Support Mains: I Need Your Help Understanding Income

Caretaker Jack·Aug 8, 2019·1 votes·1,261 views

I was browsing through my stats (in the client) and I'm starting to see that I have not taken the time to (truly) understand how to properly manage my income.

Its something I've always shrugged it off thinking things like "well, I'm just a support and we dont ever cs, so I should just ignore it, right?" But upon looking at much better players, I've noticed that they've managed to hit the marks perfectly which must mean, I'm doing something terribly wrong and missing out on a lot of gold as a result. So I'm here asking for help because I don't know how to fix it. I need to understand:

How do supports fuck up their income? (how do you keep leads when you get them.)
How do you increase income?
How can supports properly make the most of the income they have? (What do most supports do that you feel is wasteful?)

10 Comments

Death by GlamourAug 8, 20192 votes

item 3301 > the rest

item 3303 is a bit of a noob trap nowadays.

TheUrbanKitsuneAug 8, 20194 votes

Noob trap? Spellthief's is still the best starting item for supports who benefit from AP and want to poke. I'd only take Coin over Spellthief's if the lane matchup was so bad that poking the enemy would be more risky than its worth. Pro players still regularly build it on supports like Nami, Karma, Janna, Yuumi, etc. How is it a noob trap? lmao.

Done25Aug 8, 20192 votes

{quoted}

Noob trap? Spellthief's is still the best starting item for supports who benefit from AP and want to poke. I'd only take Coin over Spellthief's if the lane matchup was so bad that poking the enemy would be more risky than its worth. Pro players still regularly build it on supports like Nami, Karma, Janna, Yuumi, etc. How is it a noob trap? lmao.

ST is bad on a lot of champs who have trouble safely proccing it outside of lane. It'll be strong early on, but then their income takes a nose dive.

A big thing that bad support players do is that they don't CS after lane. Are you off warding Darke/Baron and a big wave is pushing down the side lane? Walk over and snag yourself 100~120 gold that would otherwise go to tower.

TheUrbanKitsuneAug 8, 20193 votes

I'm aware. I'm a diamond support main. I still favor Spellthief's in most situations. I don't understand the hate for it.

MrFawknSunshineAug 8, 20192 votes

as a support main i have even gave up item 3303 for item 3301

coin is easier more gold income faster.

the free ms in lane and 5% cdr then you take things like magical boots + cosmic insight

i have 10% cdr lvl 1 i have out gained enemy supports and get to item 3096 on 1st back and end up completing quest very quickly to have access to wards.

so getting the ms from item 3301 and item 3096 lets me get away with not having to even worry about boots cuz im + 10 ms already and then when item 2422 kick in thats more ms and free boots /free gold

by rushing item 3096 i have 15% cdr by 6 mins in game

so item 3301 + (cosmic insight ) 10% cdr + 5ms into item 3096 for +5ms more and +5% more cdr and more gold income/faster quest and wards clearly out weigh the start of item 3303 into item 3098

TheUrbanKitsuneAug 8, 20192 votes

Yeah, the CDR and MS are really good for champions like Thresh, who value early CDR and MS over most other stats to be able to engage more often. Thresh builds Coin to begin with.

For mage and enchanter supports, who ideally build Spellthief's, I feel the AP and mana regen is WAY more valuable than an early 10% CDR that you'll get when you back for the Frostfang upgrade anyway... Same CDR + AP and mana regen for poking.

Plus if you manage things well its 100% possible to get your ward upgrade before a support with coin-- I've done it many many times.

Literally the only benefit I see of building Coin on a support who wants to build Spellthief's is that its safer early, so not a bad pickup if you're playing into a high kill pressure lane. But you give up a ton in the terms of effective poke. I pretty much only see passive support players who hope for the ADC to magically win lane by themselves build Coin over Spellthief's in any other situation.

The KombinatorAug 8, 20191 votes

If you win, but can't push, then enemy recalls often, and that means no gold for you.

If you lose, then poking is risky as fuck, and that means no gold for you.

If you are balanced, but ourtranged, then they poke you more, than you can poke them, and that means no gold for you.

Depending on what you are and what you face it's great, or worst.

The KombinatorAug 8, 20192 votes

Depending on what you play, and what you face.

1.: Protector Janna Lulu Soraka : Their primary goal is to protect the ADC. Unless they face another protector poking with them is risky, and against tanky all-in it's a suicide. item 3301 for most case, and item 3303 if you facing another protector, or you are seriously confident in your skill to dodge everything.

2.: Poker Zyra Lux Karma : They poke the living shit out of you in lane phase. Strongest on lvl1, but if fails to get kills/assist in lane phase, then worthless until lategame. item 3303 goes always. As your job is to poke the enemy to death. Also you most likely push while poking which let you attack the enemy turret.

3.: Tanky all-in Alistar Blitzcrank Leona : Before lvl2, or 3 these guys are worthless. After that, if they land their skillshot it's over. Assuming they are not half dead already. item 3097 goes for them for extra survival. The first part needs a bit of skill, because you don't want to waste it. ALWAYS keep one charge to get cannon minion with it. Some people keep the other charge until healing actually needed. Once upgraded it's best to keep 2. charge for healing, and one charge always goes for the cannon minion. In later stages you just use when you can, because teammates farms the minions before you can.

Beyond these gold items there is no special income. Outside of getting kills/assists of course, and some minions, if your ADC is not on lane. You make up for it in most cases, because the items you need are fairly cheap. Except for poker champions since they use mage items, but as told. If you fail to get early kills/assist with those, then you are fucked until late.

One last tip both for supports, and ADC.

If you face Soraka focus her.

If you face anything else focus the ADC. You are never strong enough to kill the support before it can use it's own skills, and after that it's worthless for a time. The ADC however deals far more damage over time. The support might seems important, because of the burst, but the overall damage in the fight is far less, than the ADC's. In case of protectors the support can protect herself good as he can the ADC unless you face Soraka. And against a tank it should be obvious why you focus the ADC first.

KlydeFrogAug 8, 20191 votes

Relic shield has less income then the other 2 period

ShawkeekeeAug 8, 20191 votes

If you are a passive laner who doesn't trade or really have use for ap coin is the way to go, spell thief if you are a mage who can trade without dying in lane: morgana velkoz. relic is more for kench and alistar.

It just depends on a ton of factors on which is the 'best' based off your playstyle, how your adc plays, the enemy comp etc. Pyke's for example can go coin or relic - just depends on the matchup.