Is starting spellthief midlane a thing now?
I've seen it quite a few times, but I don't even know if it's a thing or not...like starting it instead of Dorans seems ineffective. What's the strategy behind this?
5 Comments
I did it a couple times when it first came out. There was a time i would buy spellthief in place of a doran's ring and the flaming would insue. You can debate whether it was good enough to do so back then versus now but still it was always a possibility.
It always kind of sucks when you do something like buying a strange item or playing a champion in a different way or lane that is unacceptable at one point, but then becomes acceptable later and people are like "Well you wont get flamed now because the meta says its ok"
I wouldn't get attached. It looks like on the PBE, they are putting the "disable on minion kill," on the fully completed item. (use to be only spell thief and frost fang, who's passives got disabled.)
That may not completely deter people from taking it mid lane. It's still pretty stat efficient. (of coarse it is, it's a support item.) With a really powerful active. The only difference is, Mid laners won't also get a boat load of gold just for taking the item. If mid laners take the item now, it's going to be for it's stats, and active.
edit: minor mistake, looks like they reverted the Tribute passive change just tonight on the PBE. I guess it's still going to be good then.
It is an investment that pays off in extreme dividends... especially if you rapidly upgrade it since the active drastically improves gank defense.
The high mana regen is also very relevant now that mana regen items are mostly gutted/expensive.
It's a thing; to be accurate Frost Queen's Claim on a laner is a thing (not necessarily mid or STE first item.) It seems to have gotten known enough to where there are people trying it out themselves.
You are right in thinking Spellthief seems less effective, it is in terms of stats. But what the strategy is banking on is the long term. It's an option now that Frostfang has double its previous mana regen, so it can carry itself as a lane item now. Going for FQC on a laner gives a few benefit areas that has attracted players. First, is that it gives a CDR option, which is justifiably attractive as their really aren't that many good options for mages right now. Second, it's a GP5 item which players have stated helps with the increased cost of AP items in the preseason. And third it gives utility throught the FQC active. Because of these, players have been using and experimenting with it in non-support position as a cheaper replacement mana regen. item that helps them reach their other items quicker or has an item in addition to their regen item as a viable way to get 30% CDR and utility, or for other reasons. Note: Though as you estimated, FQC is a less effective option than the comparable mana regen or CDR choices that players are open to.
As Erockandroll (NA) wrote, Riot is looking to discourage players from buying it because "It's a Support Item" and making it so that the passive disables in the mid-game when mid-laners (and Supports) are clearing minion waves, so the Frost Queen's will lose the Super-Efficiency of a completed item and is downgrade to the Mere-Efficiency of incomplete items.