Morellos has become a crutch item for mages

Best Champion NA·Mar 9, 2017·76 votes·5,291 views

has become the new standard stat ball item for mages. It has: 20% cdr, which cdr seems to be a free stat anyways

+100 ability power, a high amount.

+400 mana. Let's be honest, mana regen is garbage currently. You need a mana item if you're a mage, and this has a ton of it.

Grievous wounds, in a game currently dominated by healing.

A huge mana regen buff upon kills/assists, which mages eat right up.

All this for only 2900.

was recently nerfed for being a crutch item, an item that was needed by mages to be durable while having a nice slow effect.
was nerfed because auto attack assassins needed it to amplify damage. and old DFG were nerfed because casters needed it for an amp damage.

But let's not blame too hard. It's too good for mages right now. Riot needs to overhaul the recourse bar system as you cannot currently pick any sort of mage/caster without getting morellos, it's simply too good of an item right now to pass up unless you're maybe Twisted Fate.

110 Comments

ProzzakMar 9, 201764 votes

Do not mistake an item being crutch as an item needing to be nerfed. Maybe it is a crutch because nothing else is as good as it should be or because of inherent flaws elsewhere in the system.

Velzard of KozMar 9, 20177 votes

The flaw is most classes can start with item similarily overloaded. They intendly overloaded Morello to be good starting pick just for that instead of balancing oher items. And it was kind of powerful already before. Item this overloaded as first pick would be fine as long as it would be the only one. It would span over several slots of component items requiring to be built early while providing all needing for start. But even then there's not much excuse for GW. GW should either not exist (and healing-based champs be balanced around that) or be on very niché item.

Illâoi Evê SiônMar 10, 20171 votes

Why not both? Morellonomicon is much more powerful than Mage items we've seen in the past and other current Mage items are also underperforming. Maybe restoring the 80 Ability Power tier could help.

Touch My BoxMar 9, 201762 votes

The problem is they killed mage build diversity. In times of old and days of glory, you could build mana or mana regen to sustain yourself through a fight, or just go flat AP so you can nuke and leave. In the MYMU, they made mages rely on having mana and mana regen was for supports.

They wanted to increase the build and pick diversity, but it just removed it. Everyone builds the same few items every game.

TLDR: Riot did the opposite of what they wanted, as usual.

SOLOQSUPERHEROMar 9, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Toxic Shaco,realm=OCE,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=XEqELuYl,comment-id=0007,timestamp=2017-03-09T16:03:39.546+0000)

The problem is they killed mage build diversity. In times of old and days of glory, you could build mana or mana regen to sustain yourself through a fight, or just go flat AP so you can nuke and leave. In the MYMU, they made mages rely on having mana and mana regen was for supports.

They wanted to increase the build and pick diversity, but it just removed it. Everyone builds the same few items every game.

TLDR: Riot did the opposite of what they wanted, as usual.

Actually, I think I see more diversity of builds now than I did before; There's still a core four I build every game, Sorc Boots DCAP Void and Morellos. I think the same reason why Athenes was nerfed out of meta ages ago is occuring again with Morellos, but it's just a bit less frustrating to play against.

I think my biggest issue with Morellos is that its just so good there isn't much of a reason to not buy it. I don't think it should be nerfed, but I think very few items compare to how good it is. RoA is like one of my favorite items to build (Don't ask me why, I just love it) but it palls in comparison for so many mages who really just need the CDR. We need another item that builds from lost chapter with the mana refund passive but does something else.

Sraeg2013Mar 9, 20178 votes

The joke is that Athene's and Morello were always competing with each other.

Morello was cheaper with more AP, weaker m.regen and with next to no drawback in the build path. Athene's was much more expensive with less AP, superior m.regen, mediocre build path.

Now there is exactly zero competition.

Spicy RiceMar 10, 20172 votes

I used to get both on old veigar, I think I was regenerating like 20+ mana a sec without blue

Sraeg2013Mar 10, 20171 votes

You could, but it had a clear trade off of having around 100 AP less.

JuhnChanMar 11, 20171 votes

Veigar gets infinite AP. Infinite Q spam = Infinite x Infinity AP

Sraeg2013Mar 11, 20171 votes

Thresh also gets infinite AP, but also armor.

Yet for some strange reason you don't ever see this whole "infinity" thing.

YalathanilMar 10, 20171 votes

didn't they revert Athene's into a support item a while ago? I remember telling a friend about how good it would be on (i think Nunu ), and then checking the stats and finding the passive only works on healing/shielding supps...

Sraeg2013Mar 10, 20172 votes

That's what the...

