Why would anyone get 3 nonrefillable potions as opposed to a refillable one

XinZhao2WinNhao·Oct 26, 2016·2 votes·982 views

It's much more gold efficient and you don't have to rebuy potions.

22 Comments

ShinkoMinoriOct 26, 20164 votes

You lose early sustain

FlahertyOct 26, 20164 votes

The refillable one gives you 250 hp back by using both charges, 3 regular potions gives 450. Very early game that 200 hp is pretty significant and can be the difference between staying alive and dying

Mr CarbonOct 26, 20161 votes

Not to mention if you are using biscuits

Nameless VoiceOct 26, 20161 votes

Note that the 10% increased duration from the biscuit mastery also applies to refillable potions, but the instant 15 heath and 10 mana do not.

AmetDeCryptOct 26, 20161 votes

biscuits are cheap as hell as well. it's not like you're saving a tonne of money for 50 gold a pop.

XinZhao2WinNhaoOct 26, 20161 votes

You could just back though.

ErockandrollOct 26, 20161 votes

{quoted}

You could just back though.

Not everyone can afford to do that though.

Usually the one lane I see get a refillable (though usually the corrupting potion) is (Surprise) the lane with the teleport. The only other position I see it in is in the Jungle, (but hunter's potion really removes the need to go back)

An ADC shouldn't need it, after their first back, they should have enough sustain from their doran's blades and raw AD. As for the support. I've only seen it built at pro level (call it 50:50 I think)

But basically, if you have sustain in your kit, you won't need refillable. But also, if you arn't carrying TP, you run the risk of getting your lane shoved, if you back ONLY, to replenish you potion.

FlahertyOct 26, 20161 votes

So you back and then lose out on a minion wave of farm so now the enemy laner is a level ahead with a whole wave more gold than you. Or you're a jungler who could only clear 3 camps before having to go back and now you're more than a level behind the enemy jungler who didn't need to go back.

QuephaOct 26, 20161 votes

{quoted}

You could just back though.

First back means the first to lose minions and acquire a disadvantage. The enemy can leverage that disadvantage when you return to lane.

XinZhao2WinNhaoOct 26, 20161 votes

First back also means first to get items, and being full health against a half health opponent, which means that you can probably get a kill on them.

QuephaOct 26, 20161 votes

{quoted}

First back also means first to get items, and being full health against a half health opponent, which means that you can probably get a kill on them.

When you back first your opponent gets to push the wave into the turret, back, buy, and then come out to lane in a way that costs him less minions because he got free control of the wave.

These are fundamental concepts to laning.

XinZhao2WinNhaoOct 26, 20161 votes

About 60% of the time, when I back, my half health opponent stands in the minion wave csing. And then I buy my items, come back with a BF sword, walk through the jungle and then gank him while he's still farming in the middle of the minion wave with now 25% hp and taking minion aggro while being creep blocked so he can't run away from the gank.

QuephaOct 26, 20161 votes

{quoted}

About 60% of the time, when I back, my half health opponent stands in the minion wave csing. And then I buy my items, come back with a BF sword, walk through the jungle and then gank him while he's still farming in the middle of the minion wave with now 25% hp and taking minion aggro while being creep blocked so he can't run away from the gank.

You shouldn't play as if your enemy is an idiot. If they really are an idiot then you'll find a way to win anyways, but if they aren't an idiot then your mistake will cost you the game.

XinZhao2WinNhaoOct 26, 20161 votes

Sometimes you do.

Here's an example. Let's say you want to dodge your opponents skillshot. You assume your opponent would fire a bit to the left because they assume you would dodge to the left. So you stay in place instead of dodging to the left. Well it turns out that your opponent didn't even expect you to dodge, he just fired straight ahead. Now you got hit with a stun and took 500 damage.

Or, as an ex-Wukong main, this one: Many people suggest for wukong mains to stand still if their W is on cd and others will assume it's a clone and not hit you. However, if your opponent doesn't think that way, and is someone who gets tricked by every clone, the standing still strategy doesn't work and it would be better for you to try to run for it.

QuephaOct 26, 20161 votes

{quoted}

Sometimes you do.

Here's an example. Let's say you want to dodge your opponents skillshot. You assume your opponent would fire a bit to the left because they assume you would dodge to the left. So you stay in place instead of dodging to the left. Well it turns out that your opponent didn't even expect you to dodge, he just fired straight ahead. Now you got hit with a stun and took 500 damage.

Or, as an ex-Wukong main, this one: Many people suggest for wukong mains to stand still if their W is on cd and others will assume it's a clone and not hit you. However, if your opponent doesn't think that way, and is someone who gets tricked by every clone, the standing still strategy doesn't work and it would be better for you to try to run for it.

Those are all situations where you and your opponent each have two choices. Both of you have the initiative and you try to read what the other is thinking.

The situation where you back early is a situation where you are giving up priority and granting 100% of the agency of the situation to your opponent. They have the option to push and back for a slight advantage (losing fewer minions, hitting the shop with more gold than you) or they can stay for even more minions at the risk of dying early. They have complete power over the situation with nothing you can do about it, and it's completely ridiculous to claim that you have made the right choice when you do this.

XinZhao2WinNhaoOct 26, 20161 votes

When I get a free kill on an enemy who's farming in the middle of the minion wave with 25% health, I've made the right choice.

And if I didn't and the Riven really recalled, then oh well, I can go bot lane and gank their Ashe who's farming in the middle of the minion wave with 25% health instead.

In my games there's guaranteed to be at least 1 enemy that does that.

FlahertyOct 27, 20161 votes

You're also playing against Bronze 5 people, who are literally the worst players. If you manage to rank up you will be playing against people who won't make such obvious and stupid mistakes and it's better to learn proper laning techniques now because it will help you later on when you're playing against better people.

TequilaZombieOct 26, 20161 votes

If you are in a lane in which you need extra sustain but cannot afford to give up on stats (Pantheon lane, for example), you may want to spend some extra gold and have more sustain early on.

CatastropOct 26, 20161 votes

Because different champions want different things. Some can afford to give up on the early sustain because of any in built defenses, while others need as much sustain as they can get.

DolasaurOct 26, 20161 votes

It's super situational. On Zac, I can complete a fast full jungle clear with no leash at about 60% health. If I use one health potion after that, I'm at safe enough health to gank. (And of course, Zac can pull off level 2 and 3 ganks without doing a full clear, still just need to use the potion 10 seconds before you go in.) I can then spend 75 of my remaining 100g on a Vision Ward, making my jungle or my laners safer.

First back also means first to get items, and being full health against a half health opponent, which means that you can probably get a kill on them.

Your enemy also just had 40 seconds to regenerate health. Your enemy is now also probably a level ahead of you, giving an extra 100 health, more Ar/MR/AD, and an extra 50 damage on one of his/her abilities. If your enemy won the first trade based on skill, there's a good chance that enemy will still be more skilled than you, and the level difference will frequently make up for items (unless you backed with tooooons of gold).

ElfadorOct 26, 20161 votes

I used to always chose the refillable potion. But then I noticed that after the first back, the potion would have very little utility. Now I build it if I know there's a likely chance I might have to recall very early.