Is it time for new Marksmen Items?

Torrence·Oct 18, 2014·1 votes·717 views

Hello, So I have been thinking, it's been quite some time since marksmen received any new items that they could use. Now I understand that their role is to deal physical damage from a distance (and the current items can cover that area) but I am wondering if the role is becoming one-dimensional. The builds seem to be the same for most marksmen. It would also be nice if marksmen could get some active items aside from maybe Mercurial Scimitar and Ghostblade. I don't main adc but whenever I try to play the role, it's just not so much fun after a couple games. It would just be nice if adcs got some new ways to fill their role (and I feel that it can be done: there are many combinations of items and many stats to choose from). One idea for a marksmen item right off the bat would be a % AD bonus (like Rabaddon but for ADs). These are just some observations. What are your thoughts?

That's all friends, Torrence

8 Comments

ValyrianBladeOct 18, 20143 votes

I'd love to see zhonya's active or something similar on an item that people who don't use ap can build. It's probably the most impactful active in the game and is largely limited to mid laners, with a handful of ap tops and junglers that can use it.

TorrenceOct 18, 20141 votes

That sounds like a good idea though I do think ADCs need to be able to re-position themselves more than APCs so perhaps not a zhonya's.

67chromeOct 18, 20143 votes

So I have been thinking, it's been quite some time since marksmen received any new items that they could use.

Marksman itemization has really improved since season 1.

It used to be item 3031 + item 3046 + item 3035 + item 3072 was the only thing you'd get, ever, on any marksman. Unless it was Corki at any rate, where a item 3078 was thrown in the mix somewhere.

Now you've got the choice of item 3046 or item 3087 , the order in which you get items can really vary depending on the marksman, and you can divert from the typical build to a more duelist/active centered build with item 3153 + item 3142

One idea for a marksmen item right off the bat would be a % AD bonus (like Rabaddon but for ADs).

ADC's have critical strikes and attack speed to scale their damage to amazing heights end-game, along with armor penetration, CDR, and life steal.

APC's don't have a critical strike multiplier, CDR is a pretty universal stat, and spell vamp sucks on most of them. The only multipliers glass-cannon APC's have is Rabadon's, Void Staff, Lich Bane, and DFG. Those are their equivalents to critical strikes. AD Casters have Ravenous Hydra and Sword of the Divine as Lich-Bane equivalents for things that don't scale with crit-heavy builds as well, and they also have considerably more %armor shred than the available %MR shred due to Black Cleaver existing.

Giving AD another multiplier that would further increase their late-game power, auto-attacker and caster alike, would be problematic for the game. It would make late-game monsters like Tristana and Yasuo that much stronger. Which would either make them flat out stronger, or it would result in unilateral nerfs to late-game champions to make them weaker early to compensate.

Neither of which are particular good, especially seeing as marksman are so weak early they're more or less unplayable in Treelines and Dominion. You place much greater emphasis on 1 single play somewhere in mid-game for a rapid transition between sink or swim for such champions, leaving them in a condition they're useless or OP with no middle ground.

Also - making a universal must-have item runs contrary to your point of diversity. Everyone getting the same item every game is everyone getting the same item every game.

The key to diversity is choice - offering a different spin on something like The Bloodthirster in Kingblade, an alternative to PD in Shiv, an alternate path to IE+PD+LW in Ghostblade + Kingblade.

I'd generally argue marksman are doing really well with itemization choice ATM though, it's come a long way.

TorrenceOct 18, 20141 votes

Or maybe like an item that adds 10% attack range as a unique passive? I don't know.

ZeranaOct 20, 20141 votes

Or maybe like an item that adds 10% attack range as a unique passive? I don't know.

I came up with an item called sight scope that gives flat 50 range to your auto attacks but 100 at level 18 as the unique passive. It's stats were: 50 ad and 20% attack speed. Maybe it could be an active instead for about 15 second with a 90 second cooldown. I imagine people would rage if trist got this item. This would work only on ranged champions.

cshakesOct 18, 20141 votes

After coming across this thread, I realized that Path of Exile's keystones could give nice actives/passives for items when suitably modified. Just look at Point Blank! Imagine an item with that active: bruiser dives you? Np, I'll activate Point Blank - oh shit they had Thornmail mb. Path of Exile's Uniques also have some interesting things to give (Chin Sol: Bow knockback at close range; Lioneye's Paws: Cannot be stunned when on low life) that could be used as inspiration for new items.

DrCyanideOct 20, 20141 votes

item 3157 = item 3139 Both give maximum damage stats in their respective area, and they give resistance to the opposite type of damage. Both have an active intended to help you escape unfavorable situations. You can argue the merits of Zhonya's Hourglass over Mercurial Scimitar, but it will always come down to what you're up against.

item 3089 = item 3031 Both give the maximum damage stats in their respective area, and both give ways to deal extra damage based on how much of that stat you have. There's no such thing as critical spell damage, which is why Rabadon's Deathcap has the 30% bonus AP instead.