League of Legends patch 9.16 - Pantheon rework and Hextech Rammus

League of Legends patch 9.16 is already live on the PBE, giving us our closest look yet at the upcoming Pantheon rework. Riot lifted the lid on the Unbreakable Spear earlier this week, showing off his flashy new skins and spells, including his cosmic new ultimate, Grand Starfall.

While Pantheon dominates proceedings in this weeks’ patch, that’s not all that’s on offer. Balance changes are likely to be pretty minimal, but some early changes to Kayle and Aurelion Sol have shown up. These are pretty experimental at this point, but promise to give them champion a little help. Kayle will have a slightly easier early game, while Aurelion Sol’s W should be a bit more reliable.

Elsewhere, there are some fancy new cosmetics to feast your eyes on. As mentioned above, Pantheon’s rework means that a bunch of his skins are getting a new look – we’ve included his altered splash arts further down this article. Beyond that, Udyr’s getting draconic with his new Dragon Oracle skin, and Rammus is the latest new addition to the growing line of Hextech skins

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS PATCH 9.16 RELEASE DATE AND DOWNTIME

We don’t have an exact release date for League of Legends patch 9.16, but updates tend to release every two weeks. With that in mind, expect the new patch to arrive on Wednesday, August 14.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS PATCH 9.16 BALANCE CHANGES

Pantheon, the Unbreakable Spear

 

• Base HP: 580
• HP5: 10
• AD per level: 3.3
• Base armor: 40
• Armor per level: 3.75
• Attack range: 175
• Attack speed: 0.644.

Abilities

• Mortal Will (Passive):
  • After 5 spells or attacks, Pantheon’s next basic spell is empowered.
• Comet Spear (Q):
  • 40 Mana
  • 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 second cooldown
  • Tap: Pantheon thrusts his spear, dealing 75/115/155/195/235 + 100% bonus AD physical damage to enemies hit. Refunds a percentage of Comet Spear’s cooldown.
  • Hold: Pantheon hurls his spear, dealing 75/115/155/195/235 +100% bonus AD to the first enemy hit and 50% less to further targets. Deals 155/240/325/410/495 +200% bonus AD to targets below 25% health.
  • Mortal Will bonus: Deals an additional 20 + 13 per level (100% bonus AD) physical damage and slow the target by 2.5% for 2.5 seconds.
• Shield Vault (W):
  • 55 mana
  • 13/12/11/10/9 seconds cooldown
• Pantheon dashes to an enemy, dealing 60/80/100/120/140 +100% AP physical damage and stunning them for 1 second.
• Mortal Will bonus: Pantheon’s next attack strikes 3 times, dealing a total of 135% physical damage.
• Aegis Assault (E):
  • 80 mana
  • 22/20.5/19/17.5/16 second cooldown.
  • Pantheon braces his shield and engages enemies in a chosen direction for 1.5 seconds, becoming immune to damage from that direction and dealing 100% AD physical damage over the duration. The last hit slams with Pantheon’s shield, dealing 55/105/155/205/255 +150% bonus AD physcial damage. Pantheon can recast to end early, and is slowed by up to 55% while moving backwards or sideways. Damage to minions is reduced by 50%, and damage to non-Epic monsters is reduced by 33%.
  • Mortal Will bonus: Duration is increased to 2.5 seconds (dealing 167% AD physical damage over the duration).
• Grand Starfall (R):
  • 100 mana
  • 180/165/150 second cooldown.
  • Pantheon gathers his strength to leap high into the air, then crashes down as a meteor at the target area a few second later. Deals up to 300/500/700 + 100% AP magic damage to enemies in a line (decreased by up to 50% at the edges of the area).
  • Grand Starfall instantly readies Mortal Will.

Here’s what all that looks like:

Here’s a look at Pantheon’s special interactions:

Finally, several of Pantheon’s skins have changed with his rework, so here’s a look at his new splashes:

1/5

League of legends patch 9.16 balance changes

Champion changes

Aurelion Sol – changed

Center of the Universe (P):

Damage changed to 16-120 from 20-130.

