4/11 PBE Update: Conqueror Karma Splash Art, MSI 2017 Login Theme, Skin Tweaks, & more!

The PBE has been updated! As we continue the 7.8 PBE cycle, tonight's update includes the Conqueror Karma splash art, several skin tweaks, a new MSI 2017 login theme, and more!
Continue reading for more information!

Table of Contents

• New Splash Art - Conqueror Karma
• Rakan and Xayah continued testing
• MSI 2017 Login Theme
• Miscellaneous
• Balance Changes
• Context & Notes

New Splash Art - Conqueror Karma

Splash art for the upcoming Conqueror Karma skin is now on the PBE! Look for this skin to be released around the Mid Season Invitational!

Conqueror Karma

Also included is a uniquely decorated Conqueror Karma loading screen slice:

Rakan and Xayah continued testing 

• Rakan and Xayah bug thread  
• Xayah and Rakan Feedback Thread 

In today's update, Xayah's ally and enemy feathers now are different colors:
Cosmic Dusk Xayah feathers were also changed to no longer be moons:

MSI 2017 Login Theme

A new MSI 2017 login screen theme has debuted in tonight's update!
Look for more on MSI as it kicks off in May!

Miscellaneous

• The MSI 2017 TCL SR banner added earlier this cycle has been updated:

• Riot Koalifier with New Particle and Rendering System in Testing on PBE now:

"Hello Summoners!  

We’re turning on some exciting new changes to the way the rendering engine for League works. Our goal is for this to have no noticeable change or impact, so hopefully you won’t notice anything has changed at all.  

If you see any new issues with in-game visuals (e.g. weird square textures, odd blinky graphics, etc.), please comment in this thread and I’ll be sure to look into it. In particular, we’re looking out for visual bugs that are newly caused by these rendering changes, so everything should be looking the same as Live. Please include your machine configuration in any reports (GPU, CPU, RAM, Operating System), as well as the graphics settings your game is on (windowed, low-high quality, 1920x1080, etc.), as it can really help us figure out exactly where the problem is coming from.  

Feel free to post below with any questions, and please report any issues that you think might be related in this post. Thanks!"

Ivern

• Movespeed REVERTED! Back from 325 to 330.
• Brushmaker (W) range REVERTED! Back from 1000 to 1600.

Cinderhulk *

• Unique Passive -  Immolate 
• Damage changed from [7 (+2 per level)] to [11 (+1 per level)]
• Bonus damage to monsters and minions increased from 100% to 200%

Spirit Visage *

• Magic resist lowered from 65 to 60
• Unique passive healing increased from 25% to 30%

Sterak's Gage
[Context]

• Attack damage increased from 25% to 30%
• Shield value increased from [30% of max health] to [75% of bonus health] 
• Sterak's Fury passive attack damage increased from 25% to 30% 

Thornmail

• Gold cost lowered from 2350g to 1200g
• Build path: Cloth Armor + Cloth Armor + 600g
•  (now builds into Randuin's Omen)
• Armor lowered from 100 to 30
• Unique passive magic damage reflect lowered from 25% to 15%

Randuin's Omen *

• Gold cost increased from 2600g to 3000g
• New Build Path: Thornmail + Giant's Belt + 800g
• Armor lowered from 60 to 50
• [New] Now gives -15% damage taken from critical strikes

• Unique Passive renamed to Thorns

• Unique Passive - Thorns: When basic attacked, deal magic damage to the attacker equal to 15% bonus Armor, doubled for critical strikes

Spectre's Cowl

• Magic resist lowered from 30 to 25

Adaptive Helm *

• Total Cost increased from 2650g to 2800g
• Build path: Spectre's Cowl + Negatron Cloak + 880g
• Unique passive damage reduction changed from [20% for 3 seconds] to [15% for 4 seconds].

Context & Notes

1) Context on the Midseason AD itemization changes by Riot Axes.

2) Meddler's Quick Gameplay Thoughts for April 11:

"Hi all, 

Apart from the upcoming duo release (Xayah/Rakan) we're pretty focused on mid-season right now. Imagine we'll be talking about our plans for that, possible followup, and actual followup for a while to come. 

AD item changes 

Along with the durability item changes there are now also some AD item changes on the PBE. They're part of the mid-season changes too, so won't be shipping in 7.8, which means they'll vanish for a few days as we test a final 7.8 build at some point. 

More context on the AD changes at the link below, short version is: 

• Reducing % armor pen/shred in the item system (too high, invalidating armor purchases too much when multiple sources are stacked).
• Zeal item tweaking to do things to make it so Runaan's isn't simply the best choice in too many circumstances (currently best AOE, best single target and best build path), Kircheis Shard isn't as weak if you have to sit on it for a bit, RFC is more about increased range attacks/less about damage etc
• Tweaking IE, Zeal to offer a bit more of an power spike like other frequent early/mid game items
• Tuning big lifesteal items (BotRK is too strong, others too weak, so nerfing it and buffing Death's Dance, BT, Ravenous Hydra slightly)
• Making Greivous Wounds less accessible in AD builds

https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/developer-corner/Ejyoz66h-midseason-ad-itemization-changes 

Amumu 

In 7.7 we made some changes to Amumu, which included a new passive that amps magic damage. Due to some internal miscommunication we ended up shipping a version that gives 15% bonus true damage calculated off the amount of magic damage dealt post mitigation. That's effectively bonus magic damage rather than true, since it's calculated after MR's done its things already. We'll be changing it in 7.8 as a result. Since 15% true damage is a lot stronger than 15% magic damage and Amumu's looking fairly strong already we'll be toning that number down though (current value in testing is 8%). 

Randuin's 

We've got some further experimental changes to Randuin's Omen underway at the moment that will probably be hitting PBE sometime today. Long term we think we'll probaly position crit as a multiplier that lets marksmen get through tankier targets, without being as effective as it is at present against squishies. We were testing one way of doing that until a couple of weeks ago with IE's passive being changed so it added armor pen to crits instead of increasing crit damage, though we didn't get enough confidence from testing that that was something we should ship in mid-season given it's a pretty major change. In that context Randuin's having crit reduction didn't make sense (if crits are for killing tankier targets reduced crit damage arguably belongs on an item for squishy champs instead). Since we're not going with that change though Randuin's will likely get its crit reduction back, at least until we potentially look at crits in general again (unlikely to be before pre-season at the earliest). 

Support Item Changes 

Starting support item changes will be part of the 7.9 PBE deploys at this point, they're not quite going to be ready in time for testing during 7.8. More details on those to come later in the week. One thing I will mention in advance though is that we're changing the actions you need to take on the Ancient Coin line to something a bit more noticeable/skill expressive (so optimizing around it gives you more rewards if done well/less if done poorly, rather than being as flat as it currently is)." 

3) Meddler context on Sterak's Gage change:

"Important note: 75% bonus HP, instead of 30% max. 

Also, still an experimental change too, like many of these."