Crits vs. Armor - Why does Armor always seem to lose?

darkdill·Oct 28, 2014·3 votes·530 views

Picture this: I'm a Leona with 250 armor, over 120 MR, and over 3k health facing a Gangplank with a Lord Van Damm's Pillager and Statikk Shiv, but no Last Whisper. Even without armor penetration, he STILL chunks a huge amount of my health whenever he shoots me, even with Eclipse is running.

Worse still, even with other combinations of armor vs. crits, armor always seems to fail against an Infinity Edge or LVDP.

Riot, is this SUPPOSED to happen?

12 Comments

EffectFXOct 28, 20143 votes

Damage is meant to outscale defense at some point. Also, you have to remember that Shiv deals magic damage (up to 200 with a crit). So not all of that is physical.

darkdillOct 28, 20142 votes

Should've also mentioned I had over 120 MR, so GP's Shiv should've done squat.

EffectFXOct 28, 20142 votes

Not quite, that's still right around 100 damage, more if they have an IE.

Sire HippingtonOct 28, 20142 votes

ad x as x crit x crit-dmg, 4 layers of multiplyers. armor x health, 2 layers of multiplyers. add ~50% armorpen from BC or a shred-skill + LW, and u might figure why ad-dps outscales tankiness rather fast. another point is IE 3800g Randuins 3000g Tank items are much cheaper than ad-items over all, and therefor give less stats total once u get near fullgear.

darkdillOct 28, 20141 votes

So basically Leona's building of any defense is a futile endeavor?

Riot logic...

EffectFXOct 28, 20142 votes

Not at all. If damage didn't outscale defense then games would never end because you could just go 5 super tanks and stall games out completely.

Defense is at it's strongest in the early and mid game. Late game, if you damage soak and provide utility (even for more then a few seconds) then you're being useful.

Sire HippingtonOct 28, 20143 votes

iif the enemy carry reaches endgame and u can'T blow him up with burst+cc as a team, then going fulltank is futile. However, if u explode the carry, u can tank through most of the remaining team, and if the carry doesn'T focus u cause ur support, ur also likly to live long with tank gear. besides initiateing junglers/supports, it is a rather bad thing to go fulltank, u need some damage as the most efficient way of surviving is shuting down the main damage as fast as possible.

Can't say i like it that way, the entire game centered around adc which depend on critluck to do their job...

Earl EulrichOct 28, 20142 votes

It´s not completely futile, as it still increases TimetoLive - but at some point (~3defensive items) it´s better to try and gear for dmg/utility, as you won´t get enough TtL out of any defensive Item lategame to make a noticable difference like getting another combo off.

But yea, defensive itemization needs a buff...or at least crit/arp needs a serious nerf.

Skia AsteriOct 28, 20141 votes

Defense scales off two stats per damage type (HP plus either MR or armour).

Mages scale off three stats for damage (AP, MPen, and CDR).

AD scales off AD, AS, crit chance, and armour pen.

Defense has the worst scaling.

KhristophorosOct 28, 20141 votes

GP outscales Leona.

Lord DusteonOct 28, 20141 votes

Because you built entirely defence, not damage? He's doing damage, your soaking it. Unless you're able to literally ignore him, he's going to eventually win.

FinnicalOct 28, 20141 votes

If you are tank Leona you aren't meant to win a fight with GP. You are meant to distract or cc him until your team can kill him. Leona as a tank should not be killing anyone outside of very early in laning. Lategame he should reallly hurt you, but if your team wins the teamfight then you won that duel.