The League of Legends Chemtech dragon is back after being removed back in January 2022. Initially considered too powerful, his set was completely redesigned into a MOBA along with the 2023 preseason. Yes folks, the zombies are gone, you can take a (little) easy rest.
Long ago, a chemtech dragon would give stacks of chemtech rot for every dragon slain. This increased damage against champions that have 340-1020 more health than you, allowing squishy ADCs and assassins to easily push through the tank's health bar in the top lane and jungle.
Combine that with the chem-tech soul (which turned players into unkillable zombies for three seconds if they were killed) and it became very OP. very fast. Quickly removed by Riot just a few weeks into the regular season, it has gone down in history as one of the League's most infamous power-up systems - quite a feat.
But guess who's back (back again) during the 2023 pre-season? You guessed it; Our favorite gasping lizard is back, but this time with a brand new set.
Chemtech dragon changes ahead of the 2023 season
Chemtech drake changes are as follows:
- Each time you kill a dragon, your team gains 5% more durability and shield/healing power.
- Soul of Chemtech grants 10% additional damage and damage reduction when below 50% health.
- The landscape will also be changed to reflect a new theme based on Zaunit's chemicals that damage jungle plants and foliage. Explosive cones knock you back twice as far, honey fruit no longer slows you down and also grants you a small shield, and Seer Blossom becomes Stalker Blossom, which increases movement speed in the direction you point, reduces the number of wards hit by Reveal to 1 health, and gives a circle of vision around the plant itself.
In regards to the soul, Senior Product Manager Patrick Noonan states that "it will be much easier to play and work with than the old zombie soul, but still close enough to the Chemtech theme."
From the point of view of an outside observer, it looks much more balanced than the original version. While 5% tenacity might be a little bewildering given the strength of the mechanic in general, it's in line with more traditional dragon buffs and doesn't look like it's going to help destroy tanks.
My personal favorite are the Rift changes. Not only do they look cool, but they also add a lot of different counterplay options. As a primary support, the updated terrain also makes clearing a lot of enemy wards a little less of a hassle.
However, for now, we have League of Legends patch 12.18 changes to contend with, as well as brand new Fright Night skins to spend money on. If you want to know how much you've spent on League of Legends, we've got a guide for that, but we're not responsible for any injuries caused by your jaw hitting the floor.
