Perhaps I'm missing something but I feel like everyone says this is tank meta because of cinder hulk. I don't really remember any other significant things that made this tank meta. Is the addition of one item REALLY enough to say there is a whole new meta? Or am I just missing something?
Hinagiku3316 votesI'm gonna guess that you are fairly new to the game and weren't here for Season 2 or the beginning of Season 3.
Basically, the game is VERY different depending on whether tanks are strong or not.
Season 2 had Super Tanks that literally just would not die unless the AD Carry was allowed to just go ham on them. Killing the AD Carry meant that the enemy team would not be able to kill your tank...at all...as in you won the fight as soon as the enemy ADC died. Strong tanks could put out some pretty impressive damage with Sunfire/skills/basic attacks while having tons of CC and with items like Force of Nature, the dreaded Fratmogs (Frozen Mallet, old Warmogs, and Atma's Impaler), and Triforce for damage tanks, any champ that relied on cooldowns for damage would die long before they could get enough ability rotations to kill a tank. In this meta, Mages were stuck mid and Assassins and AD Casters were bad most of the time since they weren't good at protecting the carry and if they failed to kill the enemy carry then they just lost their team the game.
Season 3 had the ridiculousness that was Runic Bulwark. It provided so many free stats in an aura that the support and the jungler and sometimes the top laner were all obligated to get one just to match the enemy team getting 2-3 of them. This meant that tanky top-laners and junglers were priority picks and that all members of the team had a surprising amount of tank stats. Fights could really drag out and when team fights drag out because targets are too tanky to be insta-deleted the whole meta changes for that. Mages had problems because EVERYONE had way more MR than normal, and sometimes even got replaced by bruisers mid. Assassins and AD Casters were really situational...they often failed to gib the enemy ADC since team comps were very tanky all around and favored having lots of people with tanky builds and CC hovering around the ADC to overlap the auras.
Once tank items were nerfed or removed, and some tanks directly nerfed, it just became more practical to do AoE, siege, poke, or pick comps and people got used to seeing only one tanky member on a team and comps that focused on combo'ing damage so fights ended very quickly and favored champs that could end fights fast or clean up well after a good engage. Obviously Assassins and AD Casters have dominated for a bit due to the high number of squishy targets.
Which brings us to now.
Cinderhulk made tanks much tankier than they had been before, thanks to huge bonus HP increase and the effect of Armor/MR on tanks making the effective HP increase much, much higher. Some tanks have also been buffed and started seeing more play. Between tanky champs in top lane, the high effectiveness of tanky supports like Leona to counter Thresh, and new tanky junglers being used...there just aren't as many viable targets for Assassins. Combined with the mana-regen nerfs which severely hurt most mages, itemization changes like the removal of DFG, and continued nerfs to Assassins, and we get the current situation. Assassins and AD Casters are back to being situational, Mages have been feeling less powerful lately, and several tanky Fighters were taking Cinderhulk top so they could be much tankier than they were previously with comparable damage. It feels like teams are tankier overall and fights are lasting longer so strategies and champ picks change.
TL;DR - A "Tank Meta" occurs any time that itemization changes and nerfs to Mages and/or Assassins favors tanky champs, especially if running tanky champs both top lane and jungle (sometimes even Support) is not only possible, but actually a strong strategy. It will stop being a "Tank Meta" when tanks are less valuable and running more squishy champs in a team comp becomes practical again.
DoctorSpaceDog6 votesIt feels like a horrible tank-infested nightmare meta if you only play Katarina but I actually like how it is right now. It's only called a tank meta cause all the assassin players are salty.
Play Malzahar and everything feels chill.
LankPants5 votesIt feels like a horrible tank-infested nightmare meta if you only play Katarina
I rolled my face over the keyboard, why are they still alive?
Hello I am Bird1 votesYou're not pressing the keys hard enough, damnit!
EndlessSorcerer5 votesBasically, due to itemization and buff tanks have become viable again.
Therefore, people began claiming that tanks were overpowered and pushing everything out.
Therefore, they called it the tank meta.
I wouldn't really call it a tank meta personally. The current meta required more balanced team compositions than previous metas (no more support, ADC, and 3 assassins) and every role has its place in a team composition.
Swollwonder1 votesWe're there really any significant buffs though? I don't recall a particular tank item or patch with the exception of cinder hulk just being "omg tanks so much more powerful now"
EndlessSorcerer2 votesI won't say that there were any highly significant buffs. However, many tank received small buffs, QoL changes, or bug-fixes before and after the introduction of Cinderhulk that would improve their viability.
