Karma vs Mel in League of Legends

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Mage

Karma

the Enlightened One

Mage

Mel

the Soul's Reflection

Karma

Minor net nerf (score -4, 0 buffs / 4 nerfs). Notable: Q damage 70→60; E mana cost 50→60; R empowered e - defiance bonus primary / secondary target shield 50→45. Touched across patches 25-6, 26-7, 26-8.

Mel

Major net nerf (score -7, 3 buffs / 10 nerfs). Notable: Q projectile speed 5000→4500; Q cast range 1000→950; base health 600→630. Touched across patches 25-19, 25-23, 25-24, 25-4, 25-8, 26-5, 26-8.

Base stat comparison

STAT	Karma	Mel
Health HP	630 +109/lvl	630 +99/lvl
Attack Damage AD	49 +0/lvl	54 +0/lvl
Armor	28 +5/lvl	21 +5.20/lvl
Magic Resist MR	30 +1.30/lvl	30 +1.30/lvl
Attack Speed	0.625 +2.30/lvl	0.625 +2.50/lvl
Move Speed MS	335	330
Attack Range	525	550
Resource	374 +40/lvl	480 +28/lvl

Patch history

Karma3 patches

Show changelog →

2025-03-18Patch 25.6

Q · Damage70 / 120 / 170 / 220 / 270 (+ 70% AP) → 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+ 70% AP)

2026-03-31Patch 26.7

R · Empowered E - Defiance Bonus Primary / Secondary Target Shield50 / 100 / 150 / 200 (+45% AP) → 45 / 85 / 125 / 165 (+45% AP)

2026-04-14Patch 26.8

Base AD51 → 49
AD Growth3.3 → 3.0
E · Mana Cost50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 → 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80

Mel7 patches

Show changelog →

2025-02-19Patch 25.4

Q · Cast Range1000 → 950
Q · Projectile Speed5000 → 4500
W · Duration1 → 0.75 seconds
W · Mana Cost60/45/30/15/0 → 80/60/40/20/0
W · Reflected Damage40/47.5/55/62.5/70% → 40/45/50/55/60%
E · Root Duration1.75/1.88/2/2.13/2.25 → 1.25/1.5/1.75/2/2.25 seconds
E · Direct Hit Damage60/100/140/180/220 (+50% AP) → 60/105/150/195/240 (+60% AP)
R · Damage per Overwhelm Stack4/7/10 (+2.5% AP) → 4/7/10 (+3.5% AP)

2025-04-15Patch 25.8

Health600 → 630
passive · Damage per Stack5-20 (based on level) (+1% AP) → 8-25 (based on level) (+ 1% AP)

2025-09-23Patch 25.19

passive · Bonus Damage on attack per spell24-75 (based on level) (+3% AP) → 24-99 (based on level) (+9% AP)
passive · Maximum Bonus Damage on attack75-225 (based on level) (+ 9% AP) → 72-297 (+ 27% AP)

2025-11-18Patch 25.23

passive · Damage per spell24-99 (based on level) (+9% AP) → 24-150 (based on level) (+ 15% AP)
E · Root Duration1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2 / 2.25 → 1.2 / 1.3 / 1.4 / 1.5 / 1.6

2025-12-02Patch 25.24

E · Orb Magic Damage60 / 105 / 150 / 195 / 240 → 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 / 220
E · Magic Damage per Second16 / 32 / 48 / 64 / 80 → 16 / 26 / 36 / 46 / 56
E · Lingering Debuff Duration0.75 → 0.5 seconds
E · Mana Cost50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 → 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 mana

2026-03-03Patch 26.5

passive · Minion Damage Modifier0.6x → 0.5x
Q · Base Damage per Bolt5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 → 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13
Q · Total Q Base Damage90 / 132 / 176 / 222 / 270 → 90 / 145 / 200 / 255 / 310
R · Initial Base Damage100 / 150 / 200 → 125 / 200 / 275

2026-04-14Patch 26.8

Q · Initial Explosion Damage60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 (+ 60% AP) → 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 (+ 55% AP)
W · Cooldown35 / 32 / 29 / 26 / 23 → 38 / 35 / 32 / 29 / 26 seconds
W · Bonus Movement Speed Duration1.5 → 0.75 seconds

Sources

Numbers paraphrased from official Riot patch notes. See methodology for how the cumulative verdict is computed.

