-loved blocker of Legends of Runeterra finally gets a much-needed life. His earlier card was mediocre at best, and players stopped playing him a long time ago. By buffing Braum with 1 damage, Riot has given the card a new lease of life.

Braum has been given power finally. (Images via Riot Games)

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2) Lux

October seems to be a really busy month for Lux in Legends of Runeterra. She received her Battle Academia skin in the last patch and has now received a buff with the latest update. Her cost has been reduced by one and there have been changes applied to her ability to make it way more functional.

Lux has been rewarded with greater functionability and reduced cost. (Images via Riot Games)

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1) Draven

Draven's health has been reduced from 3 to 2. (Images via Riot Games)

Draven has been good since his appearance in Legends of Runeterra. As we predicted, he has finally got a nerf. While his spinning ax has not been affected, his health has been reduced by 1. With this change, Draven becomes vulnerable to removal by spells as many options do 2 damage to a unit.