However, you have to consider the fact that Cinderhulk allowed jungle tanks to farm more efficiently. Since they had a greater and/or more stable gold income, they were better able to afford defensive items, which made them more durable.
Swollwonder3 votesBut that's one role. Is really adding tank viability, not over powering but mere viability, enough to say "THE ENTIRE META HAS SHIFTED RITO GODS"?
EndlessSorcerer1 votesIt's mostly a vocal minority complaining and trying to blow it out of proportion.
Intelligence and common sense doesn't really factor into it.
Zone of Endless2 votesBut that's one role. Is really adding tank viability, not over powering but mere viability, enough to say "THE ENTIRE META HAS SHIFTED RITO GODS"?
The reason it's tank meta because cinderhulk is making tanks viable again with the ability to clear jungle faster as well as the +25% bonus health.
Tanks is insanely strong for the amount of skill needed to be good. Other role like assassin requires good mechanical skill and eye coordination to see around them and take the best option and that still may not work as well as what tank can do.
The job of the tank is just stand in front of the enemy and be annoying while soaking up as much damage as possible the for ADC to pump out DPS. Before the tank meta ADC had more risk of dying because it was mostly the support that had to protect them which is only 1 person. But now since cinderhulk, tank got stronger and able to absorb a lot more damage. This distract the enemy from the ADC who can now do damage more safely than before. Then you also have item like Righteous Glory that give an insane amount of speed bonus allowing easier/better initation while also having a lot of HP stat on it. The mana also help a lot in the jungle letting you clear even faster without going OOM after 1 camp.
This whole game pretty much centralize around the ADC. Team will always try to find a way that let ADC do the most damage while surviving as long as possible. So currently right now cinderhulk allow tank to do DoT better than the warrior enchant as well as soaking up damage at the same time.
Swollwonder2 votesI really don't agree with this. You're saying the current meta involves the jungler always protecting the adc when that just isn't the case. Adcs are being protected but I don't really believe it's the jungler but the supports
BetaDude401 votesI believe he's referring to late-game, when the laning phase ends and teamfights become more frequent.
Zone of Endless1 votesI really don't agree with this. You're saying the current meta involves the jungler always protecting the adc when that just isn't the case. Adcs are being protected but I don't really believe it's the jungler but the supports
Jungler do protect ADC if he gets jumped on and i don't think i said the jungler always protect ADC. I'm saying meta still revolve ADC, and tank jungler, while not directly protecting the ADC, is indirectly protecting him by getting in the face of his enemy, blocking ways for them to get to his ADC. Most of the time though the jungler will still peel for the ADC when it's necessary and top laner will usually tank the rest. So the situation will be like this: Tank jungler initiate fight, see if anyone is getting to ADC, if someone is in face of ADC then peel for ADC and let top laner tank the rest.
Because if you were in season 3 you'd know that was the assassin meta where mid and jungler would work together and catch the ADC in every teamfight. The only reason that worked was because tank jungle wasn't prominent due to the fact they can't clear jungle fast enough/doesn't do dmg/not tanky enough to survive against more carry focused jungler. So tank jungler just get outscaled.
This season with the introduction of cinderhulk allow tank jungler to clear faster, get more gold so they can get item faster, can survive against carry jungler in the jungle. Since they can do that while all the while have CC and decent damage from cinderhulk, it pushes away the carry jungler. Because while bother play someone that only do damage when you can play someone with damage as well as tankiness. While tank doesn't do burst damage like carry jungler, they can survive longer and with cinderhulk passive can actually do more damage over time. Because remember tanks will get in the enemy's face so he may dmg more than just 1 champions.
Tanks will always be better than assassin given the right situation. And at the moment with cinderhulk they do damage while being tanky at the same time. Given it's not burst damage like assassin but it's enough.
Aych Pii3 votesYou're really undermining the skills it takes to play tanks. There's a lot more to it than "lol stand in their face and don't die b cause your items are bs". A callous tank can ruin an entire game for their team through bad engages, bad itemzation decisions, bad teamfighting (Do I CC their strongest carry or do I save my skills for when my carries get dived? Where do I stand to soak damage but not die instantly? Who do I put my damage on?), or other factors. It's not the most technical role ever but it requires just as strong decision making and macro play as any other role.
Zone of Endless1 votes[{quoted}](name=Aych Pii,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=rljiJM2z,comment-id=000000000000000000010001,timestamp=2015-06-15T07:18:38.318+0000)
You're really undermining the skills it takes to play tanks. There's a lot more to it than "lol stand in their face and don't die b cause your items are bs". A callous tank can ruin an entire game for their team through bad engages, bad itemzation decisions, bad teamfighting (Do I CC their strongest carry or do I save my skills for when my carries get dived? Where do I stand to soak damage but not die instantly? Who do I put my damage on?), or other factors. It's not the most technical role ever but it requires just as strong decision making and macro play as any other role.
