Azir's Hidden Buffs Explained (LoL Patch 26.14): Riot Quietly Fixed More Than You Think

Estimated Reading Time: 8–10 minutes

Riot labeled Azir's Patch 26.14 changes as "bug fixes."

But if your soldiers suddenly apply full item damage, full rune interactions, stack Conqueror twice again, and properly trigger Press the Attack, that's more than a cosmetic cleanup. Riot's own patch notes describe it as "preening his feathers of impactful bugs" — but the gameplay impact is substantial .

These fixes restore several interactions that had been unintentionally weakened, meaning many Azir builds now perform closer to their intended power without any direct stat buffs.

Quick Answer

Question	Answer
Did Azir get buffed?	Technically no stat buffs — but several interaction fixes effectively increase his damage consistency.
Biggest change?	Soldiers now correctly apply 100% of intended on-hit effects instead of only 50% .
Do builds change?	Potentially. Liandry's, Blackfire Torch, and certain rune choices become more attractive.
Best rune winner?	Conqueror is much more reliable again — now stacks twice per soldier hit .
PTA fixed?	Yes, it now properly applies to the primary target .
Worth learning Azir now?	Yes, especially if previous interaction bugs discouraged you.

What Actually Changed?

Instead of increasing AP ratios or cooldowns, Riot repaired numerous interactions between Azir's soldiers and:

Liandry's Torment — On-hit damage now fully applies
Blackfire Torch — Intended burn damage restored
Scorch — Full damage on-hit restored
Hextech Alternator — Proc damage properly applies
Conqueror — Now stacks correctly
Press the Attack — Primary target interaction fixed
Emperor's Divide — Now knocks back jungle monsters

Most players simply read "bug fixes." The gameplay impact is much larger. METAsrc describes this as an "interaction cleanup rather than a traditional stat buff, but the practical effect should still be positive" .

Why Players Call These "Hidden Buffs"

Traditional Buff

More AP ratio
Lower cooldown
Higher base damage

Hidden Buff

Existing mechanics finally work correctly
Builds regain intended damage
Rune interactions behave properly

Community sentiment largely treats these as real buffs because they restore lost effectiveness rather than adding new power. As Riot explained, they fixed "the vast majority" of bugged functionality that players had been reporting since the on-hit changes were made .

Before vs After Patch 26.14

Interaction	Before	After
Scorch	50%	100% of intended effect
Liandry's Torment	50%	100% of intended effect
Blackfire Torch	50%	100% of intended effect
Hextech Alternator	50%	100% of intended effect
Conqueror	1 stack	2 stacks
Press the Attack	Bugged	Fixed
Emperor's Divide vs monsters	Didn't work	Works

Technical Note: Because Sand Soldiers previously treated these item procs as AOE/reduced modifiers due to specific backend coding logic, fixing them to 100% of their intended value effectively acts as a flat double-damage multiplier for your baseline burn setup. The official patch note text specifically reads: "now deal 100% of their damage on-hit instead of 50%" .

Hidden Buff #1 – Item Damage Restored

Instead of applying only half of the intended damage from several common effects, soldiers now correctly apply their full interaction values again . Riot lists fixes for effects including Scorch, Liandry's Torment, Blackfire Torch, and Hextech Alternator.

What This Means

Impact Area	How It Changes
Better poke	Scorch now applies full intended effect in lane trades
Better sustained fights	Liandry's interaction now behaves as intended
Better Baron control	Blackfire Torch burn on objectives
Better tank shredding	Liandry's does what it was designed to do

Hidden Buff #2 – Conqueror Is Back

One of the biggest community talking points.

Previously

Soldier attacks granted 1 stack of Conqueror.

Now

Soldier attacks properly grant 2 stacks again .

Why It Matters

Faster adaptive force — Stack Conqueror twice as quickly
Better extended fights — Reach max stacks sooner
Better scaling — More AP from Conqueror in mid-late game

This is a significant change for any Azir player who favored Conqueror. The rune now functions as intended, making extended skirmishes much more rewarding .

Hidden Buff #3 – Press the Attack Finally Functions

Many Azir players avoided Press the Attack because of inconsistent behavior.

Now

Primary target application works correctly .

What This Means

PTA now reliably applies bonus damage to your main target
Trade patterns become more consistent
Burst windows are more predictable

For players who preferred PTA's burst-oriented playstyle, this fix is substantial.