Now there is exactly zero competition.

...part was about.

It's only marginally good on handful of support champions and basically the last mid laners who can still use it, are Orianna and Lux, but it's so much shittier than Morello in any situation for those two.

Linna ExcelMar 9, 20175 votes

[{quoted}](name=Toxic Shaco,realm=OCE,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=XEqELuYl,comment-id=0007,timestamp=2017-03-09T16:03:39.546+0000)

TLDR: Riot did the opposite of what they wanted, as usual.

I think part of the problem is riot doesn't understand that players:

Will do what the game rewards them to do, even if it isn't fun
Will try to find any change that is busted that they can abuse: see 1.

Go back to when item 3504 was reworked to have +heal and shield power. I saw that it was going to be broken when riot first posted it to the PBE. I knew people were going to stack the effect on it. Riot didn't listen or know, it was busted, so they had to make that effect unique.

So I don't think riot understands how players think or the consequences of their actions as well as they should.

Another example of this was the sona rework awhile back where she spell spammed at level 16. Riot should have known that rework was going to cause issues because it's difficult to get a support to level 16 in a 20 minute game. They wanted her to do more in a teamfight, but she's not getting to the level she needed to do that. Supports really don't get to a late game unless the game goes to 40 minutes.

Cosmic WarperMar 9, 20175 votes

[{quoted}](name=Linna Excel,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=XEqELuYl,comment-id=00070001,timestamp=2017-03-09T17:21:17.250+0000)

I think part of the problem is riot doesn't understand that players:

Will do what the game rewards them to do, even if it isn't fun

Will try to find any change that is busted that they can abuse: see 1.

Go back to when was reworked to have +heal and shield power. I saw that it was going to be broken when riot first posted it to the PBE. I knew people were going to stack the effect on it. Riot didn't listen or know, it was busted, so they had to make that effect unique.

So I don't think riot understands how players think or the consequences of their actions as well as they should.

Another example of this was the sona rework awhile back where she spell spammed at level 16. Riot should have known that rework was going to cause issues because it's difficult to get a support to level 16 in a 20 minute game. They wanted her to do more in a teamfight, but she's not getting to the level she needed to do that. Supports really don't get to a late game unless the game goes to 40 minutes.

Sad because they have a playtest team to try and anticipate and test out how user's will react to changes. Feels like they're honestly doing nothing but just playing the game to ensure no bugs with patches, which is what PBE is for anyway

EedatMar 9, 201722 votes

I mean this is kind of true for most classes

item 3071 crutch for Juggernauts/Divers

item 3031 crutch for 'traditional' AA based ADCs. Although to be fair IE is dogshit without at least one other crit item

item 3142 item 3814 item 3147 building at least two of these has become the crutch for Assassins/AD Casters

item 3068 item 3065 crutch for Tanks

item 3107 item 3190 crutch for Supports

5000000000000000Mar 9, 20171 votes

I think "core item" or "core build" is the more common term used. Although, is there a real difference between "crutch" and "core?"

EedatMar 9, 20173 votes

Yeah but when a "core build" is universal across entire classes I don't think it's really "core" anymore

Votable JesterMar 9, 201710 votes

I'd say a crutch is an item that a class or champion is reliant on to function properly. Morello is a crutch because it is the only item that gives mana sustain and immediate offensive stats. Mages need those immediate stats to be relevant in the mid game, and need the mana to waveclear, making the item necessary for almost all mages.

TBH though I've just hated the complete removal of mana regen from mage itemization. IMO the whole MYMU seemed run by a rioter who just personally disliked artillery and utility mages.

IcyPepperMar 10, 20173 votes

I'd say a crutch is an item that a class or champion is reliant on to function properly.

item 2049 ?

doiminat0r3600Mar 10, 20171 votes

No that's just an item for a role to not be flamed by the team.

If you are a successful support, you ward anyways with your trinket. It may be a good idea to build sighstone but it can be easily overcome by proper warding by both parties of bot lane. Yes, that means ADC has to ward in order to keep 100% uptime on wards.

Titanium70Mar 9, 20172 votes

No... The state of Morellos is alot different to most of the Items you listed.

IE for example is an Item you want as ADC. Some might rush it? Some might build it as second, some as third. Sunfire? Against an AP-Match you simly wont build it - some champs need other things first.

