Red Post Collection: Preseason 2022: Intro to First Strike, TFT: Gizmos & Gadgets Pass, And More!

Today's red post collection includes this week's quick gameplay thoughts, providing an intro to the new First Strike rune, all the details on the TFT Gizmos & Gadgets Pass, and more!

Table of Contents

Preseason 2022: Intro to First Strike

"(Don't let the title fool you, this is your biweekly Quick Gameplay Thoughts. We just want to make sure everyone looking for Preseason stuff can find it!) 

Preseason 2022 is right around the corner, and we're excited to introduce with it a brand new Inspiration Keystone: First Strike. 

A First Look at First Strike 

The numbers below were what we shipped to PBE on the 19th. They may already be out of date by the time this article goes live! 

Damaging an enemy champion with an attack or ability before they do, or within 0.25s of the start of combat, grants 5 gold and First Strike for 3 seconds, causing your attacks or abilities to deal 12% bonus damage against all champions, and granting (100% melee / 70% Ranged) of bonus damage dealt as gold.

Cooldown: 25-15s (based on level) 

First Strike is a new Inspiration Keystone that gives you a huge advantage when you strike an enemy champion first (or, technically, within a very short window time at the start of champion combat). In addition to the extra damage, the extra gold lets you reach item breakpoints at unexpected times. It's designed for players who want more strategic, long-term output from their runes in addition to an immediate mechanical boost. 

To get the most out of it, you’ll need to beat your opponents in a test of reactions to get that initial hit and follow up to deal as much damage as possible during the 3-second buff. The rune has been great for artillery champions who can land their spells first, as well as for assassins who do their entire damage output within a short amount of time. 

Why the Inspiration Tree? 

The Inspiration rune tree is designed to be all about creative tools and rule-bending. Many past Inspiration Keystones haven't really delivered on that and instead became highly specific to particular champion synergies. This didn't really fit the Inspiration theme: You don't feel clever when you're simply doing what's always best for your champion, after all. 

You also might notice that we've historically shied away from putting damage options into the Inspiration tree. That's because damage is a fairly standard output—it doesn't really come across as a "rule-bending" optimization. But we're bending our own rules-bending rule a bit here for First Strike because starting combat is a harder decision to make than the choices most of our other damage-focused runes ask of you. Evaluating whether you might initiate a suboptimal fight to ensure First Strike, versus letting an opponent poke it off you and forfeiting the ability to go on the offensive for at least 15 seconds, isn't a straightforward choice. A risk like that needs an equivalent reward, and the increased damage you get is clear and appealing. 

We also hope that First Strike will provide value to a broad range of players rather than a specific class. Some will benefit more from the burst damage, others will love it for the gold rewards, and still others will enjoy the intellectual puzzle of figuring out its most strategic use cases. By delivering on multiple angles, we hope to garner appeal to a wider audience. 

More Design Thoughts 

One concern with First Strike's design is its effects on mindshare. When runes get too hard to track, they risk feeling like minigames that distract you from the "real" game going on. We’ve successfully reduced this in the past by making the rune's early lane interactions less influential (think Fleet Footwork). Because its benefits are granted in gold and percentage damage, much of First Strike's value is deferred until later in the game where getting that first jump on your opponent is crucial, regardless of rune choice. 

We also incorporated our learnings from Kleptomancy, which was frustrating for enemy laners who would get poked to death with little opportunity to fight back. Champions who remained loyal to Kleptomancy only did so if they could benefit from it without taking any damage in return, effectively getting to spin the consumables roulette for free every 2 seconds. First Strike not only forces you to engage but also encourages you to commit to your engagements to get any real benefit, especially with its much longer cooldown. It'll give Ezreal a taste of that "Lee Syndrome" when he lands his W - Essence Flux rather than passively poking away with his Q - Mystic Shot the entire time. 

