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While it certainly isn’t the focus on Patch 7.19, a few of the top lane fellas are seeing some balance changes. Ornn getting buffed should come as a surprise to no one, but Aatrox and Malphite are interesting choices for buffs. Both of these champions have struggled to find a foothold lately and Riot seems eager to fix them up a little. Not everything is sunshine up in the top lane however, as a few key items are also getting hit with the nerf bat.
Aatrox
Oh, Aatrox, buddy, when will you ever learn? Aatrox may be down for the count at the moment (and probably will be until he sees a full rework), but that hasn’t stopped the balance team from putting some work in on our original Darkin friend. When using (Q) Dark Flight, Aatrox is now unstoppable. Additionally, his ultimate, Massacre, grants him a lot more bonus range (a whopping 225). Will these changes fix Aatrox? Oh hell no, but they will make him a little better.
Malphite
Not completely dissimilar to Aatrox (although in a much better place comparatively), Malph is a little crusty and in need of some help. To keep him alive and groovin’ before his inevitable update, he has received a few buffs in 7.19. First, his W now grants him percent armor, rather than flat. This will no doubt make him a monster in the late game, especially since his passive will now triple that armor bonus. Maybe bring AP to the next rock fight you have.
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Ornn
Slowly but surely, Ornn’s winrate is rising (and by that I mean he isn’t the bottom of every single role in the game anymore). To help him get just a little bit higher, he is getting some love in 7.19. These changes for Ornn come in the form of mana buffs. His base mana has been increased while his Q and E now cost less to cast. Now you can focus on getting beefy rather than lamenting the loss of blue potions.
Items
Well it can’t all be good news for the top boys this time around. Bramble Vest is seeing a increase in cost and having it’s damage reduced. To compensate, Thornmail is getting five extra armor. Righteous Glory is also seeing a nerf with a cost increase across the board. Sorry fellas, top can’t seem to catch a break.