Morello? You build it as first Item. Period. Matchup? DOENST MATTER! Playstyle? DOESN'T MATTER! Champ DOESNT MATTER! (AS long as you're a mage) You build it because you cant play before you have it! Build something else you will get rekt hard! Every single Mage who doesnt work well with Morello? Next to unplayable. Every Champ that works exceptionally well with Morello? META! Even a Champ like Brand who can easily be play without - I used to rush Haunting Guise into Sorcs + Pen Runes S5 because it allowed me crush everyone who builds Mana first - still has to rush Morello because it's so damn obnoxious even before completed!

This is what Morello does to the Mage-Class. And the rest of the Items are designed similar. 9 out of 10 times your Build-Path is decided before you even lock in your Champion - and that's next Level terrible.

Don't compare Morello to Redemtion, compare it to Sightstone, that's alot more accurate!

dunder killMar 9, 20173 votes

Ummmm plenty of people will rush item 3070 item 3027 item 3001 or item 3157 before grabbing their Morello depending on the matchup and how they're doing.

Not sure why you're arguing a Sunfire rush against AP when Visage is listed right there too

WoodakoodashoodaMar 9, 201720 votes

Champion classes have their core items. item 3078 item 3071 item 3031 item 3142 item 3165

Just because an item is commonplace and used as intended by those who are meant to use it does not mean the item is being abused.

It is when an item is utilized outside its intended purpose...

item 3814

...that it should definitely receive changes so as to provide some semblance of balance to the game.

CarneroxMar 9, 201716 votes

It's not that Morellos is great.

It's that every other ap item is fucking garbage.

TotalJerkMar 9, 20171 votes

Morello's is one of the most cost efficient items in the game. No other class has a core item with above 100% efficiency on purchase. On top of that item 3802 is broken.

Cosmic WarperMar 9, 20176 votes

{quoted}

Morello's is one of the most cost efficient items in the game. No other class has a core item with above 100% efficiency on purchase. On top of that is broken.

http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/The_Black_Cleaver cleaver is 100% efficient without the two passive, and those two passives are some of the best in the game.

Morelllo's has to have great efficiency because every other AP item has shit utility:AP:cost efficiency

AninLegions777Mar 10, 20172 votes

Every item 3001 other item 3152 AP item 3285 item item 3089 is item 3027 garbage item 3116 ? Are item 3135 you item 3157 mad?

CarneroxMar 10, 20172 votes

{quoted}

Every other AP item is garbage ? Are you mad?

Every single one of those items has been nerfed, repeatedly. Morellos barely escaped.

AninLegions777Mar 10, 20171 votes

What do you mean by barely? 100 AP? 400 Mana? 20% CDR? Grievous wounds? Mana on kill? That's not "barely". That's overloaded. The rest are still strong. Only one on the weak side is Rylai's and for good reason.

CarneroxMar 13, 20171 votes

{quoted}

What do you mean by barely? 100 AP? 400 Mana? 20% CDR? Grievous wounds? Mana on kill? That's not "barely". That's overloaded. The rest are still strong. Only one on the weak side is Rylai's and for good reason.

You realize that 100-120 ap used to be the standard for ap items, right? Not this 60-80 ap bullshit.

Mages just don't do the damage they used to. Hell, most of the time mages can't even burst adcs due to all of the free mr and shields they get due to support tools.

ThilmerMar 10, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=TSM DonaldJTrump,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=XEqELuYl,comment-id=0012,timestamp=2017-03-09T20:11:28.358+0000)

It's not that Morellos is great.

It's that every other ap item is fucking garbage.

^^^^^^ This. Totally agree.

HazyCloud7Mar 9, 201710 votes

Morello has risen to the top because AP itemization is garbage. If you want cdr or utility you sacrifice damage, something that you can't say for AD caster itemization at all. Zhonyas gives a measley 70 AP, Abyssal gives 60, deathcap and void staff offer no CDR/survivability/utility.

Aside from maybe removing GW because its a bit out of place and tacked on, riot absolutely should NOT touch this item. Don't screw with the AP/mana or the CDR, end game AP values are already getting systematically lower as it is after the nerf in AP to zhonyas/abyssal/athenes/rylais on top of the straight up removal of the 15% extra AP from blue buff.

Take the mage anti circle jerk somewhere else.

Warlord ScrapMar 10, 20171 votes

Take gw off morrello and add it to voidstaff than raise void staffs gold. Killing gw on mages aint the answer though

DrCyanideMar 9, 20176 votes

I like skipping it on Xerath, getting more AP while my opponent sits on a Lost Chapter, but there are some situations where it's too good to pass up on champions that can get by without it. You can't count on players in Silver even knowing Executioner's Calling exists, let alone what it does, so I've got to get Grievous Wounds sooner or later, may as well start it.

