So i'm wondering, why AP itemization is so bad? especially Rabadon?

Best princess EU·Jul 14, 2017·5 votes·415 views

Why ROA and morello are the only non-garbage ap items?

is there a reason for: -Rylai being totally worthless not achieving anything -Rabadon having the worst build path in mankind, it's a late game item and YOU HAVE TO BUILD 3 SLOTS TO GET IT while rabadon itself costs a ton of gold to finish, leaving you with 1 or 2 items for a long time in mid/late game - being powercreeped so hard -lichbane costing a shit ton of gold and being like 70% gold efficient? -And zhonya making you inexistent if you buy it, yet AD itemization makes you perfectly fine if you decide to go for defense cough death dance lifesteal GA and maw

i literally don't get it

give Rylai +50 hp reduce Zhonya cost by 100 change rabadon build path reduce cost+ the mana it gives, no one needs that much mana anymore

12 Comments

Sahn UzalJul 14, 20173 votes

It lacks Diversity, but is by no means weak.

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOJul 14, 20171 votes

AP itemization is amazing tho

Sir YamazukiJul 14, 20171 votes

AP items are bad, and yet the top laners performing well are mages. Mid laners? Also mages. Then you have mages that can dominate the support role and a couple doing well in the jungle. There's a mage that can fill the role of an adc even.

Then again, there seems to be a bit of bias here.

Very Hard EngageJul 14, 20171 votes

ranged / initiated first.

very easy to get poke off before hand and then you are capable of killing your enemy. but in 99% of matchups, you lose 1v1 in the damage department because you're ability reliant and they have shorter CD's, gap closers, sustain, and auto attacks.

its not that AP items are bad, its that they're weaker/buy sooner/cheaper without expensive alternative choices.

specifically riot wanted to remove burst AP.

LightIsMyPathJul 14, 20172 votes

Who are the mages doing well in top and jungle? Honestly curious. (for mid I agree but according to community 's opinion assassins are doing bad and mid is usually either a mage or assassin with the occasional Lucian or corki )

Very Hard EngageJul 15, 20171 votes

Diana Fizz Gragas Heimerdinger Kennen Rumble Swain Vladimir

LightIsMyPathJul 15, 20171 votes

Diana is not a mage, fizz is DEFINITELY not a mage (almost every mage hates fizz with all his heart), gragas is not a mage, Heim is a mage but definitely not a meta pick (?), kennen was used as AD until now (idk after the nerfs to ad kennen), rumble I think is not considered a mage in the standard meaning too, swain isn't particularly good or meta as far as I know and vlad goes from being op as hell to thrash depending on the state of items. Can't really agree so.. But I see you're not the person who said they are among the best picks in top and jungle.

Very Hard EngageJul 15, 20171 votes

except "mages" aren't played in top/jungle so... idk what you want out of this.

swain vlad and heimer are all standard relevant picks, sure its not an OP pantheon or anything like that but you're not grossly hurting your team for picking them outside of team comp/synergy which always depends on what your team mates pick with it.

LightIsMyPathJul 15, 20171 votes

I don't want anything out of this, my question was referred to this comment, which I don't agree with.

"AP items are bad, and yet the top laners performing well are mages. Mid laners? Also mages. Then you have mages that can dominate the support role and a couple doing well in the jungle.".

Very Hard EngageJul 15, 20171 votes

strictly because games are ending before the 6 item stage. even 5 items when tanks get tanky.

mages are stronger early but fall off later outside of their utility, other champions deal more damage but in the mid game it doesn't matter so long as you can scrape out kills, which they do.

SkelenthJul 15, 20171 votes

Ima just make a list of items, combined with their intended use/nieche, both for AP and AD, as that is what it boils down to in the end. Offense: The item is primarily bought for damage purposes. (duh) Defense: The item is primarily bought to help the user in bad situations or fights by their defensive capabilities. Safety: The item is primarily bought to prevent the user from getting in bad situations. Usually some form of utility.

