core items are pretty much morellos ludens void staff liandrys with a situational veil/hourglass. rabadons isnt really buyable in most games and if you do build it last youl be sitting on too much gold for too long. make it the same price as other 100 AP items but lower the AP or something.
i know people do buy it, but it just feels akward/not worth building unless disgustingly fed ¯_(ツ)_/¯
sit kid2 votesFor an item that is 100% efficient on its own and just gets more and more efficient the longer the game goes, I think it is justified having a weird build path. That's what mid-late game items do...
Rabadons, while yes has a very weird build path, it contributes the item to be purchased later on where people are allowed to sit on multible thousands of gold. Backing with 2k gold isn't really going to happen all that much in lane unless you nailed a 1v3 early on or something.
Items that are built early on and have early power usually also have more fluid build paths (morello, botrk, sunfire ect...) Mid-late game items normally have larger items (like nlr or bf sword) included, making the difference between having and not having the item bigger (think GA, Zhonyas, Rabadons, Bloodthirster ect...)
Ralanr1 votesImo, a lot of AP items have weird and frustrating build paths. 
and 
are the most frustrating items to build whenever I decide to play a mage/AP threat.
sit kid1 votesHmm yeah i see your point.
Same would kind of go for Rageblade, Bloodthirster, dead mans plate and other important mid-late game items. It isnt really only AP items, but yeah.
However, one item that fks me up is 
. 1250g on first back is so rough...
Its All Skillzz1 votesi agree it has an awful build path and combined cost, legit if you sitting on 2 invy slots with a large rod and blasting wand then you still need 1700g to finish death cap, its one of reasons i buy it last as ap ezreal. its just so expensive and awkward build path to justify rushing it. and if you sit on last you have to either save up 3800g to buy it on bac or hold large rod an farm up 2550g to finish the item. i think the cost should be lowered to maybe 3400 and have it build out of large rod + a new item that gives a lower % ap like a mini deathcap that gives a boost in ap then like 15% ap boost. try to make it a lil less awkward to build. there is not alot of raw ap in the game anymore with the removal of blue buff giving 10% and also all the ap items nerfed. unless i have 3 infernal dragons and baron i wont even break 800 ap at full build as ap ez.
