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Confusion about Shaco

Kraythax·7/12/2017, 2:15:27 PM·2 votes·492 views

Been trying to learn the zen of Shaco and I was in the practice tool and trying some builds and a couple of the things confused me.

I have read online and watched videos that state that Shaco gets AP based bonus on first basic after Q but when I loaded on death caps my backstab damage didn't change against the dummy. So did this get nerfed?
Are the AP builds still viable? 2 of Shaco skills, his E and W use AP but if you build full AD they will be gimped and if you build full AP his basic damage and backstab will be gimped. It seems like Shaco has a personality disorder here. Only 2 items give both AD and AP but don't concentrate on either.
When it comes to Shaco's backstab it seems like that is gimped as well. Using the build Bloodrazor, Berzerkers, Ghostblade, Gunblade, Rageblade and Bloodthirster I can get my single hit crit damage up to over 700 by level 12 in the practice tool but my backstab only does 350ish?? Why doesn't my backstab do at least the same damage as my crit. It seems that Riot have hard capped the backstab to be capped at 180% AD but I don't know why.

Note that I am still working on my mechanics, these numbers come from practice tool. Thanks for feedback.

7 Comments

L Psy Kongroo7/12/2017, 2:25:42 PM2 votes

Shaco's Q no longer grants bonus damage on his next attack; it is strictly a mobility spell now. His Backstab scales with 40% AP, but Deathcap's passive is unique, so you won't get as much AP from stacking them as you would buying other AP items.
Pink Ward (one of the best AP Shaco players in the world currently) seems to think that AP Shaco is still viable. His thoughts on this are detailed in this video. As for my personal thoughts as a Shaco main, I'd have to concur with Pink Ward, but only when it comes to AP Shaco TOP. Jungle Shaco is still exclusively AD.
Trying to build hybrid Shaco isn't very effective. You either want to spec fully into AD or AP, not try and do both at the same time. Some people still swear by bruiser Shaco, but with his E now scaling off 120% bonus AD, you get far more value out of glass cannon Shaco.

BLACK REALM GOD7/12/2017, 2:47:52 PM1 votes

shaco is a manipulation assassin. you have to have a pretty good understanding of your opponents psyche in order to use shaco. the best players of shaco make some of the best homicidal maniacs in real life.

i joke.

for real though shaco is ap and ad based. so your builds will need to have both types of damage. that doesnt mean buy items with both types of damage.

if you want to succeed as shaco you're going to need the heavy damage items and some flat penetration and lethality.

any armor or magic resist you get will be transferred over to your clone. items that require an allied champion work with your clone also.

item 3147 item 3814 item 3100 item 3142 item 3117 item 3151 make for some okay items.

edit

and as for your questions

no ap no longer modifies the backstab

yes some ap builds are still viable, but using them without physical damage will make it impossible to farm. gunblade and rageblade arent for shaco. they're for fighters.

backstabs are capable of being executed on demand. so you only get a slight increase in damage from using them. they're not criticals. they're more or less just a passive situational damage buff. like caitlyns headshots.