Following the official announcements of the DTCL 13.20 changes, the meta has become clearer as Riot Games gave a massive “dirty buff” to Multicaster.

Vanquisher and Ionia received the expected nerfs, while Fiora continues to face criticism as her abilities have been altered to the point of unplayability. Let’s dive into which meta might dominate in 13.20.

Ionia and Vanquisher remain viable but not overpowered.

Did you hear what Mortdog said when Xayah got buffed to the max? He said, “Reducing mana is only equivalent to a basic attack; nothing significant.” But he overlooked one thing – when equipping Hand of Justice and buffing Ionia, Xayah now immediately triggers her ultimate upon entering the battle. This means that even the second ultimate, with armor reduction, wipes out the entire enemy team. As a result, Xayah has been nerfed back to 100 mana (still considered a buff because the old threshold was 115), along with the initial mana. Additionally, the Ionia synergy has been reduced from 33% attack speed to 28% to prevent overuse of this combination for Nilah’s oppressive Vanquisher strategy from dominating the 13.19 meta.

Despite this, Xayah and Vanquisher are still strong, just not the “trash” tier they were before. At least you can still assemble Nilah + Xayah to climb the ranks, but victory is no longer guaranteed.

Farewell to Fiora – Shurima Returns

In the previous update, Mortdog claimed that Fiora had been balanced to the best of their ability. Sforum doesn’t quite understand what “balanced” means in this context, but the recent changes have left Fiora dull. Now, when using her ability, Fiora is no longer invulnerable but rather reduces incoming damage by 30%. It goes without saying how substantial this nerf is, as Fiora will no longer perform her incredible solo feats but will instead fall shockingly when airborne. The Challenger origin was no longer a strong suit, and now it’s further nerfed, making Fiora unplayable.

On the flip side, Shurima is making a return to the meta, with the Ascension synergy continuing to receive buffs at levels 4-6-8, increasing from 20/50/90 to 30/60/111. If you haven’t noticed, Shurima has received a consistent buff over two patches, with stats at levels 4 and 6 increasing by over 50%. Additionally, with Vanquisher and Challenger both having their damage output nerfed, it’s no surprise that Shurima is making a comeback.

Super Strong Buffs for Multicaster and Sona

Riot Games has buffed Multicaster to the extreme, making them the top meta in 13.20. Specifically, at level 4, Multicaster will only use its ability once, but the second cast will only reduce damage by 22% compared to the current 55%. Additionally, they even get a free Shojin, resulting in a 30% damage increase compared to the old level 4.

However, the most significant change for this synergy is the addition of a level 3 ability (using an ability reduces damage by 30%). If you’ve played many Multicaster compositions, you know they’re relatively weak at level 6, especially with Twisted Fate’s play, as adding 4 Multicasters lacks a tank. However, the level 3 synergy now becomes a significant buff.

But the most talked-about champion in the 13.20 update is Sona. Looking at the list of buffs, it seems completely absurd. Sona’s mana has been reduced, and her damage output has been increased by almost 50% at all levels. However, it doesn’t stop there. Riot Games has allowed the attack speed effect to stack throughout the entire match instead of lasting for 5 seconds, although there’s a slight nerf as the ability damage is reduced by 33% every time it passes through a target, it’s still nothing compared to the aforementioned buffs.

First, Sona has the Shojin item from Demacia. At level 4, Multicaster receives another free Shojin, and then there’s the continued attack speed throughout the match. You can imagine Sona at 3 stars as nothing less than a machine gun. Combined with Twisted Fate constantly throwing cards, no tank can withstand it. So, it’s no surprise that Multicaster will be disrupting the 13.20 meta.

Check out more blogs from the LTBoost team to learn how to play different compositions in the meta and help you climb the ranks more easily.