Is LoL favoring AP champions?
Hey guys, I have played quite a bit of league over the years, and have noticed recently, more than ever, that the game seems to be favoring APC champions, over ADCs. For example, ADCs have a hard time itemising vs AP heavy teams, having three options for magic resist: Spirits Visage, Banshees Veil and Guardian Angel. APCs have two: Zohnya's Hourglass and Guardian Angel. However, in order for an ADC to keep their damage up in the mid game, they have to build two items and boots, then lead into a defensive item. APCs, on the other hand, can build Zhonya's a lot earlier, thanks to the 120 AP (highest flat AP item). Although against another AP mid, rushing Zhonya's is not usually a good idea, but with mid's like Zed, Yasuo, Jayce and (rarely) Talon it is not unusual to see an early Zhonya's. In fact, thanks to the 2.5s stasis, Zhonya's can be played into strong assassin midlaners, and on riskier champions like Kat. Also, every champion has scaling armour with levels (not thresh, but he collects souls). However, 88 champions remain at 30mr throughout the game. Resulting in higher damage output from AP champions, without the need for MR pen items. Unlike ADCs, who almost always need to build a last whisper to kill the enemy jungler or toplaner. Moreover, Zhonya's Hourglass is 109.4% gold efficient, before the inclusion of it's passive. A passive, that can completely negate an assassin's damage, or allow a team's follow up. Spirit's Visage and Banshee's Veil, however, are 108.6% and 96.73% gold efficient before passives. Although BV can be used to stop a large proportion of an enemies damage, or negate cc, it is almost always popped by enemy poke before an initiation. Rather than allowing the player to determine the best time to activate. Now, I know I haven't mentioned QSS or Mercurial Scimitar, so here we go: QSS, costing 1550 gold and giving 30mr, it's gold efficiency is a whopping 48%. Now, the active however, is incredibly valuable, removing all cc. However, if the enemy team has two forms of cc, it is quite easy to stagger their abilities and force either an early qss followed by the second cc, or allow exposure for the duration of the first, to remove the second. There are situations where qss is invaluable, namely vs warwick or malzahar. However, in a team fight, it is common for an ADC to face two opponents at once, and it is in this situation where Zhonya's shines and QSS falls short. Moreover, the build path for Mercurial's Scimitar, requires an early QSS, pushing an ADC behind by 1550 gold, while an APC building Zhonya's has a much simpler, staggered build path. Allowing for small purchases, low recipe costs, and almost >100% gold efficiency with each recipe cost.
Im not saying AP champions are OP. How could they be when their abilities rarely scale 1:1 with AP? However, itemization as a squishy champion vs AP is extremely difficult, relative to vs AD. Perhaps there is room for a simpler build path to Mercurials, or maybe another item that would help ADCs with that early defense vs damage build choice.
P.S As most AP items grant greater AP than their equivalent AD items grant AD, it appears the gap for AP scaling as been covered before items such as Luden's and Rabadons grant bonus damage, coupled with the low/no passive MR compared to passive armour.
What are your thoughts? Maybe the lack of teamwork contributes to strong AP champions in lower elos, and strong AD carries in higher elos?
