Let's Talk About the New Masteries!

djump·Nov 20, 2013·3 votes·115 views

So, Riot has released the new mastery setup for season 4. Here is the link to the interactive list if you haven't seen it yet.

I want to hear what people think! What is strong/weak? What are new masteries that you're excited about? What are the new build paths you're considering? Share your thoughts!

ALSO, lets take advantage of the new community discussion style and keep comments modular! Please use the below branches of General, Offense, Defense, and Utility to make your comments instead of just replying to the original thread!

Feel free to post links to your certain builds as you play with riot's page; they have the address save your mastery build as you modify it.

30 Comments

djumpNov 20, 20132 votes

Defensive Tree

Post any discussion about the defensive tree here

SupportposterNov 20, 20131 votes

Defense always seemed a bit unrewarding. The early points gave slight, noticeable boosts to early game power, while the rest of the tree was very passive and non-interactive, but still gave unbelievable amounts of hidden power. By moving the very powerful, drastic masteries like free tenacity into higher tiers where they can give similar boosts for a single point, they can feel more rewarding while retaining their power. I feel much more motivated to put a point into Legendary Guardian (The equivalent of Tenacious) now that it's only a point and not competing with other masteries. Moving very drastic things with less power but still very real and visible helpfulness to the bottom of the tree, like Block, makes speccing only nine points into Defense feel rewarding and interactive as well.

DominionBladeNov 20, 20131 votes

I dont know about you guys Perseverance is a little op with warmogs/Garen passive. Or even Aatrox. Just the thought of a Tank having 3% life regen is crazy.

djumpNov 20, 20131 votes

Yeah, but that's only really useful over time. I think this will make warmogs more viable. I don't know if it really offered enough regen to keep you healthy in a siege before, but maybe together with this passive it can open up a meaningful option for tanking/blocking skill shots while your team sieges for an extended period.

djumpNov 21, 20131 votes

OMG, think about perserverence/Second wind on Olaf/atrox/LS trynd. That could be pretty beastly power for 4 mastery points.

Void2258Nov 21, 20131 votes

There are too many HIGHLY situational defensive masteries. Reinforced Armor, Evasive, Oppression, and Second Wind are all only good in very limited situations. I also don't like having to go back to tier 1 and take points in Tough Skin or Block just so I can access tier 3, since there simply aren't enough point available on tier 2 (offense has the save issue with butcher).

djumpNov 21, 20131 votes

I don't know, I think between reinforced armor and evasive, the're making you chose one (because it takes a lot of points to get both) and then it's really just a choice of do you see more of a threat from a single ADC or an AOE skilled team. That seems like a reasonable and pretty universall useful pair of choices to me.

As far as Oppression and Second Wind, I agree they feel a little awkward and niche to me. But I'm sure they're useful on a few champs (I'm looking at you olaf).

I think overall the high end focus of the defensive tree is tenacity type power. It seems to me the real use of going full 21 defense is to have enough cc resistance to jump on the enemy carry. I see this being more impactful for fighters/bruisers who focus on targeted disruption by being a threat to the carries than for full tanks who focus on general disruption and cc.

JonhederNov 24, 20131 votes

The changes in the defensive tree have eliminated scaling health bonus and added a very large health regeneration. I like to think that I am playing a unique style when I go hp regeneration, now all tanks will have more hp regeneration than they can get with items. Also the tree is weaker in general by 29%, making tanks useless. This change is strength is due to less scaling HP and the elimination of honor guard. The increased hp regeneration is really just laning utility. Enchanted armor is only useable by tanks and should be deeper in the tree, people going 9 in defense should have some choice in what they do, even if reacting to their opponents with last second armor or mr is eliminated from the 9 point tree.

djumpNov 20, 20132 votes

Utility Tree

Post any discussion about the utility tree here

SupportposterNov 20, 20131 votes

The new utility tree really is living up to its name. Moreso than the other two trees, the Utility tree will have a noticeable, if not extremely significant impact on supports and how support players play. Besides Strength of Spirit, Inspiration and possibly Fleet of Foot, most masteries here will have a visible impact on players who spec Utility. I also believe it's much more viable to spec points into Utility if you aren't a support now as well.

DominionBladeNov 20, 20131 votes

I would use about 20 into the utility tree as a support then the left over into something. Would need to see it in action to make a decession if the 5% def is worth it. On top of that you got the 5% cd in the offensive tree, for a grand total of 10% with the utility tree included. Makes the supports like Thresh, Leona, and Blitz gap/grabs alittle more op.

