@Meddler Can we please have context on the AP nerfs?

Aside from Abyssal scepter and WoTA (which are being buffed, for some reason) almost every core item on AP champs has been nerfed to a pretty huge extent. Archangel's Staff Total cost increased to 3100 from 3000 Athene's Unholy Grail Total cost increased to 2800 from 2700 Banner of Command Total price increased to 2900 from 2750 Enchantment: Runeglaive Total Cost increased from to 2675 from 2250 Recipe now [Jungle Item + Amp. Tome + Sheen + 140g] AP reduced to 40 from 50 Mana increased to 250 from 200 Haunting Guise Total cost increased to 1600 from 1500 Liandry's Torment Total gold cost increased to 3200 from 3000 Lich Bane Total cost increased to 3200 from 3000 (not too bad of a nerf tbh, if you can use the cdr) Recipe now Blasting Wand + Sheen + Aether Wisp Now grants 10% CDR Movement speed increased to 7% Luden's Echo Price increased to 3200 from 3000 Mejai's Soulstealer Now builds out of The Dark Seal + 1000g Now gives 200 mana Stacking Mechanics reworked New Unique Passive - Dread: Grants 5 Ability Power per Glory. Grants 10% movement speed if you have at least 15 Glory. New Unique Passive - Do or Die: Grants 4 Glory per champion kill or 1 Glory for an assist, up to 30 Glory total. Lose 8 stacks of Glory upon dying. (Work to get stacked is significantly increased, max AP down from 160 to 150, cost increased, lost stacks dramatically increased in most scenarios) Morellonomicon Total cost increased to 2550 from 2300 Rabadon's Deathcap Total cost increased to 3800 from 3500. Rod of Ages Total cost increased to 3000 from 2700 (Sort of comes out even) AP increased to 80 from 60 Rylai's Crystal Scepter Total cost increased to 3200 from 3000 Sheen Cost reduced to 1050 from 1250 No longer grants 25 AP Mana increasead to 250 from 200 Now grants 10% CDR Tear of the Godess Total cost increased to 750 from 720 Void Staff Total cost increased to 2650 from 2500 **Zhonya's Hourglass **(Yikes) Cost increased to 3200 from 3000 AP reduced to 80 from 100 Armor reduced to 45 from 50

It wouldn't be so bad, but AD itemization isn't getting nerfed like AP stuff, and Magic Resist items have actually been buffed (70 MR on banshee's veil). The average assassin build (Nomicon, echo, deathcap, void staff, zonyas, sorcs) increases by increases in cost by a whopping 1100 gold and decreases in AP by ~ 25. So... can we please get some explanation? AP champs aren't oppressive at any level of play; in fact it's been a bit disconcerting how barely any AP junglers are viable (basically just diana and if you count, elise and ekko, even though they're tanks) and how AP top laners are also rare (rumble and on rare stints, kennen) and how in soloque, ADCs have already been a bit oppressive to mid lane mages, and now are getting more base damage and better itemization.

Also, it's a bit frustrating that we have 20 new items in the game, and not one of them is even applicable to AP champions, which make up a huge portion of the champ pool. Aside from the addition of Liandry's last season, and luden's echo / runeglaive, itemization has seemed a bit stagnate. It'd be cool to see something new, it's been a while.

TL;DR Literally every AP champion is getting massive nerfs from game-wide cost increases that are pretty much exclusive to AP characters (despite some nerfs to BT and IE to try and include other options). Can we please get some explanation as to why?