All Differences Between ARAM and Summoner’s Rift (Balance Changes and More)

ARAM Balance Changes and Other Major Differences from Summoner’s Rift

Did you know that are a ton of differences between ARAM and Summoners Rift? Apart from the super obvious map changes, there are a lot of additional changes to the game mode ranging from items, runes and champion nerfs or buffs.

Did you even know that runes and champions have different numbers in ARAM? Probably not unless you play a lot of ARAM!

In this guide, we’ll be covering all of these changes so be sure to bookmark it as a reference!

If you’re tired of having to manually look up and adjust your runes after every dodge in ARAM, why not try out the Mobalytics App?

It will now import the latest and best ARAM builds for the champion you’re playing with just one click.

All Major ARAM Differences on Summoners Rift

• ARAM vs Summoner’s Rift
• ARAM General Champion Changes
• ARAM Champion-Specific Changes
• ARAM Rune Changes
• ARAM Item Changes
• ARAM Summoner Spell Changes

Before we begin, I would like to throw out a general disclaimer. Some of the screenshots or graphics we use in this guide may look incorrect. Riot isn’t always consistent with updating the numbers or the UI in the client when it comes to ARAM. So some of the numbers may look slightly off.

ARAM vs Summoners Rift

Unlike Summoner’s Rift, the original LoL game mode, ARAM (“All Random All Mid”) is a simplified alternate game mode that only features one lane.

Everyone gets a random champion (from the champion’s the own plus the free rotation) and play 5v5. There is no bottom lane, no jungle- nothing. Everyone runs it down mid!

Usually, it’s a “for fun” game mode since there isn’t a ranked mode for ARAM and nobody really tries too hard, but you’ll often find some very tryhard players!

To some extent, there is a strategy to ARAM, and while this guide will not break down strong strats to help you win the game, we will go over some major differences between the two game modes that may alter who or how you play the game.

ARAM General Champion Changes

There are a lot of different changes to basically every champion in ARAM. I will break them down shortly, but here are some general, mass changes that affect a ton of different champions.

• • Every champion starts at level 3. This allows you to put points in any or all your basic abilities.
  • After 18 in-game minutes, champions deal bonus damage to structures.
  • Damage from champions at a 1000 range is reduced by 15% (excluding Ultimates and DoT abilities).
  • All champions get +70 summoner spell haste.
  • Each champion restores 0.15% of their maximum mana per second.
  • All outgoing heals are reduced by 50%.
  • Melee champions gain 10 bonus magic resistance.

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ARAM Champion-Specific Changes

Aatrox

• Takes 5% less damage.

Akali

• Takes 5% less damage.
• Deals 5% more damage.

Alistar

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.
• Healing done is reduced by 10%

Amumu

• Takes 5% more damage.

Ashe

• Deals 10% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Aurelion Sol

• Takes 5% less damage.

Azir

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.
• Azir will start the game with one point in his W already.

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Bard

• Deals 15% more damage.
• Takes 20% less damage.
• His Passive spawn every 40 seconds instead of 50.

Brand

• Deals 5% less damage
• Takes 10% more damage.

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Caitlyn

• Deals 5% less damage

Camille

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.
• Shield strength is increased by 10%.

Corki

• Corki’s first Passive spawns at 5 minutes.
• Package cooldown is reduced to 150 seconds.

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Elise

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Evelynn

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 15% less damage.

Ezreal

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 3% more damage.

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Fiora

• Takes 5% less damage.

Fizz

• Takes 5% less damage.

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Galio

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Gangplank

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.
• Gangplank will passively gain 1 Silver Serpent per second. This allows him to get his upgrades faster.

Garen

• Garen’s bonus W resistances changed to 0.5. The number of enemy kills needed to reach the maximum limit is 60.

Gragas

• Takes 3% less damage.

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Hecarim

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

Heimerdinger

• Deals 6% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

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Illaoi

• Deals 5% less damage.

Irelia

• Deals 5% increased damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Ivern

• Deals 5% less damage

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Janna

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.
• Healing is reduced by 10%.