I think that part of the problem with mage items is that they serve the same purpose for 90% of mages. AD champions pick between Attack Speed, Crit, Attack Damage, and CDR depending on their abilities. Mages ironically pick Items based on their mana costs and little else. Your Orianna build will work on Ziggs, Lissandra, Viktor, Lux, Annie, and most any other mage. You might pick up one item different to have a slightly better build, but you could use the same build. That's why people complain about mage items, they're just so boring...

Sire HippingtonMar 9, 20176 votes

For the longest time of lols existence, mages always had a kinda mandatory cdr+manasustain item, as those two things are VERY valuable for them, even mandatory.... Yea, current morello's is quite a bit overtuned, but know what? Each class needs atleast one item like that, it helps to shorten the laneingphase while keeping snowballing low. For most mages, finishing morello'd allows you to properly function, and if you now add a voidstaff you're prettymuch golden. That means you don't need as much gold to become a valuable asset to your team that funktions properly in it's role. This means that even if you are behind, you most likely reach the needed item breakpoints to have an impact on the game, any item above that is just some bonus, so once those two items have been bought, the powerdifference scales alot less with gold.

This kind of itemisation once existed for most classes, but for some reason riot just changed, further contributeing to snowballing by removeing those 'power-plateaus' THe best way to go about that imo would be provideing some similar items that are kinda mutually exclusive, like zealitems are for crit(though ideally not as stackable as zeal items are)

Linna ExcelMar 9, 20176 votes

IMO part of the problem is Athene's isn't an option anymore. You only have one good AP/Mana/Cdr/Grevious wounds option for an AP mage and that's morello's. I think riot wanted Morello's to be the crutch item for most AP mages so I don't see a problem.

Papa AndreiMar 9, 20176 votes

Look at all the mage items, Only Morellos is really accesible for early game. Athenes was made a support item Rylais got gutted Ludens and Deathcap only really work on resourceless mages (Why is kata a mage again?) Zhonyas was nerfed to hell so if you rush it, you don't got any sorta mana, sustain, or defense. ( the active usually kills you anyways with how low Assassin CD are)

And only Morellos is accesible, its literally amp tomes on amp tomes. Everything else requires a large save up in money. Ludens, Void, Deathcap all cost pver 1k gold to buy. The only items that don't are Morellos, the Hextech, and Zhonyas, all of which besides Morellos are subpar. (Abyssal, Roa don't count as they are niche)

SweedishGunnerMar 9, 20173 votes

It was the core mage item when it had mana regen, what's your point? It's always been that way.

dunder killMar 9, 20175 votes

Actually item 3174 used to be the crutch item before it was nerfed then eventually changed altogether

BisaknospMar 9, 20173 votes

not nearly as bad as the as the lethality items

LA LostyMar 9, 20173 votes

I wouldnt say the game is currently dominated by healing, considering the assassins, many junglers, some toplaners and the primary played adc's build and only have lethality for the majority of the game.

vOmvbrawfUMar 10, 20173 votes

Meanwhile, item 3031 is built in like 98% of games.

macromiteMar 10, 20173 votes

when riot gives an item which gives all of the stats the class that buys the item wants in decent amount, the class that buys the item is going to buy the item.

DunkinNoobsMar 9, 20172 votes

So what's the problem again?

It Hertz When IPMar 9, 20172 votes

Well, they reworked Athene's to be a support item, so what'd you expect?

terribleplAyrMar 9, 20172 votes

and that's what happens when item 3174 is changed to a healer/shield based item only - used to be morello was for healing reduction on opponents and offense minded while athene's was for early mr which now comes only from item 3001 or item 3111 or item 3140 for mages none of which is ideal for many ap mids

Beacon AcademyMar 9, 20171 votes

idk dude

10% amplified damage is pretty good Veigar and it goes so well with the cdr from morellos/runes

Jesus is SaviorMar 9, 20172 votes

[{quoted}](name=Beacon Academy,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=XEqELuYl,comment-id=001a0000,timestamp=2017-03-09T23:05:33.982+0000)

idk dude

10% amplified damage is pretty good and it goes so well with the cdr from morellos/runes

Veigar is a long range mage. He will never get 10% amplified damage from item 3001 unless he's out of position and someone jumps on him - but in that case he's probably dead before he can even cast a spell.

ItsOrvalMar 9, 20172 votes

has become the new standard stat ball item for mages.

new

It's been a standard item for months lol

XilixerMar 10, 20172 votes

as a vel'koz main the only real reason i buy it is for the cd. the ap and the mana is nice. can they nerf it? sure. idc as long as it has cd im buying it. 45 cap here i come.