LoL Patch 26.18: Caps in the Hall of Legends, Support Nerfs and Five Champions Back in Classic

Patch 26.18 for League of Legends kicks off the celebration of Caps in the Hall of Legends and brings changes to Summoner’s Rift, League Classic and Mayhem. On the standard map, Bard, Nautilus, Seraphine and Zeri are among those getting weaker, while Ekko, Kassadin, Master Yi, Viego and Zaahen get buffs. In League Classic you can now play five historical versions of champions, and in Mayhem you should be getting more sensible Augment offers.

Below you’ll find an overview broken down by mode. Champion changes in the League Classic section apply to their historical versions, not to regular Summoner’s Rift.

Caps enters the Hall of Legends

Rasmus “Caps” Winther becomes the third member of the Hall of Legends and the first inducted pro player from the West. Riot introduces him as the Beacon of Hope and highlights his standing as the most successful player in European League of Legends history by achievements.

Hall of Legends members are chosen by an independent panel of esports veterans and experts from all regions. They look at international tournament appearances, international and regional titles, role statistics and overall contribution to esports. If you want more context on the competitive scene, we have an overview of LoL esports from the LEC to Worlds.

Hall of Legends battle pass: 100 reward levels

The event pass takes you through Caps’ career and offers 100 levels of rewards. Alongside it, the Risen Legend Collection, Immortalized Legend Collection and Signature Immortalized Legend Collection will be available, with Tristana skins that Caps helped create.

The main pass rewards include:

• Risen Legend Orianna Skin & Border and the Risen Legend Orianna Event Chroma.
• The Freljord Taliyah, Elderwood LeBlanc and Empyrean Akali skins.
• 125 Mythic Essence and 11 Orbs.
• 15 Caps-themed icons and emotes.
• Unkillable Demon Cactus Ward.
• Beacon of Hope Banner.
• The “Martin 1” title and more rewards.

Summoner’s Rift: champion changes

Bard: lower durability

After an earlier damage reduction, Riot is now cutting his durability. Bard keeps his mobility and the long-range utility of his ultimate, but he’ll be more vulnerable to physical damage in trades.

• Armor: 34 + 5 per level → 32 + 4.7 per level.

Cassiopeia: weaker early game, more emphasis on AP

The goal is to curb her dominance in pro play without further punishing Cassiopeia, who already performs worse among regular players. She loses some base damage and movement speed, but her Q and R scale better with AP. On E, part of the AP ratio moves to the base hit; the total ratio of the empowered hit stays the same.

• Passive – Serpentine Grace: movement speed bonus by level 6–40% → 5–36%.
• Q – Noxious Blast: damage 75 / 110 / 145 / 180 / 215 → 65 / 100 / 135 / 170 / 205; AP ratio 65% → 75%.
• E – Twin Fang: mana cost 40 → 45; base AP ratio 10% → 20%; additional empowered hit ratio 55% → 45%. The total AP ratio stays at 65%. Damage by level 52–120 → 50–120.
• R – Petrifying Gaze: damage 150 / 250 / 350 → 125 / 225 / 325; AP ratio 50% → 75%.

Ekko: cheaper Q and a stronger return

The buff is meant to help mainly in mid lane without boosting the Hail of Blades playstyle. You spend less mana on Timewinder, and the return hit gets higher AP scaling.

• Q – Timewinder: mana cost 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 → 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80.
• Return damage AP ratio: 60% → 70%.

Kassadin: stronger Q and early R ranks

Null Sphere makes better use of your AP. Riftwalk gets higher base damage at the first two ranks, while the third rank stays unchanged.

• Q – Null Sphere: AP ratio 70% → 80%.
• R – Riftwalk: base damage 70 / 90 / 110 → 80 / 95 / 110.

Master Yi: more Armor and a faster Highlander

An earlier Rageblade fix hit Master Yi harder than other users because of his interaction with Double Strike. He’s getting compensation for that, plus a scaling buff.

• Armor: 33 + 4.5 per level → 33 + 5 per level.
• R – Highlander: movement speed bonus 35 / 45 / 55% → 40 / 50 / 60%.

Nautilus: less damage, crowd control stays

Riot wants to make room for other supports. His ability to lock down enemies with crowd control doesn’t change, but his basic attacks and the higher ranks of Q will be weaker.

• Attack Damage: 61 + 3.3 per level → 58 + 3.3 per level.
• Q – Dredge Line: damage 85 / 130 / 175 / 220 / 265 (+90% AP) → 85 / 125 / 165 / 205 / 245 (+90% AP).

Seraphine: E no longer gets faster with ranks

The nerf is aimed mainly at bot lane Seraphine. The support version usually maxes E last, so the change hits it less.

