League’s new First Strike rune turns damage into gold

Riot Games continues to unveil transformative preseason adjustments as we approach the 2022 competitive season. The latest revelations showcase comprehensive rune system modifications, introducing both innovative keystone options and refreshed itemization pathways that will redefine champion builds.

The standout addition is undoubtedly First Strike, a new keystone rune that strategically resurrects the core engagement philosophy of the retired Kleptomancy rune from earlier League of Legends competitive cycles.

First Strike: The Strategic Evolution of Kleptomancy

Buried within Riot’s comprehensive Preseason Preview documentation lies a game-changing rune mechanic that rewards proactive playmaking. First Strike activates when you damage an opponent before they retaliate, granting both enhanced damage output and economic acceleration through gold conversion.

While Kleptomancy specialized in generating randomized consumable items, its primary strength emerged from systematic lane dominance that accelerated gold acquisition for aggressive champions. First Strike operates on a more predictable but strategically nuanced principle: striking first triggers a 12% damage amplification window lasting three seconds, with all subsequent damage converted directly into gold.

This systematic approach can generate substantial economic advantages for calculated aggressors, though typically yielding less immediate gold than Kleptomancy’s high-variance outcomes. A practical example illustrates the scaling: inflicting 200 damage translates to precisely 24 gold, equivalent to eliminating a single ranged minion. This calibration creates distinct strategic dynamics where melee champions face activation barriers requiring full commitment to three-second trades, while ranged specialists can safely trigger the effect before engaging.

The competitive community’s reception has been remarkably positive, with professional players across multiple regions expressing enthusiasm for the strategic depth this introduces.

The fundamental distinction between these rune philosophies centers on predictability versus variance. Kleptomancy created snowball potential through rare item drops that could dramatically accelerate power spikes, while First Strike offers consistent economic advantages tied directly to combat performance.

Strategic implementation requires understanding activation windows: champions with long-range poke abilities (like Lux, Xerath, or Jayce) can consistently trigger First Strike with minimal retaliation risk. Conversely, melee assassins and fighters must carefully evaluate whether the gold reward justifies the health expenditure required to maintain the three-second damage window.

A critical mistake many players will make involves overcommitting for First Strike procs. Attempting to force the full duration against unfavorable matchups often results in net gold and health deficits despite the rune activation. Successful implementation demands matchup-specific knowledge and precise timing.

Beyond the headline First Strike addition, Riot is implementing substantial revisions to Glacial Augment and Lethal Tempo that complement the new strategic landscape.

Lethal Tempo undergoes a complete functional overhaul, now providing escalating attack speed during champion combat that stacks to six increments. At maximum stacks, champions receive both extended attack range and the ability to exceed the standard attack speed cap, reaching up to 3.0 attacks per second. Marksmen with inherent range advantages, particularly Caitlyn, can transform this rune into devastating sustained damage output.

Glacial Augment shifts from its item-dependent functionality to a more universally accessible crowd control tool. The reworked version generates decelerating fields when you immobilize opponents, creating three distinct zones that simultaneously slow enemy movement and reduce their damage output against your teammates.

Mastering First Strike requires understanding its optimal activation patterns. For ranged champions, the strategy involves using your longest-range ability to trigger the effect before committing to extended trades, maximizing the gold conversion window. Melee specialists should focus on burst combinations that deliver maximum damage within the three-second timeframe while minimizing enemy retaliation opportunities.

Advanced optimization involves tracking enemy cooldowns and positioning to identify guaranteed activation windows. Against champions with skillshot-dependent trading patterns, positioning to force missed abilities creates perfect First Strike opportunities. The economic acceleration becomes particularly powerful when combined with objective control, as the additional gold can translate into earlier item completions during critical dragon or Herald timings.

Common implementation errors include activating First Strike during unfavorable minion waves or against champions with unavoidable retaliation tools.

The preseason updates officially deploy with patch 11.23, giving players approximately two weeks to master the new systems before ranked play resumes.

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