In what world or scenario is Dorans blade better than dorans shield?

dontspinbutwin·Oct 30, 2019·2 votes·2,507 views

Dorans shield provides so much more in any scenario.

If you want to play passive, shield helps you sustain a bit of poke, and grants a mild bit more hp than dorans blade.

If you're in a losing matchup, shield helps you with hp regen, and the extra hp helps against all-ins. If you're in a winning matchup, you can avoid autoing and get sustain from shield, effectively freezing lane, and putting the enemy laner further behind.

The only thing I could think of is that you can stack dorans blade, but very few champs can abuse this effectively (toplane rengar, ashe, cait, a few more), but even then ifs usually better to just build other component to a big item, like a tiamat or a pickaxe.

27 Comments

YennOct 30, 20192 votes

Shield is better in most cases. This is why it jumps to 20%+ pick rate and much higher win rate than Blade on many champions at high elo. Nobody in this thread knows what they're talking about.

The only situation where Blade is better is when you have pre-6 kill potential (i.e. on AD carries or champions who can all-in pre-6) and need that extra damage, and aren't worried about poke because any trade will result in a kill (i.e. certain top laners).

The life steal only works out to be more regen on paper. It will never come close to Shield's base regen in practice,without factoring in the on-hit regen. Even if you completely ignore wave control, you still have to hold autos in order to CS effectively. The extra AD won't be the difference between a kill and no kill in most scenarios, for most champions.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

Right? That was my thought process, but I still see blade on a lot of champs for no/poor reason.

Like Yasuo, for example. Yes, he autos alot, but rather than risk an all in trade early, wouldn't it be far safer and more reliable to wait till shiv or something, then go ham?

SelegunOct 30, 20191 votes

Blade has AD that bumps up the damage on auto attacks and spells that scale off of AD. Always getting the shield is ok but if you have the advantage there isn't really a reason to not by blade if you can use it.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

To fully utilize blade's lifesteal/ad, you need to pose a threat and/or constantly auto to fully utilize the lifesteal. That forces the wave to be shoved in, making you prone to ganks, which can put you behind or force you to back up and lose exp and cs/gold. In the long run, in securing gold and positioning, wouldn't shield be best?

KeiagaOct 30, 20191 votes

I take it into most skill based match ups when I'm playing an offensive geared champion since is has life steal and AD

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

the lifesteal is minimal, and is only really useful when constantly autoing. Its small to match the regen from shield. The only main benefit I see is the 8 ad you get from blade, but even then, Many players aren't winning trades by 4 hp: Its usually by a large margin early game, by 100 or even 200 hp.

Furthermore, if you're already dominating, why not get shield and force the wave to go under your turret? Forces the enemy to lose out so much, puts you ahead while making the enemy take risks just to scrape by

KeiagaOct 30, 20191 votes

Dorans sword with it's ad and life steal are pretty strong for a starting item and mathematically advantageous over shield as long as you harass heavily and go for extended all-ins

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

But thats not gonna happen every single game/fight

In 1v1 trades, blade is gonna be mildly superior, yes (due to the bonus ad and mild lifesteal)

However, usually theres some skuffle going on between fights. Poke, passive farming, jungler presence, etc. And with shield being the safer/more reliable/consistent option, why not get shield and just avoid fighting until the fight is favored to you? its easier to do that then to try and outplay a losing fight. Far easier to win a 1v1 when they have 50% hp while you have 75%, instead of trying to outplay a fight that is statistically disadvantageous to you (like a counterpick)

KeiagaOct 30, 20191 votes

Not every game is going to go your way, yes.

Buying dorans blade is committing to playing an aggressive lane.its high risk and high reward since most champs want to try to snowball off of a kill.

Buying shield is settling on playing passive and going even in lane, as far as kills go. It's usually the safer option, yes, but not the objectively better one

EedatOct 30, 20191 votes

Generally if you're going to get poked a lot shield is gonna be much better. If you're ranged or confident you can maintain control over the wave then blade is better

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

Since lanes are so poke heavy, no matter which lane you go, why not just get shield? Helps you sustain the poke much better than shield. Furthermore, with blade's main benefit being the ad, that would shove the wave towards you, forcing the enemy to a bad spot.

