Based on Teamfight Tactics patch 18.6 by Riot Games, published 3 November 2026. Playing Teamfight Tactics? See the Teamfight Tactics page on The Nexus.
Patch 18.6 ships the standalone TFT client alongside a round of buffs for specific units and augments. Nidalee, Malphite, Sentinel and Murkwolf get stronger, Elderwood's nine-piece HP bonus drops sharply, and Emblem-driven Wisps like Curio Cart and Middle Path cost more. The set's biggest tournament is played on this patch, so the tuning will shape a lot of lobbies in a short window. Patch 18.5 widened the meta by nerfing Kha'Zix and Brambleback, and 18.6 buffs the units that lost their homes.
Elderwood loses its health, Emblems get pricier
Elderwood takes the sharpest cut: its nine-piece HP bonus falls from 25% to 10%. That is a big drop for a vertical the notes still say outperforms the others. Since Elderwood depends on an Emblem and on player skill, the change probably pushes it toward boards where positioning decides more of the fight. Before you spend gold rerolling for it, ask whether the Emblem earns its slot, because a board that leaned on health now has to win another way.
Emblem users pay more across the board. Curio Cart's Emblem cost rises from 15 to 17, and Middle Path moves from a cost of 4 to 5, with its upgrade cost going from 3 to 4. The notes call Emblems powerful when you can collect several, so the higher price weighs that trade-off harder, and Middle Path is only great when it fits the comp exactly. Think twice before buying either for econ value alone. Blossom and Sprykin go the other way. Blossom's AD/AP scaling goes from 12/30/50/55% to 12/30/55/65%, and Sprykin's BFF Ranged AD/AP goes from 15/28/33% to 15/30/38%. The aim looks like making those verticals playable without a reforger, though the notes state it as a goal, not a result, and give no figure for how much less help they now need.
Nidalee and Malphite lead the buffs
Nidalee gets the largest unit buff of the patch, and the notes say so outright. In her AD form the heal goes from 300/450/2000 (AP) to 325/550/2000 (AP), and the third cast bonus damage rises from 125% to 140%. The notes blame Ahri and Zyra boards for AD Nidalee dying quickly, so more survivability should keep her casting. Her AP form gets a stronger empowered attack, from 185/275/2000 (AP) to 195/295/2000 (AP), and a bigger third attack, from 330/500/3000 (AP) to 350/525/3000 (AP). AP Nidalee has not become a main carry this set, the notes admit, and they ask players to watch AP Nidalee and Juggernaut lobbies. She is not called a top carry yet, so judge her after your own games.
Malphite and Sentinel make up the second group. Malphite's shield moves from 735/885/2000 (AP) to 750/925/2000 (AP) and his spell damage jumps from 40/60/2000 to 100/150/2000. The notes expect the damage to matter less than the shield, though it could help him finish a fight when a backline unit is low. Sentinel's shield HP ratio rises from 10% to 12%. If you are not playing Malphite you are probably playing Sentinel in AP flex lines, the notes say, so the buff should make items like Warmog's more rewarding on that tank. The two are closer than before, so compare them before you lock in your AP flex tank.
Better odds for Unrivaled and a few augments
Unrivaled gets the largest augment change. Rengar's heal share rises from 25% to 50%, and Kha'Zix's mana share rises from 50% to 70%. The notes say the 18.5 Kha'Zix nerf hit this duo hard and that it was not especially popular before that. With the heal share doubled and the mana share bigger, the pair has a much better case for being picked, so take it when a Rengar or Kha'Zix board is already forming. Clockwork Accelerator's attack speed per proc rises from 10% to 12%, and Plot Armor's base resists go from 8 to 10. The notes count both among the combat augments that trailed the rest.
The economy and pixie augments split the patch. Shopping Spree's initial gold granted rises from 6 to 7. The notes name it the weakest econ Prismatic on 2-1, though only by a small margin. Embiggen goes the other way: its bonus Pixie AD/AP falls from 50% to 35%. Pixie-based boards lose a sizeable part of their damage, so if you leaned on Embiggen for a pixie comp, plan the next few games around the smaller number.
Early-board tuning, the client and fixes
The remaining tuning is small and aimed at early boards. Kobuko's spell healing (AP) moves from 285/335/480 to 300/350/550, and Rek'Sai's from 10/14/20 to 10/16/24. These one-cost units often leave the board before the mid game, the notes say, so the buffs keep them around longer, which should help the reroll Teemo and Veigar comps that hold them longer. Murkwolf's empowered attack damage goes from 65/100/160 AD to 65/100/180 AD. Brambleback's nerf hurt Murkwolf's comp, and he was never the main carry on reroll Ravager or Riftbeast boards, according to the notes, so the extra damage should make him worth chasing.
