Mobile Legends Patch 1.8.66: Everything You Need To Know

Mobile Legends players have a massive new update to dig into. Moonton Games has rolled out patch 1.8.66 for the popular MOBA, and it’s a doozy. The headliner is the introduction of Chip, an all-new support hero. But that’s just the start. Patch 1.8.66 also implements major gameplay adjustments impacting over 20 existing heroes as well as some significant mechanical changes to the core battlefield experience itself. Let’s break down all the key details.

New Support Hero Chip Joins Mobile Legends Roster

Leading off the update is Chip, the latest hero addition to Mobile Legends’ ever-expanding roster. Chip is a new support hero who brings a highly mobile, utility-focused kit to the battlefield.

His first skill, Crash Course, allows Chip to overcharge his hovercraft and ram into the ground, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies. It also applies a mark to any enemy heroes struck. Chip gains a shield strength based on how many heroes he hits.

His next basic attack after using Crash Course becomes a ranged multi-hit that detonates any marked enemies to deal bonus magic damage and a brief stun. Setting up that combo when engaging in team fights will be crucial.

Chip’s second skill is Overtime, granting him a big movement speed boost when activated to reposition or chase down fleeing enemies. It also empowers his next basic attack to charge at the target, knocking them back slightly. 

His ultimate ability Shortcut is where Chip’s utility really shines. He deploys a main damage portal on top of an enemy hero that inherits a percentage of his own HP. After a delay, it deals magic damage and slows nearby enemies. At the same time, Shortcut creates connecting portals next to allied heroes that can be used for quick escapes or rotations.

It’s a very intriguing kit that seems to blend engage, peel, and escape tools in unique ways compared to existing supports. Though, it remains to be seen how effectively Chip can leverage all of his various skills in the heat of a team fight.

Over 20 Heroes Adjusted, Melee Fighters Like Masha Get Major Reworks

While Chip’s addition is the biggest single new content piece, the 1.8.66 patch features major balance adjustments to a huge number of existing heroes as well – particularly melee fighters and gold laners.

On the more extreme end, heroes like Masha and Silvanna are receiving full-skill reworks that significantly change how their kits function. Masha’s abilities now scale much harder when she has low HP, allowing her to jump in with reckless abandon and dish out increased damage in exchange for risking a faster death.  

Meanwhile, Silvanna’s first skill gets condensed into a single dash attack that stuns nearby enemies instead of its previous multi-stage mechanic. Her second skill shield has been buffed but now goes on a shorter cooldown after expiring instead of coming up immediately after casting.

Other adjustments are less ground-breaking but still impactful. Numerous gold laners like Layla, Miya, Natan, and Clint have seen their base stats and key ability numbers tweaked in attempts to balance their efficacy. Some are getting increased AA ranges, while others had certain buffs like Natan’s attack speed bonus pared back. 

Fighters like Paquito and assassins like Hayabusa also received some damage tuning, while mages like Vexana and Guinevere had their ability ranges and scaling adjusted. Bottom line – prepare for an utterly new combat flow and balance state emerging on the SQL battlefield.

Attack Speed Mechanics, Tower Shielding Adjusted for Mythic

In addition to all the individual hero changes, patch 1.8.66 implements key mechanical adjustments to some of Mobile Legends’ core gameplay systems as well.  

The attack speed stat has been revamped to remove its previous thresholds. Now, every 1% increase will grant a smooth, linear increase in actual attack speed instead of unlocking in inconsistent jumps. This should allow for more controlled and uniform attack speed scaling across all heroes.  

Mythic-ranked players and above will also notice changes to towers on the gold lane. The damage mitigation granted to allies by a tower’s energy shield near the start of matches has been increased from 30% to 35%. In essence, it’s a small but meaningful buff to better protect players’ early laning phases against tower dives.

Battle spells are getting tweaked too, with Inspire’s attack speed boost being dropped from 1.55x to 1.5x. It’s a minor nerf but one that should impact laning phases and skirmish trades.

Another key adjustment is to Concentrated Energy’s defensive stats, shifting it from a pure health item to granting stacking magic resistance that maxes at 20. Several other core equipment items like Demon Hunter Sword, Golden Staff, and Windtalker have had their coveted attack speed stats nerfed as well.

All of these battlefield changes seem aimed at shaking up the established flow and pacing of games, especially in the laning phase. Getting tower dove or blowing crucial cooldowns will now be punished more severely. Conversely, poking and chipping away from max range will be more effective with the adjustments to towers and Inspire.

These are huge, sweeping adjustments that are sure to make Mobile Legends’ high-level meta look drastically different in the short term. Whether they result in a better overall experience remains to be seen.

New Events, Premium Draws, and Skins Also Arrive

On top of all the massive gameplay updates, patch 1.8.66 is also ushering in the latest round of new events, premium draws, and limited skins for players to collect.

Perhaps the biggest new cosmetic is the “Infernal Wyrmlord” skin for Moskov coming in the latest All-Star event. Players can try their luck obtaining it and an exclusive matching ID tag in draws beginning on April 6 or through limited-time recharge and mega-draw events.

A few other new skins like the “Magitech Arsenal” Starlight skin for Lylia are being released as part of the usual monthly cosmetic rotations. And, some fan favorites like Claude’s “Mecha Dragon” outfit will also be available again for a limited time beginning March 13.

Between the new hero, balance overhaul, and major mechanical adjustments, Mobile Legends patch 1.8.66 is shaking up the established norms of the game in a big way. Some players will inevitably be frustrated by the changes. But these types of bold overhauls are also necessary for keeping things fresh and competitive at the highest levels of play. 

As with all big patches, it will likely take some time for the dust to settle and a new consistent high-level meta to solidify. In the meantime, though, there should be plenty of chaos and new strategies to experiment with – for better or worse. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!