AP ratio changed to 25% from 18-35%.

Starsurge (Q):

Cooldown changed to 11/10/9/8/7 seconds from 10 seconds at all ranks.

Movement speed increased to 20% from 10%.

If Aurelion Sol is faster than his Q, the missile will speed up to keep up.

Celestial Expansion (W):

Now causes Aurelion Sol’s stars to expand, gaining increased damage and rotating at high, but decaying. Upon reactivating or after 3 seconds, the stars retract, granting 40% movement speed, but decaying over 1.5 seconds.

8/6.5/5/3.5/2 seconds cooldown.

Mana cost changed to 70/80/90/100/110 from 40 + 22/24/26/28/30 per second.

Comet of Legend (E):

No longer grants passive movement speed.

Range increased to 5500/6000/6500/7000/7500 from 3000/4000/5000/6000/7000.

Cooldown changed to 80/70/60/50/40 from 60/55/50/45/40 seconds.

Speed increased to 600/650/700/750/800 from 600 at all ranks.

Azir – nerfed

Conquering Sands (Q):

Cooldown changed to 15/13/11/9/7 seconds from 15/12.5/10/7.5/5 seconds.

Corki – nerfed

Stats:

Base AD decreased to 55 from 60.

AD per level decreased to 2.5 from 3.

Dr Mundo – buffed

Burning Agony (W):

Tenacity increased to 30% at all ranks from 10/15/20/25/30%.

Masochism (E):

Cooldown changed to 6/5.5/5/4.5/4 seconds from 6 seconds at all ranks.

Ekko – buffed

Phase Dive (E):

Bonus magic damage increased to 50/75/100/125/150 from 40/65/90/115/140.

Chronobreak (R):

Cooldown changed to 110/80/50 seconds from 110/90/70 seconds.

Ezreal – nerfed

Mystic Shot (Q):

AP ratio decreased to 15% from 30%.

Arcane Shift (E):

Cooldown increased to 25/22/19/16/13 seconds from 19/17.5/16/14.5/13 seconds.

Fiora – buffed

Bladework (E):

Bonus attack speed increased to 50/60/70/80/90% from 50%.

Cooldown decreased to 11/9.5/8/6.5/5 seconds.

Jax – buffed

Leap Strike (Q):

Cooldown decreased to 8/7.5/7/6.5/6 seconds from 10/9/8/7/6 seconds.

Kayle – changed

Stats:

Armor increased to 29 from 26.

Attack speed changed to 0.667 + 2.5% per level from 0.625 + 1.5% per level.

Divine Ascent (P):

Moved ranged form attack to rank one evolve.

Moved AoE attacks to rank 2 evolve.

Innate (level 1): Movement speed changed to 10% in all directions from 15% towards champions, and can now stack vs towers.

Ranged (level 7): Range decreased to 525 from 550, and attack speed per stack while range decreased to 6% from 10%.

Transcended (level 15): No longer deals true damage, but now adds 50 range.

Radiant Blast (Q):

Now refunds 50% mana cost if it hits a champion.

Cast delay decreased to 0.25 from 0.5.

Cast time changed to 0.25 from auto-attack timer.

Missile speed decreased to 1600 from 2000.

Range decreased to 900 units from 950 units.

AP ratio increased to 60% from 50%.

Bonus AD ratio increased to 80% from 60%.

Shred decreased to 15% from 20%.

Shred duration increased to 4 seconds from 3 seconds.

Celestial Blessing (W):

Heal AP ratio increased to 35% from 30%.

Starfire Spellblade (E):

Execute damage changed to 8/9/10/11/12% + 2% per 100 AP from 8-16 + 1% per 100 AP.

Passive damage AP ratio increased to 30% from 20%.

Passive damage AD ratio increased to 120% tAD from 100% tAD.

Divine Judgement (R):

Cooldown decreased to 120/100/80 from 160/120/80.

Mana cost decreased to 100/50/0 from 100 at all ranks.

AP ratio increased to 90% from 80%.

