Going off of the discussion about how mages lack itemization, can you guys provide some examples and tell me where you feel like they are lacking?
Im a bored theory crafter.
Any items that you just NEVER use? Any champs that you cant stand building items on?
yoshi27902 votes
is core on almost all mages.
AHarmlessTaco2 votesI feel like that is saying 
is core on almost all ADCs.
Do you think it would help if had the equivalents of 
?
Or if has similar paths to 
?
yoshi27901 votesThere's more because since 7.9 you can go , boots have always been or 
for ADC.
And yeah, I think that would help, because mages pick these 4 core items because everyone thinks they're useful. But if there was more diversity like the zeal items, the same core stats, (crit, as speed & move speed) There would be more diversity and that would fix a lot of problem.
I feel like hextech items were supposed to do that but they failed miserable and now they're almost niche picks.
AHarmlessTaco1 votesI think the problem is that everyone wants DAMAGE, which for ADCs can be split between Penetration, CDR, AD, Crit Chance, and AS, but they also need MS. So they have a LOT of options.
For mages, you really just want tons of AP (that what everyone seems to focus on) so that leaves fewer options. I mean, sure, they want some mana and CDR, but that is easily corrected....
I think the biggest change recently was the removal of Locket and the addition of MR per level, which will allow Riot to explore more MPen options. They just havent had enough time to implement it yet.
I agree that Hextech Items were a step towards this, but RoA > alot of other options and there arent enough hybrid champions for Gunblade.
Id definitely have to say if diversity were to come in, it would be best in the form of Morellonomicon splits like during the Black Market Brawlers period.
deadlychuck2 votesItems which are never realistic for the majority of mages.
Considering that this is all of the mage items.
That's 1/3 of all mage items, and all of the new items from the MYMU
Where as marksmen have what? 
PhDs Nuts2 votesItems which are never realistic for the majority of mages.
Considering that this is all of the mage items.
That's 1/3 of all mage items, and all of the new items from the MYMU
Where as marksmen have what?
Seems kinda misleading to list all 3 hextech items. You would never build more than one of them, so it's really more like [Hextech]
DrCyanide1 votesYou'd rarely build even one of the Hextech items, that's the problem. What you're left with is this:
Pick 6, but you're going to be balanced around buying every game, so really you just pick 3 items.
XxxLumberJackxxX1 votesI find Karthus to be awkward to build on. Note- stop buying tear on Karthus people specially if you are also getting Rod.
Most champions have items to fill gaps in their power lulls. Karthus doesn't. Karthus wants cdr for more ults but he needs pure ap to be impact ful.
Also enemy itemization works too well and specially too often against him. I.I. its hard for him to pop Maw before ulting or kill while maw or zhonya on cooldown
AHarmlessTaco1 votesThat is fair. I honestly just get Rylais and Liandrys on him in ARAM because that way I actually contribute before the game ends lol.
On that note, what do you actually think of RoA? I actually feel like its not a very great item anymore and is kind of outdated, even if it is good. Just seems to weaken diversity and make up for poor kit designs on the champions that need it.
Darkdemon6531 votesIt's less that some champions are hard to build (though there are some) and more that there just aren't many good mage items.
AHarmlessTaco1 votesThat seems fair considering the lack of Pen items and Zeal-like alterations.
PhaseDives1 votesProblem is that they keep reducing the ammount of AP items give and keep increasing the AD ammount that AD item gives when AP is suposed to be a cheaper stat to buy than AD..
Thats why mages build morello every time because it gives 100 ap. Before they where soo many more Ap items than gave over 100 AP now ap items gives average 80 ap which is like the same ammount a full AD item give its hilarious.. If you don't have a rabadon the enemy ad champion will have more ad than ap you have...
AHarmlessTaco1 votesI feel like the major focus on big ticket AP items might be where a lot of the problems lie. Honestly, the difference between 80 and 100 AP doesn't seem so big and if anything, I feel like it might almost be nice to see more Pen, bigger AP ratios, and less AP across the board. It is probably a bigger deal for mages though because ADCs have access to AS/Crit as multipliers so they have more flexibility in itemization?
Not sure
Champion Skin1 votesbigger AP ratios, and less AP across the board
Well sure it doesn't really matter if AP is big and ratios are low or if AP is low and Ratios are high like having 500 AP and 50% AP ratio on an ability is the same as having 250 AP and 100% AP ratio
The reason for this is that AP doesn't have a baseline... unlike AD which can't be too high because it has the baseline of Auto attacks which always have 100% AD ratio
Honestly, the difference between 80 and 100 AP doesn't seem so big
80 --> 100 is a 25% increase in AP 100 ---> 80 is a 20% reduction in AP
So it can be pretty big deal....