Teamfight Tactics 18.3: Wisp nerfs, Karma buffs and what to play now

Based on Teamfight Tactics patch 18.3 by Riot Games, published 22 September 2026.

This patch arrives at a point where many players have settled into the same Wisp-heavy shop and the same econ Augment routine. Riot's notes say the goal is to give life back to comps that appeared on the PBE but never reached the live Wilds, and to restore balance across traits that over-performed. Because a later mid-patch note disabled one of the strongest Wisp interactions, the picture is still moving. Read the numbers below as a snapshot of 18.3 as written, not a final verdict.

Blossom Wisps and high trait breakpoints lose their edge first

The largest shift targets Blossom, which the notes describe as giving too much value through a handful of over-performing Wisps. Combust damage drops from 22% to 18% on the Blossom Charm version, Heroic Sacrifice falls from 40% to 35% for both damage and resistances, and Sinister Deal pays out 2g instead of 3g while costing 2HP instead of 3HP. Stand Alone loses a little ground too, moving from 22% to 20%. Riot says most players will only feel between two and five of these lines in a typical game, which reads to us as a reassurance that the nerfs stack unevenly rather than all at once. Still, a Wisp you planned around may now be a different offer.

The trait changes hit the top breakpoints of Hunter, Defender, Invoker and Inferno, where powerful Emblems were stacking too much value. Hunter's highest bonus AD drops from 65% to 60%, Defender's top resistances fall from 120 to 115, Inferno's top burn moves from 4.5% to 4%, and Invoker's top mana regen goes from 9 to 8. Emblem-side cuts follow: Hunter Emblem AD per takedown goes from 18% to 15%, and Juggernaut Emblem mana on death goes from 15 to 10. We read this as a signal that max-breakpoint comps lose their sharpest edge, while the lower breakpoints stay mostly untouched. Coven is the one high-stakes trait that gains, with essence per loss rising at most breakpoints.

Units that gain a real place in the lineup

Karma gets the clearest buff, with Explosion Damage rising from 120/180/270/460 AP to 125/185/300/515 AP. The gap is widest at three-star, which the notes say is where she was never seen as a mid-game reroll carry. Our reading is that a three-star Karma is now a realistic late-mid target for players who already hold the right items, though the notes do not show how often that will happen in ranked or normal lobbies. Alistar also climbs, with his ability damage going from 100/150/225 AP to 180/270/420 AP and his heal from 200/260/320 AP to 230/300/400 AP. A three-star Alistar was previously a big health bar, so this is a meaningful change for him as a frontline piece.

The Wolf Bros are the most talked-about return. Murkwolf's empowered attack damage goes from 60, 90 and 135 AD to 65, 100 and 160 AD, and Gromp's AD form gains both base AD (45 to 50) and attack speed (0.7 to 0.75). Gromp's AP form damage over time also rises, from 160/240/360 AP to 175/265/410 AP. Riot pitches the Wolf Bros as a level six reroll comp, and the Blackthorn hex note suggests feeding an Attack Fighter rather than a Tank into it. Warwick returns with ability damage from 215/325/500 AD to 230/345/535 AD and healing from 20% to 25%. Cassiopeia and Rammus gain because Defender was nerfed, which the notes say removes a stall source for Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia's ability climbs from 400/600/950 to 425/630/1020, and Rammus's shield moves from 350/450/550 to 400/550/725.

Augments, artifacts and fixes that change the small decisions

The Augment changes lean toward combat options that were often skipped in a set that favors econ. Jeweled Lotus I crit chance rises from 10% to 15%, Hold the Line gains 11% AD (from 9%) and 11% AP (from 10%), and Challenger's Grace lasts 4s instead of 3s, although that Augment is now disabled because of a bug. Retribution goes the other way, with crit chance dropping from 25% to 15%, which reads as a fix after its earlier Hand of Justice buff. Item Extraction now grants three extractions instead of four, and Future Focused pays 5 gold instead of 8. On the item side, Statikk Shiv's base Ability Power rises from 15% to 25%, which the notes tie to making it useful on Kayle even when it is finished late. The Collector's AD drops from 40% to 35% and Eternal Pact's mana on tank ability cast falls from 15 to 10.