Hidden Buff #4 – Monster Knockback

Small but interesting quality-of-life improvement.

Before

Emperor's Divide didn't affect jungle monsters.

Now

Emperor's Divide knocks back jungle monsters .

Situations Where This Matters

Blue Buff fights — Push enemy jungler off the buff
Dragon setups — Create space around the pit
Baron contests — Displace enemies during smite fights

Not game-changing, but a nice QoL improvement that adds up over time.

Which Builds Benefit Most?

Build Type	Impact
Liandry's-focused builds	✅ Biggest winners — full intended burn damage restored
Blackfire Torch users	✅ Burn damage restored to intended levels
Burn-heavy setups	✅ Full item synergy now working
Extended teamfight builds	✅ Conqueror and Liandry's shine
Burst-first builds	✅ PTA now reliable, Alternator works

Should You Change Your Build Today?

Question	Answer
Switch from Nashor's?	Probably not — Nashor's remains core
Liandry's better now?	Slightly — full on-hit effect restored
Blackfire Torch stronger?	Yes — burn now applies as intended
Conqueror worth testing?	Definitely — 2 stacks per hit is meaningful
PTA viable now?	More viable — primary target interaction fixed

Should You Change Your Runes?

Rune	Better?	Why
Conqueror	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Proper stacking restored — 2 stacks per hit
Press the Attack	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆	Primary target interaction fixed
Arcane Comet	⭐⭐⭐☆☆	Mostly unchanged
First Strike	⭐⭐⭐☆☆	Little direct impact

If you previously avoided Conqueror or PTA because of bugs, it's worth revisiting them. Conqueror in particular is now "much more reliable again" .

Who Benefits Most?

Scenario	Impact Level
Front-to-back teamfights	★★★★★
Objective control (Drake/Baron)	★★★★★
Tank-heavy enemy comps	★★★★☆
Long Baron sieges	★★★★☆
Burst skirmishes	★★★☆☆

The biggest winners are extended fights where Conqueror stacks and Liandry's burn have time to accumulate value. Front-to-back teamfighting is where Azir shines brightest with these fixes.

Does Blue Buff Make Azir Even Better?

Yes — and this is an important synergy.

Context

Blue Buff now scales to 10 / 15 / 20 Ability Haste at levels 1 / 6 / 11 .

How This Affects Azir

Azir chains abilities continuously, making him one of the best users of Ability Haste
More haste + restored interactions = stronger late-game siege potential
The 20 AH at level 11 aligns perfectly with Azir's power spike timing

Internal Link: Blue Buff Explained (Patch 26.14): Why the New 20 Haste Cap Changes the Jungle Meta

What Riot Fixed — And What Players Are Still Testing

Confirmed Fixed

Fix	Status
Conqueror stacking	✅ Fixed
PTA application	✅ Fixed
Liandry's interaction	✅ Fixed
Blackfire Torch	✅ Fixed
Scorch	✅ Fixed
Jungle monster knockback	✅ Fixed

Community Still Watching

Riot stated they've fixed "the vast majority of these bugs" . Rather than stating unresolved bugs as fact, it's worth noting that some players continue to discuss issues involving soldier behavior, targeting edge cases, and other longstanding mechanics even after 26.14.

Phroxzon thanked players for bug reports and encouraged them to "keep them coming" .

Why Riot Chose Bug Fixes Instead of Buffs

Direct buffs risk pushing Azir over the edge in coordinated and professional play, so Riot instead restored intended functionality. That increases consistency without inflating his baseline numbers.

Azir is historically one of the most pro-play skewed champions in League. A direct numbers buff could make him immediately pick/ban in competitive — exactly what Riot wants to avoid. Instead, fixing his interactions:

Increases reliability without making him objectively overpowered
Rewards skilled players who maximize every interaction
Raises the floor without raising the ceiling too dramatically

This is a smarter approach than simply adding AP ratios. It makes Azir feel better to play without creating a balancing headache .

Should Pro Players Care?

Short answer: Yes.

Reason: Professional Azir players maximize every interaction. The fixes have larger value at high skill levels than in average solo queue.

