Huge Problem with Tanks: Mid-tier items feel awful.

And this is a problem that goes well beyond any meta or damage count.

When you compare mid-tier items:

#Mages

Mages get all sorts of neat in-between items that can change how you play. Stopwatch is one hourglass proc for 600g, Hextech revolver gives you some sniping potential. If you're building into a spellblade type build, Sheen gives you a nice powerspike. There's also lost chapter, now the quintiseential item for mana on level-up.

#Bruisers/Skirmishers/melee in general

Not quite as much as mages but still some neat stuff. Tiamat gives you waveclear and a bonus item proc to use. Phage gives you some MS when you use physical skills. Trinity can also give you some neat stuff. There's also a bit of overlap with tanks, adcs and assassin here.

#ADCs and Assassins

Rounding off these two together as there's some overlap: While it's not much, they do have some fun things. Cutlass gives you a neat little slow before you make it to bork. Hexdrinker gives you some durability vs, mages and pops a shield. QSS is QSS. Also some subtle things like the charge shard whose name I can never get right. (Krichsis? Kriches? Something like that).

#Supports

lmao miss me with that shit supports get crazy neat toys.

#Tanks

To understand why tanks are the most bland/problematic, let's look at some mid tier items: (There's also the line of just "More armor" or "More MR" or "More HP" )

Do you see a pattern?

Most of these items simply rely on the enemy to hit you. Tanks, in this regard, have very little agency and the uniqueness/"fun" of their mid-tier items are entirely focused on "I got hit so something happens". The alternative items are passives with general effects you could easily miss. Tank mid-tier items don't feel good because you're either just given something for being hit or not given adequate tools to do ANYTHING other than "Please beat my face in so I can use my item."

And yes, reader who is already prepping the comment, I'm aware there are plenty of generic stat sticks in other classes like tanks. However, tank mid-tiers have nothing going for them. They're boring, bland and require the enemy to act upon you, not with you. Unlike a stat stick like, say, Seeker's armguard where the armor/ap boost is entirely on me to farm.

IMO, tanks need something. Maybe actives. Maybe something neater. I don't have a solution but as is, tank mid-tiers feel like the worst in the game which leads to them feeling worse.