ZackTheWaffleManOct 30, 20191 votes

it depends on who you're up against, and whether or not they have poke

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

But even then, I think shield would be better.

Shield gives consistent passive hp regen (tho mild), giving shield users the option to freeze the wave. blade users can't fully freeze lane, as they need to auto to have in lane sustain.

I think the only advantage blade has is around the first 4 levels, but after that, is near useless (but thats just me)

TailypoOct 30, 20191 votes

8 ad is a lot at (10% or more) at lvl 1. Anyone that scales with AD gets a significant damage boost to their autos and abilities. This improves their chances of winning an early all-in. The sword also scales into the mid/late game much better than the shield.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

I suppose, but shield would help cheese more in certain instances (imo).

For example, lets say I trade evenly toplane. I can simply sit back and slowly regen my hp, while the enemy has to either A. Auto the minions to heal back the hp lost from trading B. Sit back and lose out on hp and creeps, putting you ahead in gold.

With a small gold lead, you can now buy better items, and on second back/fight, you have advantage.

TailypoOct 31, 20191 votes

{quoted}

I suppose, but shield would help cheese more in certain instances (imo).

For example, lets say I trade evenly toplane. I can simply sit back and slowly regen my hp, while the enemy has to either A. Auto the minions to heal back the hp lost from trading B. Sit back and lose out on hp and creeps, putting you ahead in gold.

With a small gold lead, you can now buy better items, and on second back/fight, you have advantage.

The shield is certainly better in some circumstances yes, especially top. It's almost never better on certain champs in the bot lane. Even against a high poke comp, you will probably not take Doran's Shield on Draven. Which item you choose is very situational.

The thigh guyOct 30, 20191 votes

Lifesteal applies faster than the shields regen and isn’t enemy dependent.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

But that means you have to be constantly autoing minions, which means you shove in the wave into the enemy turret, putting you prone to ganks. Why not have the wave by your turret, then force the enemy into a bad spot?

The thigh guyOct 30, 20191 votes

{quoted}

But that means you have to be constantly autoing minions, which means you shove in the wave into the enemy turret, putting you prone to ganks. Why not have the wave by your turret, then force the enemy into a bad spot?

That doesn’t change that dorans Shield is enemy dependent. That’s the flaw with it. It requires your enemy to do something.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

It requires the enemy to do something for the unique active. It still passively regens hp

The thigh guyOct 30, 20191 votes

{quoted}

It requires the enemy to do something for the unique active. It still passively regens hp

Not even remotely enough to compete with even just last hitting.

Not to mention, what you see is what you get with d shield. Where as the life steal from dorans blade will scale with any ad you build.

WalkingInACircleOct 30, 20191 votes

Anytime you fight the enemy champion. Anytime past 10 minutes.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

Well, Darius is a very oppressive ad toplaner, yet he prioritizes shield. He likes fights early as well. However, darius benefits far more from shield.

Then theres illaoi, who while she is recommended dorans blade, anyone who plays her will tell you that blade is horrible on her. Corrupting potion, shield, or even mana crystal are far better on her.

Early fights don't translate to "Get blade to win fights". Blade isn't a broken item: it isn't going to single handedly win you a fight (as opposed to something like trinity force or spear of shojin).

Tr4shB4NSYST3MOct 30, 20191 votes

In lanes where you have a counterpick and want to build an advantage, for example if you pick Cait or draven into kaisa or another more scaling oriented adc.

dontspinbutwinOct 30, 20191 votes

I mean I can see that, but even then doran's shield is a safer pick. With 3% lifesteal on blade, you have to constantly be autoing minions to heal off any poke you recieve, which won't let you freeze. Shield lets you sit back and auto, and heal up any minor poke that comes your way. It forces the opponent into a bad spot, and forces the wave to be shoved into your turret if they want to optimize the lifesteal from blade

SaezioOct 30, 20191 votes

item 2033 ???

Doran's shield is good on some ADCs that are bullied in lane. And on some top laners that don't use mana, but other than that, isn't corrupting the best option most of the time for mid and top?

dontspinbutwinOct 31, 20191 votes

On some champs, yeah. But on many, the pick between dorans shield or dorans blade is more popular, like on garen for example