Hunter's Potion Removal

With Hunter's Potion being removed this patch I've listed to analysts like LS say it was an item only in the game to make up for bad pathing, which I completely disagree with. Hunter's potion does have a small niche within the game, the meta is just rarely in favor of it as it's niche has a very small window of requirements for it to be useful that don't happen to line up with the current solo queue meta. So I just wanted to give my 2 cents on what this items role within the game was and why I liked it being in the game even if it wasn't built very often.

Hunter's Potion Benefits:

Hunter's Potion had the following stat differences from refillable with the refillable potions stats posted first

125 health per charge -> 60 health per charge 0 mana per charge -> 35 mana per charge Health restored over 12 seconds -> Health and mana restored over 8 seconds 2 charges -> 5 charges + 1 charge for every camp killed Cost: 150g -> 400g Sell Price: 60g -> 160g

So some things to note, Hunter's potion costs you an extra 250 gold but with its added sell price it is only costing you and extra 150 gold in the long run. Assuming we full clear our camps and get 1 scuttle crab before backing, if we consume all of our charges for the price of 150 gold we get:

470 Additional health and 420 additional mana 250 total health restored -> 720 total health restored 0 total mana restored -> 420 total mana restored

Which begs the question, yea I get a lot of extra value out of this item for only 150g after the sell cost of this item, but when will I ever need this much extra health and mana within the jungle; bringing us to this items role in the game.

Hunter's Potion Role:

Hunter's Potion should be used on junglers that want to skip a full jungle item (or even smite buff) who want to stay healthy and mana capped while farming camps between ganks with only having to purchase their initial machete or talisman.

The extra 35-40 bonus on hit damage and 60-80 burn damage from machete, talisman, skirmishers, and stalkers is very beneficial (not to mention the dueling power of smite buffs), however we can get damage to kill jungle camps and enemy championsfrom regular damage items. What we truly need from the jungle items early into the game is the 10% lifesteal from machete and the 6 health per second and 0-8 mp5 from talisman. We need this regen in order to spam our spells through the jungle so camps dont take 2-3 times as long to kill without spellcasting and in order to survive the jungle with enough health to gank.

For an additional 250g (150 long term) we can instead get both the health and mana regen we need from Hunter's Potion if we deem another item more necessary than our jungle item.

Hunter's Potion Relevance:

This role of Hunter's Potion can be seen in some of the last time's Hunter's Potion was regularly taken by high elo junglers such as a Hecarim that would first buy triforce (See IWD youtube 7QNaAStCz2g).

Though it wasn't absolutely necessary to buy the Hunter's Potionfed, or had a great back timing where it was more beneficial to buy phage first for instance, but it was definitely a good purchase at times. The potion was not required on everyone skipping jungle items such as Shaco rarely taking it though going tiamat first, but if you look at a good Shaco play you will see them at times holding onto their E on camps and not Q'ing over every wall when navigating the jungle because their resources were limited. Hunter's Potion very easily remedies this if you do not mind giving up a temporary 250 gold in order to stay healthy at all times and clear faster by way of spamming more spells.

Hunter's Potion What Changed?:

After Hecarim fell out of the meta last year, Hunter's Potion was rarely seen again. When they brought him back, the conquer changes made it worthwhile to go warrior first item, thus eliminating the need for Hunter's Potion. Add this to the fact that Hecarim Q bugfix made his clears much faster and thus healthier even in the rare instance that Hecarim would rush triforce first and as a result Hunter's Potion was simply no longer necessary for one of the few champs that would utilize it well.

Hunter's Potion Conclusion:

Even with Hunter's Potion falling out of the game, I think it is good to have it in the game for the instance where a jungler wishes to rush an item over the standard jungle item. Sure jungle items are not only strong but cheap and should probably always be built at the moment, however, I think there should still be the option of Hunter's Potion should the jungler wish to go in a different direction, and to keep the possibility of triforce / duskblade / any other first item viability come back into play. Also I don't exactly think it's presence was detrimental to the game in anyway, thus warranting a removal.