AD: Usually, physical damage is built on these stats: Flat AD, Attack Speed, Crit Chance, Crit Damage, Armor Penetration and Lethality

Attack Speed: item 3087 : Offense. Adds a nice amount of burst every few basic attacks. Basically the equivalent of item 3285 , if we're doing the compare game item 3085 : Offense. As an adc, the bolts give you more impact and overall damage in teamfights. item 3046 : Defense. The % damage reduction is pretty useful and pretty much the only reason it's bought. (Did you know it gives more AS than the other two?) item 3094 : Safety. More range on the first attack.

item 3153 : Offense, Defense and Safety. It provides %hp damage on every basic attack and its unique active. It provides Lifesteal. And it's unique active helps you escape (or chase). item 3078 : Offense. You buy this item for the Sheen proc. Although the HP, Phage passive and overall stats are nice, this isn't the first choice when looking for these stats, should you not be a Sheen user. item 3124 : Offense.

Crit Chance: (which weren't already named) item 3031 : Offense. It's the only item to amplify crits. item 3508 : Offense, Safety. Up to 30% CDR, when combined with other Crit Chance items and mana sustain.

Armor Penetration and Lethality: item 3036 : Offense. Up to 20% increased damage. item 3033 : Defense. While defense is a bit of a stretch, it does provide you with considerable protection from a certain feat of your enemy; in this case: Health Sustain.

item 3147 : Offense, Safety. Additional damage on your first attack and the ability to spot wards. item 3814 : Defense, Safety. Health is Defense, but considering the shield only works once per fight, I decided to put it into Safety too. item 3142 : Defense, Safety. The additional movement speed can be considered Defense aswell as Safety.

item 3071 : Offense, Defense. Health and Movement Speed is useful for the player, while every AD champion in the team profits from the Armor Shred.

Flat AD: (which weren't named already) item 3812 : Double Defense. Sustain on every physical damage dealt, plus having 30% of taken damage be practically delayed is very strong. item 3022 : Offense, Defense. Health and the ability to cripple your opponent on every basic attack. item 3026 : Defense. Armor and a revive. Not sure what else to say about it.

item 3146 : Offense, Defense. Honestly, more of an item for AP Divers/Assassins. However, it does provide Spell Vamp, similar to Deaths Dance and an active which deals additional damage and slows.

item 3156 : Defense. A powerful tool against magic damage, it provides Magic Resist, an automatic Purple Shield, which is tied with increased AD, Lifesteal and Spell Vamp. item 3139 : Defense, Safety. Lifesteal, Magic Resist and the ability to break any CC (except Knock-Up to some extent and Stasis)

item 3074 : Offense, Defense. AoE damage and lifesteal. item 3748 : Offense, Defense. AoE damage, health and a basic attack modifier. item 3053 : Defense. Health, Automatic Shield tied with size and Base AD increase.

item 3072 : Defense. Lifesteal + Overheal. item 3042 : Offense, Safety. Additional damage on every basic attack + a bigger mana pool.

Now, AP items generally have less variety in offensive stats, but given the fact that magic damage is almost always tied to mana, it's just as important a stat to them as flat AP. Flat AP, Magic Penetration, Mana

Magic Penetration: item 3020 : Safety. Other than the Magic Pen they are listed here for, Movement Speed is all they give. item 3151 : Offense, Defense. Health, plus a burn effect for % Max Health. item 3135 : Offense. All it gives is AP and Magic Pen.

item 3001 : Defense. Though, actually not an AP item, it does increase magic damage dealt by 10%.

Mana: item 3040 : Offense, Defense. Increased AP for Mana, an activatable Shield and decreased spell costs. item 3030 : Offense, Defense, Safety. An AoE slow and Health. item 3100 : Offense. Increased damage tied to a basic attack. item 3165 : Offense, Safety. Another counter to Sustain and Mana restore on kills and assists. item 3027 : Defense. Health.

Flat AP: item 3102 : Defense, Safety. Magic Resist, and a passive Spellshield. item 3152 : Offense, Defense, Safety. Health, and the unique active can be used both offensively and defensively. item 3285 : Offense. Damage is all it gives. item 3041 : Offense. It provides AP the more kills you have. item 3089 : Offense. See Ludens. item 3116 : Offense, Defense. Health and a slow on all your abilities. Can also be used for Safety. item 3157 : Defense. Armor, and a 2.5 second Stasis.

item 3115 : Offense. Gives Attack Speed and Magic Damage on-Hit on basic attacks.

There you have it. That's AD Itemization vs Mage itemization. If there's anything missing or wrong, tell me.

LightIsMyPathJul 15, 20171 votes

I would argue many items you put in the defensive department are offensive too (like bt and roa for the flat amount of ad/ap they give) and ludens could be considered as safety too for his movement speed . But overall nice work