Can we please give Athene's back to mid lane mages?

Gosh Darn··13 votes·756 views

The support role is already oversaturated with CDR + MR items. item 3060 item 3001 item 3190 and has tons of appealing items that give resistances or cdr. Buying Athene's as a support is asking to go well over the 40% CDR cap. You can buy only 1 10% CDR item after Athene's + your eye item...

On the other hand, mid lane mages have no access to no mana regen at all aside from item 1056 . Athene's was changed so drastically because it shared a niche with morello and they were never bought in the same game. Now that morello is completely changed into a mana + high AP item there's really no need for Athene's to be a support item.

Champions like Oriana, Syndra, Lux, Karma, Morgana appreciated the high mana regen over the flat mana. Oriana and Lux might have been able to use new Athene's well but they are terrible supports so they waste the blood charge passive until 25+ minutes when there is no more solo play. The new athene's even has an identity crisis with support mages. Janna doesn't do enough damage to stack blood charges, Nami and Soraka already heal practically as much as they damage, Sona's build is ruined by the 20% CDR from Athene's, causing her to miss out on powerful aura options or waste CDR over the 40/45% cap.

This basically leaves Karma, Lulu, and Morgana who might actually be able to utilize the new Athene's, and none of them are buying it because it's still not strong enough to outdo other options.

tl;dr

The 20% CDR from Athene's dooms it to be unviable on all the champions who can utilize it, so give it back to mid laners or remove/lower the 20% CDR, preferably the former because the mages who needed it are suffering without it.

6 Comments

Irelia Bot2 votes

Um... Abbysal is a support item?

Gosh Darn1 votes

In name, no but it gives an aura so I consider it utility/support. You can think of it as a +20 MPen aura for all nearby allies. Support champions aren't locked into support items. Zhonya's isn't a support item but situationally it's a potential buy on every mage support. So many mage items give CDR now that you're very likely to waste CDR if you buy Athene's, that was my point of mentioning the CDR items.

BloodyTompon1 votes

My thoughts exactly

Automatis2 votes

Athene's is terribad on Ori now. item 3027 or item 3165 work quite fine, and 80% of the time I actually prefer either of those paths to old Athene's. The AP on old athene's was so gutted, its nice to get some AP with my mana item at the cost of a bit of spammability.

I would still like Athene's back. They gave ADCs sooo many items, and with all the items they took away Mages got net 0. I'm certain that Riot could have thought of something to give Athene's a spicy revival in the mid lane, instead of dooming it to be removed/reworked again next season...

SwiftKitten881 votes

i don't play mid much anymore.. but when i do.. i prefer dos equis. err i meanitem 3003 the increased max mana helps.. but what i really like is the 25% mana refund cost.

although i still have the issue of not knowing what to buy vs another AP mid laner that has AP and MR when im not playing a short ranged caster. most of my caster are "poke" casters that dont get within item 3001.

i mean i STILL end up getting it because its the best choice, but i wish the passive had a better effect, the price efficiency is MUCH lower when your not on a champ that goes close to the enemy, which as an AP mage is generally somthing i try to avoid.

if there as another option the effect would be fine, i just find it stupid that

getting item 3001 on Diana vs an AP caster is

is insanely better than getting item 3001 on Lux orNidalee orZiggs

(although to some extent it not as bad onNidalee as you do need to pounce into range to get the kill)

Narvuntien1 votes

I am normally building item 3190 on my supports rather than item 3174 .

If I am playing Orianna Lulu Karma midlane then I am likely to get item 3174 .

Basically it is item 3003 for APC, item 3165 for AP assasins and item 3174 for ultility mages and item 3001 for AP bruisers.

I am not sure they have quite got the numbers right yet though.

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