Why isn't there an armor/AD item?

Rubber Jesus·3/15/2015, 5:14:44 PM·53 votes·4,676 views

I know Atma's was a tanky item that used to semi fill this role, but why isn't there an item with raw AD and armor on it? I've only been on League a year, and never play ranked, so forgive me if Riot has answered this and I've missed it. There are items with AD and MR, one having 80 AD. There are AP items with armor and MR, like Zhonya's, Abyssal Scepter, Athene's, and that's all I can think of off the top of my hand without looking them up. But there isn't an AD and armor item, which would help if you fell behind in lane as an ADC to have something like Scimitar to help you get some damage and defense and back into the game. Even Atma's was geared towards tanks/bruisers. But if a Yi/Talon/Zed gets fed, what can you build besides GA, which will only revive to have them kill you again? It would be nice to have a little protection mid game against fed AD champs as a squishy carry. It wouldn't be abused, as most would prefer raw damage over defense anyways. And bruisers may even benefit if it were made right. So I've just always wondered why such an item isn't made. Any help or thoughts to answer my question would be appreciated. I'd love to know if any of you have an answer. Thank you.

Edit: So the reasons I'm given so far are:

  1. It would be OP from lifesteal
  2. It could drastically change the meta by making every jungle go AP.
  3. Make top boring ( even though AD-AP match ups can build defenses to one another)
  4. It's a noob trap
  5. Build Sunfire Cape, Thornmail, or Iceborn Gauntlets.

Maybe lightbringer was OP because of the other stats it gave, not the AD + armor combo? That's quite a ball of stats for

Edit 2: Maybe an item with a passive that reads like this: If a champion takes >50% of health in damage from another champion in (2 or 3) seconds or less, the remaining damage from that single champion is reduced by X% for 5 seconds.
Counterplay, right? Or no? ^^^ Would this help mitigate those champion that start snowballing (doesn't matter who, Zed, Yi, Riven, Kat, etc.) and kill everyone they focus in like 2 seconds or with a single ult? ** It would add some counterplay, in lieu of a slot that could be used for a different item. So some give or take, and stops one person from wrecking a team early in the game.** Just to clarify, I played yesterday with 78% physical damage reduction with 4K health and still died in about 5-6 seconds by Yi. It's not just carries, it is tanks too getting one shot by these 'assassins'.

104 Comments

Raja Chachki3/15/2015, 5:18:13 PM13 votes

I think it's because when they put those stats on an item, it is either toxically OP, or it becomes a noob trap item. Riot said it is just too hard to balance, so they need to keep items like those very weak(or just removed).

redniwediS3/15/2015, 5:16:48 PM6 votes

There might not be an armor/ad item, but there are two armor/damage items that work wonders in that situation. item 3068 item 3075

Sir Yamazuki3/15/2015, 7:54:57 PM3 votes

ADCs do not need a buff, they are already required every single time, and have 1 person dedicated to baby sitting them all game. They get protection, which is why they are glass cannons. Some of them even have mobility and/or their own ways to protect themselves on top of the protection from a team.

SmokingPuffin3/15/2015, 6:35:02 PM3 votes

An AD/armor item would simply end bruiser versus bruiser lanes. This class of champions is basically stat balls, and dealing more damage while taking less means your stat ball snowballs much faster.

It is worth mentioning that they nerfed the AP/MR items for similar reasons, even though mage lanes have more outplay potential than bruiser lanes. It's still not good for the rush item to be "I deal more and take less".

OyddAWqJ5r3/15/2015, 8:28:10 PM3 votes

item 3047 +item 1036 =MasterYi SWORD BOOTS!

JusticePauldrons3/16/2015, 9:57:26 AM2 votes

item 3070 Garen item 3070 ATMA's Impaler!

It was such a good item on Garen

PonderousSealion3/15/2015, 8:04:39 PM1 votes

You keep saying "20 armor". Cloth armor is 15 and it's very cost efficient to just sit on for awhile.

The5lacker3/15/2015, 10:23:48 PM1 votes

Because unless it was highly situational, every top laner would rush it forever. Right now the only AP/MR items are Abyssal Scepter (Potent but limited in champions who could make the most out of it.), Athene's (Mostly there for the mana, barely any MR), and Banner of Command (which is a joke item.)

Duke Anax3/15/2015, 7:03:28 PM1 votes

In some cases item 3025 can fit the bill. It gives armor and increases physical damage on AA, but it doesn't work together with other AA items.

Anyway with champion base armor, runes, masteries and maybe ninja tabi you get a pretty good base armor rating, so what you really need is health. And we have a few AD/Health items.