Jarvan IV

• Takes 5% less damage.

Jax

• Takes 3% less damage.

Jhin

• Deals 10% less damage.

Jinx

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

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Kai’Sa

• Deals 5% more damage.

Kalista

• Deals 5% more damage.

Karthus

• Deals 10% less damage.

Kassadin

• Deals 5% more damage.

Katarina

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage

Kayle

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 3% more damage.

Kayn

• Deals 5% more damage.

Kennen

• Takes 5% less damage.

Kha’Zix

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 15% less damage.

Kindred

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 15% less damage.

Kled

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

Kog’Maw

• Deals 10% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

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LeBlanc

• Deals 15% more damage.
• Takes 15% less damage.

Lee Sin

• Deals 8% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

Leona

• Takes 5% more damage.

Lissandra

• Deals 5% less damage.

Lucian

• Deals 3% more damage.

Lux

• Deals 15% less damage.
• Takes 10% more damage.

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Malzahar

• Deals 8% less damage.
• Takes 8% more damage.

Maokai

• Deals 15% less damage.
• Takes 12% more damage.

Master Yi

• Takes 3% less damage.

Miss Fortune

• Deals 8% less damage.
• Takes 8% more damage.

Morgana

• Deals 6% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

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Nami

• Takes 5% more damage.
• Healing is reduced by 5%.

Nasus

• Takes 5% more damage.
• Q stacks increased to 6 on minions and 24 on a kill.

Nautilus

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 8% more damage.

Nidalee

• Deals 10% more damage

Nocturne

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

Nunu & Willump

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

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Olaf

• Takes 5% less damage.

Ornn

• Deals 10% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.
• Forging an item puts his Passive on a 2 minute cooldown.

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Pyke

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

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Qiyana

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 15% less damage.
• For Terrashape (her W), the Health Relic grants her the River Element.

Quinn

• Deals 8% more damage.
• Takes 8% less damage.

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Rammus

• Takes 5% less damage.

Rek’Sai

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 12% less damage.

Rell

• Deals 5% less damage.

Renekton

• Takes 5% less damage.

Rengar

• Deals 8% more damage.
• Takes 8% less damage.

Riven

• Deals 3% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Rumble

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Ryze

• Deals 8% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

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Sejuani

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 8% less damage.

Senna

• Deals 3% less damage.

Seraphine

• Deals 15% less damage.
• Takes 15% more damage.
• Shielding is decreased by 20%.
• Healing is down by 20%.

Sett

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Shaco

• Deals 5% more damage.

Shyvana

• Takes 5% less damage.
• For her Passive, she gains bonus armor and magic resistance whenever her team kills siege minions or super minions, or when she is healed by a health relic.

Sion

• Deals 8% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Sivir

• Deals 15% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Skarner

• 5 Skarner Spires spawn on the map.

Sona

• Deals 15% less damage.
• Takes 15% more damage.
• Shielding is reduced by 20%.
• Healing is down by 20%.

Swain

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 10% more damage.

Sylas

• Takes 5% less damage.

Syndra

• Deals 5% more damage.

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Tahm Kench

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.

Taliyah

• Deals 5% more damage.

Talon

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Teemo

• Deals 10% less damage.
• Takes 10% more damage.

Thresh

• Each soul counts as 2 rather than 1 for his Passive.

Trundle

• Healing is reduced by 5%.

Tryndamere

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 15% less damage.

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Udyr

• Deals 10% more damage.
• Takes 10% less damage.
• Shielding is reduced by 10%.

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Varus

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Veigar

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Vel’Koz

• Deals 5% less damage.

Vi

• Deals 5% less damage.

Viego

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Viktor

• Deals 5% less damage.
• Takes 5% more damage.

Volibear

• Takes 5% more damage.

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Warwick

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

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Xerath

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

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Yasuo

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Yone

• Deals 3% more damage.
• Takes 3% less damage.

Yorick

• Deaths required for a grave is changed to 5.

