TFT patch 12.1 notes: Kai’Sa & Socialite nerfs, reroll buffs, more

TFT patch 12.1 is here ⁠— the first Teamfight Tactics update of 2022 includes mega balance changes after the month-long patch preceding it. Here’s what we know, including Kai’Sa, Socialite, and Chemtech nerfs as well as big reroll buffs.

TFT patch 12.1 is a big one. After Riot shipped patch 11.24b ahead of the holiday break to try and stabilize the meta, there were plenty of things to solve now that the offices are open again.

A few meta comps are already reigning terror, including Socialite Flex and Chemtech. Urgot, Yone, and more carries are also proving to be strong, and Riot is tinkering with some of these issues.

Here’s everything coming in the TFT patch 12.1 in time for its January 2022 release.

What’s changed in TFT patch 12.1?

Socialite nerf likely to curb top meta comp

It was bound to happen — 3 Socialite dominated the meta for the latter half of TFT patch 12.1, and as such it’s being nerfed to start 2022.

The ultra-powerful late-game board took over lobbies, with players just slamming Taric, Seraphine, and Galio into any comp they hit. Paired with a five-cost carry like Kai’Sa, the board was a guaranteed top four.

However, Riot has struck down on the Socialite trait with a nerf to the mana regen per second given at two units. Galio’s “Clappio” damage build has also been nerfed, although Seraphine has been buffed to compensate for the change.

And yes, Kai’Sa has been nerfed too. The Mutant-Challenger carry now has less health, less starting mana, and does less damage with her Icathian Monsoon.

Riot breathes life back into reroll following five-cost dominance

After Katarina and Trundle were nuked in the final TFT update of 2020, five-cost carries (and four-cost too) were the name of the game. In 12.1, Riot is breathing new life back into one, two, and three-cost reroll with some big buffs.

• Read More: What are Hextech Augments in TFT?

Kog’Maw — a popular reroll carry last patch — is being nerfed. However, with big buffs to Swain, Talon, Heimerdinger, Lissandra, Malzahar, and Samira, there will be more opportunities to play reroll in the new update.

Chemtech nerfs as Urgot continues dominance

Since its TFT rework, more viable Chemtech comps with Warwick and Lissandra carry have opened up. Urgot’s dominance has also continued, with the four-cost carry being one of the most reliable in the game.

In 12.1, it’s being scaled back a bit. The damage reduction given to Chemtech units is being scaled back to 20%, and it’s also being nerfed at 3 Chemtech to tone back its splash power. Instead, players will be rewarded for investing in 7 Chemtech, or even 9 Chemtech, with big buffs to latter stages.

As for Urgot? His Purge now counts as a basic attack every third shot instead of second, putting an end to the Pikachu meta with Statikk Shiv stacking.

You can find the complete TFT patch 12.1 notes below, courtesy of Riot Games.

TFT patch 12.1 patch notes

Champions

1-cost

Caitlyn

• Ace in the Hole Damage: 800/1400/2250 ⇒ 800/1400/2000

Garen

• Attack Damage: 60 ⇒ 70

Graves

• Max Mana buff: 80/120 ⇒ 50/100

Illaoi

• Harsh Lesson Damage: 175/300/500 ⇒ 200/325/550
• Harsh Lesson Healing: 25/30/35% ⇒ 25/30/40%

Kassadin

• Null Sphere damage reduction: 30% ⇒ 25%
• Null Sphere damage reduction duration: 4 seconds ⇒ 5 seconds

Twisted Fate

• Wild Cards damage: 145/190/255 ⇒ 155/205/275

2-cost

Kog’Maw

• Barrage Damage: 7/8/9% ⇒ 8/8/8%

Swain

• Max Mana buff: 40/80 ⇒ 40/75
• Death’s Hand Healing per enemy hit: 200/230/300 ⇒ 225/250/350

Talon

• Attack Speed: 0.7 ⇒ 0.75

Zilean

• Time Bomb Slow Duration: 3 ⇒ 4 sec

3-cost

Ekko

• Parallel Convergence Damage: 150/200/350 ⇒ 175/225/375

Heimerdinger

• Attack Range: 3 ⇒ 4

Lissandra

• Iron Maiden Damage: 225/300/500 ⇒ 250/325/550

Malzahar

• Spell Damage: 700/850/1000 ⇒ 650/850/1100

Samira

• Health: 650 ⇒ 700

Vex

• Health: 800 ⇒ 850

4-cost

Orianna

• Max Mana buff: 50/140 ⇒ 50/130

Seraphine

• Max Mana buff: 80/160 ⇒ 80/150
• Encore Damage & Healing: 250/400/1000 ⇒ 275/450/1200

Sion

• Decimating Smash Stun Duration: 2/3/6 ⇒ 2.5/3/6 sec
• Decimating Smash Damage: 100/200/500 ⇒ 125/200/500

Urgot

• Purge now counts as a basic attack every: 2nd shot ⇒ 3rd shot

Yone

• Health: 950 ⇒ 900

5-cost

Galio

• Critical strike Slam Bonus Damage: 80/125/1999 ⇒ 70/100/1999
• Colossal Entrance base Stun Duration: 1.25/1.75/9.5 ⇒ 1.5/1.75/9.5 sec

Kai’Sa

• Health: 900 ⇒ 850
• Icathian Monsoon Damage per missile: 80/100/180 ⇒ 70/90/180
• Starting Mana nerf: 90/150 ⇒ 75/150

Tahm Kench

• Devour Damage Reduction: 40% ⇒ 30%
• NEW: 3-stars will now gain twenty times the usual stats when fed an allied unit.