STAT

Karma

Mel

Health

630

+109/lvl

630

+99/lvl

Attack Damage

+0/lvl

Armor

+5/lvl

+5.20/lvl

Magic Resist

+1.30/lvl

Attack Speed

0.625

+2.30/lvl

0.625

+2.50/lvl

Move Speed

335

330

Attack Range

525

550

Resource

374

+40/lvl

480

+28/lvl

Patch history

Karma3 patches

Show changelog →

2025-03-18Patch 25.6

Q · Damage70 / 120 / 170 / 220 / 270 (+ 70% AP) → 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+ 70% AP)

2026-03-31Patch 26.7

R · Empowered E - Defiance Bonus Primary / Secondary Target Shield50 / 100 / 150 / 200 (+45% AP) → 45 / 85 / 125 / 165 (+45% AP)

2026-04-14Patch 26.8

Base AD51 → 49
AD Growth3.3 → 3.0
E · Mana Cost50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 → 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80

Mel7 patches

Show changelog →

2025-02-19Patch 25.4

Q · Cast Range1000 → 950
Q · Projectile Speed5000 → 4500
W · Duration1 → 0.75 seconds
W · Mana Cost60/45/30/15/0 → 80/60/40/20/0
W · Reflected Damage40/47.5/55/62.5/70% → 40/45/50/55/60%
E · Root Duration1.75/1.88/2/2.13/2.25 → 1.25/1.5/1.75/2/2.25 seconds
E · Direct Hit Damage60/100/140/180/220 (+50% AP) → 60/105/150/195/240 (+60% AP)
R · Damage per Overwhelm Stack4/7/10 (+2.5% AP) → 4/7/10 (+3.5% AP)

2025-04-15Patch 25.8

Health600 → 630
passive · Damage per Stack5-20 (based on level) (+1% AP) → 8-25 (based on level) (+ 1% AP)

2025-09-23Patch 25.19

passive · Bonus Damage on attack per spell24-75 (based on level) (+3% AP) → 24-99 (based on level) (+9% AP)
passive · Maximum Bonus Damage on attack75-225 (based on level) (+ 9% AP) → 72-297 (+ 27% AP)

2025-11-18Patch 25.23

passive · Damage per spell24-99 (based on level) (+9% AP) → 24-150 (based on level) (+ 15% AP)
E · Root Duration1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2 / 2.25 → 1.2 / 1.3 / 1.4 / 1.5 / 1.6

2025-12-02Patch 25.24

E · Orb Magic Damage60 / 105 / 150 / 195 / 240 → 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 / 220
E · Magic Damage per Second16 / 32 / 48 / 64 / 80 → 16 / 26 / 36 / 46 / 56
E · Lingering Debuff Duration0.75 → 0.5 seconds
E · Mana Cost50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 → 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 mana

2026-03-03Patch 26.5

passive · Minion Damage Modifier0.6x → 0.5x
Q · Base Damage per Bolt5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 → 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13
Q · Total Q Base Damage90 / 132 / 176 / 222 / 270 → 90 / 145 / 200 / 255 / 310
R · Initial Base Damage100 / 150 / 200 → 125 / 200 / 275

2026-04-14Patch 26.8

Q · Initial Explosion Damage60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 (+ 60% AP) → 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 (+ 55% AP)
W · Cooldown35 / 32 / 29 / 26 / 23 → 38 / 35 / 32 / 29 / 26 seconds
W · Bonus Movement Speed Duration1.5 → 0.75 seconds