If you're going tank top, dont, they could just build Armor pen

ThrustFromBehind·Dec 21, 2017·1 votes·688 views

If you are going go tank in top lane, isnt it kinda impossible to counter someone when they build armor pen like Black cleaver, duskblade, yommus etc in Early game while you'll only have like a giants belt and a ruby or some armor. And you'll just get countered easily if your a tank who wont benefit from going Ad as well like poppy ( my last game) and the other person is like a urgot ( my enemy ) So its either going Full ad with a Tank champ, or go tank and doing no damage while the other person is chipping you down like nothing. imma just pick busted champs at top to win I guess

14 Comments

AlienPrimateDec 21, 20173 votes

Lethality is terrible against tanks. If they are building lethality while you build armor you basically auto win.

ThrustFromBehindDec 21, 20171 votes

but won't they still kinda win in the fight since they have a bunch of more Ad than you?

AlienPrimateDec 22, 20171 votes

Typically champions who would want armor have high base damage abilities while champions who want lethality have low base damage with high AD scaling. Lethality is a wasted stat against high armor. Armor gives you more damage reduction with the less of it you have so reducing a low armor target's armor with penetration will increase the damage much more than reducing a high armor target's armor by the same amount.

Here are some examples with armor penetration.

50 armor: 50/150 = 33% damage reduction 30/130 = 23% damage reduction

150 armor: 150/250 = 60% damage reduction 130/230 = 57% damage reduction

20 lethality is a lot of gold investment and it only gained them 7% increased damage against 150 armor. Against 50 armor it gains them 13% increased damage though. Also remember that the 13% damage is of an already high number while the 7% is of an already low number. Let's say they hit you with a 400 damage ability. To the low armor target it does 308 damage while against high armor (and likely more health) it does 172 damage.

RalanrDec 22, 20172 votes

...

Lethality rush is bad against tanks.

ThrustFromBehindDec 22, 20171 votes

eh idk

CamilleRule34Dec 21, 20171 votes

Armor pen doesnt do much without some ad to supplement it. GOing black cleaver is a hefty price tag, and the entire time you're laning the tank is harassing and zoning you. Also for BC to have full armor pen, you gotta hit em a ton, so its not exactly a hot fix.

ThrustFromBehindDec 21, 20171 votes

Well thats the thing tho, what if you're trying to go tank, while the other person is going black cleaver, it gives them some Ad, Armor pen, and alot of health so it kinda matches your health bar at the same time, while the only difference is them having more Ad, armor pen, and you have no damage.

CamilleRule34Dec 22, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Well thats the thing tho, what if you're trying to go tank, while the other person is going black cleaver, it gives them some Ad, Armor pen, and alot of health so it kinda matches your health bar at the same time, while the only difference is them having more Ad, armor pen, and you have no damage.

Depends on the tank tho. Because you ahve until they get enough gold to get black cleaver to abuse them and stack whatever you can against them.

And a lot of tanks have a lot of early damage and zoning, especially SION, who's currently the highest winrate tank. Also having that potential armor pen doesnt mean much if you can't move at all while the tank is beating the shit out of you.

The real way to beat a tank is to just be patient and wait for your items to out scale. A BC would work wonders against most tanks, but i wouldnt say its a cure all.

Wînter FoxDec 21, 20171 votes

isnt it kinda impossible to counter someone when they build armor pen like Black cleaver, duskblade, yommus etc in Early game while you'll only have like a giants belt and a ruby or some armor.

The Black Cleaver: 3000g Sunfire Cape: 2900g

ThrustFromBehindDec 21, 20171 votes

ok, but they would do alot more damage to you tho...

Wînter FoxDec 22, 20172 votes

You mean sitting there trying to auto you/deal damage to you 6 times just to ramp up to 24% armor penetration while sitting there taking 30-40 magic damage per second for free?

Yeah, I don't think so.

Edit - Urgot doesn't count though because he's ranged and a cancerous tumor.

ThrustFromBehindDec 22, 20171 votes

but their autos are much more stronger than your autos

PhDs NutsDec 22, 20171 votes

Outside of a couple special cases like Illaoi and Darius, tanks will have more base damage than the pen-building bruiser. That will keep the overall damage nearly even early game while the tank has more defense.

ThrustFromBehindDec 22, 20171 votes

i guess people didnt like it when I pick a busted champ at top lane if i have negatives in votes on my post -_-