1/7 PBE Update: Wukong Update Testing

[Updated 1/8: Wukong passive change noted by Riot Lutzburg]

The PBE has been updated! As we start the 10.2 PBE cycle, today's patch includes the previously announced Wukong update now testing on the PBE!
Continue reading for more information!

Table of Contents

• Wukong Update: Prepped for PBE
• Miscellaneous
• Balance Changes
• Context & Notes

Wukong Update- Prepped For PBE!

Here's Riot Lutzburg with details on the Wukong update that is now testing on the PBE!

Hi everyone, 

The team and I have made good progress on Wukong over the last few weeks, and we're excited to show him to all of you on the PBE! However, based on the way our deploys work and how files get packaged, the next time the PBE will be updated will likely be the first week of January. Wukong's files are prepped and ready to go, and will become playable automatically when the next deploy drops. 

so just what are the changes? Before we get into them, I want to remind everyone of the major goals for this update: 

1. Shift Wukong's power towards the early game and away from the late game, while remaining roughly power neutral in the long run
2. Give Wukong players the tools they need to feel competitively viable in early lane phase/jungle
3. Create new outplay opportunities that enhance Wukong's identity as a tricky, uniquely mobile skirmisher with a hit-and-run combat pattern  

Note the absence of a goal referring to Wukong's role/classification. This is because we have decided NOT to push Wukong explicitly into the Bruiser role. With these changes, we aim to provide viable build paths for both Assassin/Lethality AND Bruiser itemization. We want your itemization to be a reflection of your preferred play style, enemy match-ups and team composition. 

In addition, these changes should help alleviate some of the most common points of frustration noted by the community. Specifically, we're targeting: 

• Reduced mana costs
• Providing a Passive that feels powerful and interactive
• Higher R power/satisfaction 

Here is the official list you'll be seeing on PBE later this week. NOTE- these changes are relative to the LIVE GAME and are still a work in progress. Values and mechanics may still change! 

P- Stone Skin: 

• NEW- For 3 seconds after exiting brush or stealth, Wukong gains a physical damage shield equal to 12% of his maximum health. This effect can trigger once every 10 seconds.
• REMOVED- Wukong no longer gains bonus resistances based on nearby enemy Champions

Wukong's old passive provided a lot of hidden power in late game team fights that was hard to notice or appreciate, and felt practically useless in the early lane phase. This new ability will grant Wukong brief windows to make aggressive trades he normally wouldn't consider taking. The values are tuned to encourage Wukong to stay in an extended fight using clever brush play and a well-timed W to earn two procs of the shield in a single fight. Conveniently, Wukong will also be able to shrug off a bit of damage from jungle monsters that hang out near brush. We're hoping this provides a new form of skill expression and mastery that enriches Wukong's evasive, tricky play style.
Note that we are still iterating on the exact mechanics/rules of the shield- please let us know what you think! 

Q- Wuju Strike:

• Mana cost lowered to 25 from 40
• CD reduced by 1 second at all ranks
• Damage adjusted to 1AD +20/40/60/80/100 damage (+.5 bonus AD) from 10/40/70/100/130 (+1/1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4 total AD)

As Wukong's primary trading and CS tool, we're lowering its cost and cooldown so he can poke and farm more reliably in losing matchups. We're also simplifying the damage model, since the old one was a little confusing. The spell now applies BONUS damage on top of Wukong's basic attack. That bonus damage is equal to the values listed above. Note that we've DOUBLED the rank 1 damage of Q from 10 to 20. You're welcome. 

W- Warrior Trickster:

• Now instantly dashes towards the player's cursor instead of a short range blink
• Dash is 350 range and 1200 speed. Can NOT go over walls
• Clone is now treated as a stationary Champion and will attack nearby enemies, prioritizing the last enemy Wukong damaged
• Clone's attacks deal a scaling 60-100% of Wukong's AD based on spell rank and applies on-hit effects, but cannot crit
• Clone looks identical to Wukong's animation state on spawn, and animates as if he pressed the "S" key
• Cooldown increased to 24/21/18/15/12 sec (from the time of initial cast) from 18/16/14/12/10 (from the time the clone disappears)
• Stealth duration reduced to 1 sec from 1.5
• Note: you may encounter a few bugs with the clone's target acquisition- we're working on these!

A nimble, free-target dash opens up a ton of new ways for Wukong to outplay his opponents. From dodging crucial skillshots like Illaoi E or Cho'gath Q, to aggressively repositioning onto the enemy back line during a chaotic team fight. Conveniently, Wukong's clone is also great at tanking jungle monsters!  

E- Nimbus Strike:

• Now deals magic damage instead of physical (but still scales with Attack Damage)

This change will increase Wukong's early damage and make it harder for enemies to itemize against him with early Armor purchases, while slightly curbing his late game damage when building lethality. Crucially, the spell still scales with Attack Damage, NOT Ability Power 

R- Cyclone:

• Tick rate increased to every .25 seconds from .5 (damage per tick halved to compensate)
• Each tick of damage now applies Conqueror
• Damage ratio increased to 1.25 AD/sec from 1.1
• Bonus MS% is now a flat 30/40/50% instead of ramping up over the duration
• E's attack speed buff renews itself while R is active
• Wukong can now cancel R early by casting another ability or recasting R

Hopefully R will feel better to cast and, ideally, channel for its full duration 

Let us know what you think of the changes after the next PBE deploy! 

-Lutzburg"

Riot Lutzburg noted:

[1] I'm currently iterating on Wukong's passive. The version you'll see on PBE tonight is outdated, as I've been tinkering with it this week. The current version reads, "After exiting stealth, Wukong gains a physical damage shield equal to 8% of his maximum health. 6 sec CD." 

[2] Lowering the CD and removing the short 3 sec duration has made it flow more naturally while making it easier to trigger twice in one fight. So it's effectively a 16% max HP shield per trade if you use brush and smart positioning. 

[3] Note to people who are worried about AP matchups- watch how your shield disappears when fighting a mage in a lane with minions.

Miscellaneous 

• After being added to the PBE in the 9.24 PBE cycle, the Guardian of the Sands and Dragonslayer skins continue testing this cycle!

Aphelios
[These changes will go live with Patch 10.1!]

• Base HP lowered from 530 to 500
• Base movespeed lowered from 330 to 325

Context & Notes

1) Riot Support noted PBE accounts would need to update to Riot accounts to be able to play:

"Starting today, PBE players that need to update to a Riot Account will get a non-dismissible in-client pop-up on PBE before they will be able to play.

Learn more here!"