Patch 9.17 is now live in Teamfight Tactics, bringing a brand new champion, buffs to some existing champions and character traits alongside a few other updates. Here's what you need to know about what's changed.

Pantheon

The sole addition to the Teamfight Tactics roster in Patch 9.17 is Pantheon, a five cost Dragon Guardian. His ability is Grand Starfall, which propels him into the air and then into the farthest enemy, stunning enemies within his attack radius and applying both Grievous Wounds and burn damage. With a sizable mana cost of 150, this will likely be an infrequent but explosive attack.

Additionally, the inclusion of Pantheon nerfs all team comps that rely on five cost units, since the chance of a five cost unit appearing at all is already low (only 10% at level nine) and the chance of that unit being Pantheon reduces the chance of it being any other five cost unit you may need—which, let's be real, is probably Kayle.

Traits

The key word used in the patch notes addressing champion traits is consistency, with the majority of changes to traits being made so that champions receiving bonuses exhibit those bonuses more often. These include:

• Reduction in Assassins' critical strike damage with an added additional chance to crit to make up for the reduction in damage, as well as an added delay before assassins jump to increase the probability of jumping into the backline.

• A small increase in the chance for Rangers to double their attack speed, from 25% and 65% to 30% and 70%.

• To increase the chance of Shapeshifters transforming, a mana cost reduction for Nidalee, Shyvana and Gnar, as well as an increase in armor for Jayce, and a guarantee he will transform even if no one is in range for him to knock away.

• Yordles' chance to dodge increased from 30% and 55% to 35% and 60%.

Additionally, Hextechs and Nobles have been nerfed a little bit, with Hextechs' item disabling effect reduced from 8 to 7 seconds, and Nobles' armor and magic resist tuned down from 60 to 50, and health per hit reduced from 35 to 25. These changes both address the impact Hextechs were having when their targeting RNG dictated that they nullify a hyperstacked carry unit, as well as, of course, the outright dominance of Noble compositions on the previous patch.

Healing Items

Both healing and anti-healing have been reworked so that items with healing effects now have a reduced impact across the board. Grievous wounds no longer outright nullifies healing, and instead now applies an 80% reduction in healing. To compensate, the amount of healing from all items that do so has been reduced, as has the amount Swain's ability heals. A Draven with a Bloodthirster may just be a little less frightening now.

General Gameplay

A couple significant changes have been made to macro gameplay elements as well. Possibly the most notable is a guarantee that all units in the first carousel will be two cost. Getting stuck with (for example) a Garen out of the opening carousel would put players at a one gold deficit from the jump, which felt weirdly unfair given that most games it's easy enough to guarantee a two cost unit.

Plus, ghost armies, which are spawned in situations with an odd number of players remaining, will now benefit from the full trait bonuses as that player's team would were it that player and not just an army of spooky clones. No longer is facing a ghost army a lucky RNG roll, but rather the same as facing that player themselves.

RELATED: G2 Welcomes Hafu To Their Teamfight Tactics Lineup

Other Changes

A cap on attack speed has also been increased from 2.5 to 5.0 (maybe Draven is still scary?) in addition to a number of tweaks to individual champions, which include:

• Graves + Rapidfire Cannon no longer equals a giant cone of death, as the range of his spread has been reduced.

• Warwick's health has been increased from 600 to 650.

• Lissandra has received an overall buff, with increases to health, starting/total mana and ability damage.

• Lucian's second shot after triggering his ability will scale to his attack speed.

• Leona's stun duration has been reduced.

• Gangplank's ability damage has been reduced significantly: from 200/325/450 to 150/250/350.

As with any new TFT patch, these changes will likely result in a revamped meta game, giving a fresh start to anybody who had trouble adapting to the previous patch, and hopefully putting a stop to the dominance of players who had figured out how to get six Nobles every time.

The patch is live, so you can jump into a game right now to see just what's changed.

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