Patch 2.1.56 landed on the Advance Server on January 30, 2026, and the headline is simple: Moonton decided the mid lane mage pool was too fragmented and standardized nearly everything. HP bases, physical defense growth, movement speed, and mana costs across 20+ mages were pulled toward a common baseline. The patch also includes targeted nerfs to overperformers and specific buffs to the mages sitting at the bottom of the mid lane tier list.
The stated goal: "more heroes picked in the Mid Lane." What it actually does is compress the stat gap between mages while shifting power through cooldown and mana cost changes. Some heroes gain from that compression. Others lose the stat advantages that defined their matchups.
Here's what changed and what it means.
#What Is the Attribute Standardization?
Most mid lane mages previously had bespoke stat distributions, often reflecting years of accumulated bandaid changes. Moonton flattened those outliers toward uniform values.
Target baselines (post-2.1.56):
- Base HP: ~2,380-2,440
- Physical Defense Growth: ~4 per level
- HP Growth: ~145-165 per level
- Movement Speed: 240-250 (most mages)
The practical outcome is that mages who previously had inflated HP or defense lose survivability, while historically frail mages pick up marginal durability. Neither change is dramatic in isolation. The mana cost adjustments are where the real meta impact lives.
#The Winners
Nana
Nana is the clearest upgrade in this patch. Her Skill 2 cooldown drops from 14.5-12s to 12-9s, and base damage jumps from 150-275 to 250-375, with magic power scaling increasing from 30% to 50% Total Magic Power. That's a 67% increase in base damage at rank one.
| Stat | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill 2 Cooldown | 14.5-12s | 12-9s | -2.5s at all levels |
| Skill 2 Base Damage | 150-275 | 250-375 | +100 base at R1 |
| Skill 2 Magic Scaling | 30% | 50% | +20% TMP |
Nana's current win rate in Patch 2.1.47 is 50.2%, sitting low in B-tier. She's been a coordination pick more than a solo queue carry. These changes make her S2 a genuine damage tool rather than just a polymorph delivery vehicle. Expect her to push into A-tier territory once 2.1.56 hits official servers.
Gord
Gord enters the patch with some of the most meaningful numerical upgrades. His Skill 1 cooldown decreases from 10-7.5s to 8-6s, and his passive damage now scales with hero level: 140 + (8 × Hero Level) + 40% TMP, up from a flat 140 + 60% TMP. At level 15, that's 260 base passive damage before magic power. His base physical defense also jumps from 13 to 17, which is relevant against aggressive mid lane counter-picks.
Current win rate in 2.1.47: 52.4%, sitting in A-tier. Gord is one of the few mages who already performed above average. These buffs push his sustained damage output higher while making him less punishable in lane. An S-tier candidate once the patch goes live.
Novaria
Novaria at 47.8% win rate in 2.1.47 is one of the worst-performing mages in ranked. This patch addresses her two biggest problems: early-game mana pressure and late-game damage falloff.
Skill 2 mana cost drops from 100-200 to 50-90, which almost halves the cost at max rank. Skill 2 base damage increases from 230-340 to 230-405 with magic scaling jumping from 70% to 100% TMP. That scaling jump is significant for a hero who typically sits on Holy Crystal and Divine Glaive.
| Skill 2 Stat | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Mana Cost (max rank) | 200 | 90 |
| Max Base Damage | 340 | 405 |
| Magic Power Scaling | 70% | 100% TMP |
Kagura
Kagura gets two changes that matter: Skill 1 base damage increases at lower ranks (315 to 365 at R1), and her Ultimate cooldown drops from 43-33s to 36-30s in both forms. Mana cost on Ult also falls from 85-115 to 60-90. The cooldown cut lets her reach the second ult faster in extended fights, which is where Kagura players lose trades.
Current win rate: 50.8%. The changes are conservative, not transformative. She stays in B-tier territory but with a noticeably smoother mana budget.
Vale
Vale gets his ultimate cooldown cut from 44-36s to 36-30s and gains base HP (2,280 to 2,380) and physical defense (15 to 17). Minor, but the ult cooldown reduction lets him recast wind form in faster succession. He's been a niche pick. These don't change that, but they're upgrades.
Zhask and Vexana
Both get ultimate cooldown reductions. Zhask's ult goes from 60-50s to 44-36s. Vexana's from 60-46s to 50-40s. For heroes whose viability depends entirely on ultimate uptime, this matters. Vexana was already A-tier at 51.0% win rate. A more available ult keeps her there.
