League of Legends Patch Makes Rift Scuttler More Important, Overhauls Jungle XP

League of Legends’ jungle is getting some serious changes in the next update with Patch 8.10 adjusting the experience gained from all monster camps and changing the items that junglers use.

If you’ve been following the jungle changes lately as well as the pushback from players and Riot Games’ follow-up iterations, you may already have an idea of what to expect from the patch. If not, Riot lets you know up front that this update is one that’ll impact the jungle in a big way.

“First, the jungle. We’ve had to take efforts to dial back the amount of pressure junglers can exert early, but we’re pushing that harder in the direction of the jungle camps,” the patch notes began. TL;DR, most jungle camps will be worth less experience early, but the Rift Scuttler will be worth a lot more. The jungler who can win the fight for River Crab—or sneak one when the other jungler can’t respond—will be at an experience and sustain advantage, and can turn that into plays around the map.”

Check out the changes for everything related to the jungle that are coming in Patch 8.10.

Jungle XP

First up in the jungle changes is the sweeping experience differences for every monster camp. From the small Razorbeaks to the big buffs, everything except for the Dragon, Baron, and Rift Herald is getting changed.

“Junglers have had too much of an impact in the early game,” the notes explained. Specifically, they’ve too frequently been able to gank at level 3 before solo laners even reach that level. We’re looking to decrease consistent access to early jungle pressure but offer a more valuable Rift Scuttler as a new way for junglers to gain a lead.”

Here’s how all of the XP gains are being affected by Patch 8.10:

• [REMOVED] SLOW DOWN: Experience no longer reduced by 5% per level champion is ahead of the camp being taken.
• [NEW] RAID BOSS: Monster camp experience now scales with level, capping at level 7.
• BLUE SENTINEL: 180 ⇒ 115 – 180 (at levels 1-7)
• RED BRAMBLEBACK: 180 ⇒ 115 – 180 (at levels 1-7)
• LARGE KRUG: 125 ⇒ 100 – 157 (at levels 1-7)
• MEDIUM KRUG: 35 ⇒ 35 – 55 (at levels 1-7)
• SMALL KRUG: 7 ⇒ 7 – 11 (at levels 1-7)
• LARGE WOLF: 100 ⇒ 65 – 102 (at levels 1-7)
• SMALL WOLVES: 40 ⇒ 25 – 39 (at levels 1-7)
• LARGE RAZORBEAK: 62 ⇒ 56 – 88 (at levels 1-7)
• SMALL RAZORBEAKS: 35 ⇒ 19 – 30 (at levels 1-7)
• GROMP 200 ⇒ 115 – 180 (at levels 1-7)
• [REMOVED] GRIMP: Gromp no longer grants 37.5% reduced experience on its first clear
• [REMOVED] FALSE START: Medium Krugs, Small Krugs, and Large Razorbeak no longer grant 25% reduced experience on their first clear
• WHEATIES: Large Krug’s first clear experience reduction 50% ⇒ 30%

Rift Scuttler

It seems like it’s been a long time coming by now, but the Rift Scuttler changes are just about here. After Riot Games announced that the pacifist crab would be changed in the future and then withdrew the changes for further consideration, the Rift Scuttler will become much more important in the next update.

“Rift Scuttler isn’t the hotly contested objective we’d like it to be, so we’re looking to up the reward ya girl Scuttle gives to encourage more interaction between junglers—and teams—as the game progresses. Becoming the Scuttle slayer will now give junglers an experience edge over their opponents, not just a spot of vision”

