With the latest patch, the game is releasing an all-new buff to the mix, Taunt. Similar to the Provoke debuff, this buff will force enemies to target them. However, unlike Provoke, it does not limit the enemies to using only their default skills so all AoE skills still hit as normal. It should also be noted that the Taunt buff cannot be spread, and its duration cannot be increased – It can, however, be stolen, removed and have its duration decreased. At face value though, that may sound like it comes in handy!

Well, sort of…Let’s answer some questions you’re probably thinking of regarding Hydra specifically. 

• Does this mean the champion with Taunt is always a Mischief Target?
  Unfortunately, no. Even though the hit to steal buffs from the Head of Mischief is a single-target attack, it has an additional condition. The fact that there is the special condition of “the enemy with the most buffs”, that will outweigh the fact a Taunt buff is there. 
• Does the same go for Decay? How does Provoking affect the attacks?
  Just like Mischief, the Head of Decay has the condition of attacking whichever enemy has the lowest HP. This, too, outweighs the existence of the Taunt buff on a champion. So Provoking the head or not doesn’t really matter, either way, the HP left on your champions will determine who that head attacks. 
• Does it work with any of the skills from the Hydra heads?
  Yes! It does work with the Head of Suffering’s A3 and the Head of Torment’s A1. Both of those are simple attacks without an extra condition. 
• Is it worth it to add Taunt to your Hydra team composition?
  No. Being a target for Suffering’s A3 & Torment’s A1 is not reason enough to bring this in as a necessary buff. However, if this extra buff helps make someone who overall has a good kit for hydra be a Mischief Target, it can be helpful…

Greenwarden Ruarc – This Legendary from the Sylvan Watchers has a Taunt buff on the A3, along with Increase DEF and Strengthen which are self-buffs. This does allow him to be a Mischief Target. However, he does throw around Shield buffs on allies whenever they lose 10% of their MAX HP from a single hit, making Mischief targeting a little bit risky. He has an AoE Decrease ATK on the A2 which is always useful for hydra, but the second part about stealing Continuous Heal buffs should not be needed. His A1 is a single hit that transfers Debuffs to the target and heals this champion. Overall, the kit is okay but as far as Hydra goes, it doesn’t hold much value over many other champions that could take his place.

Duedan the Runic –  This epic, also from Sylvan Watchers, brings a little bit more value to Hydra overall but, like the Legendary, isn’t top-tier by any means for this area of the game. He has Taunt on his A3 along with Strengthen and Counterattack. This also makes him a solid Mischief Target. His A2 brings a Shield and buff extension; both can be very helpful in a hydra fight. The A1 can also cleanse debuffs from allies. Overall, it’s a solid kit, especially if Wrath and Mischief heads are around, but you’d likely find better champions to fulfil the role as Mischief’s target.