Removing Prototype: Omnistone 

With the introduction of First Strike, we’re also removing Prototype: Omnistone, which never really found its place in most players’ hearts. Its rules and optimizations were too complex and tinkering with it any further risked making it even harder to master. This left us in a tough spot where we couldn’t safely buff it out of fear that it would become a standard in Pro play. While Prototype: Omnistone was a decent option for champions who didn't really love any one particular Keystone, over time, most have discovered at least a couple that suit them best. And for players who want to opt out of Keystones altogether, Unsealed Spellbook provides extra access to Summoner Spells, allowing users to spend their Runes power budget in a different system entirely. 

From the Summoner’s Rift Team, we hope you enjoy this sneak peek into First Strike and the other Preseason 2022 content we've announced this week. There's plenty more in store, and we're constantly monitoring the current state of the game and listening to your feedback to make improvements this preseason and beyond. Good luck out there and stay safe!"

TFT: Gizmos & Gadgets Pass And More

Here's MinionsRPeople2 with a look at what's coming in the TFT: Gizmos & Gadgets pass - "Everything you need to know about the Little Legends, arenas, booms, and more included in the G&G Pass!"

"Welcome to the world of Gizmos & Gadgets, where crazy experiments, mysterious magic, and groundbreaking tech set the stage for our latest roster of Little Legends, arenas, and more! 

Here we’ll be going over the blueprints for all the new content arriving with patch 11.22! 

Meet the Inventive Little Legends of G&G 

New set, new me—and by me, I mean new Little Legends. With Gizmos & Gadgets come some of our cutest, most inventive, and slimiest (sorry Gloop) Little Legends to date. Let’s meet them now!  

 

In need of repairs? Well, Duckbill can certainly try. Either way, you'll get your cute fix! Duckbill is so optimistic, they invented the Hopecopter 3000, just to keep their hopes high. But as you’ll see from their emotes, sometimes it all crashes down. Oh, and did I mention Duckbill’s part of a band? But before we get into their musical talent, check out their variants below: Honeybuzz, Delivery Rush, Pajama Party, Sugarcone, Zaunite, Piltover, and Goodest! 

Got a problem? Let Duckbill take a quack at it.  

I’m honestly still head banging to the Gloop Boop. What’s that, you ask? Well, remember when I mentioned that Duckbill was part of a band—of course you do, that was just a couple sentences ago! Well, Gloop and Duckbill are in the same band, but there’s one other member you’ll meet in a second. First, check out the Gloop variants below: Honeybuzz, Fireborn, Pop Groove, Sugarcone, Pizza Time, Hextech, and Arcade! 

Gloop’s a retired beatboxing champion, emphasis on the tired. 

I can’t understand how Piximander plays flowers like instruments. Sounds about as complicated as their skin care routine, which I hear costs an arm and a leg. But don’t worry—they regenerate. Check out their variants below: Honeybuzz, Shimmering, Rio, Hextech, Chemtech, Spotted, and Fruity Tooty! 

Remember, the pursuit of knowledge demands you ax-o-lotl questions. And hopefully those questions are about the new pass, cause that’s up next! But not before I play spoiler on the most futuristic music collab to hit the Convergence! 

Gizmos & Gadgets Pass 

With the Gizmos & Gadgets Pass, you’ll be able to earn rewards such as Little Legend eggs and emotes just for playing! Think of it as the blueprint with all the ways to unlock cosmetic content from both G&G and prior releases. 

But if you want to unlock even more content from the pass, such as arenas, exclusive Little Legends, and Star Shards, then you can grab the Pass+ for 1295 RP. Of course, you can always upgrade to the Pass+ later, as you’ll retroactively receive everything you would have unlocked with the Pass+ active. 

Oh, and just for unlocking the Pass+, you’ll get our Hextech inspired Arcane Sprite! 

As you zoom your way through the G&G Pass, you’ll unlock a number of mind-boggling new booms. Some of the booms zooming their way around the Convergence include Chemtech Surprise, Arcana Coil, Missile Party, Hextech Hypersurge. 

