In the ever-evolving landscape of League of Legends, the new champion Smolder has quickly garnered attention and become a favored pick in the role of Marksman after recent adjustments. Despite being a small dragon, Smolder has proven that size is not everything, swiftly dominating the Ranked games in League of Legends and emerging as one of the most popular champions in terms of Pick and Ban rates in its designated role.
Smolder Proves its Mettle in Ranked Matches
The Tiny Fire Dragon, known as Smolder, has achieved the highest Pick and Ban rates among champions in the Platinum tier and above, as per U.GG statistics. Smolder boasts an impressive pick rate of 21.6% and a ban rate reaching 38.8% in over 427,000 matches played on Patch 14.4. Despite its seemingly modest win rate of 49%, Smolder’s strength truly shines in the Late Game phase, where its passive ability continually enhances the power of its fire, making it a force to be reckoned with.
Unleashing the Power of Smolder’s Passive Ability
For skilled players, accumulating 225 stacked embers with Smolder becomes a straightforward task, evolving the champion as early as minute 19 or 20 in the game. Effective minion wave management, coupled with the use of Doran’s Ring as a standard starting item for spellcasters, allows players to overcome Smolder’s early-game vulnerabilities.
While Smolder has gained a significant following, it has also attracted its fair share of detractors within the League of Legends community. Many players agree that balancing this champion for different skill levels poses a considerable challenge for Riot Games. Similar to past cases, low-tier players struggle to farm efficiently with the Tiny Fire Dragon, whereas high-tier players quickly reach their power spike.
Anticipated Changes in Patch 14.5
Acknowledging the community’s feedback, Riot Games plans to implement the following changes for Smolder in Patch 14.5:
Smolder Adjustments:
- Q – Scorching Breath:
- Change in burn damage: from 6.5% of Health to (+2% per 100 Attack Damage + 1.5% per 100 Ability Power + 1% per 100 stacked embers).
- E – Wing Flap Soar:
- Number of shots changed from 5 + 5% Critical Strike Rate to 5 + 2% of stacked embers.
- R – MEEẸ ƠIII!:
- Basic damage reduction: from 225 – 475 to 200 – 400.
- Middle damage increase: from 130% to 150%.
- Health restoration changed from 110 – 210 to 100 – 170.
- New: Additional health restoration based on 50% Attack Damage.
These adjustments aim to fine-tune Smolder’s power and are slated to be introduced in Patch 14.5, scheduled for release on March 6th.
Stay tuned for further updates on Smolder’s evolving status in the ever-shifting meta of League of Legends!