The standalone TFT client is the largest change outside balance. The notes say it lays the foundation for 18.7 and beyond, and they warn that the deploy will take longer than normal on PC and mobile. No release time is given for the patch, and the client is described only as a foundation for later patches. Cosmetics change as well. Little Legends stop being shared with League of Legends from Patch 19.1, and TFT emotes split from League emotes from Patch 19.2, while items released before those patches stay usable in both games. Anyone who owns a Mythic Tactician or Arena before 18.7 gets two Mythic Medallions, and playing one game in Set 19 earns 500 Treasure Tokens. Bug fixes bring back Streamer Mode, give the chat window more lines, and stop Hard Commit from granting ineligible Emblems.
Who benefits
- Nidalee, AD and AP forms gain most: the AD heal rises from 300/450/2000 (AP) to 325/550/2000 (AP), and the AP form's third attack goes from 330/500/3000 (AP) to 350/525/3000 (AP). The notes call this the largest buff of the patch.
- Malphite sees his shield rise from 735/885/2000 (AP) to 750/925/2000 (AP) and his spell damage go from 40/60/2000 to 100/150/2000, a far bigger jump.
- Sentinel in AP flex lines sees the shield HP ratio move from 10% to 12%, which should help items like Warmog's on this tank.
- The Rengar and Kha'Zix Unrivaled duo sees Rengar's heal share double from 25% to 50% and Kha'Zix's mana share rise from 50% to 70%, after the 18.5 nerf had hit the pair.
- Blossom and Sprykin verticals rise from 12/30/50/55% to 12/30/55/65% for Blossom's AD/AP scaling and from 15/28/33% to 15/30/38% for Sprykin's BFF Ranged AD/AP.
Who loses
- Elderwood players see the nine-piece HP bonus fall from 25% to 10%, and the notes say the unit still depends on an Emblem and on skill.
- Curio Cart Emblem users see the Emblem cost rise from 15 to 17, making each extra Emblem a more expensive decision.
- Middle Path players see the cost move from 4 to 5 and the upgrade cost from 3 to 4, so the shop of two-star 3-costs is harder to justify.
- Embiggen pixie comps see the bonus Pixie AD/AP fall from 50% to 35%, which removes a noticeable part of the damage those boards rely on.
Key numbers at a glance
| What | Change | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Elderwood, nine-piece HP bonus | 25% to 10% | Elderwood loses most of its health cushion and needs an Emblem and good play to stay strong. |
| Blossom, AD/AP scaling | 12/30/50/55% to 12/30/55/65% | Blossom hits harder in its upper scaling tiers, which should reduce the need for a reforger. |
| Sprykin, BFF Ranged AD/AP | 15/28/33% to 15/30/38% | Sprykin's ranged backline option gets a stronger top end, so it stops feeling like a secondary pick. |
| Nidalee, AD form heal | 300/450/2000 (AP) to 325/550/2000 (AP) | AD Nidalee should last longer through repeated casts, especially against Ahri and Zyra boards. |
| Nidalee, AD form third cast bonus damage | 125% to 140% | Her third cast hits harder, which helps her get through frontliners. |
| Nidalee, AP form third attack damage | 330/500/3000 (AP) to 350/525/3000 (AP) | The AP form's finishing hit grows, which the notes say is the main reason to try AP Nidalee. |
| Malphite, shield | 735/885/2000 (AP) to 750/925/2000 (AP) | Malphite's shield grows slightly, adding a bit more staying power in long fights. |
| Malphite, spell damage | 40/60/2000 to 100/150/2000 | His ability hits much harder, though the notes expect it to matter less than the shield. |
| Sentinel, shield HP ratio | 10% to 12% | Sentinel's shield scales higher with health, which makes Warmog's on that tank more useful. |
| Unrivaled, Rengar heal share | 25% to 50% | Rengar heals a much larger share of the duo's healing, which makes the augment more attractive. |
| Embiggen, bonus Pixie AD/AP | 50% to 35% | Pixie boards lose a noticeable amount of damage from this augment. |
| Curio Cart, Emblem cost | 15 to 17 | Each Emblem bought through Curio Cart costs more, so Emblem comps pay more to get them. |
| Middle Path, cost and upgrade cost | 4 to 5, and 3 to 4 | The shop of two-star 3-costs is more expensive to buy and to upgrade. |
What the notes do not say
The notes never say how far the 18.6 changes move win rates or pick rates, so any claim about which comps will rise is inference. Treat the Elderwood and Nidalee changes as hypotheses until data arrives. Streamer Mode gets no explanation beyond its return, and how the buffs settle will not be clear until games are played at scale.
Cover: our own design. Third-party pictures on it are credited: Artwork: Riot Games
