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Need more Hybrid Itemization

MightyRevenge·4/17/2015, 12:25:34 AM·3 votes·585 views

Okay let me get started of by just reminding you guys of how many hybrid champions there are in the game. A lot. Champions from all lanes... there are just so many that have AP/AD ratios in the kit.

So what can I build to utilize both to atleast some degree? 1 answer... and pretty much only one useful one: Trinity Force.

Really. That's it. We need hybrid items that bring a mix of both to the table. I've played a lot of games and there are SO many times that I just feel completely limited by the item choices I have for the many hybrid champions I play. Sure, you can focus on one part of their kit and then add a bit of utility by taking advantage of the other ratio... but I really want more depth. More variety for the various scenarios and niche circumstances/needs. I'm coming up with a list of that to better convey what I'm trying to say, but I'm pretty sure you have all experienced that at some point.

Seriously, the game needs more hybrid items. Thoughts? Comments?

2 Comments

Teridax684/17/2015, 2:08:11 AM1 votes

I'm not a particularly big fan of hybrid items, mainly because they only cater to a very small amount of champions, and mostly don't do it very well (Akali doesn't really like item 3124 , for example). It is possible to have a hybrid build even now by just mixing AP and AD items, which is what makes hybrid champions so versatile in terms of what they can build, it just so happens that doing so tends to be suboptimal. I also question the gameplay value in going full hybrid: by going full AD or AP, you're committing to a specialization with its own set of strengths and weaknesses, which allows for much clearer counter-options on your enemies' behalf (build-specific counterplay and counterbuilding, for example), while also allowing you to make a clear contribution to your team (a full AD Ezreal can deal massive sustained damage from a distance, for example, whereas full a AP Ezreal can burst down targets near-instantly). A full hybrid build tends to blend in these strengths and weaknesses to a degree where there isn't really anything that stands out: not only is it difficult for your opponents to react to you properly, it's also difficult for your team to accomodate you, since instead of making one very clear contribution, you're sort of okay at a lot of things at once. To me, that doesn't carry a lot of depth.

If there's anything that could be done to help out hybrid builds right now, though, I think it would be to change or remove item 3035 / item 3135 : while those items are intended to counter heavy resistance stacking on tanks, they mostly act as damage amplifiers, even against squishies. Hybrid damage champions can't really use them to full effect, since they'd have to specialize in one form of damage to use them optimally, so making damage builds less dependent on penetration would lessen the optimization difference between hybrid and full AP/AD.

Widder884/17/2015, 2:09:28 AM1 votes

{quoted}

Okay let me get started of by just reminding you guys of how many hybrid champions there are in the game. A lot. Champions from all lanes... there are just so many that have AP/AD ratios in the kit.

So what can I build to utilize both to atleast some degree? 1 answer... and pretty much only one useful one: Trinity Force.

I would call Nashors Tooth a useful hybrid item. And Hextech Gunblade is not always bad. But while AP has Rabadons and magic penetration and AD has crits and armor penetration, I miss a hybrid item that let hybrid itemization scale. I would like an item that let you gain some % of your Bonus-AD as AP and some % of your AP as AD.

What about changing Gunblade into: 70 AP 35 AD You gain 1/3 of your Bonus-AD as AP You gain 1/12 of your AP as AD Spellvamp, Lifesteal, Active unchanged

Gunblade itself would provide 70+35/3 = 82 AP and 35+70/12 = 41 AD. That is about the same as now, but hybrid itemisation would scale. Akali passive would have to be nerfed probably, but everyone could gain Akali-like hybrid scaling after that by buying Gunblade. Mixed itemization would not be op but on the level of pure itemization.