Before League of Legends: Wild Rift patch 2.3 hits the live servers, Mike “RogueFool” Breese explains in Riot Games’ dev diary exactly which ones will be affected in these rune changes.
Outlining Riot’s goals, Mike wrote, “We think each class of champion should have two to three reasonable options when it comes to what keystones make sense for them.”
Welcoming more diversity and player choices to Wild Rift, here are the top three rune changes you should note.
1. Keystone rune changes: Phase Rush will open up so many possibilities
Kelptomancy
- (Removed) After using an ability, your next ability hit or attack on an enemy champion will grant you a random item effect
Phase Rush
- (New) Hitting a champion with three separate attacks or abilities within three seconds grants a large burst of Movement Speed and resistance to slows
Based on Riot’s data, Kelptomancy was only used 0.5% of the time, making it one of the most unpopular keystone runes in Wild Rift.
Replacing Kelpto is Phase Rush in patch 2.3, a rune ported over from the League of Legends PC version that gives your champion a burst of movement speed and slow resistance after every third attack or ability used against an enemy champion.
Phase Rush is absolutely perfect for champions like Kennen in the Baron lane, Aurelion Sol in mid, and situationally, Orianna.
Kennen for instance, can look for trades in lane with Thundering Shuriken, Electrical Surge, and an auto attack, then use the speed boost from Phase Rush to get out of range of the enemy for a favorable exchange.
2. Resolve rune changes: Defenses to deal with burst, poke, and brawls
Backbone
- (Removed) Backbone: Gain bonus Armor or Magic Resist, based on whatever stat you have less of
Bone Plating helps you survive burst
- (New) Bone Plating: After taking damage from a champion, the next three champion abilities or attacks against you deal reduced damage
Riot admits that “Backbone was a confusing rune”, for if you build armor against an AD champion in lane, it will give you magic resist since you have less of that, which doesn’t make sense.
With Wild Rift patch 2.3, Bone Plating, adapted from its League of Legends PC version, now reduces damage from a single source. Marksmen champions who find themselves up against assassins and mages can opt for Bone Plating to increase their chances of survival.
Regeneration
- (Removed) Regeneration: Periodically regen your missing health or mana based on whichever percentage is lower.
Second Wind is effective against poke
- (New) Second Wind: Gain increased health regeneration. Also, after taking damage from an enemy champion regenerate a portion of your missing health. This effect is doubled for melee champions
Regeneration is another vague Wild Rift rune that wasn’t clear on which stat your champion will get in any given situation.
Another adaptation from League of Legends PC, pick Second Wind to survive lane harassment in patch 2.3. Health regeneration kicks in the moment you take damage from an enemy champion, and is even more effective if you’re playing a melee champion.
Calling all Baron lane fighters who find themselves in melee versus ranged matchup!
Spirit Walker
- (Removed) Spirit Walker: Gain bonus max health and slow resistance.
Adaptive Carapace is good for brawls and potential outplays
- (New) Adaptive Carapace: Gain bonus max health, and also gain increased defense when below 50% health
According to Riot’s analysis, more often than not, they found that Spirit Walker was taken by Wild Rift players solely for its bonus max health.
Entirely unique to Wild Rift is the new Adaptive Carapace rune, which keeps the bonus health stat gain, and also gives the user increased resistances at below half health in patch 2.3.
As a result, Adaptive Carapace users in the form of initiators might very well be able to turn fights around and potentially clutch victory.
3. Inspiration rune changes: Sweet Tooth buffed
Sweeth Tooth (Honeyfruit and Gold)
- Before Patch 2.3: Increases Honeyfruit healing effect, each fruit also provides bonus gold
- After Patch 2.3: Increases Honeyfruit’s healing effect, each fruit also provides bonus gold when you or a nearby ally eat Honeyfruit
Support mains, rejoice! No more fighting with your AD carry for that sweet, sweet Honeyfruit and extra gold.
Since marksmen can be ruthlessly selfish when it comes to taking gold no matter the source, Riot is finally making it more equitable for duo laners to benefit from Honeyfruit’s sustain.