Why are ADCs in worlds starting Relic Shield?

Durzaka·10/7/2017, 5:03:14 AM·132 votes·8,633 views

Clearly i missed a swing in the professional scene, since I wasnt watching much before Worlds started.

What is the reasoning behind the Relic Shield start?

EDIT: I love how this post got downvoted because I wanted to ask a serious question with a simple answer. What the fuck are forums even for except for questions like this

EDIT2: I hadn't realized how hot a topic this would actually turn out to be. first edit is redundant but gonna leave it because it was originally relevant.

88 Comments

Marshbouy10/7/2017, 5:04:15 AM86 votes

Ardent censer is so fucking busted that adcs are sharing gold with their supports in order to get them to ardent censer faster.

PhDs Nuts10/7/2017, 6:02:56 AM12 votes

Upvoted to help get back to neutral. Community sucks.

AirKingNeo10/7/2017, 4:15:37 PM11 votes

A R D E N T

C E N S E R

EndlessSorcerer10/7/2017, 12:46:30 PM7 votes

So that their supports can get Ardent Censor earlier.

Athenes Lulu10/7/2017, 4:06:40 PM6 votes

{quoted}

EDIT: I love how this post got downvoted because I wanted to ask a serious question with a simple answer. What the fuck are forums even for except for questions like this

People think it's a "support QQ" thread so they auto-downvoted without realizing that it's a geunine question.

DuskDaUmbreon10/7/2017, 3:00:59 PM4 votes

Gold sharing, primarily. Second is the shield, which is actually important on some marksmen with jokes for health bars.

Veraska10/7/2017, 7:08:48 PM4 votes

Its mainly to get their support their ardent censer faster so they can start grouping sooner, also tbe shield the quest gives is a tiny added bonus

You give up trading power in lane bjt laning phase mneans nothing for the pro meta, its just whoever can 5v5 sooner and better, and ardent gives a lot of 5v5 power

LocatedEagle23210/7/2017, 9:54:11 PM4 votes

They're greedy and want more gold....

Filthy capitalists....

P4 Silent10/7/2017, 12:37:58 PM3 votes

Why waste thinking, On the game that is about to disappear?

Ugandan Bruce U10/8/2017, 12:37:12 PM2 votes

Riot don';t know how to balance for shit.

BigBellBrute10/7/2017, 2:08:26 PM2 votes

They buy it mainly for the extra gold because the support wants to rush Ardent Censor and their warding Item too now instead of just the warding item. The more the ADC is a late scaler that does not want to scrap with the other ADC early in the game, the more it is used. The more the Adc wants to scrap with the other ADC early, the less it is used.
To buy it, you're only giving up 5 health vs a relic shield 80 vs 75 and it is 100 gold cheaper. That means you can buy 2 more pots.

Yesterday's pro games.

Tristana Doublelift didn't use it. Uzi didn't use it Zven didn't use it.

Xayah Mystic didn't use it.
An didn't use it Sneaky used it.

Twitch Ruler used it.
Bang used it.

Kog Maw
Padden used it.
Hans Sama didn't use it.

Jinx
Betty didn't use it.

Varas Iboy used it.

Cloud27310/7/2017, 7:06:49 AM2 votes

Relic shield is supposed to be melee only. How are adc's even able to use this item?

Handin Out Naps10/7/2017, 6:56:29 PM2 votes

Its been happening in ranked for awhile now too, this meta is getting really annoying.

Linna Excel10/7/2017, 7:27:48 PM2 votes

Safety
Gives gold to supports so they can get that early ardent censor.

IcyPepper10/7/2017, 9:56:01 PM2 votes

EDIT: I love how this post got downvoted because I wanted to ask a serious question with a simple answer. What the fuck are forums even for except for questions like this

Um okay so about those downvotes

Ariel the Cruel10/7/2017, 6:49:27 PM1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ariel the Cruel,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=9AIKyutG,comment-id=00080000,timestamp=2017-09-21T05:17:00.719+0000)

Relic's shield doesn't benefit from Ardent.

And the reason ADC's are taking relic is because Relic is a stronger defensive start than doran's+1pot.

450g +80 health +5 damage to minions (decent CS'ing doesn't need this) +20 heal over 10 seconds after taking champion damage (=2/sec; 10 health regen)

+1 pot (150 health)

350g +75 health +2 gold per 10 +2.5 health regen (execute average)

+3 pots (450 health) or + 1 bead (50% health regen - 1.25 on Soraka [lowest in game])

So right out the gate; relic is cheaper, refunds it's self, and offers better average health regen. Then we add the bonus heal and gold for the support (which, let's be honest, most non-LCS ADC's don't even notice or care about).

But the benefit don't stop there. Relic can be upgraded for passable game-long defensive stats (by ADC standards).

850g (+500) +175 health +50% health regen +2gold per 10 +8.3 health regen (execute average) +255-340 passive shield (quest) (For comparison, BT shield caps at 50-350.)

EDIT: Looking at the value of Doran's heal... lvl 1 Oriana has the lowest AD in the game at 40.368. The highest armor in the game is lvl 18 Rammus with curl at 197.6228. (0.33599576376541044570510055009226 damage multiplier) That means the 1 AA will deal about 13.56 damage. You profit 5.5 health in this effectively impossible scenario if you suffer only 1 Auto attack. So Doran's heal is more trade mitigation than effective regen.

Added note, as it is LCS, A major contributor is the gold funneling into support. Since, as the shout casters have mentioned a few times, First censor wins lane.

EDIT: Original quote was before Targon start was standard meta.