4.10 changes impact on bot lane

A patch can shift the entire landscape of Summoner's Rift. With the advent of Patch 4.10, drastic changes occurred in the bot lane; from teams contesting new ADCs during champion select to the new item builds unveiled last week. As LCS teams continue to adapt to the latest patch, it's important to keep track of why and how the pros are making these corresponding changes.

Infinity Edge: Tried and True

The first major change that transpired with 4.10 was the new Bloodthirster. The old, 4.9 Bloodthirster was the most popular item that was built from a B.F. Sword and a very common first major buy for many ADCs. At a full 30 stacks, the old Bloodthirster provided the most AD and Life Steal of any individual item - 100 AD and 18% Life Steal. The new, 4.10 Bloodthirster now offers a static 80 AD and 15% Life Steal, which is a drop in maximum potential DPS. However, to compensate, a new passive on the item allows champions to overheal and convert the excess healing into a temporary defensive shield. In short, the new Bloodthirster is 300 gold more expensive than before and supplies more stats for its cost, but it's no longer the most efficient offensive item for ADCs to rush as a first item. As demonstrated by many LCS Marksmen last week, Infinity Edge has now replaced Bloodthirster as the primary, go-to item for certain ADCs. While 300 gold more than the current Bloodthirster, Infinity Edge's increased critical strike chance and critical strike damage means ADCs are investing all their gold into purely offensive stats. There is and always has been a premium placed on ADCs to dish out tons of damage first and foremost, before fitting in defensive items for mitigation later on in the game. Following the initial Infinity Edge purchase, ADCs tend to buy one of two Attack Speed items, either Statikk Shiv or Phantom Dancer, depending on the amount of gold they've accumulated and the goal of the team going into mid game. Both Attack Speed items have their merits. The greatest diversity for ADCs come in the late game, where they have more options but no longer have to forfeit firepower for defensive stats and abilities. In the previous patch, Last Whisper was typically the third item that rounded the Infinity Edge and Phantom Dancer (or Statikk Shiv) combo. However in 4.10, both Bloodthirster and Mercurial Scimitar have their base AD boosted to 80 as well, giving them a comparable punch to Infinity Edge. The new Bloodthirster passive gives ADCs a 450 health shield at level 18, which is ideal for long, drawn out team-fights. Mercurial Scimitar is now a suitable alternative to Banshee's Veil with its ability to remove crowd control without sacrificing damage. Finally, Last Whisper is still a viable option as a third item, especially useful when the enemy team has stacked plenty of armor. Zero hesitation from Tabzz for the Double Kill In Alliance's match against Millenium, Tabzz built Infinity Edge and Statikk Shiv first as expected. However for his third item, he decided on a Mercurial Scimitar. With four out of five Millenium champions equipped crowd control abilities, it became critical for Tabzz to have a contingency in case he got too close to danger. At the Baron fight, Kerp used Distortion to close the distance on Tabzz and get within range to land Ethereal Chains. But with his Mercurial Scimitar, Tabzz removed the stun proc from the Ethereal Chains and continued to auto attack completely unhindered to pick up a Double Kill after Shook secured Baron.

Wielding the twin blades

While many ADC champions are benefiting greatly with the improved Infinity Edge item build, there is another item path that benefits champions with a power spike during the mid game and that focuses more on trades, duels, and team-fights before late game. On the other side of the Caitlyn and her Infinity Edge stands Lucian and his twin blades. The primary change in 4.10 that brought on this second build option for ADCs was the active parity on Youmuu's Ghostblade. With the Attack Speed and Movement Speed active extended to the six seconds (previously four seconds) for ranged champions, it bestows ADC with additional chase potential. Together with the slowing active from Blade of the Ruined King, the twin blade build is conducive for ADCs that are looking for situational burst damage rather than the sustained offensive power from Infinity Edge. Even a full health Renekton falls easy prey to Lucian While Youngbuck's Renekton solo pushing bot lane, Rekkles flanked from behind and turned on the active from both his Blades. Even though sOAZ's Lulu was there to reinforce Rekkles with a timely Wild Growth, Rekkles, with his superior burst damage, was never in danger of the pick backfiring. Although the Infinity Edge and twin blade builds have been the two most popular ADCs builds used during Week 6, there are still other champions that are viable and don't neatly fit the mold of either build. For example, Corki will typically open with Blade of the Ruined King but transition into Trinity Force as a second item because of how frequently he can proc the Spellblade passive. Other champions like Kog'Maw can be itemized in a multitude of ways, depending on the needs of the team and the enemy composition he's up against.

A support's job is never done

Patch 4.10 has not only made a staggering difference for ADCs but also to supports. The most notable change for supports was to Mikael's Crucible, an item that was all but mandatory in 4.9. With a whooping 850 gold increase in cost, the new Crucible provides supports with added mana regeneration and 10% cooldown reduction. While these stats are beneficial, they are not critical during team-fights, compared to additional health and resists. So with the increased price, Mikael's Crucible's cleansing active is still valuable but no longer a first item, must-buy for supports. Alternatively, instead of the crowd control removal and healing ability from Mikael's Crucible, supports have been turning to shields as a new method of protecting carries, namely with the combination of Face of the Mountain and Locket of the Iron Solari. These two items together give supports a useful array of defensive, combat stats and the option to use one or both shields simultaneously on an ally in danger. While not as versatile as crowd control removal, they still impart plenty of protection for the ADC. However, not all support players are content with just going a defensive route. In the EU LCS, nRated brought back offensive Zyra support, opting for an early Liandry's for the DoT damage from her plants. Not only can Zyra apply offensive pressure for her team during laning phase, but her root and knock-up abilities can be used offensively and defensively during team-fights, depending on the needs of her team. With a decrease in Mikael’s Crucible bought in LCS matches now, aggro supports with crowd control have a greater opportunity to shine and look forward to more play time. Crumbling turrets offer no protection from an aggressive Zyra As bot lane duos continue to play on the new patch, fans should eagerly await to see how their favorite teams adjust to the changes from 4.10. Different marksmen are coming into the forefront and older supports dust themselves off to re-enter the Rift. Super Week will provide ample opportunities for teams to demonstrate who is the best at adapting to change. Jack is a freelance writer for Riot Games and he wants to know what ADC/support champion duo do you enjoy watching the most in the LCS? You can tweet him your thoughts @NeoIllusions.

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