The second to last patch before the big Teamfight Tactics: Gizmos and Gadgets mid-set expansion finally drops on Thursday. This patch is another big one that focuses on system changes, augment changes and, of course, trait and champion buffs and nerfs. Here are the major changes players should be aware of heading into the TFT Patch Notes 12.2.
Five-Cost odds change at level eight and nine
Over the last couple of patches, the meta has been heavily warped by hitting powerful five-cost champions. At times it feels like a casino where every player all-ins at level eight and whoever hits their five-cost two-star champion wins the lobby. Champions like Jinx, Kai’Sa, Tahm Kench, Jayce and Viktor have been the prime targets of this playstyle. In Patch 12.2, instead of nerfing the champions, Riot is nerfing the odds of hitting them.
At level eight instead of a 5% chance of hitting a five-cost in a shop, the odds have been reduced to 4%. To compensate, the odds of hitting a five-cost champion at level nine has been increased from 15% to 16%.
This should encourage a playstyle focused on going to level nine in order to hit power spikes. However, it may have the side effect of making five-cost champions irrelevant as players may start to elect going on all-in at level seven and play around four-cost two-stars instead.
Portable Forge highlights Augment changes
Another TFT patch and another opportunity to fine-tune the augments system. With Hextech Augments being the most ambitious mechanic in TFT to date, it’s taken a while to get the system exactly where Riot wants it. In Patch 12.2 there are many changes to existing augments. The biggest change comes with one augment getting a massive buff by being nerfed.
Portable Forge was supposed to provide players immense value by giving them a very powerful Ornn Artifact back from the Set 4 days. But as a prismatic augment, the powerful item could not compete with the other valuable augments. So instead of buffing the items players can get from Portable Forge, Riot is nerfing some of them because in starting in Patch 12.2, Portable Forge will be a gold augment.
At the gold augment level, Portable Forge will definitely see play. That’s because not many of the gold tier augments can provide more value than an overpowered item.
Mercenary nerfs make the payoff less so
The Mercenary trait has been a hot topic for many of the game’s top players. The thrilling econ trait has given players memorable moments and has been really fun to play. But to the game’s best players, it has been a nightmare to play against. With the top percentage of players knowing exactly how to abuse the trait, it’s been oppressive in high rated. It’s close to an automatic top-two if players can cash out. Riot Games recognizes this and is nerfing the trait in Patch 12.2
The first big change is the removal of Neeko’s Help as a three and four-loss streak drop. This is because on a cashout, it was likely that players would be able to immediately two-star any five-cost champion they see. Outside of that, the average gold at the four, five, six and seven loss streak drops have been nerfed. This make sure players need to go deep into a loss streak for it to pay off.