I know tank still take skill to say. But I'm saying it's easier to play a tank and be disruptive than a risky assassin and try to get their back line.
Edit: i should have said there's less risk playing a tank than assassin. My bad on that one
Abyssphere1 votesBut that's one role. Is really adding tank viability, not over powering but mere viability, enough to say "THE ENTIRE META HAS SHIFTED RITO GODS"?
The reason the meta as a whole shifted is because every lane has to take into account what's happening in the other. Before Cinderhulk top was ruled by people like Lissandra and Kennen, engagey and bursty mages. But they can't deal with the jungle tanks and largely jungle tanks do their job better anyway, so they need replacing. Top lane therefore becomes the hunting ground of sustained damage fighters like Hecarim, alongside the tanks who'll complement their jungler.
Mid lane changes too, people like Azir, Cass, Varus and Kog become strong picks because they have sustained damage which is what you need against tanks. You won't see any burst mages except LeBlanc because... why not.
Support becoming so tanky largely seems like a coincidence to me but I suppose you could argue they just fit in with big teamfighting comps more anyway. Basically I think this is mostly down to Riot's constant nerfing of mage supports and the Spellthief line, meaning everyone who doesn't hard engage in bot lane is pretty terrible right now. Either you're a tank, you're Annie (similarly hard engage) or you're Morgana/Janna (counter to hard engage) in bot right now because there's no reason to fear the pokey supports at the moment.
Mandang01 votesRiot's been buffing tanks for awhile now. Also, %HP damage is becoming more and more common in tank kits.
Only Play Darius1 votes
got individual buffs.
KDragonL1 votesA lot the the Assassins got nerfs around the time Cinderhulk came out.
Krfin1 votesIts because MOST* of the tanks have gained Magic Resist per Level and more HP regen, which is what they were lacking that made them weak versus the typical AP burst/dps lanes last season. Last season was filled with assassins because they could stomp tanks early on and never let them get into the phase where they can face tank nexus turrets.
Slamurai Jack1 votesWhat cinderhulk mostly did was get people to start playing tanks again, proving that they aren't nearly as bad as people thought. Yes, cinderhulk made tank junglers strong, but it had no impact on the swarm of Maokais, Sions, Cho'gaths, and Nautilus' that now populate the meta.
TheBostonTap1 votesIts not the only reason, but it is by far one of the biggest reasons. Cinderhulk was a fairly cheap item that gave a lot of health and encouraged straight out rewarded defensive building. Cultimate that with nerfs to almost every bruiser jungeler and every assassin jungeler with the addition to the jungle changes and you have tanks being the strongest picks right now.
Enraged Piglet1 votesPeople are forgetting that the main reason that the tank meta started wasn't only cinderhulk but that jungle buff that allowed you to smite a camp and then it pretty much gave you a thornmail and then they would build a thornmail and randuins and then play Sion and then you pretty much can't use your adc since he can't Auto him. Though I think they nerfed the jungle buff or something because I haven't really seen it used recently. But tanks are still strong because right now as mentioned mages got nerfed a little bit and assasains got nerfed a bit and then tanks got buffed and you have to play adc's that are strong early to effect the game so that's why kalista and sivir and vayne are pretty good since there strong early or can snowball and aren't useless against tanks like an ezreal is and graves was nerfed and so since adc's are weaker and mages are weaker and assaisains where nerfed and tanks where buffed.
So adc's that scale well can't be played because tanks are stronger early so adc's need the early damage
mid's have been nerfed some
Assasains have been nerfed some and on top of that why play as assasain when the only thing to kill are the nerfed adc's and mages. I mean you want to assasainte adc's and mages that have a huge role in the game and do a lot of damage like a Kog'maw not a sivir who's main purpose is to ult for your tanks to engage.
So that is why it's the tank meta. I think the jungle buff got removed or changed that made tanks real op but there still strong but not op like they were. I mean mages are nerfed but they can still do lots of damage and if fed they still do tons of damage. and assasains are kinda out for the most part but I think Leblanc is still played.
And also people exagerate on Runic Bulwark it was strong and op but the Aura's didn't stack so there wouldn't be 3 people building it on the same team and was inefficient to build 2. and Supports had some other items they wanted so it fell to tanky - utility based junglers like Nautalis and Zac and Jarvan, Nasus to play jungle and build for there team and include aegis in there build.
