There are not enough early item options for Mages vs AD Assasins mid:

The only early item option for mages is . Seekers is the only defensive option for Mages, but that is indeed the problem. There is only one option. Rushing Seekers pigeonholes mages into the Zhonyas rush, which has more drawbacks than positive effects on the game. The drawbacks include.

1. lack of mana - rushing gives no mana sustain and the ap it gives is not enough to start clearing waves. The Mage is forced to farm under turret until sufficient ap is acquired. The AD Assasin, usually or can endlessly push the wave without having to manage a resource , allowing them to freely roam and pressure other lanes, while the poor Mage sits under turret, with no mama and no way to follow the roam or counter by wave clear.

2. is an option, but really risky - morello is an attractive option but you're signing a death sentence to the Zed mid. Morellos offers no defensive stats and the lane becomes a risky duel between a Mage and some of the best duelists in the game. Usually, this matchup ends very badly for the Mage. The AD assassin gets fed and roams to other lanes, usually ending in a snowball mess, sub 25 minute game.

My idea is to add another option to seekers, which allows for mages to have another option to combat that pesky mid.

Add an item option that builds from + and that gives ap, mana, mregen and armor. This type of item would allow for mages to build something that isn't allowing for mages to not have to delay their power spike and allow them to be able to fight against Assasins mid._