• E – Beat Drop: cooldown 11 / 10.5 / 10 / 9.5 / 9 s → 11 s at all ranks.

Syndra: less mana from her passive and a longer W cooldown

After the changes around MSI she returned to pro play, but according to Riot she’s too strong in some parts of solo queue. The mana adjustment is meant to make Lost Chapter more important in the early to mid game and to hit successful builds with less investment in mana.

• Passive – Transcendent: mana per Splinter 20–255 → 20–199.
• W – Force of Will: cooldown 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 s → 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 s.

Viego: higher AD growth and healing that scales with bonus health

The buff is meant to help Viego in general and his tankier alternative build as well. Sovereign’s Domination healing now takes bonus health into account.

• Attack Damage growth: 3.5 → 4 per level.
• Passive – Sovereign’s Domination: the resulting healing is 2% (+2.5% per 100 bonus AD) (+2% per 100 AP) (+5% per 100% bonus attack speed) (+2% per 500 bonus HP) of the target’s maximum health.

The old healing formula is truncated in the source, so only the complete new value is listed here, without guessing the old coefficients.

Zaahen: a more practical Q cooldown when resurrecting

If you have Q active and a resurrection starts, the cooldown now begins immediately. The point is for the ability to recharge during the resurrection instead of making you wait needlessly after you come back. Riot mentions his own resurrection as well as situations with GA or Zilean’s ultimate.

• Q – The Darkin Glaive: an active Q goes on cooldown immediately upon entering Resurrection.
• Q2 damage: 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 (+20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40% bonus AD) → 30 / 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 (+20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40% bonus AD).

Zeri: weaker W against champions and waves

After the recent buffs to Runaan’s Hurricane and Yun Tal Wildarrows, her win rate was climbing. Riot is therefore taking away some of her burst damage and wave-clear power through the AD ratios on W.

• W – Ultrashock Laser: damage 30 / 70 / 110 / 150 / 190 (+120% total AD) → 30 / 70 / 110 / 150 / 190 (+100% total AD).
• Damage when passing through a wall: 45 / 105 / 165 / 225 / 285 (+180% total AD) → 45 / 105 / 165 / 225 / 285 (+150% total AD).
• For the critical strike, the source lists 150% (+15% with IE) but doesn’t state a change from the previous value.

Rageblade: you keep your stacks longer

A small buff compensates for the fix that delayed the first double hit. You get one more second to build and keep your stacks.

• Seething Strike: stack duration 3 s → 4 s.

League Classic: five historical champions arrive

The third patch for League Classic brings its biggest content addition yet: Fiora, Galio, Poppy, Shyvana and Xin Zhao join in their older forms. If you’re still finding your way around the mode, check out our introduction to League Classic and how to access it.

Fiora: the 2012–2015 version

Historical Fiora focuses on fights against an isolated target and short trades with Riposte. The source recommends Ravenous Hydra for wave clear.

• Passive – Duelist: regenerates health when damaging enemies. Hits on champions let the regeneration stack.
• Q – Lunge: dashes to a nearby enemy and strikes. The ability can be cast a second time at no extra cost.
• W – Riposte: passively grants Attack Damage. When activated, it parries the next attack within a short window and deals damage to the attacker.
• E – Burst of Speed: increases attack speed for a few seconds. Attacks and Lunge during the effect grant a stacking movement speed bonus.
• R – Blade Waltz: Fiora becomes untargetable and repeatedly strikes nearby enemies. The hits apply on-hit effects; repeated hits on the same target deal reduced damage.

Galio: the 2010–2017 version

Old Galio combines mage, AP bruiser, tank and support. He also uses Magic Resist to boost his offense.

• Passive – Runic Skin: converts part of his Magic Resist into Ability Power.
• Q – Resolute Smite: fires a projectile that damages and slows enemies where it lands.
• W – Bulwark: grants Armor and Magic Resist to a nearby allied champion. When the protected ally takes damage, Galio heals.
• E – Righteous Gust: damages enemies in a line and leaves behind a gust of wind. Allies moving in its direction gain movement speed.
• R – Idol of Durand: while channeling, he taunts nearby enemies and takes reduced damage. At the end he damages enemies in an area; the damage grows with the number of hits he took while channeling.

Poppy: the 2010–2015 version

Diplomatic Immunity is back too, letting Poppy ignore every opponent except one chosen target.

