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Which hybrid champs could easily get Hextech Gunblade and why don't they now?

Pikmints·8/11/2016, 10:47:34 PM·1 votes·1,004 views

Not many champs fit Hextech Gunblade into their builds too easily these days aside from the likes of Jax and Akali, but I don't see why more champs with viable AD and AP itemization don't get it.

For example, Ezreal has both AD and AP scaling on 3 of his abilities, and on-paper the sustain he'd be able to get from his Qs would be able to sustain through whatever poke he takes. I understand that he's a fairly safe marksman as it is so sustain wouldn't be as useful on him, and there are alternatives out there such as BotRK and Bloodthirster that fill that need similarly, but what makes those items better than Gunblade to the point where I never see Ezreals buy it?

Kayle is also known for liking both AD and AP, combined with her AoE Runaan's damage and her ultimate, she seems like she'd be able to ult herself when low to heal back up with this item. Is this a case of other items always being more immediately appealing, or have Kayle builds shifted in a way that prefers other utility over healing?

I'm not going to go into each champ in depth, but Malzahar could seemingly use this since Riot wanted to preserve AD builds in his rework and Gunblade heals champs based off of summoned minion damage as well. Xin could amplify his healing even more and add a targeted slow to his combo, Teemo could heal off of his shrooms globally and have autos that are still able to deal damage, Shaco has plenty of hybrid damage and could heal off of kiting enemies through boxes, and Katarina has both AD and AP scaling and could use both her Q poke and ult engage as ways to get lots of health throughout fights.

So are other items just crowding out this one for each of these champs, or is there just never any appeal to spread your stats out like this item would?

6 Comments

bleufromage8/11/2016, 10:57:21 PM1 votes

You kind of answered this yourself by saying that other items are just better on these people. Champions that have hybrid scaling have a lot of itemization choices as opposed to say, rammus, who pretty much as one or two core builds. When it comes down to it, its always been better to maximize one type of dmg output rather than being weak in two forms of damage output. So why not buff the item you may ask to make it a more viable pick? Because as you have stated it already energizes with akali and jax and then would be too strong on them.

MisterHealYoGirl8/11/2016, 11:12:38 PM1 votes

Some champions that you didn't note do buy it; (Kayle, most notably, and Kog'Maw).

The basic issue is that even with champions that can build either AP or AD with more or less equal effectiveness (Kog'Maw, Ezreal, Shaco, Corki, etc) the AP and AD builds tend to have very different goals. AD Shaco is a crit-based assassin, for example, while AP Shaco is a pressure and zoning champion. AP Ezreal is a mobile burst threat, while AD Ezreal is a kite-based ADC. This means that throwing some bonus AP into an AD Ezreal build (for example) isn't super effective; it doesn't HURT but the extra damage you get on your skills is minimal when compared to other items like Deathcap or Bloodthirster (esp. since his Q applies lifesteal).

Gunblade is still usable, obviously, but only on the ones who can really build either AP or AD equally well and who play the same no matter how they build.

ScissorsNstuff8/12/2016, 12:01:14 AM1 votes

ahri can, but she doesn't useually need it lol

for the most part ahri is usually just better off with the item 3152 if she's gonna get a hextech item. will save her more hp than she will actually need to regain from the gunblade though its easier to force a charm with the gunblade because of the slow and it increases her burst speed which is already one of her strengts, usually i'd only get it situationally but I doubt there's really a situation when its the absolute optimal build

Sire Hippington8/12/2016, 12:15:45 AM1 votes

For one other items crowed it out, Ezreal for example can sustain of his Q with normal lifesteal, so BT gives more sustain, and BotrK about the same, while helping his ad builts more. Gunblade is nice for ap-ezreal though, as it also heals of the lichbane proc.

But the bigges issues are the builtpath and the aoe-penalty. HEal of teemo shrooms sounds nice - till you realise that it's only 5% cause them beeing aoe means it's reduced to 1/3ed. Also, for many more ap heavy potential users, the step from revolver to gunblade is pretty huge(2200g), and no sustain till it's complete.