DrNova1 votesI think its more of a balanced meta.
But in my opinion, the reason why tanks are comin back lately, is because of 2 things.
We had the assassin meta for so long, people started getting tired of getting blown up so quickly all over the place
Because of cinderhulk conversation, people remembered tanks existed again, more then cinderhulk acually doing anything
FistOfSharkiesha1 votesGood items for tanks this season + this is occurring immediately after and partially alongside the assassin meta. Tanks counter the fuck out of assassins so they're flourishing when so many people pick assassins mid and even top.
A Prop Phone1 votesIt's simple. A tank champion can build pure defensive items and put out more damage than a champion who builds pure damage items.
IcyPepper1 votesUm, I'd like to see statistics on this.
Sure, tanks have decent base damages (and a few have HP scaling, which can be bullshit at times), but I'm sure that once late-game comes they can't deal 400 damage minimum every autoattack in which they get two per second while ignoring 35% of the target's armor? Maybe with %HP scaling on autoattacks?
Llanite1 votesThe crap emerges everytime DPS is nerf and/or defense is buffed. In the end, it's a race to see who dies first, if a tank kills you in 10s, you have exact 10s to kill him or he'll win. Keep in mind, tank is easier to play, more tolerance to mistake and lategame-oriented, ie. they don't have to win lane to win game. If tanks and DPS are on equal footprint, everyone plays tank.
Aych Pii1 votesHaha, I wish people would play what's easier to win with. I've been playing ranked a decent amount lately (around silver elo) and every single top laner in existence mains some kind of melee carry or bruiser. Can't find a tank to save my life.
Llanite1 votesMost tops will go half or 3/4 tank rather than full as they cannot buy cinder.
Once in a blue moon, you'll have ranged AP who are mostly mid who are forced to go top but that's rarer.
Oliver Trist1 votesMainly its because cinderhulk made tank junglers not eat shit in the jungle, and this is extemely impactful. youre nautlius/sejuani/amumu/zac can all gank more often because they are all healthier. There were other changes that made this tank meta as well. Blasting smite, righteous glory, nerf of some asassins, some minor buffs to tank champions over time, the aura from cinderhulk etc.
Silents4291 votesIt's been this way for like 3 months, are people seriously still questioning this?
IcyPepper1 votesEh, I don't think it's a tank meta. Tanks were too strong at first, got nerfed a few times, and people still throw the word around whenever someone plays a tank well.
In my opinion, the game favors balanced team comps. Two carries, two durable champions (either bruiser or tank), and a support to fill a niche the team needs. If you pick Riven top into Shaco jungle with a squishy mid and bot lane, you're going to have a bad time and now the game punishes too much solo carry mentality in team comps. Of course, it's still possible to win, but having the game favor having at least one tank is a lot better than having a meta that favors three assassins.
Knight SoIaire 1 votes25% more bonus hp Thats what makes a tank meta.
The thing is that when compared tanks and fighters ... lets face it tanks suck They dont compete anything that fighters can do better .... even when it comes to defense
So now when tanks get those loads of hp ... they are worth playing
But i wouldnt call this a much of a tank meta, its a simple numerical buff to tanks that allows them to rival fighters in some way
Owerall if we are meant to have viable tanks ... and by viable i mean viable by kit not by insane amount of stats poured into them (thats the power of items ... i think that we could even find cases where other champions building cinderhuulk and loads of tankyness could do better than tanks with it), then tanks need a redesign that will give them some place in gameplay because all that they are now are tanky fighters ... they dont offer any new gameplay pattern nor some unique tools that are tied to their role ... they are just more durable than other champions which doesnt exactly help them do their job better.
Also the fact that all of our tanks besides 
do their job indirectly which i consider a MEGA FAIL FROM RITO.
Tank is meant to tank damage (either by recieving it or by simply blocking/removing it... i dont know riot can design many interesting tools) ... not to chase enemy adc around the fight in attempt of killing him because being a threat is the only thing that will make people hit him.
Psi211 votesZz'Rot Portal for 2800 gives you armor that has 60 AR and 60 MR. Both resistances were only available on Guardian Angel. HP + AR + MR all readily available doesn't help the current Meta. A meta that is definitely a tankie Meta.
But it is not like this new Riot's balancing team isn't repeating history. As said there was a tankie meta in 2010. ... Later in 2011 they finally fixed it.
It is just really really sad that Riot's balancing team has been doing just a very very poor job.
stealthfox941 votesYeah I kinda don't see it either, it's not like early S4 where top lane was a boring wet noddle fight.
AFK Push1 votes
and gromp buff that's why, I don't feel like typing a page like everyone else.