Why BotRK is broken, and how to fix it

#Patch history (skip this one if you find it boring)

On-hit items as a class have always been in a weird spot. Back in season 1, Wit's End was already a gimmick used only on the likes of toplane Warwick, as its "good MR in extended fights" was never needed (magic damage is in 90% cases all about burst). And even on Warwick, BotRK's predecessor Madred's Bloodrazor was considered a "noobtrap" item - seemed good at the first glance, but was inferior when compared to other options. Bloodrazor dealt magic damage and therefore was useless on ADCs, with the exception of Kog'Maw.

Enter BotRK. A Twisted Treeline item initially, it used to build out of the old Bilgewater Cutlass (Pickaxe + Vampiric Scepter) and deal 4% of target's health as magical damage. Changed quickly to physical damage to avoid repeating the Bloodrazor problem. Imported to Summoner's Rift, it still didn't see play. Why?

It's the start of season 3, and we are in the era of BT rush. BT is how the bot lane goes, and whoever stacks it up first wins. For those who haven't been around, BT used to have 70 AD, stacking on minion kills up to 100 (similarly from 12% to 18% lifesteal). Caster ADCs - especially Graves - are dominating the botlane, and some even rush Last Whisper as the second item (especially Varus, with the so-called "Legolas build"). In this scenario buying BotRK, an item that scales with your Attack Speed, simply doesn't make sense, because nobody rushes PD or Shiv, as IE rush in the BT meta is not viable (BT was a lot cheaper and gave you control of the lane); also AS was in general a bit more expensive (Dagger granted 12% AS, not 15%, etc).

Then, in patch 3.03, Riot comes up with the genius idea to introduce two giant changes:

• Bilgewater Cutlass now builds out of Long Sword instead of Pickaxe, and its whole cost goes down
• Blade of the Ruined King now builds out of two Daggers and grants AS.

This was it. BotRK was suddenly not just worth considering, but became THE item to rush on all the ADCs that used to have trouble in lane. It synergized with their AS-based kits, gave them self-peel and survi they so much needed, and now built out of small, easily affordable pieces, while all the other "rush items" still had at least a B.F. Sword in it.

The further changes (small nerfs, onhit damage up from 5 to 8%, nerf to active, introduction of Recurve Bow) are generally irrelevant to the main part of the problem: an item, intially designed to counter health stacking 3 years ago, is now used for everything, regardless of health purchase.

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#What makes BotRK broken

• It has too many things packed in it at once - DPS, burst, self-peel, chasing, sustain
• It's too efficient and versatile on too many types of champions (bruisers, assassins, carries)
• It forces nerfs on things that would have been less abusive without it (Vayne, Devourer)
• It's helluva strong on its own when rushed, and only gets better as the game progresses and enemies stack health

I'm sure we've all had at least one game when everyone aside from the support has purchased BotRK. Toplaners can buy it as their one-item DPS wonder then go all tanky, junglers can do that or abuse the Sated Devourer, midlane assassins such as Zed use it to amplify their burst and dueling power, and of course the ADC role uses it for self-peel and whatnot.

As it is, BotRK will continue to put Vayne and Devourer under fire of hate from the playerbase. "Vayne has hit her lategame: she got her first item, bork", "We don't miss Devourer" - these are some of the threads from the last week(s). I'm not saying BotRK is all that makes Vayne OP in the current state (it's rather the weakness of the other carries who used to bully her in lane) or that Devourer is unnoticeable without the BotRK synergy (some champion's three-hit abilities going on two hits is surely powerful), but BotRK is a problem.

#How to fix it

There are mutiple ways to do it. Some by straight nerfs, some by scaling, some by measures I don't see as of yet. I believe numeric changes won't fix the problem, and a structural change is needed. My first suggestion would be making it a more conscious and dedicated purchase by splitting it between two items: the AS tank-shredding one and the AD dueling one.

Example separation:

Blade of the Ruined King

• Recipe: Recurve Bow + Avarice Blade + Vampiric Scepter + 500g = 3000g
• Stats: +40% AS, +30 AD, +20% crit, +10% lifesteal
• Passive: Your basic attacks deal 8% of target's current health as physical damage. This effect benefits from lifesteal and critical strike.
• Active removed

Scales even better into the lategame, doesn't provide with over-the-top self-peel. Now worth considering as a later item.

(new/old item) Executioner's Calling

• Recipe: Bilgewater Cutlass + The Brutalizer + 463g = 3200g
• Stats: +50 AD, +10% lifesteal, +10 armor penetration, +10% cooldown reduction
• Active: Deal 10% of target champion's maximum health as physical damage, get healed for the same amount while slowing the target by 25% for 4 seconds and inflicting Grievous Wounds on them for the same duration. (90 second cooldown).

Powerful item worth rushing, but nowhere as overwhelming later in the game.

I'm pretty sure this separation of effects can be done much better by simply choosing better components, but I hope at least you get the idea of the direction I'm aiming for.

Thoughts?