Viktor

• Max Mana buff: 0/150 ⇒ 0/140

Traits

Chemtech

• Damage Reduction: 25% ⇒ 20%
• Max Health regen: 3/4/7/12 ⇒ 3/5/8/15%
• Attack Speed: 20/50/80/125% ⇒ 15/50/90/135%

Imperial

• Tyrant Bonus Damage: 75/125 ⇒ 80/150%
• Units Bonus Damage: 0/75% ⇒ 0/80%

Innovator

• Mechanical Bear base Health: 750 ⇒ 850
• Mechanical Bear Armor & Magic Resist: 60 ⇒ 70

Mutant

• Metamorphosis: Attack Damage and Ability Power growth: 1/2 ⇒ 2/4

Socialite 

• 2 Socialite mana regen per second: 5 ⇒ 3

Syndicate

• 7 Syndicate bonus amplification: 33% ⇒ 50%

Yordle

• Adjusted Yordle Spawn Odds
  • 1-cost spawn odds: 60% ⇒ 70%
  • 2-cost spawn odds: 25% ⇒ 20%
  • 3-cost spawn odds: 15% ⇒ 10%
• Yordle (6): Mana reduction: 20% ⇒ 25%

Augments

Ascension (Tier 1)

• Damage amplification after 15 seconds: 65% ⇒ 50%

Ardent Censer (Tier 1)

• Bonus Attack Speed: 40% ⇒ 50%

Duet

• Bonus Health: 500 ⇒ 400

Makeshift Armor I/II/III

• Bonus Armor & Magic Resist: 30/45/60 ⇒ 35/55/75

Shrug It Off (Tier 2)

• Max Health regen percentage: 2.5% ⇒ 3%

Spellblade (Tier 2)

• Empowered attack Ability Power scaling after casting: 200% ⇒ 225%

Stand United I/II/III

• Attack Damage and Ability Power per active trait: 3/4/5 ⇒ 2/3/5

Sunfire Board

• Max Health burn: 20% ⇒ 16%

Woodland Charm

• Copy Health: 1500 ⇒ 1600

Items

Chalice of Power

• Bonus Ability Power: 30% ⇒ 35%

Death’s Defiance

• NEW: Now grants +20% Omnivamp

Guardian Angel

• Health on revive: 400 ⇒ 250

Morellonomicon

• True Damage burn: 2.5% a sec ⇒ 2% a sec

Rapid Firecannon

• Total Attack Speed: 50% ⇒ 60%

Statikk Shiv

• Bonus Attack Speed: 15% ⇒ 10%

Sunfire Cape

• Proc Rate: 2.5 sec ⇒ 2 sec
• True Damage Burn: 2.5% a sec ⇒ 2% a sec

Zz’Rot Portal

• Health in stage 2: 1500 (unchanged)
• Health in stage 3: 1700 ⇒ 1800
• Health in stage 4: 1900 ⇒ 2100
• Health in stage 5: 2250 ⇒ 2500

System Changes

• Made some adjustments to the following Heart Augments
  • BUG FIX: Academy Heart tooltip now states that it grants a Katarina
  • NEW: Arcanist Heart now also grants a Swain
  • Challenger Heart now grants a Quinn (was Warwick)
  • Protector Heart now grants no champion (was Blitzcrank)
  • Scrap Heart now grants a Blitzcrank (was Ekko)
  • Twinshot Heart now grants a Graves
• Made some adjustments to the following Crest Augments
  • Assassin Crest now grants a Talon (was Ekko)
  • Arcanist Crest now grants a Swain (was Twisted Fate)
  • Challenger Crest now grants a Quinn (was Warwick)
  • Chemtech Crest now grants a Warwick (was Zac)
  • Imperial Crest now grants a Talon (was Swain)
  • Mutant Crest now grants no champion (was Kog’maw)
  • Scrap Crest now grants a Blitzcrank (was Ekko)

Bug Fixes

• Eternal Winter no longer applies a temporary VFX below the unit when frozen
• Fixed an issue where Garen with Blue Buff would stop gaining mana in rare situations
• Frozen Heart generated by Scrap will now properly remove its Attack Speed slow when its holder dies
• Caitlyn’s and Fiora’s abilities will now properly cast when targeting an invulnerable unit (e.g., Colossus with Armor Plating)
• Double Up: There will now always be a winning team visible during the victory sequence, even if all teams were reduced to 0 health in the final battle.
• Double Up: Players no longer continually take massive damage after surrendering.
• Seraphine’s tooltip now specifies that she casts at the largest group of enemy units
• Academy Heart’s tooltip now states that it grants a Katarina
• Jinx no longer incorrectly burns enemies for 2.5% of their max Health instead of 2% at 1-star
• Jinx’s tooltip now properly reflects that she burns 2/3/4% max health per second rather than 2/2.5/3%
• In 11.24 we intended to nerf melee Jayce’s bonus Armor & MR (40 ⇒ 30) but it never went through. However we’re happy with the power level of 40 Bonus Armor & MR so we’re keeping this number