Mel vs Naafiri in League of Legends

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Mage

Mel

the Soul's Reflection

Assassin

Naafiri

the Hound of a Hundred Bites

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.

Naafiri

Major net nerf (score -10, 8 buffs / 18 nerfs). Notable: R range 700→900; R damage 30→150; W cooldown 120→20. Touched across patches 25-10, 25-6, 25-7, 25-9, 26-4.

Base stat comparison

STAT	Mel	Naafiri
Health HP	630 +99/lvl	610 +105/lvl
Attack Damage AD	54 +0/lvl	55 +0/lvl
Armor	21 +5.20/lvl	28 +4.20/lvl
Magic Resist MR	30 +1.30/lvl	32 +2.05/lvl
Attack Speed	0.625 +2.50/lvl	0.663 +2.10/lvl
Move Speed MS	330	340
Attack Range	550	125
Resource	480 +28/lvl	400 +55/lvl

Patch history

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

Naafiri5 patches

Show changelog →

2025-03-18Patch 25.6

Health Growth120 → 105
Armor Growth4.7 → 4.2
Base Attack Damage55 → 57
AD Growth2.1 → 2
passive · Max Packmates2 / 3 (levels 1 / 9) → 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 (levels 1 / 9 / 12 / 15)
passive · Packmate Damage12 - 32 (based on level) (+ 5% bonus AD) → 10 - 20 (based on level) (+ 4% bonus AD)
passive · Packmate Health Growth16 → 13
passive · Packmate Armor/MR Growth2 → 1.8
passive · Packmate Reduced AoE Damage Taken76 - 50% (levels 1-14) → 76 - 55% (levels 1-15)
passive · Packmate Damage to Towers25% → 50%
passive · Packmate Taunt Duration3 → 2 seconds
Q · Damage to Minions60% → 80%
W · Bonus AD5/15/25 (+ 8-24% AD) → + 20% AD (Note: This is now granted on-cast.)
W · Extra Packmates2/3/4 → 2
W · Buff Duration15 seconds → 5 seconds
W · Bonus Movement Speed70-100% decaying over 4 seconds, reduced upon taking damage → 20-30% for 5 seconds (Note: This is now granted on-cast.)
W · Cooldown120/110/100 seconds → 20/19.5/19/18.5/18 seconds
W · Mana Cost100 → 60
R · Cooldown22 / 20 / 18 / 16 / 14 → 110 / 95 / 80 seconds
R · Mana Cost70 / 60 / 50 / 40 / 30 → 100
R · Range700 / 780 / 860 / 940 → 900 units
R · Damage30 / 70 / 110 / 150 / 190 (+ 80% bonus AD) (+ 10% per Packmate) → 150 / 250 / 350 (+ 120% bonus AD) (+ 10% per Packmate)

2025-04-01Patch 25.7

Health635 → 610
Armor30 → 28
passive · Damage to Monsters165% → 155%
Q · Damage to Minions80% → 100%
W · Cooldown20 / 19.5 / 19 / 18.5 / 18 → 22 / 21 / 20 / 19 / 18

2025-04-29Patch 25.9

W · Cooldown22 / 21 / 20 / 19 / 18 → 26 / 24 / 22 / 20 / 18 seconds
E · Dash Damage15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 (+ 50% bonus AD) → 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 (+ 40% bonus AD)

2025-05-13Patch 25.10

passive · Packmate Monster Damage Multiplier155% → 135%

2026-02-19Patch 26.4

Base Health Regen7.5 → 6
Health Regen Growth0.7 → 0.6
Q · Mana Cost55 / 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 → 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90
E · Mana Cost35 → 40

Sources

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

STAT

Mel

Naafiri

Health

630

+99/lvl

610

+105/lvl

Attack Damage

+0/lvl

Armor

+5.20/lvl

+4.20/lvl

Magic Resist

+1.30/lvl

+2.05/lvl

Attack Speed

0.625

+2.50/lvl

0.663

+2.10/lvl

Move Speed

330

340

Attack Range

550

125

Resource

480

+28/lvl

400

+55/lvl

Patch history

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

Naafiri5 patches

Show changelog →

2025-03-18Patch 25.6

Health Growth120 → 105
Armor Growth4.7 → 4.2
Base Attack Damage55 → 57
AD Growth2.1 → 2
passive · Max Packmates2 / 3 (levels 1 / 9) → 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 (levels 1 / 9 / 12 / 15)
passive · Packmate Damage12 - 32 (based on level) (+ 5% bonus AD) → 10 - 20 (based on level) (+ 4% bonus AD)
passive · Packmate Health Growth16 → 13
passive · Packmate Armor/MR Growth2 → 1.8
passive · Packmate Reduced AoE Damage Taken76 - 50% (levels 1-14) → 76 - 55% (levels 1-15)
passive · Packmate Damage to Towers25% → 50%
passive · Packmate Taunt Duration3 → 2 seconds
Q · Damage to Minions60% → 80%
W · Bonus AD5/15/25 (+ 8-24% AD) → + 20% AD (Note: This is now granted on-cast.)
W · Extra Packmates2/3/4 → 2
W · Buff Duration15 seconds → 5 seconds
W · Bonus Movement Speed70-100% decaying over 4 seconds, reduced upon taking damage → 20-30% for 5 seconds (Note: This is now granted on-cast.)
W · Cooldown120/110/100 seconds → 20/19.5/19/18.5/18 seconds
W · Mana Cost100 → 60
R · Cooldown22 / 20 / 18 / 16 / 14 → 110 / 95 / 80 seconds
R · Mana Cost70 / 60 / 50 / 40 / 30 → 100
R · Range700 / 780 / 860 / 940 → 900 units
R · Damage30 / 70 / 110 / 150 / 190 (+ 80% bonus AD) (+ 10% per Packmate) → 150 / 250 / 350 (+ 120% bonus AD) (+ 10% per Packmate)

2025-04-01Patch 25.7

Health635 → 610
Armor30 → 28
passive · Damage to Monsters165% → 155%
Q · Damage to Minions80% → 100%
W · Cooldown20 / 19.5 / 19 / 18.5 / 18 → 22 / 21 / 20 / 19 / 18

2025-04-29Patch 25.9

W · Cooldown22 / 21 / 20 / 19 / 18 → 26 / 24 / 22 / 20 / 18 seconds
E · Dash Damage15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 (+ 50% bonus AD) → 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 (+ 40% bonus AD)

2025-05-13Patch 25.10

passive · Packmate Monster Damage Multiplier155% → 135%

2026-02-19Patch 26.4

Base Health Regen7.5 → 6
Health Regen Growth0.7 → 0.6
Q · Mana Cost55 / 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 → 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90
E · Mana Cost35 → 40