Based on the patch notes, Kleptomancy has probably been ruined for almost everyone

Let me start this off by announcing that after reading the patch notes I feel pretty confident in saying that almost no one but maybe Gangplank is ever going to run this keystone again. That ranged champions will definitely never run this rune after the nerf and here’s why.

The main users of this keystone generally have a few things in common.

They have poor synergy with the other keystones and/or don’t synergize well until later in the game.

They gain massive power spikes from building their core items which significantly enhance their play style.

Are capable of consistently using kleptomancy through out the laning phase.

Has to be a champion that is laning since this keystone next to useless on a jungler.

Besides the first point, if a champion meets the criteria of the other ones then you are a potential kleptomancy user. Now for the final factor to determine how strong kleptomancy is going to be in general on a champion and whether they should still run it over other keystone options.

How strong is the champion in the laning phase bare bones vs a laner(s) who have a keystone? This is the trait that varies among kleptomancy users. It decides how strong kleptomancy is on a champion and how meta they are with it.

The weaker laners who run this are usually not meta. Since to continuously use kleptomancy requires you to go into trades and combat while being able to hold your own without being bullied out of lane against an opponent who will also very likely have a combat enchancing keystone. So I’m pretty much describing Jax and Nasus here. Can’t use kleptomancy effectively if you're getting chunked, forced to recall, or killed every time you try to use it.

So when you meet all the previous criteria (besides the first point) and are a decent/strong laner by default is when you have a disgustingly strong champion when combined with this rune. I’m talking about Illaoi, Fiora, Ezreal, Gangplank, and Swain. Swain being a champion I main and run kleptomancy on in the top lane vs almost every melee champion.

I’m not sure what the initial intended purpose of kleptomancy is, but this is why it being run on these champions and why they are its best users. If you’re not running kleptomancy for these reasons then there is probably a better keystone for that champion.

The nerfs to kelptomancy are specifically targeting these reasons which are the main reasons these champions are running kleptomancy in the first place. Even though many consider this rune overpowered (which I can agree with depending on the champion using it) the gold and items gained from it were already sitting on the line between being good or garbage. If this nerf is as bad as I think it is, Kleptomancy is going be hard pushed into the side of garbage. Kleptomancy is a keystone that is significantly worse by comparison to all other keystones in the mid to late game. Yet the nerf is signicantly weakening it for all users in the early game (the point where it’s strongest). In particular ranged users will be hit hardest. The only reason to run this keystone over something else will be gone.

I personally would be mad about seeing this nerf except the only champion I main who I primarily use it on is about to get his VGU released so for me it’s whatever. Especially since after looking at kit he will no longer likely be a top laner. Any one else though who relied on this rune for their main on the other hand though...

Well RIP kleoptomancy execpt Gangplank who still might be able to make worth it over other keystones.