League of Legends Players Might Actually Fight Over Cloud Drake Soon

The Cloud Drake isn’t the most exciting objective to go for when there are turrets, Rift [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

League of Legends Shyvana
(Photo: Riot Games)

The Cloud Drake isn't the most exciting objective to go for when there are turrets, Rift Heralds, and Barons on the table, but League of Legends players might actually try to secure it more after Patch 8.5 releases.

Patch 8.5 includes a change for jungle objectives that focuses specifically on the Cloud Drake, the least popular of the four main elemental dragons. Riot Games acknowledged in the patch notes that the Cloud Drake has had its uses in certain team compositions but doesn't fit everyone, hence the buffs coming to make it a more contested objective.

"Cloud Drake has always been good for pick-based compositions who want to catch opponents out of position, but not as appealing for other comps," Riot Games said in the patch notes. "We're shifting the movement speed to have both in and out of combat applications so more teams find it rewarding to take."

The shift that's outlined below will give a permanent movement speed buff regardless of if players are in combat or not, but those out of combat will be able to move even quicker.

Cloud Drake Buff

  • [NEW] ALWAYS FAST Now grants 2% bonus movement speed per stack, tripled while out of combat
  • [REMOVED] SOMETIMES FAST No longer gives 25 out of combat movement speed per stack

Changes for the Cloud Drake were sorely needed as most teams and junglers at all levels of play would take the dragon only when there was really no better alternative. If no other objectives were open and players killed the enemy jungler or spotted them towards the top of the map while having an advantage, then the Cloud Drake might be an objective that'd be secured simply because players were in the area. Even professional casters have discussed the dragon during pro League matches and said that it's an objective players go for if there's nothing else better to be done.

But following the release of Patch 8.5, any team composition should find more success when securing the Cloud Drake. Instead of granting a flat amount of movement speed, the Cloud Drake will soon grant a percentage bonus that still stacks up to three times. This means that players will be moving with 6 percent bonus movement speed if they're engaged in combat and can get up to 18 percent bonus speed outside of combat.

The changes should go into effect in Patch 8.5, so look to secure more Cloud Drakes for your team when the patch rolls out.

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