• Passive – Valiant Fighter: the portion of incoming damage that exceeds 10% of Poppy’s current health is reduced by 50%.
• Q – Devastating Blow: her next basic attack deals bonus damage based on the target’s maximum HP.
• W – Paragon of Demacia: gains Armor and Attack Damage up to a set limit when dealing or taking basic attacks. Activating it instantly grants maximum stacks and increases movement speed for a few seconds.
• E – Heroic Charge: a dash that damages and knocks back an enemy. Slamming into a wall adds extra damage and a stun.
• R – Diplomatic Immunity: selects an enemy she deals bonus damage to. For the duration of the effect she is immune to all other enemies.

Shyvana: the 2011–2013 version

For this historical version, Riot recommends Frozen Mallet so slowed targets have a harder time escaping.

• Passive – Fury of the Dragonborn: basic attacks reduce the cooldown of Q, extend W, deal part of E’s original damage and generate Fury for her ultimate.
• Q – Twin Bite: her next attack strikes twice and deals bonus damage. In dragon form it damages targets in a cone in front of Shyvana.
• W – Burnout: grants movement speed and continuously damages nearby enemies. In dragon form it leaves a trail of fire.
• E – Flame Breath: a fireball damages the first enemy hit and reduces its Armor. In dragon form she fires the fireballs in a cone and can hit multiple targets.
• R – Dragon’s Descent: passively grants Armor and Magic Resist, doubled in dragon form. Activating it transforms Shyvana into a dragon and sends her forward, damaging and knocking back enemies she hits.

Xin Zhao: the 2012–2017 version

• Passive – Challenge: the last target of his basic attack receives Challenge, which reduces its Armor.
• Q – Three Talon Strike: his next three basic attacks deal bonus damage, and each reduces his other cooldowns by one second. The third attack knocks the target into the air.
• W – Battle Cry: passively, every third basic attack heals him. Activating it grants attack speed for a few seconds.
• E – Audacious Charge: a dash to an enemy that applies Challenge. The target and nearby enemies take damage and are slowed.
• R – Crescent Sweep: damages nearby enemies and grants Armor and Magic Resist for each enemy hit. Knocks back everyone except the target with Challenge.

We’ve also covered champion picks and items in a separate overview of champions and builds in League Classic.

League Classic: balancing existing champions

Anivia: a slower and less reliable Q

The mode’s most successful mid laner gets values closer to 2013.

• Q – Flash Frost: projectile speed 950 → 850.
• Stun on manual detonation: 1 s → 0.75 s.
• Manual detonation radius: 230 → 210.
• Minimum delay before recast: 0 → 0.25 s.

Gangplank: more gold and a stronger Raise Morale

• Q – Parrrley: bonus gold per kill 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 → 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 / 12.
• E – Raise Morale: active Attack Damage bonus 12 / 19 / 26 / 33 / 40 → 14 / 22 / 30 / 38 / 46.
• Active movement speed bonus: 8 / 11 / 14 / 17 / 20% → 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 26%.
• Allies still receive 50% of Gangplank’s bonuses.

Heimerdinger: compensation for the turret fix

The fix for double turret damage in the last patch took away more power than Riot expected. Some of the previous nerfs are therefore being reverted, with a focus on top lane.

• Base health regeneration: 4.5 → 5.05.
• Q – H-28G Evolution Turret: base damage 28 / 36 / 44 / 52 / 60 → 30 / 38 / 46 / 54 / 62.
• W – Hextech Micro-Rockets: mana cost 65 / 85 / 105 / 125 / 145 → 60 / 75 / 90 / 105 / 120.
• E – CH-1 Concussion Grenade: cooldown 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 s → 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 s; range 920 → 925.

Kayle: her passive counts total AD

Holy Fervor now also counts base Attack Damage. According to Riot, this effectively means a gain of 17–32 AP, which helps both damage and healing.

• Passive – Holy Fervor: AP gained equals 30% of bonus AD → 30% of total AD.

Malzahar: a weaker AP version, support for the AD build

• Attack speed growth: 1.36% → 3%.
• Attack Speed Ratio: 0.625 → 0.658.
• Passive – Summon Voidling: Voidling movement speed 400 → 460; attack point in animation frames 12 → 9; gold for killing a Voidling 2 → 12.
• Q – Call of the Void: AP ratio 80% → 70%.
• R – Nether Grasp: no longer keeps dealing damage after the channel is interrupted.

Nasus: fixes weaken Q and Wither

Bonus damage from Q stacks can no longer critically strike. At the same time, Wither’s slow ramping up too quickly and its interaction with Tenacity are being fixed.

• Q – Siphoning Strike: bonus damage from stacks can no longer critically strike.
• W – Wither: the slow ramps up every 0.5 s → every 1 s; the interval is now affected by Tenacity.
• Fixed a bug that made the slow ramp up twice as much as intended.

