So, let's talk Cut Down & Giant Slayer

First and foremost, since we all know some moderators are very trigger happy when it comes to "thread in the wrong section", I want to to remind you that both rune setups and itemization are direct directly affecting the flow of the game, the way the game is played and even the whole meta itself, and such, the thread is in the correct section.

Now, let's get back to the main point I want to make.

People are noticing a good return of HP stackers and tanks in general since the removal of the True Damage on Conqueror (which was indeed truly needed), and while true, tanks are still made of cardboard later in the game, cardboard is still much more durable than the wet tissue paper most squishies are made of.

But here comes the problem, until that point where you 4 shot a tank (not talking about you ), HP stackers can prove themselves a good problem, and that comes from more angles than just tanks in general, as tanks are far less annoying to deal with compared to certain champs who build HP items in general, such as:

Only to name a few, because for tanks, you kite them, and unless your name is cinnamon with "what's a hitbox?" (if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's these three: ), and if they can't reach you, they can't really hurt you, but most of the above are bruisers or Ekko, and they have no problems reaching you in the first place, but their big HP pools prevents you from killing them fast enough, but nothing prevents them from showing you that bardboard can beat wet tissue if the force applied to both is equal.

Which brings us to the main things, the rune designed to dealing with such opponents....is with some on top of it, and extra for safe measures.

The main reason why Cut Down is garbage is simply the way it works. It adds extra damage when the opponent has more max health than you, so what's the problem? Simple, it as a rune is too specific and unreliable. If you're ahead and the enemy tanks don't have enough money to add an extra layer of cardboard, then the rune itself doesn't matter, but if you're behind, the enemy tank is the last thing you need to worry about, so there's no actual purpose for the rune. You're ahead? Coup de Grace or Last Stand are much better because they help you deal with the whole enemy team, not just the Trollaf, but if you're behind, unless their guy is a full tank and is the only one doing something, it doesn't matter if he's MalFight or MalRun, or whatever, he's not the one you should be focusing anyway, you want their fed ADC/Assassin/Jungler or whatever dead , so you're not going to take Cut Down again. (Also, Riot, we kinda need a new girl champ who's name starts with P, like, really, one that's not a yordle or void or an ugly monster)

And here comes the point where we talk about the good old removed item, Giant Slayer. It was removed because the addition of Cut Down, but let's check why having that tank buster effect on an item is much better than having it as a rune.

Having it as a rune means you don't need to pay gold for it, it's there constantly, but it also removes something else, in the current case, reliability. Having reliable output of any type is extremely important, just look how it affected the meta in the past season and even now, few months ago, and were the best ADCs, but they didn't have the best damage output, that was , and Jinx still has one of the highest, if not the highest damage outputs of all ADCs, so what made these 2 better than her? Their ability to self peel. Jinx didn't have that, her output was higher but not as reliable, sure, couple her with a or anything that can hard peel for her and is someone who can be trusted as a player, would bring Jinx to a whole new level of busted, just look at the funnel couple, and . We all know insane Yi's DPS, and best way to deal with him is CC him and burst him, but when that weakness is covered by Taric, well, Yi made pro play wins because of that, so yes, it's kinda drills in how important reliability is.

Cut Down does nothing in 99% of cases, because if you're ahead, it doesn't matter, and if you're behind, you don't want it most of the time. That's why it's one of, if not the worst runes in the game currently, and yes, not all runes were reforged equal, so there's always a "worst one", but the difference should be on how niche it can be, but that niche impact should be felt when it is taken, Cut Down is unplayable.

Having the tank buster effect on an item instead gives us exactly that, reliability. If the only problem on the enemy team is a bruiser, you can buy it and have an out to the situation, while if that bruiser is spending more time respawning than playing, you can skip it.

And I know, some players will be like "but I always use it" despite them not using it, or be like "but you have to trade something for something else", which is true, it's how everything should be done, but it shouldn't be a risk, it should be active trade of X for Y. If you're buying over , you're trading more ArPen for Grievous Wounds, that's an active trade, and that's how the tank buster effect should be as well, but as a rune, it will never be. As a rune, it's like this, "I'm gonna think of a number from 1 to 12 billion, if you guess the right number, you get this Effect Veiler from the Legendary Hero Decks, but if you're wrong, you have to give me your Infinite Impermanence from Flames of Destruction". It's unreliable, even if you're right and the guy who you took the rune for is the only problem, you're still not winning much, but if you're wrong, you're losing so much more, and the chances to be right are.....kinda the same as getting a good Yasuo, jungler AND enchanter support in the same match on your team, all solo qued, so no premade stuff, which is damn near impossible.

Sure, it's a numbers problem, if it crows everything else or it's just good enough, but if balanced right, then it is consistent and can be a trade. Giant Slayer can be brought as a 3rd item, made to deal with bruisers and HP stackers instead of armor in general. Can have 20% ArPen and the tank buster effect (damage that can't crit, ofc), so if your problem is a big tank in full mail, you get LDR, if your problem is healing stuff, you get Mortal Reminder, but if your problem is a bruiser or something that has more HP than resistances, like Kass or Warwick, and your team already has a or something that applies Grievous Wounds, you buy Giant Slayer and solve the problem. It's still a trade, you trade ArPen and GW for Giant Slayer, but it's something you actively chose to get when you needed it, instead of praying and sacrificing your gaming partners hoping that you picking a rune won't lose you the game because of how unreliable is.

And well, I'd like to hear your opinions in the comments bellow.