Warlord’s Bloodlust is about to be changed—again

Warlord’s Bloodlust is about to see some big changes—even though it was just completely gutted in the last patch.

Until patch 7.5 last week, Warlord’s Bloodlust provided the wielder with up to 15 percent lifesteal based on their missing health. Riot deemed this too over-powered, and introduced a new system behind the mastery. After the patch, Warlord’s was shifted to give a big chunk of lifesteal based on the user’s level (up to 50 percent) when it became “energized.”

As the champion moves around and attacks, they build up energy just like a Statikk Shiv or Luden’s Echo, and then the lifesteal applies to the first auto attack after becoming fully charged. Well, as it turns out, after the new Warlord’s was released, not many ADCs actually used it. Although there were a few, of course.

Jhin started using it after the nerf to Deathire Touch, and it was also useful on champions such as Ezreal, Vayne, Olaf, Trundle, and Tryndamere. The only issue, however, was that these champions weren’t building it because of the lifesteal. In fact, the sheer weakness of the lifesteal early in the game (it started at a measly one percent) and the fact it applied to only one auto attack made the lifesteal virtually useless. Champions only ran it because of the other added feature to the reworked mastery.

The new Warlord’s Bloodlust didn’t only provide the Statikk Shiv of lifesteal. It also gave the wielder a burst of movement speed for 0.75 seconds. As short as the boost was, it multiplied the ability to dodge and kite tenfold for marksmen, and more frighteningly, it gave chase-oriented champions such as Olaf, Trundle, and Vayne the ability to very easily stick to victims.

Riot noticed just how weak the lifesteal portion of the mastery was, and it looks like the company might take action. A new update just hit League’s Public Beta Environment (PBE) yesterday that shifts the healing portion of the mastery to scale on AD and amplify by critical strikes.

The base heal will start at five percent of a champion’s total AD, and will max out at 40 percent when the champion hits level 18. This will boost the heal significantly for AD-heavy champions like Jhin while retaining the same movement speed burst for kiting and dodging.

If this change does go through with patch 7.6 to the live client, it will make the mastery useful all-around.