Many League of Legends players find it easier to climb up the ranked ladder when following popular or new trends that give them an edge against their unknowing enemies. In patch 10.5, a new buff was released that, by now, is very much noticed by most players. However, for those still in the dark or looking for more knowledge on the topic, this will hopefully be an enlightening experience.

In Patch 10.5, there were big buffs to a few items that most top-lane champions play, and one item that most ADCs play. Those items are Ravenous Hydra, Titanic Hydra, and Blade of the Ruined King (also known as BtoRK). Now, champions like Fiora, Kled, or Renekton like to take one of the Hydras, be it for more self-healing, AOE damage, or tankiness. This means that these champions are now a bit more viable as their items are now a bit more powerful.

The BotRK buffs, however, took a direction that wasn’t expected by most players. While it did bring in some more typical ADC champions like Vayne, it also made a bevy of top lane champions much more powerful. I would list a few of them, but naming them wouldn’t do the buff justice, this is because almost any top laner can take this item and have it work. It could be Gnar, or Garen, or even Jayce. Now, this article will go over what each of the previously mentioned items are, what they do, and what buffs they got. Also, since BotRK specifically had such a huge impact, there will be a section for how it affected the game is currently played.

Ravenous Hydra

Ravenous Hydra is an item that grants +80 attack damage, +100% base health regen, and +18% (formerly +15%) lifesteal. It also costs 3500 gold, so it is an item that needs to be worked up for a bit. By starting Tiamat and building another item first allows for a bit more flexibility in a build. This item is particularly good on champions that like prolonged fights and may need a bit of help pushing in lanes. This item is perfect on champions like Renekton or Fiora because they get big benefits from the lifesteal, allowing them to get even more health back from their already helpful ability kit and gives them some improved waveclear, which is always a good plus on aggressive champions.

Now, in Patch 10.5, this item got a few buffs that brought a few champions from an already good platform into the middle of the spotlight. As we mentioned earlier, Fiora really gets some big benefits from this item, which is why she pairs so well with it. The buffs for this item are as follows. The item’s lifesteal moved from +15% → +18%, the active radius of the AoE damage moved from 400 → 450, and the active center point damage moved from 125 distance from your champion → basic auto attack range, but only up to 200 distance.

These buffs allow champions like Fiora or Renekton to not only get more healing, but it gives them a wider range for attacking enemies or cleaning waves. With the item now having more lifesteal, these champions can afford to make more trades and come out unscathed against champions that may otherwise pack a punch. It also allows for faster wave clearing, which gives them a better chance of establishing wave dominance.

Overall, the buffs to this item gave the handful of champions that use this a bigger advantage in lane once they get the item.

Titanic Hydra

Titanic Hydra is fairly similar to it’s formerly mentioned counterpart in many ways, but it is also equally as different. The item is better for tanks that want much more heft with the benefit of damage and waveclear. The item gives the user +40 attack damage, +450 health, and +100% base health regeneration. And, just like Ravenous Hydra, it costs 3500 gold, so it’s better to start with Tiamat and work from there. This item is perfect for champions like Darius or Renekton because it gives them the health they need as well as some damage on top of it all. I know I mentioned Renekton earlier, but he can just as easily build this item if he finds himself in need of a bit more tankiness.

Now, in patch 10.5, this item got a few buffs that can really benefit champions that value the ability to establish lane priority and bully out opponents with power all while remaining at a cushy life total with all the health gained from it. There were only two buffs to this item, but they are as follows. Passive damage dealt to the primary target went from 5 (+1% of user’s max health) → 5 (+1.5% of user’s max health). Passive damage dealt to secondary targets went from 40 (+2.5% of user’s nax health) → 40 (+3% of user’s max health).

Now, these buffs aren’t what are going to revolutionize the meta, but the fact that champions that use this item are more reliable, it sets up perfectly for the buffs that are going to follow this one.

Blade of the Ruined King (BotRK)

Blade of the Ruined King, before the buffs, are primarily used on ADC champions that are more susceptible to crowd control or champions that scale well. So champions like Tristana, Vayne, or Twitch all love to use this item. This item gives the user +40 attack damage, +25% attack speed, and +12% lifesteal. It also has an important active and passive ability. The passive ability, in short, deals 12% of a target’s current health with bonus physical on-hit damage. Its active deals 100 magic damage to a target and slows them by 25% for 3 seconds, it also increases your own movement speed by 25% for 3 seconds. It costs 3300 gold and it is usually a rushed item on most ADCs, as it gives them a big advantage in lane and the item scales very well.

This is the item, pre-buffs, and it gives the user a great advantage when chasing down an enemy or if you need to escape a particularly fast enemy. Vayne particularly benefits from this because she can use her ultimate and this item to target a weak enemy and easily take them out. And even if they try and get away, the chase won’t last long once this item’s active ability is used.

Now, this item only has one buff, and it may seem like just one buff cannot change a whole item, nonetheless a whole meta, but it absolutely has, and here it is. The changes are to the item’s passive, which change is, basic attacks deal bonus physical damage on hit equal to 8% of target’s current health → 8% of target’s current health for ranged users and 12% for melee users.

Now, this item may not seem like too much, but I will shortly explain why this one buff is so powerful and how it brought in a new meta that is changing the game.

How BotRK Changed the Meta

While some may doubt the fact that this one buff changed the game, I will now explain why it is. Before this buff, there was a big emphasis on tanks/juggernauts in the top lane. Champions like Ornn, Darius, and Mordekaiser dominated the lane with their oppressive laning phase and locked out enemy champions. Because of this buff, champions like Fiora, Renekton, and Jax now have the upper hand. Since these are melee champions, they can get the full effect of the new buffs. With their strong dueling abilities, they are now amplified to the point where, once fed, are impossible to stop.

Enemy top lakers forever live in fear of the enemy Fiora using their BotRK to steal their movement speed and kill them with a swift barrage of auto-attacks. Also, because of the other stats to this item, it works great against taking down champions that are on the squisher side, so champions like Wukong, Yasuo, or Teemo are now at a huge disadvantage. There are certainly still tanks that can win a top lane fight but choosing a champion that can use BORK to its fullest ability will make the game much easier.

Now, with all this in mind, it is important to recognize match-ups where BotRK is a priority. When playing against a tank, it may not be the best option, as it is hard to get through their defenses. Also, beware of lethality and champions like Nocturne or Kha’Zix, as you can’t fight a champion that will just burst you down.

The ideal time to use BotRK is when you are playing against a champion that is more on the squishier side, or if the enemy team is mostly squishy. If that is the case and you are against a tank, it is important to play for the late game and focus your power in other lanes to get them (and yourself) ahead.

Now, the buffs to BotRK were instrumental in bringing about this new meta. However, the buffs to the Hydras allow champions that abuse BotRK (Jax, Fiora, etc.) a bigger advantage. By building one of those items after BotRK, it firmly establishes a lead and allows you to take over the lane and help your team win the game.

After having read this, hopefully I have imparted enough information for you to make an assessment on what champions you should be using with these powerful buffs and when you should be using them in your own games.