LoL Classic Champions: Every Legacy Kit Explained

The LoL Classic champions tracked here are ten legacy kits from Patch 26.20’s Classic section. The headliners are the 2010–2018 Irelia, an Aatrox snapshot taken only three patches after his release, and the 2011–2015 Caitlyn. We list every champion a patch’s Classic notes touch, in alphabetical order rather than ranked, and we update the page whenever a patch adds another one.

Each entry explains how the Classic version differs from the champion you play in normal queues today, using only what the notes list for that kit. To compare against the current versions, browse the champions hub.

Classic champions are snapshots of older champion versions, played in Classic matches with their own collection menu, splash art and Summoner spells. Each one is frozen at a fixed point in the champion’s history. Aatrox predates his 2017 and 2018 reworks, and Karma’s kit comes from before her early-2013 rework.

The mode also runs its own balance. Classic kits share the shop with period items such as Deathfire Grasp and a Lich Bane carrying a 75% AP ratio. Each patch tunes them through a separate Classic section in the notes, and that section is the only source for this page.

That separation changes how you learn these legacy champion versions. Live matchup knowledge does not carry over. Classic Caitlyn fires a slowing net and a piercing shot that loses damage on each target it passes through. Classic Irelia’s E stuns only when the target has a higher health percentage than she does.

Patch 26.20 brings ten champions onto this list: Aatrox, Caitlyn, Fiora, Fizz, Graves, Irelia, Karma, Kennen, Nautilus and Quinn. The notes split them into two groups. Aatrox, Caitlyn, Irelia, Karma and Quinn carry the new verdict, with full kits described ability by ability. Fiora, Graves and Fizz take nerfs, Kennen gets an adjustment and Nautilus a buff.

Read the second group as a balance report on the mode. The notes rate Fiora the most dominant top laner in Classic and Graves arguably its strongest champion overall. Fizz sits close behind them as a mid lane AP assassin. Kennen and Nautilus sit at the other end, underperforming enough to need help.

Tanks also get help from the shop. Spirit Visage goes from 4 to 20 health per 5, Force of Nature from 20 to 40 and Warmog’s Armor from 10 to 30, because those items lacked regeneration. Banshee’s Veil is adjusted so it appears under the health filter instead of ability power. That is a display fix, not a stat change.

Every Classic kit differs from its live counterpart, and the five new ones differ completely. The per-champion sections below cover the detail. After them, we group the patterns you need to adjust to before your first Classic game.

Classic Aatrox shares almost nothing with the live champion, who was reworked in 2017 and again in 2018. His basic abilities cost him health to fill Blood Well, which grants attack speed and a revive when he is killed. W toggles between Blood Thirst healing and Blood Price bonus damage on every third attack, and R adds attack speed and attack range around enemy champions. Swap to Blood Thirst when you drop low, because its healing rises as your health falls.

Classic Caitlyn plays as a lane bully with tools that differ in the details from her live kit. Piltover Peacemaker loses damage on each target it pierces, she can keep two Yordle Snap Traps down, and Ace in the Hole can be body-blocked by any enemy champion. Headshot charges faster while she attacks from brush. In lane, auto from the brush whenever it is safe so your headshot is ready for the next trade.

Fiora’s nerf is small: Riposte’s bonus attack damage drops from 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 to 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30. Her ultimate is deliberately spared, so her all-in threat stays intact while her baseline trading weakens. Expect her to remain a top pick, though one patch of data is too early to call. Lean on shorter, ultimate-backed fights rather than long extended trades where the lost attack damage adds up.

Fizz’s Urchin Strike AP ratio falls from 60% to 40% and Seastone Trident’s active ratio from 35% to 20%. Both cuts hit high-AP builds hardest, so his guaranteed burst shrinks while the fighter version is meant to survive. If you play him mid, test fighter builds this patch before going back to full AP out of habit.

Graves takes a wide nerf: base attack damage drops from 54.1 to 50, attack damage per level from 3.1 to 2.5 and attack speed per level from 2.9% to 2.5%. Collateral Damage’s cone falls from 140 / 250 / 360 + 120% bonus AD to 140 / 230 / 320 + 100% bonus AD, while the projectile is unchanged. His attack and crit animations are sped up, so he feels smoother even as he loses damage. Play for short burst trades rather than long fights where the lost sustained damage shows.

Classic Irelia is built to win fights she looks set to lose. Her passive grants tenacity for each visible enemy champion nearby, W heals on every attack and adds true damage when active, and E stuns only targets with a higher health percentage than hers. R fires four blades in a line that also heal her. Chain Bladesurge through low-health minions, since a kill refunds its full cooldown and part of its mana cost, letting you close distance on a fleeing target.

Classic Karma predates her early-2013 rework and wants to be in the middle of fights. Her passive grants ability power based on missing health, and Mantra is available from level 1 with two charges to empower her next basic ability. Empowered Heavenly Wave heals allies based on their missing health, and empowered Soul Shield deals damage around the target. Use Mantra on Spirit Bond to double its move speed effects when you need to chase or escape.

Kennen gets an adjustment to Electrical Surge’s passive damage, which moves from 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80% total AD to 25 / 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 + 100% bonus AD. Replacing a total-AD ratio with flat damage plus a full bonus AD ratio rewards AD items far more than before. The change is aimed at AD Kennen, so that is the build to test this patch.

Nautilus gets the clearest buff of the patch. Titan’s Wrath damage over time rises from 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 / 100 + 40% AP to 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 + 40% AP. Its shield bonus health ratio goes from 10% to 15% and its duration from 9.75 to 10. A bug fix means the shield now accounts for armor and magic resist, while another fix stops his empowered passive attack from critting for too much damage. Take him top or jungle, pairing W with the buffed regeneration items to stay in fights longer.

Classic Quinn plays as two champions. As Quinn, she attacks Harrier-marked enemies for bonus damage, gaining attack and move speed when it triggers. Vault knocks back and slows before Valor marks the target. Tag Team swaps her out for Valor, a fast melee skirmisher with modified abilities, and recasting fires Skystrike to bring her back. Activate Heightened Senses to reveal a large area before you commit to a roam or a chase.

Several old champion kits get stronger as you get hurt. Classic Aatrox’s basic abilities damage him to fill Blood Well, which grants attack speed and a revive on death. Classic Karma gains ability power based on her missing health. Irelia’s E turns from a slow into a stun once the target is healthier than she is.

The practical lesson: do not back off the moment you drop to half health on these champions. That is often when their damage or crowd control peaks. Commit to the trade while you still have the resources to finish it.

Quinn’s ultimate pulls her off the map and sends Valor in as a fast melee skirmisher. Recasting fires Skystrike and brings her back. Caitlyn can keep two traps down at once. Her ultimate is a channel that any enemy champion can step in front of, so the target you pick matters less than the path to it.

The five rebalanced champions show where the mode was out of line. Graves loses sustained damage through lower base stats and a cut to his R cone ratio from 120% to 100% bonus AD, while his projectile damage stays as it was. Fizz’s nerfs target higher-AP builds; the notes want his fighter builds to stay viable. If you play him in mid, compare him against the best mid laners on the live side to see how different the role feels.

For the live-game changes that ship alongside each Classic section, read our patch notes coverage, and find more champion and mode explainers in our guides.