TFT patch 12.19 notes: Scalescorn rework, major Jayce & Dragon changes

TFT patch 12.19 is here with some big changes as the Dragonlands Championship nears. The Scalescorn and Dragon traits are getting reworked, and so too Jayce as Riot combats crowd control in Set 7.5: here’s the patch notes.

There’s already been a few meta changes in TFT Set 7.5’s short lifespan. From Darkflight Cannoneers and Guild Xayah (which is still a thing), to Dragonmancer Nunu (which isn’t as much anymore), every composition under the sun has flourished.

Players should expect another change in TFT patch 12.19 as Riot gears up for some pretty big reworks. Three big targets have been isolated: Scalescorn, Dragons, and Jayce. The trio of changes could lead to some big switch-ups in the meta.

Here’s what you need to know about TFT patch 12.19.

Riot Games

Scalescorn could come back in a big way in TFT patch 12.19.

What’s changed in TFT patch 12.19?

TFT patch 12.19b update nerfs Terra, Dragon trait

Dragons were a big focus of the original TFT patch 12.19 (more on that below), but they landed a bit too strong. Riot has since put out a b-patch to rein in their power — both to the overall trait as well as the Monolith in Terra.

Terry now has lower scaling on his armor and magic resist at one and two-star, while the Dragon 6 chase trait will give less stats and no longer be a guaranteed first.

A number of bugs have also been fixed, including Jade and Mirage glitches and a Recombobulator issue with three-star champions. You can find the full list of TFT patch 12.19b changes below.

TFT patch 12.19b notes

Champions

Terra

• Armor & Magic Resist from Earthquake: 150/200/4000 ⇒ 130/165/4000

Traits

Dragon

• Dragon 6 Ascended Stats: 40 ⇒ 30

Bug fixes

• Fixed a bug where invading player’s Jade Statues will no longer have 1 Health on arrival
• Fixed a bug where the Shop couldn’t be refreshed if you collected a Bard Doot after selling Bard.
• Fixed a bug where 3-star Units transformed by Recombobulator and Pandora’s Bench were unable to equip items
• Fixed the following bug for Mirage 6 and 8: Duelist now stacks to 10 stacks instead of 9 stacks
• Fixed the following bug for Mirage 6 and 8: Electric Overload deals 9% Health damage instead of 10%
• Finally, we fixed an issue with the Discover Sunken Treasure mission earlier this patch, but failed to include it in the patch notes the first time round. We will have a compensation mission coming next patch.

Scalescorn gets rework to work alongside Dragons

Scalescorn has struggled a decent amount in TFT Set 7.5 due to the prevalence of Dragons. It was easy to build a composition around Olaf when there were only seven of them. Now there’s 12, and players are incentivized to splash them in every comp except Scalescorn.

Riot sees the design issue, and so the trait is getting a rework for TFT patch 12.19. 

“Scalescorn is a trait that didn’t function if you had a Dragon in, which kind of limited how you could play it,” developer Stephen ‘Mortdog’ Mortimer elaborated. “A truce has been made, and now they can work together! This means you can even Scalescorn emblem a Dragon now!”

The vertical is getting a slight nerf to welcome Dragons into the fold ⁠— it now does less damage at higher breakpoints. However now you can be much more flexible in how you build boards around the trait, and there could be some innovation yet.

Jayce, Dragon trait undergo big changes

As the TFT Set 7.5 continues to evolve, Riot are touching on two big problems ⁠— crowd control and Dragons. 

Units like Jayce have so much power built into their kit with stuns, and when you can flexibly build comps around it like Guild Ragewing Xayah, it’s oppressive. The four-cost Guild Shapeshifter is being singled out first with a minor rework to remove his crowd control while increasing his durability to at least cut back on all the stuns somewhat.

To the second point, pursuing the Dragon vertical beyond three units or so has been a bit “bait”, in Mortdog’s words. Riot are changing this by making higher chase values of the Dragon trait more appealing, including a new Dragon 6 which “causes your Dragons to ascend” and become “a lot more powerful”. If you can hit that, enjoy the bonuses.

Riot Games

Get six Dragons after TFT patch 12.19? Enjoy the big ascension bonus.

