So instead of making the only AD support item in the game viable

Anonagon·Jun 29, 2015·19 votes·823 views

Riot decides to basically remove it and replace it with something that is only useful offensively when you are right next to an ally?

I dunno, its not like the new Zekes on PBE is a bad item, its just that its not at all what I would have wanted from a better Zekes. I didnt want AP, I didn't want yet another active to manage, and I didn't want the item to reinforce that the only thing supports are good at doing alone is running away.

I guess this is just me crying as one of the ~5 people who still like to play Jarvam support from time to time. I don't get why it can't be an AD item - just because there are only a few support champions that can build AD doesn't mean that the playstyle shouldn't be supported. If support AD itemization was better than "Black Cleaver then full tank" maybe we'd see fighter-tanks with lots of CC (Sion) go bottom just like Annie and Velkoz.

15 Comments

ErockandrollJun 29, 20156 votes

Personally I find the Idea of an AD support counterproductive to having a successful bot lane. If your not playing a tank Support, your going to want the mixed damage. (and even tank supports do mostly magic damage)

If you wined up with a Double AD threat bot lane, I can easily dampen it's usefulness building early armor. Even as a poke support, I can take Frozen Heart either so supplement or replace my main Mana and CDR item, and become a lot harder to deal with.

AnonagonJun 30, 20152 votes

Here's the thing; if you've put enough pressure on the enemy ADC early on that you force them to rush armor, you've already won your lane. If they don't, then having a double AD bot isn't a problem since you should be focusing them and not the support.

ErockandrollJun 30, 20154 votes

{quoted}

Here's the thing; if you've put enough pressure on the enemy ADC early on that you force them to rush armor, you've already won your lane. If they don't, then having a double AD bot isn't a problem since you should be focusing them and not the support.

You forget, depending on the skill of the player, focusing the ADC over the support may not be an option. And as a support main, I never make that an Option. (unless the ADC dives in thoughtlessly)

Ariel the CruelJun 30, 20154 votes

(unless the ADC dives in thoughtlessly)

aka: most of them.

TerffJun 29, 20152 votes

man... I liked that on Gangplank support Edit: Now that I've seen the new zekes though... +50% crit on GP

The LovelessJun 30, 20152 votes

Zeke's on the live server is actually a strong item if rushed. It gives your allies +80 ad that can be used for basic attacks and spells, and if everyone focuses the same person, that 80 ad will be noticeable.

The problem with Zeke's right now is that it's not affordable as a first item for seemingly all supports, and if you're a non-AD champ to begin with, it's not feasible to take this over the many other utility items which are more affordable.

I agree about not wanting yet another item with an active on it, since granting AD was pretty cool. The new Zeke's looks insane, so I don't know why Riot couldn't just make the current version of Zeke's more crazy for AD supports instead. Hopefully we get some attention for AD supports though, because Xin, Jarvan and Pantheon can be legit duo laners if there weren't so many AP & tank only items for supports' budget.

Can't they remove guinsoo's and or redo it so it's a cheap ad support item in some way? This could have easily been ardent censor.

Mat7itanJun 29, 20151 votes

Wait are they removing targans?

AnonagonJun 29, 20151 votes

No, they are replacing the current Zekes Herald (which gives an AD and lifesteal aura) with a vastly different item that has AP instead of AD.

I don't consider Targon's an AD support item. Its a tank support item. Although most AD supports do buy it when they go bot, most of the people who currently buy it deal mostly magic damage and scale with AP.

Mat7itanJun 29, 20151 votes

Ah... i've never seen zeke's used so targans was the only thing I could think of.

Murphys LawyerJun 29, 20151 votes

I personally love Zeke's on Braum. It gives him and the four other people he's generally tanking for extra punch while proccing his AA dependent passive, and gives him a bit of that much-needed sustain he's generally hurting for in the process, all for a very support budget friendly price. I find its greatest use is getting to and through mid game, keeping the pressure and momentum up to decent workable levels throughout.

Ariel the CruelJun 30, 20151 votes

I guess this is just me crying as one of the ~5 people who still like to play Jarvam support from time to time.

I run sup jar on occasion. But then again, I've been running support so long I can take Sivir and still be somewhat successful. (Ironic since I can't ADC for sh*t).

Silents429Jun 30, 20151 votes

Can't please anyone, majority of supports will make use of the stats, the couple AD supports are normally going tanky and have no use of the item anyway.

AnonagonJun 30, 20152 votes

The majority of supports you talk about will completely ignore this item in favor of the same builds they have always gone, just like with Banner of Command or Ohmwrecker or Ardent Censer. Core Supports don't need another AP/Mana/CDR item, and the new Zekes shackles them to the teammate that can best use 50% crit chance, aka the ADC.

Silents429Jun 30, 20151 votes

It's the stubborn nature of people afraid to stray from the normal build paths ever, those items are still useful and perfectly viable right now.

JustMyBassCannonJun 30, 20151 votes

Yeah, instead of buffing a trash aura to the point where it's noticeably strong (i.e. the point of being overpowered, as any of us who lived through League of Auras would understand), Riot made it into a dynamic support item that fits into more supports' proper builds.