Riot can we talk about your lack of on-hit support?

Linna Excel··3 votes·748 views

This has been a little true for awhile, but it seems like riot tends to avoid supporting on-hit effects to the extent it tries to support other play styles. Particularity for items. I mean they are there, but there is rarely cohesion among them.

item 3085 - only good on ranged champs that build crit. People who like kayle and teemo are kinda screwed as crit is wasted on them. item 3153 - languished for awhile, but it finally got a buff. A few champs can use it, but still a bit too niche for most champs. It's very hard to find a spot in your build for it. Used to be core on Vayne, but after it was nerfed she went to crit build. item 3115 - The only AP on hit item. Doesn't really have many complementary items as far as on-hit goes as hurricane's crit is wasted on AP champs. item 3091 end is an exception, but has different stats its aimed at. item 3091 - This is a bit odd of an item as its stats, AS and MR, are kind of going in the opposite direction of each other. So while the on hit is nice, there's not many champs that this item is aimed at.
item 1419 - junglers only pretty much as the need to take smite and building the jungle component is too painful for laners. Also there's a limited amount of junglers who would even consider it.
item 3124 - riot hates hybrid champs. Takes a bit of time to prep the item. Chances are the battle's over when you get full stacks. item 3022 - pretty much a tank item. I don't see that many tanks buy it.
item 3077 - it's passive effect is melee only despite hurricane, jinx, and kayle being in the game. So it doesn't work with hurricane and the on-hit doesn't work with rageblade either.

So looking at these items, it seems like on-hit itemization needs a little TLC. Most of them are AS based, which makes sense, but AS is a little undervalued and you'd need an effect big enough to want it. I mean look at the old hurricane, it was hated largely because while it supported on-hit, there really wasn't enough on-hit in the game to support.

BTW, there's another problem with AS as most of these items are AS based: there aren't many champs that scale directly with AS. Shyvana does, but really she can only build one, maybe 2 AS items as she needs to build beef. Vayne's W likes AS, but she's better with crit now. Vi's W would like AS, but most people use her as a beefy caster-assassin and not a stand and punch style champ.

8 Comments

CannabisOverlord2 votes

ive actually gone bloodrazor in lane quite a bit with ppl like teemo and xin/irelia i do solid but ppl think im trying to steal jg xD Edit: i also buy mallet on almost everyone that autos

Linna Excel2 votes

Oh goodness.

Yes, that's another problem with going smite on a laner. Teammates aren't expecting you to go bloodrazor and they start tilting.

CannabisOverlord2 votes

Literally that exactly, no matter how much i tell them im taking it for bloodrazors beautiful max health damage

AeroWaffle2 votes

What about item 3091 ?

item 3091 and item 3115 work well together on an AP-onhit, since you get two different sources of ability damage on hit along with magic resist shred.

Linna Excel1 votes

I forgot about it actually, thanks for the reminder.

Wit's end is a bit weird in that it is meant for champs who want AS and MR, with the on-hit being a nice bonus. It's a good niche item and you are correct in that there are some complementary purposes it has with nashor's. I think my main criticism of the two as a pair is that there aren't that many champs who scale with AP, AS, and MR.

WoonStruck1 votes

Meanwhile some on-hit build pops up on champs ~1 time a season and causes them to gut/remove an item for the sake of balance.

There's a reason there's not much on-hit support. A lot of it is largely champion-independent. This leads to a lot of unforeseen balance issues.

Orangesilk1 votes

I mean, Kayle is a fantastic champion right now, she needs no buffs at all. KogMaw On-hit is the new king of the botlane. Irelia Jax Seem to be doing fine in the toplane. MasterYi Shyvana Warwick XinZhao Jax All have actually a positive and balanced winrate.

I mean, aside from Aatrox Kindred who have very particular problems, on-hitters seem to be doing well in all four roles (We will never see an on-hit support, I'm sorry) So, no, I think, for once, Riot has nailed on-hit balance right in the head.

Matake1 votes

item 3153

the only support on hit item you will ever need

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