I don't think the upcoming mage changes are a nerf. I think they are a buff.

Mages are weaker early game now after the Manaflow Band change because we have to stack it before we can get any mana sustain. In past seasons we always had options in runes and masteries for this that were effective from level 1 onwards. So ever since the Manaflow Band rework we've had worse mana sustain in the first few levels than we've ever had in any season.

What's happening for our early game:

• We're getting more base mana regen and mana at level 1.
• Doran's Ring will be more consistent instead of depending on last hits. It will also give more last hitting power with autoattacks so we can conserve mana more easily.

Those changes are a huge buff that we need because of how Manaflow Band was changed. Making the first few levels stronger has a big impact on the rest of the game.

What's happening for levels 3+:

• Less max mana. It's not the end of the world guys.

Here is one more thing to keep in mind, this is really important: Manaflow Band was changed to give us 250 more mana once we stack it. With this and the base mana at level 1 we're getting, our mana pool will be fine even at later levels. At level 18 we're only going to be down ~90-100 mana compared to before Manaflow Band was changed. It doesn't matter at all.