Riot confirms Ahri rework for League of Legends Season 12 to make mage “fun” again
Riot GamesAhri is getting a rework in League of Legends Season 12, with Riot giving the Nine-Tailed Fox one of their popular “mini-reworks” to bring the mage back into the meta. The changes are set to make Ahri “feel fun and well-supported” after years of neglect.
While being one of the poster girls of League of Legends, Ahri hasn’t really been a part of the game’s meta for years. Once popular with casuals and pros alike, the Nine-Tailed Fox has fallen out of favor with both groups as the mid lane meta moves along.
She only has a 5.09% pick rate according to stats website LoLalytics, and a bang average 50.67% win rate. While it’s not the worst, as time goes on, Ahri’s 10-year-old kit has become evidently dated on Summoner’s Rift.
Outside of the Season 11 item rework — which hit the Nine-Tailed Fox harder than most — Ahri effectively has remained untouched since League of Legends patch 10.18, when Riot gave her a decent overhaul by shuffling around her passives and buffed her Fox-Fire ability. However, the kit she released with in December 2011 is practically the same as the one she uses today, with a few minor upgrades here and there.
In Season 12, that’s set to change with Riot giving Ahri a rework — or in their terms, a “mid-scope champion adjustment.”.
Riot GamesAhri gameplay rework modernizes Nine-Tailed Fox’s kit
Lead gameplay designer Bryan ‘Axes’ Salvatore explained in a December 16 blog post Ahri’s influence in the mid lane has waned, and Riot wants to bring her back into the fold.
“In the case of Ahri, we’re working on her because we believe that players who she has previously resonated with aren’t enjoying her as much anymore. The goal is [to] make her feel fun and well-supported,” he added on Reddit.
This is also the same justification being used to support Janna’s upcoming rework — which went live with League of Legends patch 12.2.
We've got an Ahri refresh going to PBE soon for feedback
Goals:
-Lean into her mobile mage identity by allowing R to partially reset, giving her more opportunities to carry fights
-Passive reworked to be more useful throughout the game
-Make her spells feel better to cast in lane pic.twitter.com/0vLqJqOlS2— August UwU (@RiotAugust) January 19, 2022
Champion designer August ‘August’ Browning elaborated on the changes on January 19, with goals of leaning into Ahri’s “mobile mage identity”.
The changes touch every part of her kit, including reworking her passive. She can now earn back charges of her ultimate, Spirit Rush, by consuming a champion’s Essence (with her passive) — giving her up to six dashes. However, with so much healing now inbuilt into the Nine-Tailed Fox’s kit (her reworked passive does a lot of healing), her base health has been nerfed.
The damage on her W and E have been increased, while her Q mana cost has been nerfed.
Riot GamesAhri also getting “Caitlyn-level” visual update
On top of the gameplay overhaul, Ahri is getting a visual update — with the two in conjunction basically forming a complete rework of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
“She doesn’t have back animations, and the animations she does have just feel extremely dated — not only for her base skins, but all Epic skins that use the same foundation,” developer Jonathan ‘Bellissimoh’ Belliss said during the Season 12 launch on January 7.
All of her skins will be modernized with new animations and rigging to flow better in modern League of Legends.
The relevant segment begins at 4:45.
Ahri rework changes
Gameplay
Base stats
- Health 526 + 92/level ⇒ 500 + 82/level.
- Health regen per 5: 5.5 ⇒ 2.5.
- Armor 21 ⇒ 18.
Passive: Essence Theft
- [REWORKED] Killing minions or monsters grants Ahri an Essence Fragment. After obtaining nine Fragments, Ahri consumes them to heal for 40-120 (25% AP). When Ahri scores a takedown against an enemy champion within 3 seconds of damaging them, she feasts upon their Essence, healing for 80-200 (35% AP).
Q: Orb of Deception
- Mana cost 65-85 ⇒ 60-100.
- Ability power ratio 35%.
W: Fox-Fire
- Damage 40-140 ⇒ 60-160.
- Mana cost 45 ⇒ 25.
- Flame duration 5 ⇒ 2.5 seconds.
- Move speed bonus duration 1.5 ⇒ 2 seconds.
- Updated last hitting logic, cleaned up VFX.
E: Charm
- Damage: 60-180 (40% AP) ⇒ 80-200 (60% AP)
- Mana cost 70 ⇒ 50
- [REMOVED] No longer grants a 20% damage amp on the target.
R: Spirit Rush
- Duration 10 ⇒ 15 seconds
- [NEW] Consuming a champion’s essence with Essence Theft while Spirit Rush is active extends its recast duration by up to 10 seconds and grants an additional cast of Spirit Rush (up to 3 stored).
- Cooldown starts after first cast instead of after all casts are over.
- Cleaned up VFX, added Ammo Bar icons.
