Boards›Gameplay

It would be nice to have more Armor based utility items for Supports.

Origami Kaiju·12/19/2014, 3:13:21 PM·38 votes·3,317 views

As a support, if you want to itemize against a heavy ap composition, there are a lot of MR options available that also provide utility like

But really, the only utility based armor item is (which is a nice item in certain circumstances!)

Things like are great if you're thresh or leona, but don't make much sense on Janna or Nami.

with the popularity of Ad assassin midlaners and tanky bruisers top and jungle, it would be nice to have a few more option for buffing your team against heavy ad comps.

Of course one could always pick the outrageous Gem Knight.

What are your thoughts?

Edit* Just to clarify, I wasn't saying frozen heart isn't a good item for supports at all, I think in certain situations it's really great.

I'm also not saying that Randuins, Thornmail, and Sunfire are terrible on Caster supports, only that they aren't generally going to be part of your standard build, without sacrificing part of your utility or ap scaling.

Edit 2 Forgot to mention as a utility based armor item!

64 Comments

BastionKross12/19/2014, 4:46:27 PM25 votes

item 2049 should have different enchantments like jungle items and boots. One enchantment for MR/Armor, one for AP/AD, one for movement speed, one for health regen, whatever you need.

SmokingPuffin12/19/2014, 5:55:56 PM8 votes

Pretty sure they want item 3056 to be the support armor item.

I agree, more supporty armor items would be nice.

Stars Shaper12/19/2014, 5:10:09 PM7 votes

Taric with item 3504 + item 3110 + item 3065 + item 3800 + (any)

:3

flibitydoo12/19/2014, 6:42:12 PM6 votes

item 3025 item 3110 Those two are core on Taric after item 3047 item 2049 and item 3401

ABlueQuaker12/20/2014, 2:33:33 AM5 votes

Because Janna and Nami aren't meant to be tank-supports - they're mage-supports. Their Utility Scales with AP, and their damage scales with AP. Get Mikael's, Morello's, Sightstone and Zhonya's and your Janna shields will be stronger and provide more AD, your Monsoon will heal for more, your Zephyr will hurt a lot more in lane with Frost Fang and Seeker's Armguard, and if an enemy gets low in late-game fights, morello's will have a huge impact.

It Is I Emoto12/20/2014, 1:38:23 AM3 votes

I usually pick Iceborn Gauntlet on Sona, since it gives decent utility and good armor stats, but yeah, utility supports really lack of armor items that help them/their team. A armor version of the legion would be really great, but it being abused by junglers/top laners is also quite bad. As well, this new item that's coming for support/tanks.. Void portal? I think at least one of the tanks of each team would build one of these. It's really hard to get utility armor items.. Probably, making an armor/magic resist item build from chalice would be a great option though.

AccountaBilabudy12/19/2014, 9:01:44 PM3 votes

an enchantment for sight stone would be awesome

1 4m 4 n00b12/19/2014, 4:16:23 PM2 votes

Not that it disproves your point but, Frozen heart IS good on Nami and Janna...

Kingsgrave12/19/2014, 4:20:24 PM2 votes

Armor utility items would just be abused by junglers and top laners, and it might also shift bottom lane into "only tanky dudes" if the items are exceptionally useful and cost efficient

Honestly the utility of the big Armor items is that you live longer. The MR items provide utility to counter the utility that Mages usually bring, and the Armor items give you the ability to basically outlive burst from Assassins. Them giving utility + that much survivability could be a problem in all lanes.

Randuins is also ridiculous, just as an example, so if you really want it you have to spend a lot of gold on it and I think thats perfectly fine.

Dayblazer12/19/2014, 11:21:36 PM2 votes

all these on taric comments... who the hell plays taric?

LankPants12/20/2014, 2:03:04 AM2 votes

If you're Sona/Raka/Nami Ect. against an AD heavy team an early item 3191 into a late game item 3157 is a fair build path and it works especially well against AD assassins. The utility comes in on ratios on heals and shields (there's a good reason people buy item 3041 on Janna) and hourglassing as a supprot can often be very powerful eg. a flash ult from Sona followed by the hourglass so she doesn't die.

patmax1712/20/2014, 12:57:32 PM2 votes

#DoItForTaric Taric

Onegarion12/19/2014, 6:52:12 PM1 votes

Idk why you think Frozen Heart and Randuins are bad on non tank supports. They are both great for the extra survivability. Randuin gives you health and a lot of armor to help you do your job as a support. Frozen heart helps tank towers and survive instant burst. Also with the use of chalice it allows you to have a ton of mana regen as a healing support like Nami.

The Yetii Rider12/19/2014, 5:52:45 PM1 votes

Supports aren't supposed to be able to scale well with armor items because they're supposed to be easy to pick off. If you give champions like Soraka or Nami high armor, it becomes harder for risky assassins like Zed or Pantheon to successfully pick them off and get out. They're already somewhat difficult to kill due to the nature of the role: a good support has good peel, and if a support can peel for the carry, they can peel for themselves. Adding armor items specifically for them would make them harder to focus down, which would be hell in team fights against new Soraka or Sona (And Sona has been nerfed too many times already since her rework).