Patch 18.6 review — November 4, 2026
The released 18.6 notes list no standard craftable-item recipe or balance change. This guide retains the checked 18.5 baseline, including its October 27 corrections where relevant. Champion, trait and Augment changes can still change which holder or board benefits from an item; this review does not establish a measured best-in-slot ranking.
Official Riot Patch 18.6 notes, published November 3 UTC / November 4 JST. Review scope: the released notes; PC/mobile regional deployment may take longer. Earlier dated sections retain their historical patch scope.
Patch 18.5 review — October 22, 2026
Riot’s released 18.5 notes do not list standard craftable-item balance or recipe changes. The standard-item examples below retain their previous baseline after this patch-delta check. Champion abilities, traits, Augments and Wisps are outside the numeric sandbox; community examples keep their original dates and experimental builds are not treated as match-tested results.
Quick answer: Enter the free components, reserve only items you can make, then use Next Component to compare the offered pieces against your target package. Duplicate items require separate ingredient copies.
Tool walkthrough for the published Item Lab. Item catalog: Set 18, Patch 18.5; reviewed October 22, 2026. Tool walkthrough.
Keep free pieces and reserved items separate
Component Planner accounts for a bench of up to ten entered components and explores up to three standard finished items. Selecting a plan reserves the relevant pieces inside the tool. Undo restores the last reservation; it does not undo an in-game craft.
Once you reserve an item, its pieces are no longer part of the free bench. Do not add them again unless you are correcting the scenario. Otherwise the next calculation can promise a second item using components that are already committed.
A target build is a bill, not a wish list
Next Component can compare offered pieces against a target of up to three items. It counts the combined requirements. Matching Planner reservations fulfill one matching copy of a target item, with their spent pieces already removed from the free inventory.
That distinction matters for duplicates. One reserved Nashor’s fulfills one copy in a double-Nashor target, not both. A second copy still needs another bow and belt. The same rule prevents plans with two shared ingredients from silently borrowing one physical piece twice.
| Target | Required pieces | What one reservation credits |
|---|---|---|
| Nashor’s + Nashor’s + JG | 2 bows, 2 belts, 1 rod, 1 glove | One Nashor’s removes one bow-and-belt requirement |
| Shojin + JG + Deathcap | 1 sword, 1 Tear, 3 rods, 1 glove | One JG fulfills one rod and one glove |
| Gunblade + Gunblade + Blue Buff | 2 swords, 2 rods, 2 Tears | One Gunblade fulfills one sword and one rod |
Worked decision: the missing half of a duplicate build
Set the target to two Nashor’s and Jeweled Gauntlet. Suppose one Nashor’s is already reserved, and your free bench contains a bow, a rod and a glove. JG is funded by the rod and glove; the remaining Nashor’s needs a belt alongside the free bow.
Use the offered component set in Next Component rather than imagining every component is available. A belt directly closes the missing ingredient in this example. Another piece may create a useful alternative recipe, but it does not magically complete the original target. Compare those two purposes explicitly.
The best target completion may not be the best board decision
The tool’s ranking follows your selected focus and exact component arithmetic. It is not a carousel safety check or a win-rate estimate. If the tank needs that belt, review the target itself before following the component suggestion.
After a real craft or item drop, update the inventory. Save the scenario in the browser or share the selected settings with a link. The tool does not sync with the game client, so a stale bench can be arithmetically correct for the wrong board.
Questions players ask
Can a completed item always be counted as a free component pair?
No. A finished item and loose ingredients are different game resources. Use matching reservations only to credit the target item it actually fulfills.
Does the first suggested component mean I must take it?
It reflects the focus and targets you entered. Check the real offered options, board needs and available alternatives before deciding.
Use it on your next board
Open Item Lab, then Component Planner · General carousel priority
Sources and review scope
This walkthrough was reviewed against the published Item Lab interface and its Patch 18.5 standard-item scope on October 22, 2026. Official artwork: © Riot Games.