Yuumi

• Deals 3% more damage.

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Zed

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Ziggs

• Deals 18% less damage.
• Takes 18% more damage.

Zoe

• Deals 5% more damage.
• Takes 5% less damage.

Zyra

• Deals 6% less damage.
• Takes 6% more damage.

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For a full list of champion changes, check out the ARAM Lol Wiki. It breaks down everything all the changes to every champion in the game in a lovely table.

Rune Changes

Some Runes have different numbers on ARAM, and some Runes can’t be picked at all. Here are all the Rune differences between Howling Abyss and Summoners Rift.

Precision Tree

Triumph

• Healing changed to 6% of your missing health.
• Bonus gold equals to 10 rather than 20.

Presence of Mind

• Mana and energy restoration changed to 10% of maximum mana and 10% maximum energy.

Domination Tree

Electrocute

• Cooldown changed to 15-10 seconds (based on the champions level).

Dark Harvest

• Damage per soul changed to 2.

Taste of Blood

• The cooldown is at a flat 15 seconds.

Zombie Wards and Ghost Poro

• You cannot take these two Runes in ARAM. They will switch automatically to Eyeball Collection.

Sorcery Tree

Nullifying Orb

• The cooldown is changed to a flat 30 seconds.

Waterwalking

• You cannot take Waterwalking on ARAM. It will be automatically exchanged to Scorch.

Gathering Storm

• Bonus stats are given every 6 minutes instead of 10.

Resolve Tree

Grasp of the Undying

• Melee bonus health changed to 10.
• Ranged champions bonus health changed to 6.

Demolish

• Damage changed to 50.
• The health ratio is changed to 20% of maximum health rather than 35% max health.

Conditioning

• Cooldown reduced from 12 minutes to 8.

Overgrowth

• Bonus health per stack changed to 5.
• Additional bonus health threshold changed to 80 minions or monsters.

Inspiration Tree

Magical Footwear

• Boosts granted at 8 minutes rather than 12.
• Time reduced per takedown is 30 seconds.

Perfect Timing

• The cooldown changed to 4 minutes. This is a buff as Perfect Timing (without any kill reductions) is at 14 minutes.

Minion Dematerializer

• Cooldown changed to 120 seconds rather than 180 seconds like they’re on Summoners Rift.

ARAM Item Changes

There are not many different item changes in ARAM. They are mostly exactly the same. But here are the notable differences between ARAM and SR.

Balanced or Disabled Items

Archangel’s Staff

• Each charge consumed generates 50% more mana.

Dark Seal and Mejai’s Soulsteaer

• These items are disabled in ARAM.

Manamune

• Each charge consumed generates 50% more mana.

Tear of the Goddess

• Each charge consumed generates 50% more mana.

Warmog’s Armor

• Healing per second changed from 5% of maximum health to 5% of missing health.

Guardian Angel

• Item is disabled on ARAM.

ARAM-Exclusive Items

Guardian’s Blade

• Gives AD, haste and health.

Guardian’s Hammer

• Gives AD, health and life steal.

Guardian’s Horn

• Gives health and health regen. Its passive blocks small amounts of incoming damage.

Guardian’s Orb

• Gives AP, and health. It also restores mana every 5 seconds. For champions with no mana, it restores health instead.

Poro-Snax

• Feed a Poro causing it to grow in size.
• A note from PicklePants- feed the Poro, thanks.

ARAM Summoner Spells Changes

Clarity

• Restore 50% of your maximum mana, and 25% to nearby allied champions.

Mark/Dash

• Throw a snowball in a target direction which deals damage and marks the enemy. You can reactive this ability and dash towards the target.

Conclusion

That about rounds up all the major differences between Summoners Rift and ARAM. Are you surprised about how many major differences there are between SR and Howling Abyss?

As you can see, there are a lot of changes that make theoretically strong ARAM champions really weak.

If you’re interested in more ARAM content, let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back in the future for updates to our list of ARAM changes. To see all ARAM builds, head to our Champion Pages.