League of Legends: Lucian Inches Back into Competitive in Patch 10.16

Lucian got some huge buffs in Patch 10.16 that might put him back on the radar in competitive play.

In Patch 10.16, Lucian received a decent-sized buff, one that could allow him to appear more often in both competitive and solo queue action. His Q – Piercing Light damage increased from 85/120/155/190/225 to 95/130/165/200/235, while his R – The Culling total shots increased from 20/25/30 to 22/28/34.

Lucian maxes his Q ability first, meaning he’ll feel this increased damage in the early levels of his laning phase. Although 10 damage isn’t the biggest change, Lucian has been continuing to receive buffs without getting nerfed, signaling a near return to the meta.

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Even though Lucian is currently only hovering around a 47-48% win rate in solo queue overall, his ability to lane effectively in three different roles can be extremely valuable in competitive play. Most teams, if able to pilot the champion effectively, should be comfortable flexing the Purifier into either solo lane depending on the match-up.

As the bot lane meta moves towards more long-range utility-focused champions such as Caitlyn and Ashe, Lucian struggles, as he cannot put out the same amount of damage while also staying safe. Therefore, he fits best in the solo lanes in the current meta, holding his own against bruiser top laners and control mages in the mid lane. The only downside to a solo lane Lucian comes in the top lane, where he fails to make an impact against tanks such as Ornn and Malphite, as they can easily stack armor and health, soaking up all his damage and eventually out-scaling him.

Lucian has already seen increased play in recent weeks across all major regions, being picked 24 times in the summer split. He’s been picked seven times in each solo lane, and ten times in the bottom lane – mostly as an answer to standard picks such as Ezreal, Zoe, and Jayce.

So far, he’s only been picked up in eastern regions such as China and South Korea, as they are known for preferring lane dominating picks. In past metas, they have prioritized flex picks similar to the Lucian such as Sylas and Akali, whereas western regions opt for more traditional styles led by tanks and control mages.

He also offers more flexibility in his different build paths. Previously, he’s favored solo lane items such as Blade of the Ruined King and Black Cleaver. However, he can also itemize into a crit-based build, purchasing Essence Reaver and Infinity Edge. This allows him to scale much better in the late game, something that’s been his main weakness.

Next. Patch 10.16 Breakdown. dark

So, with Lucian’s flexibility and the buffs he continues to receive, don’t be surprised to see Lucian return to both competitive action and solo queue, dominating laning phase once again.

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