What is First Strike?

With all the hype surrounding Arcane right now, we forgot just what is ahead on Summoner’s Rift. A whole bunch of new items are coming our way, as well as new dragons. Riot has also decided to look at their rune system to make some improvements.

Which runes have they taken under the microscope ahead of Season 12 though? What changes are coming? Well, we’re getting a brand spanking new rune, removing an existing one and well... As all things Riot releases, the new rune ‘First Strike’ is probably going to be completely broken.

What is First Strike?

First Strike is the newest rune making it to League of Legends. This is going to be an extremely poke-heavy rune and will reward any players who enjoy playing aggressively. So if you’re going to go in and get that first hit on an opponent, well then good job this rune is made for you.

What stats does First Strike give?

So, those champions that pick this rune will be rewarded with extra gold, extra damage and the satisfaction of getting ahead. This is especially crucial in the early game where a mere 50 gold can already make the difference between a BF Sword and Doran’s Blade.

These are the stats Riot shipped the rune with on September 19, 2021 onto the PBE server:

Damaging an enemy champion with an attack or ability before they do, or within 0.25s of the start of combat, grants 5 gold and First Strike for 3 seconds, causing your attacks or abilities to deal 12% bonus damage against all champions, and granting (100% melee / 70% Ranged) of bonus damage dealt as gold.

This does have a cooldown based on level going from 25 seconds to 15 seconds. This seems like an extremely useful rune for champions who love to gank, thus getting the first strike in a fight. Moving between lanes will also give junglers enough time to let the cooldown reset.

Which Champions Work Best with First Strike?

As just mentioned, junglers should have a great time with this rune. Being able to roam while the rune is on cooldown is perfect. You’re also often the one who will initiate any skirmish with ganks, which makes this an insanely good tool.

• These are the champions in Arcane!

Of course, all-in champions like Katarina can do some serious damage by combining the rune’s passive with her ultimate. You can get around a thousand gold in the later stages of the game, just by hitting four or five champions. This can be crucial for late-game item builds.

Why the Inspiration Rune Path?

According to Riot Games, the Inspiration Rune Path has been forgotten and unused by most players. This rune path is meant to ‘bend the rules of League of Legends’ but it hasn’t been doing much bending the rules with the lack of exposure to actual gameplay.

Therefore, Riot is introducing First Strike as a new rune in 2022 to hopefully revitalize this rune path. Seriously though, does anyone use half the stuff Inspiration offers other than Future’s Market in an ARAM?

Which Rune is Being Removed for First Strike?

Prototype: Omnistone is being removed in favor of First Strike. This rune was virtually unused and Riot didn’t have the means to buff it, afraid that it would be the go-to rune in pro play. Therefore, they felt it was better to remove it and add in a new better rune. Let’s see how First Strike pans out when pre-season goes live on November 17, 2021.