Pro players are more likely to weave soldier autos perfectly
Conqueror stacking and PTA application matter more in coordinated teamfights
Item interactions (Liandry's, Blackfire Torch) are more impactful when team comps are optimized

At high ELO and pro play, these fixes could be the difference between Azir being viable or not in certain matchups. Riot's approach suggests they're being careful not to over-buff him for competitive .

Is Azir Actually Stronger?

Short answer: Yes — but differently.

What He Didn't Get

❌ AP buffs
❌ Base stat buffs
❌ Cooldown buffs
❌ Direct damage increases

What He Did Get

✅ Higher practical damage (item interactions now work)
✅ More reliable runes (Conqueror, PTA)
✅ Better item synergy (Liandry's, Blackfire Torch)
✅ More consistent gameplay

The biggest improvement is consistency rather than raw numbers. Your builds and runes now do what they were always supposed to do.

As METAsrc noted, "the practical effect should still be positive" . The changes might not show up as a dramatic win rate spike immediately, but they restore lost power that Azir players had been missing.

Common Misconceptions

"These are only bug fixes."

❌ They restore intended interactions that directly affect gameplay. Calling them "only bug fixes" underestimates the practical impact .

"I need a completely new build."

❌ Existing builds still work; some item and rune choices simply gain relative value. Liandry's and Conqueror are now more attractive, but your current setup isn't invalidated.

"Azir is suddenly overpowered."

❌ His mechanics are functioning as intended, but he remains a high-skill champion whose strength depends on execution. The changes make him more consistent, not broken.

"These are just Riot's way of avoiding buffing him."

❌ Not necessarily. Riot explicitly said they chose this approach because Azir was "feeling more headless chicken than valiant falcon" and they wanted to fix "impactful bugs" rather than just adding numbers .

"Azir's damage doubled."

❌ The on-hit effects are what's restored. He didn't suddenly gain a 100% damage increase on all attacks. The impact is more nuanced.

FAQ

Did Azir get buffed in Patch 26.14?
Technically no stat buffs — but several interaction fixes effectively increase his damage consistency and rune reliability .

Are these buffs or bug fixes?
Riot frames them as bug fixes, but the practical effect is positive. As one outlet put it, it's "an interaction cleanup rather than a traditional stat buff, but the practical effect should still be positive" .

Does Conqueror work again?
Yes — Conqueror now applies 2 stacks per soldier hit instead of 1 .

Is Press the Attack fixed?
Yes — Press the Attack now properly applies to the primary target hit .

Does Liandry's deal more damage now?
Yes — Liandry's now applies 100% of its intended on-hit effect instead of only 50% .

Is Blackfire Torch better now?
Yes — Blackfire Torch now applies 100% of its intended on-hit effect instead of only 50% .

Should I change my build?
Not necessarily — but Liandry's and Blackfire Torch builds are now more attractive. Your existing builds aren't invalidated .

Should I switch runes?
Conqueror and Press the Attack are both significantly improved. If you avoided them due to bugs, consider revisiting them .

Does Blue Buff make Azir stronger now?
Yes — Azir benefits greatly from Ability Haste, and Blue Buff now scales to 20 AH at level 11. This synergy makes his late-game siege stronger .

Is Azir worth learning after Patch 26.14?
Yes — especially if previous interaction bugs discouraged you. The changes restore intended functionality and make him more consistent .

What's the biggest takeaway from these changes?
The biggest improvement is consistency rather than raw numbers — your builds and runes now do what they were always supposed to do .

Should pro players care about these changes?
Yes — professional Azir players maximize every interaction, so bug fixes have larger value at high skill levels than in average solo queue .

Why didn't Riot just buff Azir directly?
Direct buffs risk pushing Azir over the edge in coordinated and professional play. Restoring intended functionality increases consistency without inflating his baseline numbers .

Final Verdict

Biggest Winners

✅ Conqueror players
✅ Liandry's users
✅ Blackfire Torch builds
✅ Teamfight-focused Azir mains
✅ Front-to-back teamfighting
✅ Objective control setups

Biggest Takeaway

Patch 26.14 doesn't reinvent Azir. It restores much of the functionality players expected all along. The result is a champion whose items, runes, and soldiers interact more consistently, making him feel stronger even without traditional numerical buffs .

Riot's statement sums it up best: they're "preening his feathers of impactful bugs" so Azir can "start squawking about Shurima more often" .

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