#The Losers
Yve
Yve takes the largest downgrade in the patch. Her base HP drops from 2,530 to 2,320 (a loss of 210 HP), HP growth falls from 185 to 145, Skill 1 cooldown increases from 3-1.5s to 3.5-2.5s, and both her Skill 2 and Ultimate slow effects are slashed.
| Stat | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base HP | 2,530 | 2,320 | -210 |
| HP Growth | 185 | 145 | -40 per level |
| S2 Base Slow | 30% | 20% | -10% |
| S2 Max Slow | 60% | 40% | -20% |
| Ultimate Slow | 60% | 40% | -20% |
That HP growth loss alone means Yve is approximately 600 HP lighter at level 15 than she is now. The slow reduction hits her zone control, which is her entire identity. Without reliable slow to keep enemies stuck in the starfield, her ultimate becomes significantly easier to walk out of.
Her passive shield improves (50 base + 20% TMP to 120 base + 50% TMP), which partially offsets, but a beefier shield doesn't compensate for 600 fewer HP and half the slow effect. Current win rate: 50.1% in B-tier. Post-2.1.56, C-tier is realistic.
Pharsa
Pharsa loses early and mid-game burst. Skill 2 cooldown increases at early ranks (5s flat to 6.5-5s), base damage drops from 525-700 to 475-700, and ultimate base damage falls from 570-870 to 530-870.
Current win rate: 49.7%. These changes hit her in exactly the window where she's most dangerous, levels 4-10 when poke damage determines lane priority. The 50 damage cut on Skill 2 at early ranks sounds small, but it changes kill thresholds on squishy targets in the early game. Combined with the cooldown increase, her harass frequency drops meaningfully.
Zhuxin
Zhuxin gets a wave-clear nerf through damage reductions to her Skill 1, specifically targeting early and mid-game wave-clearing speed. Her base HP also drops from 2,480 to 2,440. At 50.9% win rate in B-tier, the changes push her toward the bottom of that tier. She's still playable, but loses the early wave clear tempo that let her roam and contest objectives efficiently.
Valentina and Luo Yi
Valentina continues to receive the adjustment treatment. Base HP drops from 2,580 to 2,500, and Skill 2 damage falls from 125-225 to 90-180. She was already at 41.3% win rate in Patch 2.1.47, the lowest in the mid lane. This doesn't help.
Luo Yi's passive base damage drops from 365 to 300 base, though late-game scaling improves slightly (20 per level to 25 per level). Net effect depends on build timing, but the early passive output loss is a laning nerf.
Eudora
The recently revamped Eudora gets mana cost increases on both Skill 1 and Skill 2. This matters for a hero who wants to run her full combo multiple times per fight. Her post-revamp win rate sits at 49.0%. Higher mana costs without any compensating buffs means she leans harder on Enchanted Talisman or mana regen items.
#The Adjustments: No Clear Direction
Cecilion, Chang'e, Kadita, Kimmy (magic build), Lunox, and Faramis get stat realignment without clear net positive or negative outcomes. These are attribute normalization changes more than targeted buffs or nerfs.
Chang'e gets a notable movement speed cut (250 to 240) and base HP reduction (2,380 to 2,320), offset by significant mana cost reductions across all three skills. Her mana costs were always a minor concern, so this trades survivability for slightly better mana efficiency. Minor regression overall.
Cecilion's movement speed also drops (255 to 250). Not significant for a hero who doesn't rely on mobility.
#What This Means for the Mid Lane Meta
Moonton's compression goal is visible in the numbers. The gap between the strongest and weakest mages on raw attributes narrows. But raw stats never told the whole story at Mythic rank anyway.
The real outcome:
Rises in priority: Nana (much stronger Skill 2), Gord (level-scaling passive, shorter cooldowns), Novaria (finally has mana to cast Skill 2 in fights), Vexana and Zhask (lower ult cooldowns amplify their zone control).
Drops in priority: Yve (HP and slow gutted simultaneously), Pharsa (burst timing disrupted), Zhuxin (loses wave-clear edge).
Stable: Kagura, Cecilion, Lylia, Zetian, Kadita. None gain enough or lose enough to shift tier clearly.
The mid lane was not particularly broken in Patch 2.1.47. Kadita led at 53.0% win rate with most mages clustered between 49-51%. Moonton is explicitly targeting pool diversity, not power level correction. Whether standardizing 20+ hero stat sheets actually produces that diversity is a separate question.
Based on these changes, the next tier list will likely show Nana and Gord rising, Yve and Pharsa falling, and Novaria graduating from bottom-tier to mid-tier relevance. Watch the MLBB meta page once 2.1.56 goes official for the win rate data to confirm or contradict these predictions.