• HEALTH: 800-3920 (based on level) ⇒ 1200-2480 (based on level)
• EXPERIENCE GRANTED: 10 ⇒ 115-230 (at levels 1-9)
• GOLD REWARD: 70 ⇒ 70-140 (at levels 1-9)
• INITIAL SPAWN TIME: 2:15 ⇒ 2:00
• [NEW] TWO CRAB ENTER: At initial spawn, Scuttlers will spawn in the top and bottom river. Both must be killed before the respawn timer activates.
• THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE: Once both initial Rift Scuttlers are killed, only one Rift Scuttler can be on the map at any given time for the rest of the game. Respawn locations are randomly determined, but signaled ahead of time with a respawn marker.
• RESPAWN TIME: 180 seconds ⇒ 135 seconds
• [NEW] SHIELDS UP: Scuttler’s extra defenses now have a particle to indicate when she’s protected and when the shield has been broken
• [UPDATED] MY CABBAGES: Rift Scuttler’s chance of trying to steal a honeyfruit is significantly decreased

Items

Last in the “Jungle” section is the items that all junglers have to start with. The Hunter’s Talisman, Machete, and the upgrades that both of these items become are all affected in the next update.

Hunter’s Talisman

• “Hunter’s Talisman has been relatively weak and we’re looking to buff it. These changes should also help expand the jungle roster to include champions that have mana problems in their first clear.”
• KINDLE DAMAGE: 45 damage over 5 seconds ⇒ 60 damage over 5 seconds
• KINDLE HEAL: 25 health over 5 seconds ⇒ 30 health over 5 seconds
• [UPDATED] KINDLE: Damage over 5 seconds is no longer amped to 75 if you have bonus health
• [REMOVED] BASE MANA REGEN: 150% while in the jungle
• [NEW] MAGIC OF THE JUNGLE: Up to 40 mana per 5 seconds based on missing mana while in the jungle or river

Hunter’s Machete

• “We’re removing the attack speed buff given by Hunter’s Machete and providing power elsewhere on the item. We initially gave it attack speed so junglers wouldn’t be forced into the Precision tree, but this has become less of a problem after the introduction of rune set bonus splitting. We’ll be watching to see if any junglers are hit hard by these changes and try to compensate as necessary.”
• DAMAGE ON-HIT VS MONSTERS: 25 ⇒ 35
• [ REMOVED]CHOP CHOP: Attacking jungle monsters no longer grants 15% bonus attack speed for 2 seconds

Skirmisher’s Sabre

• [REMOVED] CHOP CHOP: Attacking jungle monsters no longer grants 15% bonus attack speed for 2 seconds
• DAMAGE ON-HIT VS MONSTERS: 30 ⇒ 40
• [REMOVED] BASE MANA REGEN: 225% while in the jungle
• [NEW] MAGIC OF THE JUNGLE: Up to 40 mana per 5 seconds based on missing mana while in the jungle or river

Stalker’s Blade

• [REMOVED] CHOP CHOP: Attacking jungle monsters no longer grants 15% bonus attack speed for 2 seconds
• DAMAGE ON-HIT VS MONSTERS: 30 ⇒ 40
• [REMOVED] BASE MANA REGEN: 225% while in the jungle
• [NEW] MAGIC OF THE JUNGLE: Up to 40 mana per 5 seconds based on missing mana while in the jungle or river

Runic Echoes

It wasn’t included in the “Jungle” section, but there’s also a significant change coming for the Runic Echoes enchantment that should help some mage champions return to the jungle alongside the Hunter’s Talisman changes seen above. The enchantment will soon have a different build path that’ll also adjust its stats to give champions more mana and cooldown reduction but less movement speed.

“Mage junglers have been pretty scarce on the Rift for a while, and we’re looking to change that. Changing Runic Echoes’ build path to grant mana and cooldown reduction (both core mage stats) and increasing its overall stat efficiency should open the door for more mages to tango with jungle monsters.”

• TOTAL COST: 2625 gold (unchanged)
• BUILD PATH: Aether Wisp + Stalker’s Blade + Amplifying Tome + 345 gold ⇒ Stalker’s Blade + Lost Chapter + 325 gold
• [REMOVED] MOVEMENT SPEED: 7%
• [NEW] MANA: 300
• [NEW] COOLDOWN REDUCTION: 10%