Stability and bug work matter here too. An Augment UI fix addresses a case where minimizing the interface right after selection could void the chosen Augment, which is a real risk if you click quickly. Riot also says PvE monsters were missing from some rounds and that this is now fixed. Major Polymorph was disabled by a mid-patch note on September 28th, because a strategy using the Greater Polymorph Wisp let players reach two-star five-costs far too early. The four Augments disabled in the 18.3 B update are Challenger's Grace, Dark Ritual, Infinity Protection and Nesting Dolls. Plan around those pulls rather than assuming your usual Augment pool is intact.

Who benefits

• Karma players on the three-star path: Explosion damage rises from 120/180/270/460 AP to 125/185/300/515 AP, and the notes single out three-star as the key upgrade.
• Wolf Bros and Murkwolf Gromp comps: Murkwolf's empowered attacks move to 65, 100 and 160 AD, and Gromp's AD form gains base AD and attack speed, which the notes present as a reroll-ready level six option.
• Cassiopeia and Rammus players: Cassiopeia's ability climbs to 425/630/1020 and Rammus's shield to 400/550/725 while Defender loses stall power.
• Combat Augment and Coven users: Jeweled Lotus I crit chance rises to 15%, Hold the Line gets slightly stronger, and Coven essence per loss increases at most breakpoints.

Who loses

• Veigar players who want him as the centerpiece: AP per kill drops from 3% to 2%, which lowers the ceiling of the carries the notes describe as almost impossible to beat. The lower rungs of his base ability rise, so the change is a trade.
• Players who build three-star Ornn for Solar artifacts: Forge Power bonus on the three-star drops from +100% to +85%, slowing the artifact spike the notes said was too easy to reach.
• Blossom Charm and Wisp players: Several Blossom Charms and Stat Boosters are cut, including Combust, Heroic Sacrifice, Sinister Deal and Stat Boosters attack speed from 8% to 6%, so that game plan loses some punch.
• High-breakpoint Hunter, Defender, Invoker and Inferno players: Top bonuses fall in each trait, and Emblem values drop too, so late-game max breakpoints lose their overwhelming edge.

What to do about it

• Re-check the Blossom Charm you planned to take before paying for it.: Several lines moved, and the notes say the cuts are spread across a typical game, so you should expect a different offer more often than a single dramatic swing.
• Try the Wolf Bros as a level six reroll, but feed an Attack Fighter into the Blackthorn hex rather than a Tank.: Riot calls them a new favorite reroll comp, and the note about the hex is the one piece of setup advice in the notes.
• Keep Veigar out of the centerpiece role unless the board is already built around him.: His lower ceiling makes him a weaker carry, though the notes suggest he should be less of a dead unit when he is used as a supporting piece.
• Pick Karma and Alistar for their upgrade path, not for a quick two-star spike.: Both gain most at higher star levels, so a plan that reaches three-star matters more now than an early push.
• Take combat Augments more seriously, and stop assuming Retribution is a default pick.: Jeweled Lotus and Hold the Line gain, while Retribution's crit chance falls from 25% to 15%.
• Check the Augment list before each game, because four Augments are disabled.: Challenger's Grace, Dark Ritual, Infinity Protection and Nesting Dolls are not available until they return in a more stable form.

Key numbers at a glance

What we are unsure about

• The notes do not give win rates, pick rates or tier placements, so we cannot say how much these changes will shift what players queue into.
• Major Polymorph is disabled until 18.4, and the notes do not say how the Wisp interaction will return.
• Some Blossom Charm reductions are described as affecting only a few lines per game, but the notes do not show how often each Wisp will appear in practice.

How this article was made

This is an original analysis of the official notes, written with AI assistance and checked automatically: every number in it appears in the official text, and copy overlap with it is capped. We do not play-test patches ourselves. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will correct it. How we work: editorial policy.