AoE radius increased to 500 from 475.

Kassadin – buffed

Nether Blade (W):

Damage increased to 70/95/120/145/170 from 40/65/90/115/140.

LeBlanc – buffed

Sigil of Malice (Q):

AP ratio increased to 40% from 30%.

Lux – buffed

Prismatic Barrier (W):

Shield strength increased to 50/75/100/125/150 from 50/65/80/95/110.

Nocturne – buffed

Stats:

Base HP increased to 585 from 582.8.

Mana increased to 275 from 273.8.

Mana per 5 increased to 7 from 6.756.

Base armour increased to 38 from 36.

Shroud of Darkness (W):

Bonus attack speed increased to 30/35/40/45/50% from 20/25/30/35/40%.

Riven – nerfed

Broken Wings (Q):

Cooldown changed to 12 seconds at all ranks from 12/11.5/11/10.5/10 seconds.

Sejuani – changed

Fury of the North (P):

Bonus armor & magic resist changed to 10 + 35% from 20 + 25%.

Arctic Assault (Q):

Cooldown increased to 20/18/16/14/12 seconds from 17/15.5/14/12.5/11 seconds.

Shen – buffed

Twilight Assault (Q):

Max HP on hit increased to 5/5.5/6/6.5/7% from 4/4.5/5/5.5/6%.

Shadow Dash (E):

Damage increased to 60/85/110/135/160 from 50/75/100/125/150.

Singed – changed

Stats:

Base mana increased to 330 from 290.6.

Mana per 5 decreased to 7.5 from 7.524.

Base AD increased to 63 from 62.32.

Attack speed per level increased to 1.9 from 1.81.

Insanity Potion (R):

Bonus stats increased to 30/60/90 from 30/55/80 seconds.

Sion – buffed

Stats:

Base HP increased to 545 from 542.64.

Mana increased to 330 from 325.6.

Mana per 5 decreased to 8 from 8.008.

Decimating Smash (Q):

Minimum damage increased to 30/50/70/90/110 from 20/40/60/80/100.

Maximum damage increased to 70/135/200/265/330 from 60/120/180/240/300.

Sivir – nerfed

Ricochet (W):

Total AD ratio decreased to 30/40/50/60/70% from 50/55/60/65/70%.

Syndra – buffed

Dark Sphere (Q):

Transcendent bonus damage against champions increased to 25% from 15%.

Scatter the Weak (E):

Damage increased to 85/130/165/220/265 from 70/115/160/205/250.

Tahm Kench – nerfed

Stats:

Base movement speed decreased to 335 from 345.

Thick Skin (E):

Shield duration decreased to 2 seconds from 3 seconds.

Yuumi – nerfed

Prowling Projectile (Q):

Empowered damage decreased to 50/85/120/155/190/225 from 50/95/140/185/230/275.

Slow decreased to 20/32/44/56/68/80% from 40/48/56/64/72/80%.

Slow duration changed to 1.5 seconds at all ranks from 1.25/1.35/1.45/1.55/1.65/1.75 seconds.

Cooldown increased to 13.5/12/10.5/9/7.5/6 seconds.

Ziggs – buffed

Satchel Charge (W):

AP ratio increased to 50% from 35%.

Cooldown time decreased to 20/18/16/14/12 seconds from 24/21/18/15/12 seconds.

Mega Inferno Bomb (E):

Cooldown decreased to 120/95/70 seconds from 120/105/90 seconds.

Rune Changes

Biscuit Delivery – nerfed

Effect:

Free biscuit time decreased to 2 minutes from 3 minutes.

Last biscuit time changed to 6 minutes from 12 minutes.

Biscuit restore decreased to 10% from 15%.

Increase to mana cap increased to 50 from 40.

Manaless champion health restore decreased to 12% from 20%.

Skins

League of legends patch 9.16 login screen

Every League of Legends patch has its own login screen. They’re usually fairly excellent, and patch 9.16’s is sure to be no exception. It’ll likely be based on the new Arcade skins.