Poke Supports Are Shoehorned

PalPlays··4 votes·1,308 views

It can feel like I'm shoehorned into getting a scarily similar build every game when I play a poke or Enchant oriented support. Ardent Censor, Zeke's Harbinger, and Banner of Command are the only AP support items outside of Frost Queen's. None of the other AP items outside of Zhonya's for Morgana fill a supportive role, and so I'm stuck with getting the "Power 3" almost every game (obviously getting Mikael's against cc heavy comps or Ohmwrecker for splitpush or against siege).

I don't profess to know what the item should be, though it should certainly take into account the archetypes of non-tank supports.

Enchanters: Karma Soraka Janna Nami Sona Zilean

They have Power Three of Ardent Censor, Zeke's Harbinger, and Banner of Command to fall back on. In addition, they may choose either of Frost Queen's or Talisman and gain situational benefits.

Poke supports: Karma Zyra Lux Lulu

Ardent Censor does grant damage earlygame, but it's outscaled hard when it comes to poke, and these champions don't have the kit to properly abuse its passive. Banner isn't bad as it benefits sieging, though Zeke's is probably the only way to go. The best poke item one could probably get on a support would be Abyssal.

AP Bullies: Annie Morgana Zyra

They have access to the full repertoire of AP items, though at the core of that is Zhonya's. They're less of a support and more of a utility AP carry in the botlane, so everything goes, because none of the three supportive AP items work too well (outside of Zeke's).

I feel like poke supports get the short end of the stick here. While they do get Frost Queen's, their poke falls off so hard in the lategame if they try to build with their carry in mind. This is the kind of thing I believe would fix their weakness.

Komungu Blowpipe: X AP Possible CDR or even a slight amount of movement speed.

Unique Active: Bind with an ally champion Unique Passive: Damaging enemy champions with spells or abilities apply a mark of venom for X seconds. Your bound ally's auto attacks or spells consume that mark and weaken the opponent, granting you magic penetration against that foe for X seconds and dealing magic damage scaling off of your Ability Power.

9 Comments

Lazypeon1003 votes

Honestly, woth poke supports like Sona, Vel'koz when he is played down there, lux, etc, I just build AP. I go frost querns, sight stone, and the rest of the build is tailored to play like a normal mage. No, you won't do as much damage as you might going mid, but if you need a damage oriented support (which is why you would likely want to pick a poke support anyway) you will bring enough damage to make a difference late game.

Supoorts like Nami can work well without building full AP, as late game she excels more for her utility in speed bosts, damage boosts, and CC, so her damage isn't as important as it is in lane.

cllesh1 votes

well... i disagree with a lot u had to say... but i think i agree supports need dedicated items... as riot has gone the route of dedicating an item to a role to be able to nerf or buff that item to nerf or buff the entire class i think supports need items that do the same....

i would suggest an item with a special ability that is tailored to supports, poke supports in your example, not with just ap or with just cdr though... otherwise its not a dedicated poke support item...

think duskblade as the new standard riot is using for class specific items and use that example to make one for supports

for example your item could be used by ap jg easily.. or ap mids

PalPlays1 votes

No it couldn't, it NEEDS to be bound with someone to work. The damage it would deal would be very small in comparison, as it's meant for poke, not burst.

EcchiOtakuTM1 votes

I know alot of mid lanes who abuse zeke's reworked item mid :P having to be bound to someone isn't an issue at all.

And just because someone is mid doesn't mean they have to burst an enemy.

PalPlays1 votes

Exactly, as long as it's being uses as a poke item, there shouldn't be a problem.

EcchiOtakuTM1 votes

Meh I don't really see damage supports needing help aside from making non-equinox eye items viable.

Cause if eye of the watchers was actually good damage supports could really get their item slots going, which is what they need.

While utility supports who would be the weakest support if the previous change happened should just get new items that mimic support champion abilities/passive. I know I'd love to have leona's passive on a unique item for utility supports.

Not to mention I can still see DoT/AoE mages benefiting too much from this item since they'll stack it up far too easily. This item gives AP, Magic Pene, and CDR all the things they would want plus it would scale off AP something they get a lot easier than supports.

Athenes Lulu1 votes

> Not counting Lulu > Lulu is still played botlane

Rofl.

PalPlays1 votes

Whoops! Thanks, I just added her.

I knew that I was forgetting someone...

EcchiOtakuTM1 votes

It's not "poke" support it's "damage" supports. And a damage support only needs the support item->sightstone and build like you normally would. There's no reason for a damage support to force themselves to build like a utility support.

And gotta say no to that item. it's too single-target effective and unreliable.

There's only damage, utility or tank supports btw.

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