SupportposterNov 20, 20132 votes

The thing is, there's very little reason not to go twenty-one in utility if you're supporting. What will you get equivalent to 5% bonus movespeed in the other trees that's tier one? Assuming you grabbed the CDR, Block and regen, you're still stuck with a point you can't get much out of. Why not use it for the 5% bonus MS?

DominionBladeNov 20, 20131 votes

The 5% for the last point in the tree is only out of combat. I understand its good but i'd much rather have it into something else. Lets say you put some points into offensive so your allied champs can do more dmg when you hit an opponent. There are quite of few possibilities now that are viable to the support role now that you dont really need to go tanky all the time.. Some times its better just to nuke down the opponents as fast as possible, but it goes without say that def is just as important. Its really going to be on the player now.

djumpNov 21, 20131 votes

I don't know, 5% even out of combat is pretty strong. Think of how often you want to run and ward something and get back in time for a fight, or are running to save someone with that clutch heal or CC as they retreat.

I personally like to roam mid a lot as support leona when our lane is doing well too.

This helps for all of those!

Void2258Nov 21, 20131 votes

I usually end up going 22 in utility, then get CDR from offense and MR/Armor and regen from defense.

Solan StonewhipNov 20, 20131 votes

this tree is sweet now. there's a lot of potential gold for supports. i also like the increased range on trinkets and the buscuiteer mastery. very cool changes all around

djumpNov 20, 20132 votes

General comments

go in this branch! (or anything not on a specific tree)

djumpNov 20, 20131 votes

What do you think you will take outside of offense with an ADC?

I used to go 9 defense to get the hp boost and armor. With the new masteries, I think the MS and Summoner spell CDR are more appealing from Utility though

Solan StonewhipNov 20, 20131 votes

well i think it will depend on your match up. i mean if you think you'll be laning in an aggressive or unfavorable lane u probably want to go defensive tree. if you need more mana/sustain for a pushing lane then you probably want to go utility

SupportposterNov 20, 20131 votes

This.

Riot is really pushing the other nine points being for your early game. Whichever you prefer or think will help you win, use.

djumpNov 20, 20131 votes

I notice there are as many points to spend for jungle specific masteries (and the ones there don't seem as important). That's nice. I'm sure this is just an aspect of the overall jungle revamp and that maybe it won't be as necessary as before to have mastery power for jungle-ing.

I like this. I think it will free up junglers to make more meaningful customization choices with their masteries than "I am jungling". Looking forward to that

djumpNov 20, 20132 votes

Offensive Tree

Post any discussion about the offensive tree here

SupportposterNov 20, 20131 votes

I'm definitely fond of how they're shifting power around in Offense. It's becoming less about flat stats, and more about unique modifiers. Where there are flat stat boosts, they're generally significant enough to show the power they give and make the player feel empowered, rather then supply people who spec twenty-one into Offense a lot of hidden power, as the current masteries do.

Solan StonewhipNov 20, 20131 votes

really like the new expose weakness mastery. very interesting addition.

djumpNov 21, 20131 votes

Yeah, that's great for supports. I wonder how this will play out with teams. Does it stack if everyone has it?

Void2258Nov 21, 20131 votes

The offense tree is okay, but I dislike HAVING to take Butcher most of the time to get to tier 3, since there aren't enough points available in tier 2 and Double-Edged Sword is Very situational.

djumpNov 21, 20131 votes

yeah, I agree that 8th point is a little awkward, but they give you 3 options for it. Also if you're going ap, you could throw it into 4AD at lvl18 for that extra little last hitting power.

djumpNov 21, 20131 votes

Dang, I don't know if it's really worth it, but you could have some mad-huge starting damage if you go 30 points in offence as a hybrid carry (ie. jax/akali/kayle/kat?)

check out an example I made here.

That's a LOT of starting damage for someone that can use both.

JonhederNov 24, 20131 votes

I don't like dangerous game because it prevents people from killing each-other, and killing each-other is awesome. They've gone further to empower assassiny characters with masteries like warlord and blade and spell weaving, which they did not need to help these characters. Blade and spell weaving, and multi penetration, makes Jax even stronger, which is just wrong. With all these percentile bonuses, the new mastery tree is 14% stronger than the last one, and with the defense mastery tree being 29% weaker, it doesn't look good for us players who like to tank. Also offense has the value Overpowered items of blade of the ruined king and trinity force, spelling the death of all tanks.