You can find the TFT patch 12.19 notes below.

TFT patch 12.19 notes

Champions

Tier 2

Gnar

• Attack Speed: 0.65 ⇒ 0.7
• Mega Gnar Transformation Bonus Armor: 40/50/75 ⇒ 40/60/90

Zyra

• Attack Speed: 0.7 ⇒ 0.65
• Spell Damage: 325/425/550 ⇒ 325/425/550
• Bugfix: Zyra no longer interrupts her cast animation at high Attack Speeds. Zyra will now pause to finish her cast animation before resuming attacking

Tier 3

Nunu

• Nunu no longer converts his damage to true damage if he has higher Health than his target
• Consume Damage amplification: 20% ⇒ 40%

Rakan

• Max Mana nerf: 0/60 ⇒ 15/75

Seraphine

• Max Mana nerf: 75/150 ⇒ 100/175
• Serenade of the Seas Shield Duration: 5 ⇒ 4 seconds
• Serenade of the Seas on-hit Damage 20/35/100 ⇒ 20/35/70

Zeri

• Max Mana buff: 40/80 ⇒ 20/70
• Watershock Laser Damage: 200/300/475 ⇒ 225/325/475

Tier 4

Hecarim

• Mana adjustment: 60/105 ⇒ 30/90

Jayce

• Armor & MR: 50 ⇒ 25
• No longer knocks up enemies for 1.25 seconds
• [NEW] When Jayce transforms, he gains 40 armor and magic resist
• Transformation Damage: 225/300/800 ⇒ 275/350/900

Nilah

• Slipstream Stolen Shield Duration: Permanent ⇒ 4 seconds
• Bugfix: Nilah’s stolen shields now properly stack

Shi Oh Yu

• Jade Form Attack Damage ratio: 250/275/1000% ⇒ 250/300/1000%

Sy’Fen

• Rampage Bite Armor Penetration: 25% ⇒ 33%
• Mana buff: 100/175 ⇒ 90/160

Tyrant Swain

• Master’s Decree Damage: 70/100/600 ⇒ 85/120/600

Traits

Astral

• Early star-level orbs now drop gold more often than Astral units. This means that it’s slightly harder to upgrade Astral units in Stage 2

Dragon

• Dragon 5: 10% attack speed ⇒ Heal 40 health per second
• [NEW] Dragon 6: Causes your Dragons to ascend

Dragonmancer

• Health: 250/600/800/1000 ⇒ 275/650/850/1000
• Ability Power: 18/30/50/70 ⇒ 20/35/50/70
• Now gives players a reminder to use Dragonmancer Blessing if they haven’t activated it.

Mirage

• Electric Overload: percent max Health Damage: 8% ⇒ 9%

Scalescorn

• Scalescorn can now be played with Dragons. The trait remains active even with Dragons in play.
• Scalescorn champions take 15% reduced damage from enemies with more than 1900 health, and they also deal a percent of their damage as additional magic damage.
  • Magic damage: 15/50/100% ⇒ 15/50/90%

Items

Protector’s Vow

• Shield Health: 20% ⇒ 10%

Dvarapala Stoneplate (Radiant)

• Max Health Regeneraion: 1% ⇒ 2%

Rocket-Propelled Fist

• Fist Health: 300 ⇒ 150

Augments

Base Camp (Scalescorn)

• Damage Increase per Stack: 8% ⇒ 7%

Battlemage I/II/III

• Ability Power: 10/20/30 ⇒ 15/25/35

Better Together

• Grants a Protector’s Vow ⇒ Grants a Locket of the Iron Solari

Birthday Present

• Now additionally grants 1 gold every time you level up

Celestial Blessing I/II/II

• Overheal Shield: 300/450/600 ⇒ 250/350/450

Future Sight I

• Tier: Gold ⇒ Silver

Pandora’s Bench

• Tier: Gold ⇒ Silver

Pandora’s Bench

• Gold granted: 7 ⇒ 2

Sunfire Board

• Duration: 15 ⇒ 20 seconds

Tiamat

• Splash Damage: 40% ⇒ 50%

Urf’s Grab Bag I

• Removed

Weakspot

• Removed