TFT Patch 18.5 Notes: Azir Nerfs and Taric Buffs

Teamfight Tactics Patch 18.5 breaks up the Azir and Rammus super-tank boards, trims the late-game verticals that win on their own, and hands real power to Taric, Soraka and Ashe. Econ augments also lose upfront gold, so you have fewer free tempo boosts and more reason to commit to a board early.

Every trait, unit, Radiant item, augment and Wisp change is on the cards below, with our note on each. Our top-4 data compares each unit and trait breakpoint against a 53.8% average before the patch.

The Blackthorn Azir comp is the clear target. Azir takes a flat damage cut, Blackthorn (6) and the base AP sacrifice shrink, and Flora Fatalis heals less, which also weakens Rammus boards. Each change is small, but stacked together they make Azir a riskier force when another player is already on him.

Elderwood (9) was almost a guaranteed win, at 89.3% and 35.5 points over average, so a cut to summon health will not stop it from closing games when you hit it. Riftbeast (7) loses a sliver of AD and AP and Omega Riftbeast gets weaker too, so forcing that vertical from stage 2 gets slightly worse.

Taric already sat 9.2 points above average and now gets more resists plus a much bigger AP ratio on his empowered attacks. Alune is adjusted: she loses durability but gains damage and attack speed, so she shifts from a unit you can leave bare to one that wants carry items. Sentinel, the most-played patched unit at a 31.1% pick rate, loses half its stun, so stop slotting it unitemized as filler.

Mama Beak is adjusted: a bug fix shortens her mana lock, her own damage drops, and her Master Yi and Tristana groups gain power, with Tristana’s mana falling from 0/60 to 0/50. Radiant Adaptive Helm and Blue Buff both lose some damage, so they are less of an automatic pick on casters.

Augment offers are now tailored, so you see fewer AP augments on AD boards and vice versa. Most gold-upfront augments are nerfed, while Malicious Monetization, Nesting Anvils and Patience is a Virtue are buffed. Consuming Flora also gets stronger, with bonus effectiveness rising from 50% to 70%, which softens the Flora Fatalis nerf for Emblem holders.

Wisp filtering is the bigger quality-of-life shift. Wisps that count itemized champions now include your bench, and role-based Wisps read your last combat rather than your current board, so last-second unit swaps no longer game them. Compare these against last patch’s changes if you are tracking how the Fae buff evolved.

Choncc or Treat, a Halloween version of Choncc’s Treasure, runs until 17 November 2026, and one of its encounters gives every player a unique Avatar Lux. The patch also brings 52 converted cosmetics back, with some known visual bugs that do not affect gameplay. Find each patch’s summary in our TFT patch notes and comp breakdowns in our guides.