Which AD Support Item Is Better For Senna?

TLDR: ... I don't blame you, this is long and the result is pretty much as expected. Spectral Sickle is better for gold value, but Steel Shoulderguards might not be as far off as you'd think.

I just had another post about Senna in a related topic, and it seems to have taken off. Lets try part two!

The other post is here

The subject of the previous post was about how much gold value Senna gains from raw stats provided from each wraith based on her passive.

The final result was 72.75 gold.

• +3 flat gold

• +35 gold per 1 AD

• +30 gold

• assuming you will eventually accumulate 20 stacks, resulting in +15% critical strike chance, valued at 600g

• +4.75 gold

• calculated based on assumed gold value of Rapidfire Cannon passive (see other post for details)

Important Note: These calculations are the gold values of stats acquired from her passive when compared to the gold value it would take to receive them from items. For example, if she had zero items and 140 wraiths collected she would have +140 AD and 100% critical strike chance. The gold value of 140 AD and 100% critical strike chance can be compared to the gold value of those stats gained from her having 0 wraiths, 2 Essence Reavers, and 2 Cloaks of Agility. The fact that her passive reduces her critical strike damage has no bearing on the gold value of the stats she gains because she would deal the same damage in both instances.

Now I'm wondering if Spectral Sickle or Steel Shoulderguards are better for her based on the gold she is able to accumulate from a combined minions, wraiths, stats and the respective income passives.

What can we rule out? Passive gold accumulation over time ... everyone gets that. Both items give 2 gold per 10 seconds, so we are going to consider that a wash. Senna's passive allows her to acquire a stack of her passive by harassing enemy champions and when an enemy champion dies near her. This can theoretically be done regardless of the item chosen, HOWEVER, it is worth noting that Spectral Sickle encourages her to focus onharassing and Steel Shoulderguards requires that you are able to at least divide your attention some to last hit minions. One could argue that Spectral Sickle would yield more stacks, but theoretically a skilled player could do both equally as efficiently. Due to this, I am not going to consider this a factor. Champion kills - too many factors, first blood, assist gold, bounty gold Deaths - Lets say you're good... at least good enough to not die .. lol Objectives - You're not taking tower plates, you're not taking dragons, .. Probably some other stuff .. gold from pets, .. you get the idea by now, I hope

Assumptions? I am only going to calculate based on time minions converge in lane at approx 1:30, until the minion gold calculation changes at 15:00 based on the minion page on lolwiki. Beyond this point the cannon minion value and spawn rate increases. I am going to assume that you successfully miss / last hit, and are present for every minion intended throughout this time, and that you maximize the use of all support item charges.

Alright, to the good stuff

At 15:00 minutes, 27 waves of minions have spawned and crashed in lane.

27 x 6 (3 melee and 3 caster minions per wave) = 162 minions During this time, a cannon minion has spawned in every third wave.

During this time you will have the opportunity to proc Spectral Sickle 81 times (1 per 10 seconds) granting 15 gold each time. This one is easy to calculate, so we'll do it first. 81 x 15 = 1215 gold. You are not going to last hit any minions. This way you are maximizing the drop chance of wraiths at 20% instead of 2%. With 162 minions, an average of 32 wraiths should drop. During this time there are 9 cannon minions, guaranteed to give you a wraith for each 32 + 9 = 41 wraiths Using the value of 72.75 gold per wraith I calculated in my previous post, .. 41 x 72.75 = 2982.75 81 Spectral procs + 41 wraiths = total potential gold value 1215 + 2982.75 = 4197.75

Now for Steel Shoulderguards During the duration you have 20 opportunities to proc Steel Shoulderguards. You will want to use 9 of those charges to last hit cannon minions. 9 x 60 = 540 gold You will still have 11 charges that you can use to last hit other minions. Melee minions give 21 gold and caster minions give 14 gold, so melee minions are the way to go. 11 x 21 = 231 gold Since you are last hitting these, there is only a 2% chance of them dropping a wraith. With only 11 opportunities, those are some pretty slim odds. Possible, but unlikely. I wouldn't even consider it a factor. 162 - 11 = 151 minions with a 20% chance of dropping a wraith. 151 / 5 = 30.2 .. call it 30 wraiths. So you're only missing out on 2 wraith drops from small minions. 39 x 72.75 = 2837.25 9 cannon minions + 11 melee minions + 39 wraiths = total potential gold value 540 + 231 + 2837.25 = 3608.25

To be honest, this probably isn't unexpected. Two additions I want to throw out here though.

First, how much gold and gold value from her passive would she gain without a support item and from perfect farming throughout this duration. 81 x 21 (melee minions) + 81 x 14 (caster minions) + 60 x 9 (cannon minions) = 3375 gold .02 x 162 (reduced wraith drop chance) = 3.24 .. or just 3 9 guaranteed wraiths from cannon minions 12 x 72.75 (wraith gold value) = 873 gold 3375 + 873 = 4248 potential gold value.

Also note that a support item passively grants 2 gold per 5 seconds starting at 1:05. That is 167 intervals by 15:00 2 x 167 = 334 passive gold generation.

Lastly, If we take the better of the support items, Spectral Sickle and add the passive gold generation, and assume you're a bad support that last hits every cannon minion. 4197.75 + 334 + 540 = 5071 gold.

This actually means she would accumulate a GREATER gold value from playing as a "bad support" than she would as an ADC lol

Interesting thought.... Maybe some sort of coordination could be done between her and her laner so that they can both maximize their gold.