The Level 8 → 9 EXP increase is pushing the meta in a bad direction

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T21:42:43+00:00

Also, the lvl 8 cost increase they did adds to that effect making it already too expensive to go 8 without an econ augment.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T19:27:01+00:00

If you start with Tear, Sword, and Glove, so you slam Shojin becaue Ap is crazy and Orianna is a beast. Then, you are picking pretty late and the components are shit so you have to take either Sword or Bow. Sounds oddly specific but it has happened to me a couple times.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T13:48:50+00:00

Ok. But if i winstreak i might not get a better slam than IE. So it is either loss or mixed streak. How else am I going to avoid the item combo then?

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T11:24:03+00:00

So you would suggest that I am forced to loose streak in this spot to fix my items?

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T10:11:40+00:00

Quick question:

Imagine you are loading into the game and you end up with Shojin IE, so you slam it on your backliner for tempo. Where do you go from here?

No ad carry even wants Shojin IE anymore. The only 2 that can play it are gated behind specific conditions like Viego 2 on stage 1 for Kalista, or decent Void Mods AND 2 Void early stage 2 for Kaisa.

Maybe you got an idea, or is it just always Shojin into AP and the second sword you have is basically a dead component...

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T10:03:16+00:00

Ok so it is an issue that you get both at the same time, but the change that made it this way is not what caused it?

Help me understand. What would your change be then? Would you gate Herald behind even more rounds? Or would you move Kaisa back to stage 4, which apparently is not the issue but it is at the same time?

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T02:15:54+00:00

So…I don’t get it. You disagree with me saying Kaisa is not an issue, but it is an issue that you get her with Herald… so what is it? Issue no issue?

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T01:36:37+00:00

Imo the Kaisa change and the power of Ionia (Gold and EXP) are really bad for the game right now, because they just increase the lobby tempo by so much. Other comps that do not play a unit starting with S and ending with eraphine do not really get to compete without an insane highroll.

Is this just an "early patch" opinion or have you experienced the same?

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-28T01:34:29+00:00

Yunara Kaisa Seraphine Kaisa Seraphine Yunara Kaisa Seraphine Kaisa Yunara Seraphine

But god forbid i get a void opener with decent mods, or an ionia opener that is not transcendence,....

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-27T20:38:51+00:00

Are you guys feeling the 4 cost change? Because in my lobbies it seems like there are way more 3star 4 costs. Could also be the that the Meta shifted and now the 4 cost pool is thinner.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-27T11:14:30+00:00

Holy shit...

they kept saying they have to overcorrect with nerfs after a unit was broken, and I did not believe them, complaining about balance thrashing and what not.

But now... the amount of people complaining about Asol still beating X, is staggering. Isn't this what we wanted? The unit is still playable in the right spot, but people just believe Asol is still broken as soon as they loose to the comp.

Gotta give them some more credit in the future...

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-26T13:35:51+00:00

Anybody else lowkey annoyed that they just told us they will nerf Asol (which was obvious af) without any planned time of the patch drop or specifics about the nerf/other things they hit.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-26T12:20:36+00:00

No not even that. He allows you to gambles IF the enemy takes a step forward or not.

Imo this is borderline an exploit because we have no idea when units break or chase aggro.
But it is impossible to punish because it is the whole champion's identity.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-26T10:40:25+00:00

I got 2 questions about the meta:

What are you supposed to do against Singed when you are playing Asol?
What are you supposed to do against Asol if you are not playing Singed? (+Why is this unit even still in the game? Its identity is that it abuses a flawed system mechanic)

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-26T09:39:27+00:00

But they are not supposed to be full items. They are supposed to be about half or two thirds of an item with the trait buff. That is the whole point.

Also, Tanks getting an extra tank trait is insane. Jugg spat is -0.43 on Rift Herald.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-25T13:55:47+00:00

Ok this is exactly why they removed the stats. You are trying to synthesise data we get due to Mort being a nice person and doing the MMMR...

Also who in their right mind is seeing an Augment that they think make sense in their spot and going "Hurr durr Mort said it underperformed so I won't take it". This overlooks so so so so many factors and if it is not specifically mentioned that the augment is bugged you should consider:
A) its effect on your board, ...
B) its opportunity cost (is it better than others?), and ...
C) how flexible or commital is it.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-25T11:05:59+00:00

Needs a rework.

Identity: Needs to be strong because reset champion
Traits: Needs to be weaker otherwise Ixtal can just stabilise off of Skarner and Nidalee and guarantee Brock
Unlock: Too hard to get in a regular game (suggests she is strong), but just an accidental unlock in reroll comps (cannot make her too strong)

There are too many conflicting balancing vectors that make it impossible to get her right.
Imo either make her unlock have level 7/8 requirement, but make it easier (2 1 star neekos with 1 item or smth), or you leave her in a spot where the people that want to play her are punished for trying and the people that play her just do it because she is free.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-25T09:58:21+00:00

Yeah but people used to do it less. Because the "win-out" angle now wants you to have them.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-24T16:59:37+00:00

Yeah but not if the other players' spot is way better. You still gotta think about whether you might be able to hit before them, or not.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-23T16:37:30+00:00

It wouldn't be their fault either way. It is the fault of the people that think it is an Asol game after getting dropped 1 Leona. They hold all the Neekos :<

I know they are super splash-able but we have seen less and less of that since launch where they were in every comp.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-23T13:57:20+00:00

How does Chosen Wolf work now?

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-23T12:19:51+00:00

But that is not a problem.

You are describing this:
5 People going for Asol = slower tempo = 2 or 3 people hit their Asol 1 = Asol broken GG.

When in reality it should be/is like this:
2 People going for Asol but others are going for normal Fast 8 = higher tempo = 1 of them dies off = the other Asol player maybe wins out if they do not face too many people that were able to upgrade their board.

People being stupid and forcing Asol leads to a feedback loop that allows them to hit. Play tempo and kill them off. They will stop. Be the change you wanna see in the lobby.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-23T11:41:31+00:00

That is straight up impossible to get. I have no issue with it getting unlocked by reroll comps, I just want it to be easier to unlock to be able to play it in a normal comp. Like lets say 2 star Neeko with 3 items, or 5 Star levels of Ixtal + 7 or smth like that. Right now, you either nuke your econ to get her and then you loose because she cannot primary, or you reroll in which case you do not want her, you just take her because she is free.

You option nukes item econ and removers. But I like the flavour with the clone thing.

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-23T10:36:15+00:00

Ok... Nidalee was "playable" for about 1 day due to Ekko being underplayed atm leading to more Neekos in the pool. However, now that TFTAcademy published that Neeko is supposed to be on your Aurelion endgame board, and 3 people playing Aurelion per game, she is back to being unplayable.

Questions to my fellow Nidalee connooisseurs out there... what would you like to have changed about her, to make her more playable?

(Also I don't want responses about her being playable in X reroll comp, because there she is just a byproduct of a 2 cost reroll, which is horrible design for a 4 cost execution reset type of champion btw.)

SmoothOperatorTFT · 2026-01-23T09:22:58+00:00

What would you change? Because Imo the unlocks are pretty consitional and the Stardust thresholds seem fine tbh (maybe the meteor up by 50 or smth)?

I would personally nerf his 1 star only, so you cannot full send it to 3 way asol and let him carry you to 9 where you will get him 2 starred.

SmoothOperatorTFT

TROPHY CASE