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MFN
Recap
Runes (and masteries) are slated for a rework, likely coming this November. If you haven't heard about this yet, check out our earlier posts (1, 2) for some tentative details about the new system.
As a quick recap, the new Runes system will be entirely free and will supersede the current runes and masteries systems. Players will have access to a full set of runes from summoner level 1, unlocking a greater variety of options as they level up to 30. Veteran players who've sunk a lot of IP into runes and rune pages will receive some sort of compensation, though we don't have details as to what that will be yet. Anyway, on to the new stuff!
Base Stats
With the removal of the current runes, many players are worried that their favorite champions will be lacking crucial early game stats. Riot plans on combining a number of approaches to offset this concern.
First, Riot will be directly adjusting base stats on a champion-by-champion basis, giving offensive boosts based on what stats that champion values most. Examples include attack speed boosts to
Riot has stated that in internal testing, these changes made many champions feel a lot better, but others needed more options to spec into a certain focused build. Alongside stat-focused runes seen in earlier posts, Riot is considering adding new starting item options.
Doran's Dagger is an experimental starting item that gives you +12% Attack Speed, +60 Health, +2 Life on Hit and +5 Bonus Minion Damage
These new starting items would offer a wider range of options for champions that need specific stats to get them through the early game. There are currently only a handful of options for starting items on laners (and only two items for junglers), so there's plenty of room for expansion. Keep in mind the above image is a work in progress and very subject to change.
Stat-focused Runes
Riot is already exploring a number of stat-focused runes, covering such staple stats as Armor, Magic Resist, Health, Health Regen, Attack Speed, Cooldown Reduction, AD/AP, Mana and Movement Speed. These and other stats may be present in some of the new runes, though not every stat will be covered. Some runes, such as Overcharger may have unique effects alongside the stats they give. This should help keep the new runes feeling fresh and strategically interesting compared to current runes.
Experimentation
Riot considers experimental rune pages to be important to preserve in the new system. In internal testing of Runes Reforged, rune setups focused on cooldown reduction, attack speed or movement speed have appeared frequently for various champions. With the ability to take a mix of runes from two paths, you'll have a broad range of combinations to explore.
Adaptive runes offer different bonuses based on whether the user builds more AD or AP in their items. For some champions, this could mean transitioning from one bonus to another as the game progresses. The runes will default to the stat listed first in the tooltip, so if a rune says "+14 AD or +20 AP," it'll give the AD bonus if you have no AD or AP items.
Here are a few rune designs teased on the official forums:
Takedowns restore 15% missing health.
Every 4 seconds in combat your next attack deals damage to nearby champions and large monsters equal to 3% of your max health and heals you for [20 -75]% of this amount based on level. Ranged Champions: Damage and healing are halved.
While above 80% health, gain up to +14 Attack Damage or +20 Ability Power, Adaptive (based on level)
You get free boots at 10 minutes but you cannot buy boots before then. These boots grant you +10 movement speed (in addition to the other boots effects).
How Many?
As seen in the image above, you will be able to select six runes in a single page. Four will come from your primary path (one keystone, one greater rune and two lesser runes) and two will come from your secondary path.
There are five paths in total and Riot is aiming for around 60 total runes.
Balance
Riot assures players that balance is a high priority for them. While rebuilding runes and masteries may present some initial issues, Riot will be doing their best to mitigate any problems that arise by ensuring that each rune can be tuned up or down if it's not quite hitting the mark in terms of strength. The Runes Reforged team will be working closely with the Live Balance and Playtest teams to ensure the best possible result.
Waveclear is a primary concern for rune balance, as many champions rely on specific runes in order to meet certain waveclear breakpoints. To mitigate this issue, Riot will be introducing Adaptive AP/AD runes which will hopefully meet the same needs as current runes. They are also testing additional runes that interact specifically with minions.
Compensation, Pricing & Rune Pages
Riot has no concrete plans yet in terms of IP compensation for current runes, but there is a new announcement on the official forums. Here's a quick summary:
When preseason arrives, Riot will refund all of the IP you've spent on runes since May 30th, 2017. At some point before the transition to the new system, the cost of current runes will be drastically reduced in price, but Riot will no longer refund rune purchases made after that point.
As for rune pages, they will remain as they are (you'll keep your current number of pages and they'll still be available for purchase at the same prices). However, with Runes Reforged, you'll be able to edit your rune pages in champion select.