So lets talk about Essence Reaver

TheSnacken·4/11/2017, 2:28:25 PM·2 votes·2,405 views

So I seem to have a case of mistaken understanding. Personally, I really like Essence Reaver. I think its an awesome item and buy it frequently on my ADC's, but usually later. 3rd-4th item.

However, I seem to be the minority on this one. I don't see Essence Reaver on a lot of marksmen as anything of a priority (usually the last item built, if at all), and I've been expressly told its bad. Wandering around the boards, I've only seen commentary on it being a bad item.

So what am I missing?

I do understand that most active abilities on ADC's will get nothing out of this. It's usually better to keep AA'ing instead of stopping to use an ability for a lot of champs and situations, but what makes ER so subpar? And then, beyond that, what would Riot need to do to make it better?

9 Comments

Ralanr4/11/2017, 2:29:34 PM1 votes

I think it's more "why build ER when I can get more damage with my AA's from I.E.?"

Ravenhale4/11/2017, 4:09:09 PM1 votes

The concept behind Essence Reaver is to create a Crit Chance build that can abuse the CDR benefits built in Essence Reaver. So it would suit an AD Caster that also works well with Crit Chance whom can either afford to not build Infinity Edge right away or doesn't need to abuse the CDR in the mid game. I think the problem is that most AD Casters that need the CDR can also abuse Lethality. So running Ghostblade, Black Cleaver (5900 g) is a better and cheaper early game start than Essence Reaver + Anything (3600 + ... well nothing is 2300 and running a zeal based item means you have less damage). I also feel that even if your 3 item build is Essence Reaver, IE and one Zeal based item, that you will still be running a more expensive build with a slight advantage on damage depending on what third item they went with.

So if you are setting yourself up with a build that takes four or more items to be better than your opposition, you either have to be very good at stalling games out or very good at getting far ahead.

That said, I often go the Essence Reaver route because my opponents are usually terrible at closing out games. I find having Trist's Rapid Fire (Q) almost permanently available with 100% Crit chance (two zeal items instead of boots) ridiculous fun and the same goes for Sivir's Bouncing Blades (W). But I'm sure as your opponents become more competent, the game will be over before you complete your fourth item.

ZT Xperimentor4/11/2017, 4:16:23 PM1 votes

They have low costs &/or high mana regeneration. Limited by technicality but not really in practicality. I miss the old one, it gave less mana back but had more cooldown reduction instead of critical chance.

Kaioko4/11/2017, 6:53:34 PM1 votes

You need an ADC who functions well with both Crit and low CD. Unfortunately the major ones that need Crit don't rely on CDR (Jinx, Twitch, Cait, Vayne). The ones that rely on CDR don't really rely on crit (Ezreal, Lucian, Corki, Miss Fortune, Kalista, Kog). Lastly the ones that rely on both have been gutted because of how good they are in professional play (Ashe and Sivir).

BLACK REALM GOD4/11/2017, 7:19:51 PM1 votes

it's a bad item because it doesnt provide sustain and the gold spent on it goes towards mana. the damage is fine if you're buying it for a damage item, but the fact of the matter is you'll lose duels every time since you just forked over that much loot for a mana+critical+damage+cooldown item.

the way to fix it would be to reduce the cost of the item.

this could be done by turning it into a modified version of manamune.

currently the stats are overloaded to try and make it an end game competitor with infinity edge and the passive is terrible for late game.

essence reaver could also become an alternative to blade of the ruined king by being built out of a mana item and cutlass. the problem with that is that the two mana items that come to mind - tear of the goddess and sheen - have very little to offer a champion that relies on basic attacks. it is possible that a new item could be made, but im not a fan of making new items just to satisfy a single build path ( item 3802 )

if it were to be built out of cutlass its value would be exponentially greater and the passive could move away from criticals and instead be focused on draining mana - since that's literally the entire point of essence reaver.

im thinking something along the lines of

30 damage, 15% lifesteal, 10% cdr, a passive that grants 5% of life stolen in mana and an active that grants .5% attack speed for each percent of your mana that's missing - .5 x 100 is 50% attack speed increase when empty. (but it'd be impossible to be empty since lifesteal = mana regen)