It's so dumb that AP Carries have to build Deathcap otherwise they get completely outscaled & become useless. Deathcap needs a serious rework.
It almost feels like we're getting punished if we don't build Deathcap. Even assassina are building it now because theyll get shit on if they dont, despite how squishy it makes them.
DW Diana4 votesThey aren't, and it's designed as a mid/lategame item as an alternative to voidstaff. It the enemy team is squishy with low MR, Deathcap. If they're tanky or have invested in enough MR (100 total i believe), Voidstaff.
Also whats best really depends on the ap champion. With Diana I get sorc boots and oblivion orb for that good old sudden impact true damage, with Malz I want the extra AP for my... well everything lol.
The only issue I see with deathcap is Veigar. He gets his stacks, throws on a deathcap and then builds tank with still over 1k ap lol. But for that you need to get far into the lategame.
iPooUnicorns3 votesThey aren't, they're balanced around 
items and 
AirKingNeo3 votesWhy are AD carries balanced around Infinity Edge?
Why are onhit carries balanced around Rageblade?
RocketRelm4 votes"Why are ADCs balanced around Infinity Edge?"
I think the main complaint is that IE is a viable rush item whereas you need to wait longer for Deathcap. Also Deathcap having a worse build path than IE even after the buffs. I've always found it weird that the "core damage multiplier" item for marksmen is a rush item, but for mages it's a late game purchase.
Teridax681 votesI agree with this. IE is an item that is meant to add scaling, but that provides such a massive power spike that it can viably be rushed as a first item, yet it also happens to have a smooth build path along the way. Meanwhile, Deathcap is only good when purchased after some initial amount of AP, yet even then has a horrendously clunky build path, along with a higher cost. Riot has been extremely reluctant to improve the build path to Rabadon's, and only now are starting to admit that there's a problem when a late-curving class can start entering late-game mode by rushing their scaling item first (i.e. marksmen with IE, plus generally Statikk Shiv right after). It just doesn't feel like there's any sort of consistency to the way classes are balanced relative to each other, and it clearly reflects itself in the game's current state.
YumaS2Astral3 votesI think Deathcap should be removed, and all AP items and AP ratios should be rebalanced around this fact.
Step Sis Lux2 votesIts even more like u have to build rabadon and void so its already 2 and most of them even 3 cuz tear/ludens for mana and cd
Nyarlathοtep2 votesBecause adcs are balanced around infinity edge. Oh wait....
Anidan1 votesIf AP is ever balanced around Deathcap then it's because scaling is a central balancing feature in this game and you're putting in an item that adds multiplicative scaling. This means that, should the game go long enough and outside of niche circumstances, you'd be be purposely gimping yourself by not picking it up.
Snowman Arc1 votesI mean, it's as if ADC don't have a similar item coughs Infinity Edge coughs, tanks don't have a similar item coughs Stoneplate coughs. It's honestly a great design. Seeing how AP champions are gated by cooldowns, having an item granting them enough AP to do good with their abilities is good and it's only good when late game comes, otherwise it's not cost efficient.
It's probably one of the best designed items in the game, because it's simple and not under or over powered.
Shrek Luigi1 votesi buy it on enchanter supports so my ADC buddy can be sw0le as f**k
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