Guinsoo's Rageblade Discussion

Currently, Guinsoo's is a noob trap.

Part of the reason for this is because it's a hybrid item. The benefits are split between AP and auto attack-AD which don't stack well on most champions (Kayle, Jax, Diana and Teemo are exceptions and most of the time I do not see these champions building Guinsoo's).

Part of the reason for this is because it's a cheap item and it is also an end game item. It falls in the same trappings as the old Atma's Impaler. It isn't worth buying as an earlier game when you don't have the assets to use it. It's not worth buying late game when you have the gold to buy something more powerful.

Part of the reason is because it's base stats are weak. +5AD for 850 gold item combination isn't much. Everything else comes after attackingmultiple times.

Part of the reason for this is because it's so hard to benefit from the power. Even at max stacks 72AP is very low compared to other completed AP items. On the other hand 30AD and 52% AS is reasonable OK as an AD item. Still not impressing anyone.

Part of the reason is because it doesn't have a niche. Lifesteal and spell vamp were recently tacked on when 'bloodied' (d&d term), but does this really resonate with people when we have gunblade with better vamp, better stats and a strong active?

Part of the reason is the power of the item is hard to leverage. It's easy to counter this item with burst damage.

The icon is showing it's age.

Options:

New icon.

Buff the base stats. Maybe +20 AP for 60 AP base is reasonable.

Slowly buff each stack until the item is considered valuable. Currently, you get 4% AS and 4 AP per stack. It's not much even when fully stacked. Try adding 1 AP and 1 AS to the stacks each patch until people say stop.

Increase the stack cap. How about 10 stack limit for +40% AS and +40AP?

Get stacks for taking damage. People have trouble fully stacking the item.

Provide a buff for reaching full stacks. Maybe 15% movement speed? Maybe 50% slow resistance.

Buff the unique passive. Currently 20% attack speed and +10% spellvamp and lifesteal. Try 30% attack speed and 15% vamp/lifesteal. This benefit feels like it is in competition with Gunblade.

Provide a different stacking benefit. Unique Passive: Add 4% armor and spell penetration per stack. On reaching 8 stacks 32% penetration.

Base AS to get that motor of destruction running. replace Pickaxe with Recurve Bow and add AD on stacks instead of AS.

Add recurve bow to the recipe. +30% attack speed. Total cost 3500 gold. 30%(base) +32%(stacks) +20%(bloodied rage unique passive) = 82% attack speed after collecting all stacks and benefits with 30AD and 40AP+32AP too.

Change the recipe items to BFSword and NLRod. Reduce the combination cost to 350 gold. Total Cost 3500 gold. 60 AD and 80 AP base stats would go a long way towards making this item attractive.

Have an upgrade path to Ghostcrawler's Pogostick of Destruction: http://forums.na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=4720448

Obviously, Riot could pick and choose between all the options. I just wanted to make sure I provided some possible solutions when I presented the problems Guinsoo's is facing and has been facing for as long as I can remember playing this game.