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Support Items - Too Much CDR?

hythrain·5/28/2015, 9:46:44 PM·3 votes·1,283 views

Before I begin, I'd like to note that this is specifically in regards to itemization on support-intended champions such as Sona, Bard, Braum, Lulu, etc. This isn't meant to discuss champions such as Annie doing support, who will still focus on building primarily damage at the expense of buffs, debuffs and/or map visibility.

What's the deal with support itemization? No, seriously, what is up with support items? I'm a support main and for some time I've just been frustrated with the stats found on support items; namely the overabundance of a single stat that you can cap with as little as two items. That stat, my friends, is cooldown reduction.

Here is a list of items that are typically used by supports (either due to being recommended by Riot for supports or being something that provides an aura or useful active ability) that offer cooldown reduction as well as how much:

Ardent Censer (10%) Athene's Unholy Grail (20%) Banner of Command (10%) Face of the Mountain (10%) Frost Queen's Claim (10%) Frozen Heart (20%) Locket of the Iron Solari (10%) Mikael's Crucible (10%) Talisman of Ascension (10%) Twin Shadows (10%) Zeke's Herald (20%)

Now before anyone can point it out, yes, a lot of these items cross over or typically aren't used at the same time:

Face of the Mountain - Frost Queen's Claim - Talisman of Ascension Mikael's Crucible - Athene's Unholy Grail Banner of Command - Locket of the Iron Solari

But this just highlights a bigger problem: certain items that you'd want as a support wilL ALWAYS result in cooldown reduction. In fact, if I were to get one item from each of the three areas above, I would always have 30% CDR for sure and 40% if I took Unholy Grail. However, these are only three items out of six. Even if boots and sightstone are up there (And it's quite possible to not even need boots if you get Ardent Censer and Twin Shadows which, even for the slowest champions, offers the same movement speed as most boots), you still have one more tiem to play with... and all of the best options cause you go over on CDR.

Did I mention that you'll likely have another 5-10% CDR from masteries if you're not a tank support?

If you're crazy enough to build into the Utility tree, you can get 5% CDR from Intelligence (and this is good to have since you also now get 20% cooldown reduction on activated items). If you then build into the Offense tree, you can get another 5% right off the bat.

In short, there is a massive amount of CDR for a support to get... too much, in fact, because if you get Intelligence then you will, no matter what, be either 5% below or 5% above the cap.

All but one support-intended activated item has CDR (Not counting Sightstone), and that item is typically used by the one section of tank supports that already might be lacking in CDR since, well, they're likely not building into the offense tree. EVERY support-intended item with an aura has CDR (Boot enchantment doesn't count in this). There is so much CDR as a support that if you actually build for full activated items or full auras, you'll have more CDR than you need.

There needs to be a change in this stat itemization. There needs to be more options for supports to NOT get CDR and instead get other stats, especially when it comes to unique stats that can be useful for a support to have (I'm looking at you, Aegis of the Legion's aura, Chalice of Harmony's mana regen and Frozen Heart's debuff aura).

10 Comments

Drukyul5/28/2015, 9:50:35 PM2 votes

Zeke's is 20

Anyway, I think an interesting solution would be to add a way to increase the CDR cap by 10% in the bottom of the Utility tree.

Erockandroll5/28/2015, 10:07:29 PM1 votes

um, and what support does not want CDR? (and what would be the alternative?)

Most support do well with their abilities, not relying on scaling, so they pretty much always benefit from being able to cast their abilities more frequently.

The other problem with your statement is that several of the items you suggested arn't even Support exclusive. (namely Frozen heart and Athene's) You did say their was some cross over. But this points out that Supports Generally want CDR. (unless your thinking Supports are OP because of CDR)

The other reason I say this is because their is no real good way of buffing the stats of an item without them being picked up by other roles. Censor may help Supports more if it had more AP, yet it would also make it more powerful on Utility mid laners. (perhaps oppressive)

Marthian5/28/2015, 10:38:05 PM1 votes

I don't see the issue. Supports tend to scale best with CDR anyways (And really, there is almost no reason not to,) and having lots of options has never been a bad thing. And there's still plenty of items that can work on supports and don't have CDR.

Maloran the Mad5/30/2015, 2:30:56 AM1 votes

I see what you're saying, and I agree. There are a few builds I like that give 50-60% CDR without masteries. (Care Package Pantheon, anyone?) 30-40% CDR I consider pretty much mandatory, but anything past that is wasted gold.

This is probably why we see so many supports going heavy tank, or AP mage. We have a mage already, in midlane. It can be great to have an AP poke support when you have an AD assassin mid, or a tanky support when you have a bruiser top and an assassin jungle. But for teams who already have an AP mid and a tank top or jungle, I'd like some options for the pure supports, that don't put us over CDR cap.

I have a similar issue with Soraka, with the way almost all "pure support" items give bonus health. Increasing your health as Soraka actually makes your core healing ability LESS efficient, by costing a higher amount of health (10% of your max) which takes longer and longer to heal back from as your max health increases. I'd love to be running around with a bunch of auras; rather than having to build Deathcap and Luden's Echo and land a Starcall every time it's off cooldown, just to regen enough health to help my team in a prolonged fight.

Bottom line, supports could benefit from more Strategic Diversity. Isn't that League's biggest buzzword these days? I'm not asking for a visit from the Buff Barge, but maybe you guys could send the Diversity Dirigible our way with some new (or altered) items?