Role-supporting Items vs Role-transformational Items

#Role-supporting Items: tanky dps caster Most items fall into this category, so this is far from an exhaustive list. The idea behind these items is that they improve upon abilities you already have. Any active or unique effects they have will be useful (normally) only to those champions which already serve a similar nitch. (Example: FOTM allows tanky defenders to better defend other champions, but seems a bit silly on tanky carries, who mostly want to defend themselves)

#Role-Required Items These are items which are more or less required in order to succeed in a particular role. They are designed to mitigate inherant weaknesses of those roles, and often receive heavy nerfs when they see use outside of their designated roles. In many ways, Role required items re-enforce the meta--that is, they encourage known-to-be-effective strategies.

#Role-transformational Items = Assassin = Bruiser = DPS carry = Support Role transformational items grant effects which are either VERY powerful, or VERY indicative of a certain class. These items grant abilities with obvious usefulness, which is not strongly tied to the strengths of the champion purchasing them. This allows, in some cases, for champions to purchase the item, and by virtue of the item alone, act as though they were members of an entirely different class of champion.

#General Commentary For the most part, I would say that this last category of items is a new addition to League of Legends. Riot experimented with class specific items when working with junglers and supports, and then tried to expand that concept to other classes. Instead of creating more items, as they wished, which benefit only the specific targeted classes, they have stumbled upon something far different. Most any ADC wishes they could be a brusier at the same time, and so they buy , and suddenly they are. Almost no-one who is not a support wants to become one, and so very few people buy . This kind of trend will continue, I am certain, but should be addressed as what it is, and not what we might wish it were. most certainly is very good on Juggernaut type champions, but the way it is constructed, its true purpose is not to make juggernauts better but to make a non-juggernaut into one. If such items are to exist in this game, they should be balanced with the understanding that that is what they do. Trying to pretend they are anything different will be frustrating at best, and futile at worst.