LoL patch 9.18 nerfs Aatrox and Akali, adds Star Guardian skins

League of Legends Patch 9.18 arrives on September 11, introducing significant cosmetic additions and crucial champion adjustments. The update features four new Star Guardian skins alongside targeted nerfs to persistent balance problems Aatrox and Akali, while surprisingly enhancing Ekko’s competitive viability. Understanding these changes is essential for players preparing for ranked climbs and professional competition.

As Riot Games prepares for the 2019 World Championship, extensive champion modifications aim to refine the competitive landscape. While numerous champions receive attention, most adjustments represent fine-tuning rather than game-altering transformations. Strategic players should focus on how these incremental changes affect champion power spikes and team composition dynamics.

The upcoming World Championship will utilize Patch 9.19, scheduled for release on September 25 – precisely one week before the play-in stage commences. This timing gives professional teams limited adaptation period, making Patch 9.18’s meta developments particularly significant for Worlds preparation.

New Star Guardians skins in patch 9.18

The highly anticipated Star Guardian skin line expands with four new additions: Neeko, Xayah, Rakan, and Zoe joining the magical roster. These premium cosmetics become available September 12 alongside matching icons and chroma variations. Each skin carries a 1,350 RP price point, approximately $8.50 USD, maintaining Riot’s standard pricing for epic-tier skins.

This installment significantly enriches the Star Guardian narrative universe. Zoe emerges as the primary antagonist responsible for corrupting Xayah and Rakan, while Neeko manages to escape corruption and seeks reunification with Lux’s established guardian team. The expanded storyline introduces a redemption arc where the guardians must overcome darkness to restore their corrupted comrades.

Pro Tip: The Star Guardian skins feature unique visual effects and sound design that can provide subtle gameplay advantages. Familiarize yourself with the new ability animations to avoid visual confusion during intense team fights.

Are Aatrox and Akali still strong in the new patch?

Throughout Season 9, Aatrox and Akali have demonstrated exceptional difficulty in achieving balance equilibrium. Despite repeated adjustment attempts, both champions maintain oppressive presence in professional competition. When granted opportunities, these picks consistently demonstrate game-winning potential through snowball dominance.

Aatrox’s sustain mechanics face direct targeting in this update, specifically losing team fight healing capabilities. Riot has systematically dismantled many distinctive abilities and statistics that originally defined Aatrox’s unique combat identity, leaving the champion increasingly homogenized.

Development teams previously attempted counterplay through Kled’s anti-healing mechanics, but these measures proved insufficient. The current approach appears to involve nerfing Aatrox into competitive irrelevance, potentially marking the conclusion of his professional viability.

Akali experiences reductions in early game potency and removal of her ultimate’s stun component. Her laning phase safety makes her notoriously difficult for junglers to gank successfully. Previously, players leveraged her complete kit for solo elimination potential, but now she requires reaching level 11 before achieving significant snowball capability. She maintains professional viability as a reliable selection when achieving mid-game power thresholds.

Common Mistake: Many players continue building Akali for early aggression despite her shifted power curve. Adjust your playstyle to focus on farm and survival until her mid-game activation.

Patch 9.18 revisits buffs from previous patches

Aurelion Sol and Kayle underwent substantial modifications in Patch 9.17, and the current update provides final refinements to both champions. These adjustments demonstrate Riot’s commitment to iterative balance following major champion updates.

Recent Aurelion Sol alterations left him vulnerable during early laning phases. Additional health to his base statistics enables better trading sustainability, reducing forced recalls after unfavorable initial exchanges. This change addresses his vulnerability while maintaining his unique celestial gameplay pattern.

Pre-9.17 Kayle functioned exclusively as a late-game hypercarry, requiring level 16 attainment before achieving meaningful match impact. This design made her inconsistent and technically demanding to execute effectively. Current iterations unlock true potential at level 11 with progressive improvement throughout the game. Patch 9.18’s enhancements further solidify Kayle’s newly established strength profile.

Ekko receives additional power increases in this patch, continuing his competitive resurgence. Previous Patch 9.16 modifications returned Ekko to professional radar through extended crowd control duration and damage amplification. These changes provide expanded aggressive playmaking options for the time-bending champion.

The champion initially gained professional visibility through Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s utilization, subsequently dominating Korean competitive scenes. Ekko featured prominently in the 2020 LCK Spring Promotion tournament and appears positioned for continued meta relevance through the World Championship period.

Advanced Strategy: Ekko’s buffs make him a potent flex pick for mid lane and jungle positions. Consider practicing both roles to maximize your team composition flexibility, similar to strategies discussed in our Class Guide for optimal role adaptation.

The complete patch documentation remains accessible through the official League of Legends website for detailed technical specifications.

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