Does Hydra cost too much?
I always feel that completing Hydra is a waste most of the time unless youre playing Riven. But even then I would just skip Hydra and go for other items that would be more useful like becoming tankier or better AD items with penetration or CD. Like going Tiamat and leave at that and buy a Black Cleaver instead. Black will offer HP Armor shred a lot of AD and 20% CDR... Like think about it after you finish Tiamat you have to waste another 2300 gold to finish it (and the components of it are vamp scepter and a long sword which will only give you 25AD and 10% lifesteal while you still have to find a way to gain another 1050 gold just to finish Hydra) When you can just use 2350 gold for Phage+Warhammer which is better /safer in lane because its easier to buy the components for them while in laning phase, than 1250 gold for lifesteal and small amount of AD.. waiting for another 1050 gold just to finish the item.
Now lets compare, with all the components how much you are getting after you finish the item.
Black Cleaver 1150 Gold: +15AD +100HP +All physical damage now increase MS +Armor shred +10%CDR
Hydra for 1050 Gold: +20AD +50% base HP regen +2% Lifesteal +All AA now cleaves and can now be heal off the cleave.
I dont know man, is it really worth it to complete Hydra? Help
and the like. They get Tiamat for the burst damage it provides. They don't upgrade to Ravenous, however, because the Life Steal isn't really something they find use in, the extra AD is no better than their next item in line, and the Cleave passive isn't valuable to them. By the time they can build it, they don't need the jungle sustain (If applicable), and they're too squishy for Life Steal to be valuable in teamfights. Except when they may want Cleave for split pushing, they don't need the item. This is contrary to champions like 
, who you mentioned, and a few others like 
or 
who would find the Life Steal to be quite useful.