December 6th is the expected date for the start of the seventh season of LoL. Following the assassin rework, the meta has shifted into one where a tanky top laner, a bruisy jungler, a wave clearing mid, a hypercarry marksman and a good kiting support were optimal for success on the Rift. This, combined with the noticeable changes to the jungle camps (see more here), has resulted in the possibility for junglers to hit level 3 much faster than any laner. If the level 3 gank goes wrong, the jungler could simply return to his jungle and farm back up to reach a level advantage once again. This is the result of the increased experience that jungle camps now offer.

Let's delve deeper into all of this.

A New Meta

On November 9th, Riot Games released patch 6.22, bringing us to the start of the preseason. For this patch, they aimed to make assassins more "distinct while improving their overall game health."

This patch has implemented;

• a few item changes
• champion balances
• overhauled stealth mechanics
• Control Ward implementation
• Lethality replacing Armor penetration
• introduction to plants
• jungle camp updates
• Smite ability update
• mastery tree revision
• solo queue and flex queue integration

We're going to focus on the changes to jungle camps.

Credit: welterz.deviantart.com

The Blue Sentinel and Red Brambleback camps are now easier to clear thanks to reduced MR on the Sentinel and reduced Armor on the Brambleback. The two smaller sentinels have been removed from both camps. Champions like Amumu, Elise, Evelynn and Nidalee will take the blue buff much easier without sacrificing much HP. This also allows AP mid laners to solo kill the Sentinel without needing help from their jungler earlier in the game. Champions like Kha'Zix, Lee Sin, Graves and Hecarim will kill the Brambleback faster while coming out of the jungle with more HP. Lastly, when you use Smite on either buff monster, it will heal you. Previously, only the Red Brambleback would heal you if you used Smite on it.

The Raptor camp has grown by two raptors. The Crimson Raptor's health has been reduced by ~50% and its damage by ~66%. The smaller raptors have gained ~50% HP. Once again, the jungler will clear the camp faster, gain more experience and come out of it healthier.

The Gromp has significantly lower damage with an increased attack speed that decays over time. It won't die faster but the jungler will sustain less damage during the clear.

The most significant change was implemented in the Krug camp. The Ancient Krug and the Krug, once killed, will spawn two more Krugs each. These have ~60% less HP. When they are killed, two mini Krugs spawn with ~88% less HP. That's a total of 14 monsters that give at least 15 exp. each.

The Wolf camp has not seen any changes.

Overall, most camps have gotten easier to clear and give more experience. The new, most efficient starting jungle path is to start at the red buff camp and then go straight to the Krugs. You should hit level 3 and be able to gank with a significant level advantage.

The Team Composition

The most effective team composition is made up of a tanky front line that can live through the damage sustained when they dive the enemy back line. Your mid laner needs to be able to clear waves quickly to gain the lane advantage and try to affect the outer lanes with roams and vision. The support player has to pick someone who can kite the enemy front line while either offering shields or heals (new support items favour this style). And finally, the AD marksman will want to shred the enemy front line as quickly as possible.

Here's are some examples of which champions best fill their roles.

• Top: Nautilus, Shen, Malphite, Darius, Gnar
• Jungle: Elise, Nocturne, Jarvan IV, Volibear, Hecarim
• Mid: Syndra, Orianna, Vel'Koz, Veigar, Karma
• Ad Carry: Vayne, Twitch, Caitlyn, Jhin, Lucian
• Support: Janna, Karma, Zyra, Soraka, Nami

A New Toolbox

There were more than a few item updates to accommodate the revamped assassins, but there were a few that stuck out to junglers specifically.

The Hunter's Machete, and its upgrades, now deal 25 on-hit damage to monsters instead of 20. It also provides 10% Lifesteal, replacing the 8% that it gave before. Once again we can notice more sustainability for junglers who start with the Machete.

Credit: ippus.deviantart.com

Aegis of the Legion and, by extension, Locket of the Iron Solari have gotten a pretty hefty nerf. Despite getting a 300 gold reduction, there is no more MR aura, no more HP, no more health regeneration, no more cooldown reduction and no more active passive AoE shield. It has gained 30 armor, however.

Forbidden Idol has received a lower cost, 550 gold instead of 600, and now offers 8% stronger heals and shield instead of 10%. We see a small balancing here. Less stats for a lower cost.

The Chalice of Harmony now offers health regeneration along with its usual mana regeneration.

Redemption, the newest item to be added, is the final nail in the coffin in Riot Games' attempt to make mage supports increasingly popular. Mission success. Here are Redemption's stats:

TOTAL COST: 2100 gold
BUILD PATH: Forbidden Idol + Crystalline Bracer + 650 gold
HEALTH: 400
BASE HEALTH REGENERATION: +75%
BASE MANA REGENERATION: +75%
COOLDOWN REDUCTION: +10%
HEAL AND SHIELD POWER: +10% (UNIQUE Passive)
SO REDEEMED UNIQUE Active: Target an area within 5500 range. After 2.5 seconds, call down a beam of light to heal allies for 130 (+20 per target’s level) health, burn enemy champions for 10% of their maximum health as true damage, and deal 250 true damage to enemy minions (120 second cooldown). Can be used while dead. (Half effect if the target has been affected by another Redemption recently)

With Redemption being added to the pool of Support items, Mages can now display a certain tankiness while still casting their healing and shielding powers. Champions like Janna, Nami, Karma and Soraka will increase a Support players effectiveness during their ranked queue climb.

Season 7 is looking like it could be one of the most interesting yet; on an amateur solo queue level as well as on a professional level. I have to admit, with the new meta and all the roster moves, I'm really excited. Junglers and Support players are usually the ones making shot calls and giving general direction to their team. Having been buffed pretty hard these last patches, they will certainly be showing even more prowess on the Rift in the season to come.

Like our content? Support us by getting our merchandise in our shop