With the Pass+, you’ll find yourself transported to new arenas. First stop? Sky-High Station, where students of the Academy meander before, after, and sometimes during class. 

Next you’ll make your way to... Chemtech Plaza?! *gulp* But hey, this place ain’t half bad. Sure, there’s a harsh lung-searing aroma wafting from the vents, but you gotta admit: the glasswork is quite nice. 

Our last stop is Shisa’s Study. Dr. Shisa usually keeps the place in tip-top shape, but they’re nowhere to be found. Also, why is there a gaping hole in the wall? 

Oh there they are! The always smart, rational, and open-minded Shisa… at least, until you mess with their lab equipment. And remember to call them DOCTOR Shisa, cause forgetting the title puts you on the fast track to getting kicked out of the Academy. Dr. Shisa is available at one and two stars in the Pass+, with the three-star version unlockable using Star Shards. But don’t worry, you’ll earn those throughout the Pass+ as well. 

The Pass+ also comes with a couple unlockable emotes. Check 'em out below! 

And of course, there are grind emotes too! 

Jinx and Vi Arenas! 

First off, there’s Jinx’s Explody-Fun-Land (1380 RP) which takes inspiration from Jinx’s iconic ‘Get Jinxed’ video and mashes them with the set’s aesthetic. Jinx’s board responds to your every win and loss with explosive monkeys, neon paint parties, and (of course) the destruction of various gizmos and gadgets (that’s right, I said it) on losses. Of course, there’s also more than a couple clickable interactions to explore. Try knocking out Ziggs’ teeth carnival style, or switching the Carousel scene. It may be Jinx’s Explody-Fun-Land, but you can still swap things around. I’m sure Jinx won’t mind, as long as she doesn’t find out. 

Our other interactive arena is Vi’s Pummel Pit (1380 RP), which takes inspiration from a scene you may have seen already. With lighting that reacts to your wins and losses and machines that’ll only work if you keep winning, there’s a lot to explore in Vi’s Pummel Pit. But, just like Jinx’s Explody-Fun-Land, you can click around to mix things up between rounds. Try hitting the punching bag or taking on the boxing bot, just don’t forget you have a TFT game to win, too! 

Bundles That Make Ya Say GG! 

Ranked Rewards and More! 

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the second-to-last section of this article! Oh—you also made it to Gold tier during Reckoning? Well, aren’t you just something else! Well, we’ve got a whole host of rewards for you depending on what level of success you achieved! All ranked rewards will be distributed throughout patch 11.23 (the patch after the G&G’s release). 

First off, if you placed Gold or higher in Dawn of Heroes (the back half of Reckoning) then you’ll get a celebratory Nixie emote with a headdress that scales with your rank! 

If you placed Gold or higher at any stage of the set, then you’ll get the Victorious Nixie Little Legend. And if you managed to get Gold or higher during both halves of the set, you’ll get a rather chaotic-looking Triumphant Nixie too! Congrats, you’re really good at this game, and likely everything else you do with your big brain. 

But don’t stop reading yet! If you played Hyper Roll and finished Blue, Purple, or Hyper tier in Dawn of Heroes, then you’ll get an adorable Order Sprite emote to celebrate! 

And that about covers it—well, not ALL of it. There’s still Chibi Champions and Hextech Augments and Gameplay Overviews and Double Up articles for you to check out. Definitely do so when you get the chance, ‘cause I hear the author is a really great guy. 

With so much excitement around the release of Gizmos & Gadgets, it can be hard to keep all the dates straight, so allow this blurb to help. Gizmos & Gadgets comes to PBE on October 19th, then goes live just after that on November 3rd (patch 11.22). The Gizmos & Gadgets Pass will be available later that day at 11:00 a.m. PST. Double Up will be the last thing hitting live servers on November 17th (patch 11.23), giving us a full patch to learn the ins and outs of the new set."