Hot Take: It's really only vanguard tanks that aren't Ornn, Sej, or support tanks that suck

Warden tanks are actually in a decent spot in the game for either solo queue, pro play, or both. The real issue stems from champs like Maokai, Zac, Malphite, Rammus, Gnar (when he's mega, he's a vanguard), Nautilus...ish, and Amumu.

Where does this stem from? It isn't itemization. It's their dated/messy game play patterns. Malphite's kit is bare bones, Amumu's is too, so is Rammus's and Maokai's is only slightly better. Nautilus is really only decently balanced as a support since he has way too much cc to be a viable solo laner, and how you appreciate that is subjective to the individual in question, Gnar is an entire mess and a half of a champion and honestly shouldn't be meta-relevant to begin with, and Zac's high-flying, blindsiding engage pattern transitions to large scale team fighting way too easily, so when he's good he's dominant all game because his early game ganks are strong AND his late game engage is amazing, so he has to be trash.

Vanguards need updates to keep up with all the updated fighters and slayers in the game. Riot's updated Evelynn, Akali, Irelia, Aatrox, and Urgot. They added bits to Renekton with shield removal, and Kled with anti-heal. They added champs like Morde and Sylas, and the list goes on. Notice a problem here? None of these are vanguard champs. Riot doesn't have an issue with "playing favorites" if you ask me. People blame balance changes on skins or "favorites", but you guys only use that excuse when it favors you (Nami and Morgana get a skin and no changes? Nothing. Riven gets a change and a skin? OmG FAvoRiTisM). The REAL problem is that Riot neglects certain champion classes, primarily enchanters and vanguard tanks. Remember it took the better half of a decade since Nami's release to FINALLY add 1 new enchanter kit to the game, either new champ or VGU? Remember when Karma had a game play update that got ice boxed while Riot churned out an Ezreal update and announced work on Wukong? Notice that Fiddlesticks and Volibear are the next reworks coming, and NEITHER of them are vanguards (Voli is a juggy).

No amount of changing tank items changes the fact that vanguard tanks are stuck in the last decade and can't keep up with newer kit designs anymore. When will ANYONE realize this and bring attention to the fact that vanguards need reworks in this game?