TFT patch 9.21 preview: Draven is finally getting nerfed
Ahead of next week’s Teamfight Tactics (TFT) patch 9.21 release, Riot has previewed some of the tentative changes to close out Set 1.
As patch 9.21 for Teamfight Tactics (TFT) arrives just before the end of Set 1, next week’s update won’t feature too many big changes. Like the patch before it, players can expect some “very small adjustments,” although the tentative changes seem to indicate a shift in the current meta is coming.
Most notable among the changes is a nerf to Draven. The Imperial Blademaster is considered one of the best champions in the game and even though we don’t know what Riot is tweaking, most would agree he’s in need of a nerf. Any change to Draven will also be an indirect nerf to the current Imperial Knights comp, which is one of the more popular team comps right now.
After a buff last patch, it seems Guardians are in line for a nerf. Although this may be an indirect hit due to Pantheon getting nerfed. Patch 9.20 increased the Guardian Armor bonus from 35 to 45. Hextech is also being nerfed, though we don’t know how. Currently, Jinx is a pretty powerful late-game character, but she isn’t listed in the changes. Lissandra, an underrated but powerful carry, is also getting nerfed and so is the Trap Claw.
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As for the buffs, Ranger is listed, but that may be due to changes coming to Varus. Brand is also getting a buff after the fix to a bug that was causing his fireball to bounce to too many opponents, left him noticeably weaker. Sorcerers are also getting buffed, which is a big odd given how strong their potential is currently.
Three items are getting buffed: Repeating Crossbow, Redemption and Spear of Shojin. Repeating Crossbow sounded good when Riot first announced it, but I think the current problem is there are just better alternatives out there that grant attack speed. Similarly, Redemption and Spear of Shojin are also pretty good items, but could be tweaked just a bit to increase their effectiveness. Currently, Redemption takes a bit too long to actually kick in, in my opinion.
TFT: Everything we know about Set 2 ‘Rise of the Elements’. dark. Next
TFT patch 9.21 will arrive next Wednesday, October 23. It’ll be the final patch before the end of Set 1, which concludes with the start of patch 9.22 on November 6. With patch 9.22, TFT will undergo its first major refresh, which means all-new champions and mechanics. So really, the nerfs and buffs in TFT 9.21 will only impact your final ranked push before everything changes. With that said, it looks like Brawlers/Gunslingers will remain a viable option, and Rangers could be coming back in vogue.