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Scaling Armor Yellows?

Woodakoodashooda··3 votes·1,556 views

I understand the value of armor runes in game as they provide a cushion of protection against many things. Champion basic attacks, AD casters, minions and monsters, and even turrets.

That said, flat AD yellows provide a safety cushion for only so long before falling off compared to their scaling counterparts.

At level 6, scaling armor yellows match flat armor yellows in power much the same way that scaling health yellows match flat health yellows at that point.

In mid to late game, scaling armor yellows are double to triple the strength of flat armor yellows and can provide an advantage against opponents who opted for flat yellows.

For players who rarely, if ever, build armor on their champions so that they can effectively assassinate their targets with great expedience, scaling armor yellows can provide them with some of the defense that they otherwise lack post-6.

So; is the sacrifice of early game defense (a 7 armor differential at level 1) worth the investment?

13 Comments

oSEXYPLATYPUSo2 votes

scaling armor runes work in lanes where you are solo... mid or top... because you level faster. and if you can play safe enough or not vs someone who can all in you at levels 1-3 such as a talon, renekton, pantheon , garen

i use scaling hp seals and flat armor quints on my tanks in top lane... and depending on the champ and what im facing.... attack speed reds, or magic pen reds, ad reds, and for blues, either scaling mr blues, or cdr blues if im not worried about magic damage in lane

Mizuki Zahra1 votes

it depends on if you want to snowball early or hypercarry late

WoonStruck2 votes

That's not a factor because you don't snowball with them.

If you snowballed with flats, you very, very, very, very likely would have snowballed with scaling as well.

Atm, scaling is superior in basically every way. Even the gold lost from just CSing at tower and soaking EXP is made up for from the extra value in armor, and that's basically worst case scenario.

I used to exclusively jungle, and even when they provided 12 armor, flats never really felt worth it compared to scaling; at most I used 3 flats. HOW you jungle was always far more important. This even applies to season 1 jungle, which was much harder to function in than the current season.

######I bring up jungle because its the scenario where a lack of early armor is most noticeable.

Mizuki Zahra1 votes

that's just what I was told when I asked earlier this year lol jungle is fun but I gave up jungle the rework to it doesn't make it fun anymore

I try to use scaling runes but I cant afford them atm so im stuck with flats

Kirius Dark1 votes

If you're jungling you almost always need flat yellows to be healthy through the first camp clears. You really cant get away with having so little armor while always getting hit

It also depends on the champ you're facing. If you're against some AD champ in lane who tends to all in early, then you need that armor more early on to survive. Same can be said for bot lane where you're going to be taking poke for the first few levels which can dictate which lane is going to come out on top in trades

The only time I'd consider taking scaling would be when playing against an AP opponent so armor wont matter until you teamfight later in the game

Woodakoodashooda2 votes

Interesting point, but as long as I start with 3 red pots in jungle, I can manage a first clear without flat yellows. Kill red/blue without smite and consume one red, then take gromp or krugs with smite. If gromp, I can go wolves and consume another pot. If krugs, I have to go scuttle crab and then take raptors with smite and my remaining pots. After wolves, I take one more red pot on my way to scuttle. It isn't needed to kill it since it deals no damage, but to keep my health topped off in case of any unwanted enemy champion encounters during my attempt to kill it. Then I grab item 1039 item 2032 item 2055 and maybe item 1001 if I was able to clear additional camps on my first back and my clears for the rest of the game become easy.

Kirius Dark1 votes

You do that and you're delaying your builds and power spikes for another jungle clear. First back after first clear should be T2 jungle item and either boots or component to the final jg item, all just because you wanted 3 pot open and more armor in the super late game isnt worth it.

I feel after the multiple jg nerfs that the gold income and exp is really tight to stay even in level and gold to laners and going to gank after first back without a champ smite or any meaningful combat stats really will hurt your ganks

Woodakoodashooda1 votes

Maybe if you main a jungle with built in sustain that can clear blue AND red side without any invasion by the enemy. Otherwise, it does take longer to clear than previously. Raptors are especially dangerous now and, like you pointed out, the nerfs to jungle experience have set people back.

GigglesO1 votes

Get flat reds if you don't need the damage or ect... and then learn how to cs with low ad.

Asayake 5150glow1 votes

Completely depends on circumstance - I know people who run scaling Mr and scaling armor on Shyvana.

Being a top lane main, minions would simply hurt too much without flat armor yellows for me. Also, many bruisers have a decently strong early game which would destroy me if I didn't have flat armor.

MunchCrunchLunch1 votes

no. yo will get absolutely fucked by trading. hell Few times i did it. against a ranged ap mage. their autos hurted me like hell.

don't do it.

LawUrDepravdHart1 votes

Scaling armor is situational. If you're in a farm lane then feel free to take them. However, if your lane opponent has high kill potential like darius, quinn, etc. then the flat is probably necessary to survive.

KoggyStyle1 votes

mix and match for better results, using a quint for 4.3 Armor flat will help too.

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