Tenacity should no longer cut off the strongest end of the slow. The overall result of the fixes is still meant to be a weaker ability, because the previous ramp-up was mistakenly too high.

Warwick: weaker attacks and a weaker early ultimate

Warwick is well ahead of the other junglers in the mode. The patch reduces the power of his basic attacks and the first two ranks of R.

• Attack speed: 0.644 → 0.625.
• Passive – Eternal Thirst: base damage 3–16 with linear growth → 3, growing by 0.5 per level up to level 9 and then by 1 per level.
• W – Hunter’s Call: cooldown 24 / 22 / 20 / 18 / 16 s → 30 / 27 / 24 / 21 / 18 s.
• R – Infinite Duress: damage 250 / 335 / 420 (+200% bonus AD) → 180 / 300 / 420 (+200% bonus AD).
• The R range indicator better matches the actual range.

Council: results of the first vote

Players voted for the return of all three proposed items, modern jungle timers and the Turtle on top, Duck on bottom pairing. These additions will arrive in one of the upcoming patches, not automatically in 26.18.

Game length and snowballing

• How game length feels: very short 1.87%, short 5.88%, just right 52.80%, long 26.21%, very long 13.24%.
• When a game becomes too long: 30 minutes 16.75%, 40 minutes 32.68%, 50 minutes 29.29%, 60 minutes 11.64%, no preferred maximum 9.63%.
• Level of snowballing: far too high 8.89%, slightly too high 24.99%, just right 48.82%, slightly too low 12.24%, far too low 5.06%.

Items, jungle timers and other elements

• Item returns: Zz’Rot Portal 16.16%, Cloak and Dagger 3.75%, Moonflair Spellblade 5.11%, all three 60.67%, none 14.32%. The return of all three won.
• Jungle timers: modern and always visible on the minimap 45.74%, only with the scoreboard open 23.46%, no change 30.79%. The combined positive answers exceeded 50%, so the first option won.
• Keeping base gates: yes 55.03%, no 44.97%.
• Ward trinkets are worthwhile: yes 69.72%, no 30.28%.
• River creature pairing, always top then bottom: Turtle / Turtle 11.31%, Turtle / Duck 52.09%, Duck / Turtle 28.39%, Duck / Duck 8.21%.

League Classic: cosmetics and bug fixes

Classic Skin Chromas merge with base skins

Classic Skin Chromas will no longer be sold separately; instead they’ll be unified with the corresponding Base Skin. The goal is to simplify the store and eliminate situations where a player effectively paid twice by buying a Classic Chroma and then the base skin.

If you only bought a Classic Chroma, you’ll get the matching Base Skin for free. Baron Rammus goes into the vault in patch 26.20; until then you can get him at a reduced price.

Ability fixes

• Teemo’s traps now last the correct 10 minutes.
• Akali’s Q and R range indicators match the actual range.
• Akali’s W can no longer be cast while moving.
• Skarner’s E no longer heals less than it should.
• Nidalee’s E in Cougar form: hit range fixed from 310 to 350.
• Nidalee’s E in Human form: cast range fixed from 900 to 600.

Mayhem: better-fitting Augments and an end to Hydra abuse

Riot keeps adjusting Augment offers based on the champion you pick. The focus is on poor combinations, such as AP-focused offers for Vayne. The idea is that you’ll more often choose from options that make sense for your champion.

We’ve covered other modes in our overview of Arena, URF, Brawl and Doom Bots.

Augment changes

• Clown College: re-enabled.
• Spin to Win: R ability damage increase 30% → 50%.
• Ultra Hydra: if you have this augment, you can’t sell Hydra items.

Mayhem fixes

• Item damage no longer incorrectly triggers the area cleave effect with Upgrade Ravenous Hydra.
• En Passant now works correctly even when at least two players on the same team have it.
• Viego can no longer gain extra Tiamats when possessing other bodies with Ultra Hydra.
• Selling and rebuying Hydra with Ultra Hydra no longer lets you gain extra gold.
• Fixed the ability to buy multiple Ravenous Hydras and, with Quest: Ultra Hydra, gain lifesteal from Upgrade Ravenous Hydra on all three.
• Deceive from Clown College no longer deals incorrect damage due to the critical strike ratio.
• Rite of Ascension no longer incorrectly seals empowered abilities.
• The maximum number of Void Corruption stacks on Baron Nashor is no longer higher than it should be.
• Shield Reaver damage from Serpent’s Fang no longer applies Omnivamp.
• Fixed Diana’s R visual effects playing incorrectly in some parts of the map.
• Viego no longer causes an endlessly looping sound effect after possessing Kled.

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