Normalizing the cost of Lifesteal Options
Lifesteal (as well as Spellvamp) is an effect that links offensive prowess with sustain. It is important for offensive sustained damage dealers as a means to extent their in-fight effectiveness, to prevent them from being too endangered by stray AoE effects or non-concerted efforts to kill them. On those characters, it also has the drawback of requiring constant offensive action to work - prevent a sustained damage dealer from attacking (by using CC) allows you to kill them easily.
Additionally, it only serves as pseudo-tankiness against sustained damage - if the lifesteal user gets bursted without being able to attack, he does not benefit from the stat, at all.
Currently, the game contains 5 primary Lifesteal options for AD champions:
Of those 5 items, 2 cost 3700 gold ( ), 2 cost 3400 gold ( ) and 1 costs 3600 gold ().
Personally, I think that these items, at least the first 4, could stand to cost 3700 gold each - so they'd have roughly the same power level, as well, and you'd choose based on the game situation you find yourself in. To that end, Death's Dance and Blade of the Ruined King would need a slight price increase, as well as one in power.
could get an additional 10 AD, to bring it up to par with Bloodthirster and Scimitar.
could get another Dagger for its build path (to keep the combine cost at 750) without needing a stat adjustment (Recurve is only 25%, Blade is 40%, a Dagger is 12%). To make up for the cost increase, it could get buffed back to 8% current HP (buffing its intended anti-HP role). Or get a tad more Lifesteal (making it better in a sustained fight). Or even get a bit more AD (making it generally better, and allowing for a buff to Bilgewater Cutlass, as well).
