The Support Item Overhaul
#Introduction
The purpose of the Support Item Overhaul is to address the lack of identity of, as well as shore up the weaknesses of, being a support player in League of Legends. In order to go about that a significant amount of items and their effects required adjustments, as well as the creation of new items to help increase the pool of tools available to the Support Player.
What the Support Item Overhaul is not intended to do is to create a situation where the Support Player is significantly stronger, to the point of imbalancing the game, and as such a significant amount of tweaks and reworks might still need occur with the adjusted items before they can be considered good to go.
#Identity and Purpose
Currently the Support Player can choose from a large amount of champions, with each one offering a different take on the support position. Whether they wish to be a damage dealer, one who simply supplies crowd control, or a player who brings utility to the table nearly all of these are viable in the short game.
However as the game progresses the Support Player will consistently be out leveled and ill-equipped due to a financial restriction. Many damage oriented champions in turn become significantly handicapped due to this, which often creates a single role or identity for the Support Player. The Walking Ward.
In order for a Support Player to be more than that the item pool has been adjusted so as to create an allowance to craft your own identity. Do you wish to merely be utility, then that is entirely possible, but if you still want to be a damage dealer than that is easily capable. Certain items help to bolster what the Support Player already has, while others are designed to allow for greater flexibility by removing restrictions that have otherwise stifled the support position.
This has boiled down to five final items for the last build for a Support Player. Each item is customized to help said player choose their style and stick with it, though some may prove more difficult to use than others.
#The Final Five
Face of the Mountain +450 Health +100% Base Health Regen +10% Cooldown Reduction +3 Gold Per 10 Seconds Unique Passive - Spoils of War Melee basic attacks execute minions under 400 health. Killing a minion heals the owner and the nearest allied champion for 50 health and grants them kill Gold. These effects require a nearby allied champion. Recharges every 30 seconds. Max 4 charges. Unique Active - Impassable Presence When activated an area of effect slow is generated in the immediate vicinity of the owner. Any enemies who remain in the slow for 2 seconds are temporarily rooted. 180 second cooldown.
When speaking of Face of the Mountain it is a pretty solid defensive pick for the support player. The Spoils of War passive allows for a good rate of gold acquisition, while it can also offer up some nice health recovery to create increased sustain in a situation where one wouldn't expect it. A small upward tweak to the passive gold gain gives the Support Player some more breathing room when it comes to building choices.
However Face of the Mountain is an item designed for Tanks and it falls a little flat with the current shield passive. Instead it becomes an on-demand slow area of effect, with potential to root, and can serve debilitating in team fights. This can make the seemingly less threatening support tank far more lethal, even though the root itself is only half a second.
Frost Queen's Claim +60 Ability Power +10% Cooldown Reduction +5 Gold Per 10 Seconds +50% Base Mana Regen -50% Gold Income from Minion and Monster Kills Unique Passive - Tribute Spells and basic attacks against champions or buildings deal 15 additional damage and grant 15 Gold. This can occur up to 3 times every 30 seconds. Unique Active - Queen's Domain When activated a large field is placed. While you are inside the area your spells burn enemies for 4 seconds, dealing magic damage equal to 3% of their current health. The field lasts for ten seconds. 240 second cooldown.
Frost Queen's Claim is an item that has often been used by the more offensive mage players. First and foremost in line with the rest of the mana item adjustments the base mana regen has been lowered, placing importance on conservation of skill usage and accuracy of skill shots. Gold gained from creep kills has been decreased, but ambient gold gain has been more than doubled to make up for that.
Tribute, which gives both gold and damage for the builder of the item has remained the same. However the previous ghosts have been replaced by a new damage oriented effect. Similar to a Trundle field while standing inside of it the Support Player gains the ability to add an additional source of damage to their spells.
However unlike with Liandry and Brand's passive this effect has a counter to it, and that is to either wait out the field or simply move the battle elsewhere. This places importance on the Support Player knowing the best time and place to strategically place their extra source of damage.
Talisman of Ascension +400 Health +150% Base Health Regen +50% Base Mana Regen +10% Cooldown Reduction
Unique Passive - Favor Being near a minion's death without dealing the killing blow grants 7 Gold and 10 Health. Unique Passive - Together We Stand Allied champions nearby gain +50% Base Health Regen. This effect is doubled if the owners health is at less than 25%. This effect does not apply to the owner of Talisman of Ascension. Unique Active - Angelic Growth The chosen allied champion gains significantly increased movement speed and a shield. +40% movement speed for 4 seconds. Shield strength is equal to 10% of the owners maximum health plus 1% for every 1% health missing on chosen allied champion.
Talisman of Ascension has suffered from a lack of viability in regard to the other support items. While the Favor passive can be useful very little else of it has proven worth choosing it over Eye of the Oasis. Instead this item has been retooled as a utility build that can help supplant a lack of sustain on the team. The active effect is designed to help the Support Player keep their lane partner out of a dangerous situation, or to help set them up for an aggressive play.
Crimson Necklace of Life +200 Health +50% Mana Regen +5 Gold Per 10 Seconds -50% Gold from Minion and Monster Kills +10% Cooldown Reduction Unique Passive - Charity Is Its Own Reward Whenever you heal or shield an allied champion gain 15 gold. Does not have an effect if the allied champion is at full health already. This can occur up to 3 times every 30 seconds. Unique Active - Forced Donation Activates on enemy champions only. Deals 50 base damage plus 1% for every 1% of the owners health missing. Heals for half of the damage done. 180 second cooldown.
The Crimson Necklace is a variant on the sustain approach, creating an item that can allow them to play more aggressively but also requires them remember to sustain and help their lane partner for maximum gold gain. The active effect when used at the wrong time can lead to more damage taken than gained.
Blessed Bow of the Hunter +30 Attack Damage +250 Health +50% Base Health Regen +10% Cooldown Reduction +5 Gold Per 10 Seconds -50% Gold from Minion and Monster Kills Unique Passive - A Thousand Cuts Basic Attacks deal 2% of the target's current Health in bonus physical damage(Max 30 on minions and monsters) on hit. Recover health equal to the damage dealt via this effect. Unique Active - Spirits of the Hunted Summon 2 ghosts for 6 seconds that seek out nearby enemy champions. Ghosts reveal enemies on contact and reduce their Movement Speed by 40% for between 2 and 5 seconds based on how far the ghosts have traveled (90 second cooldown).
Blessed Bow of the Hunter brings the much needed Attack Damage build item for the Support Player, and is designed with emphasis on engaging the targets and doing damage.
#Warding And The New Support Items Rather than being shoe-horned into the role of Walking Ward the Trinket System instead gets bolstered. When a Support Item is built it also decreases the amount of time required for a trinket to recharge. This means that the Support Player can now quickly regain any used ward and place another within the time required. The Eye items have been removed and the Ruby Sightstone now has a final build.
Shielded Sight +600 Health
Unique Passive - Warmth in Armor Gain +10% armor and magic resist. Unique Active - Warding Consumes a charge to place a Stealth Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 150 seconds. Holds up to 4 charges and refills when visiting the shop. (A player may only have 3 Stealth Wards on the map at one time. Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)
Eye of the Abyss +500 Health
Unique Passive - Barbed Gauntlets Gain +15% more Attack Damage and Ability Power. Unique Active - Warding Consumes a charge to place a Stealth Ward that reveals the surrounding area for 150 seconds. Holds up to 4 charges and refills when visiting the shop. (A player may only have 3 Stealth Wards on the map at one time. Unique Passives with the same name don't stack.)
These two Sightstone builds allow for a player to choose if they want more defense or more offense, creating for the maximum customization capable.
