Are bootless builds viable?

Dasdi96·Dec 19, 2016·2 votes·1,368 views

For champions that depend a lot on combat stats, is skipping boots a good idea? Sometimes I don't get boots till I have 2 completed items because I want to be very tanky.

16 Comments

MãmbãDec 19, 20162 votes

Unless you have 400+ movement speed at end of game (35 to 40 minutes), or your opponents are really bad at taking advantage of you moving around like grandma swimming through a vat of molasses then no, it's really not.

Also, please for the love of god don't replace your boots on an ADC, unless perhaps vayne or lucian who both have insane movement speed steroids that they can sustain for long periods while in combat (and only if your opponents are going sans boots or are either very slow for some reason), even then being below 400 movement speed in this game at extreme late game (which is when you would viably replace your boots with a 3rd movespeed item) can be very risky and dangerous.

For instance, you are jinx.... you've decided it's time to sell your boots for that wonderful item 3046 since you've already got a item 3085 and a item 3087 ........ so +17% movement speed is enough right? Jinx has a base ms of 325.... 325 * 1.17 = 380......... even if we turn on the spectral waltz because you're moving near an enemy champion within 500 units so we get an extra 7% move speed, 325 * 1.24 = 403, which is barely over the amount I recommended as the bare minimum.

Now in this same game let's say we have a champion like Darius who is extremely dangerous for you to be anywhere near in melee with at 40 minutes into a game unless you're like a full tank malphite or rammus.

Darius has a movements speed of 340 base. Let's say this guys built boots of swiftness, he is now sitting pretty at 395 (with no percentage move speed mind you). Let's say he then got him a trinity force and a dead man's plate: 395 * 1.05 = 415 movement speed <<< right here is the dangerous part because he's already 12 movement speed faster than you. Now let's say he managed to catch you either off guard or some other form of circumstances, with one auto he now get's Rage passive from Trinity as well (this is also relevant if he got a black cleaver btw as it's the same passive). We end up with 415 flat movement speed.... 415 * 1.05 = 436 >> he's now 33 units faster than you.

At this point in our scenario there is very little counter play you can do by yourself to make up for this speed differential, unless you are yasuo or riven or ekko who have lots of leaping and mobility spam. Even then him being 33 movement speed faster than you is effectively putting strain on your ability to kite him regardless of your ability to jump around like a rabbit in the spring time. Let's say he also has ghost up.... he get's another +45% movement speed at level 18. 415 * 1.5 = 623 movement speed........ :|

Yeah not a chance in hell you are escaping him, you better hope and pray you are a champ with a stun or significant slow that you can consistantly hit, that you have a nearby ally that is with you that also has some type of cc, and/or can leap over a wall. I didnt even factor in the Dead Man's Plate..... or the fact that he has a pretty severe 90% 1 second slow in his kit.... but I think you get the picture.

Is this viable? Yes, if no one else has boots and/or there are no severe threats for you have to kite and if they catch you at 40+ minutes in late game and murder you, you will then have a high degree of probability in losing the last team fight and the game as a result.

Quil EvrythingDec 19, 20161 votes

depends on the specific champ. And the matchup

Shadowfang TC Dec 19, 20161 votes

I may get hate for this... but I attempted my own build on Yasuo that did not have any boots at all. Instead it used passives from items that gave some movement speed. The build has worked 3/4 times I've used it. But it would need a lot more testing to prove it's good.

Just try it out in normals a few times, and see if it's working out for you.

LordofEntropyDec 19, 20161 votes

Cassiopeia is cool with it :)

Yes depending on the champ and match up, it is often advantageous to wait on tier 2 boots until after a completed item or two. Especially if it's taking a while to get out of lane. If you're just farming away and not really roaming or rotating, then the tier 2 can wait.

khorneyDec 19, 20161 votes

tech the only real boots are cdr boots and merc treads

DynikusDec 19, 20161 votes

Generally not, no. In particularly long games where you're full build, and the game is pretty much going to be determined by the outcome of a single teamfight, it's usually a good idea to sell your boots. But that's the only instance I can really think of.

bad arcade kittyDec 19, 20161 votes

no, it's bad

you should have tier 1 boots when you completed your first item, tier 2 the latest after you completed two your major items

tier 2 boots may give some stuff which is pretty hard to get otherwise, like tenacity (good for tanks) or flat mpen

if anything bootless buils can be viable late game, like if you are a mage and have void staff for mpen and ludens/lichbane for ms you can sell boots and get something instead of them (for instance the aforementioned lichbane)

TheKemperorDec 19, 20161 votes

It depends. On a champ like Karthus, you can pick up T1 boots, but you'll likely sell them, as MS isn't something you worry about on Karthus. For the most part though, boots are a good idea to get.

Leo1024Dec 19, 20161 votes

I usually take boots since I play immobile mages, if you're full build and the game hasn't ended yet, sell your boots and trade them for a Ludens so you can have good ap and some movements speed, i only go no boots if i have to carry and need the damage, not just skip over them completely

Brutalitops01Dec 19, 20161 votes

In most games, skipping boots altogether is a bad idea.

Now, that's not to say that if I have a full 6 item build and need something else, I won't replace my boots with that something else if the need truly is great, however that happens very rarely.

Another thing that might make it a better idea to skip boots is when tons of Cloud Drakes are spawning. Getting a couple of those will make your out of combat movement speed a bit absurd to the point where you don't need boots to roam around and have good macro play in the mid and late game.

CrazyBear1987Dec 19, 20161 votes

as Velkoz when i got item 3285 late game and needed to focus on damage, i sold my item 3020 for item 3135

at that point your not going to out run your enemies, better to kill them first in my opinion

bad arcade kittyDec 19, 20161 votes

{quoted}

as when i got late game and needed to focus on damage, i sold my for

at that point your not going to out run your enemies, better to kill them first in my opinion

you would better have gotten it as your 3rd item, lol

CrazyBear1987Dec 19, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=bad arcade kitty,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=zqVXNKEv,comment-id=00090000,timestamp=2016-12-19T06:00:03.930+0000)

you would better have gotten it as your 3rd item, lol

well do be fair i also already had these XD

item 3001 item 3116 item 3165 item 3026

bad arcade kittyDec 19, 20161 votes

{quoted}

well do be fair i also already had these XD

yeah and your damage was significantly lower than it could be for quite a while

even despite you could deal true damage

ModKnightsKemplarDec 19, 20161 votes

Yeah, read the more detailed post... but no. Don't skip boots. It might work sometimes, but if builds are seen as a way to maximize your chances of winning, you need that ms. It's real important.

HeresyHorusDec 19, 20161 votes

bootless builds are abuse-able only by ADCs ( stupid class really ) and few melees like Bastard Yi, Riven, Kled and maybe Edward Scissor Legs too .

and the one item that can replace boots is none other than item 3046

that broken shit is overloaded like hell especially that flat 12% dmg reduction and especially when u can juggle it to who is going to attack u next cuz it has no CD .

hell i build that shit on even tanks .

as for AP champs assassins like Kata, Leblanc and maybe Ekko can replace boots with item 3151