League of Legends patch 12.8 is the patch the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational is played on, which is why it brings nerfs to three champions, adjustments to two, and buffs to 14.
Among the 14, Poppy is one of the benefactors. Buffing two of her crowd control abilities, Steadfast Presence and Keeper’s Verdict, Riot Games intends to make her a better team fighter, especially against champions with dashes, who are all too common in the current meta.
These improvements are big enough to shake up solo queue and pro play, especially in the jungle, and possibly in top lane and support.
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Buffs to Poppy in League of Legends patch 12.8
W – Steadfast Presence
- Cooldown decreased from 24/22/20/18/16 to 20/18/16/14/12 seconds
R – Keeper’s Verdict
- Uncharged knock up duration increased from 0.75 seconds to 1 second
- Charged missile speed increased from 2000 to 2500
- Charged knock back distance increased from 2400 to 3400
- Cooldown refund upon canceled charge reduced from 30 to 15 seconds
What these buffs mean for solo queue players and competitive play
Poppy’s most unique mechanic is Steadfast Presence (W), which interrupts dashes and knocks up enemies for a brief 0.5 seconds. Because it is such a disruptive utility spell, its cooldown has always been long.
Shaving off four seconds at all levels is very helpful because this is the last ability that players max out, after Hammer Shock (Q) and Heroic Charge (E), which are needed for damage and jungle clear.
The biggest changes in this patch are to her ultimate, Keeper’s Verdict. Besides having a slightly longer knock up duration, it’s also going to be much easier to land thanks to its increased missile speed.
What’s more, its charged knock back distance has been increased by 1,000 from 2,400 to 3,400 range, which is massive. Previously, it was still possible for knocked back enemies to reenter a fight by walking, ghosting, or dashing back with abilities. At 3,400 range, however, it won’t be possible.
“With this, there’s no chance that you’re getting back into the fray,” commented Nick “LS” De Cesare in his patch rundown. “There’s zero chance that you’re getting back in.”
This means that her ultimate alone could be a big game-changer, turning 5v5s into 4v5s or even 3v5s.
In Spring 2022, Poppy has an 11.8% presence across major leagues. Even though she isn’t considered a meta pick due to her slower clear, she’s a good choice against certain matchups and team compositions.
Gen.G jungler Han “Peanut” Wang-ho utilized her the most this season. Out of six games, he won five (83.3% win rate), picking her into three specific champions with dashes and similar clear timings — Jarvan, Xin Zhao, and Viego.
With these buffs, we can expect her to show up more in solo queue and competitive play, where she has potential to be flexed jungle, top, and support.
Read the full League of Legends patch 12.8 notes here.
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