Next 'League of Legends' Patch Will Buff Skarner

League of Legends’ fast-moving scorpion champion Skarner is getting some buffs in Patch 9.5 [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

League of Legends' fast-moving scorpion champion Skarner is getting some buffs in Patch 9.5 that'll make his spires more powerful across their various spots on Summoner's Rift.

As any Skarner players will know, maintaining control of the spires around the map is integral to unlocking Skarner's potential while clearing the jungle quickly and dueling with enemy junglers. Though much of the jungle is covered by the spires' radiuses, there are still some parts that aren't affected, though that's part of what's changing in Pathc 9.5.

Senior game designer Riot Jag shared a tweet which outlined the quality-of-life buffs Riot Games has planned for Skarner in the next patch, one of which greatly increases the radius of the spires' effects by bringing it up to 1,600 from 1,150. A spire on the red side of the map has also been moved so that Skarner can use its effects when battling the Raptors, a jungle camp that must be taken down quickly unless a jungler wants to lose all their health. Finally, the spires won't appear on the mini-map any longer, so it'll be up to Skarner players and everyone else in the game to keep up with where the spires are and who likely has control of them.

The only catch to these changes is that while Skarner's enemies won't be able to see when the champion captures a spire unless they already have vision of that location, Skarner and the jungler's team won't be able to tell when an enemy takes a spire either. Riot Jag confirmed that fact in some follow-up tweets when the designer responded to questions about the buffs.

Along with the more obvious effects of causing more players to gravitate towards Skarner, the changes also sound like they'll change the way enemies play against the jungler. While the mini-map currently reveals where the spires are and players can see them being taken even if they don't have vision of the locations, the new system will make it so that enemies actually have to ward the spires more often to know when Skarner is planning on doing an objective.

League of Legends' Skarner buffs are expected to release in Patch 9.5.

Trending Now: