IP to BE conversions: The basics and potential ways to earn more
If you haven't yet, I encourage you to read the article and watch the video TLDR of the changes that are relevant for this discussion
- IP will get converted 1 to 1 into Blue Essence (BE)
- Items that cost IP will cost the same amount but in BE (hence the 1:1 conversion)
- BE you already own will be multiplied by 6.5
- Disenchanting champions will net you more BE if you do it now rather than if you wait until after the change.
- Each Tier 3 Mark, Glyph, and Seal purchased before Dec 7 2016 will be worth 100 BE
- Each Tier 3 Quint purchased before Dec 7 2016 will be worth 300 BE
- There will be a special BE store for a limited time, where you can buy skins and stuff for BE.
- Urfwick will be in the store for 150,000 BE
What do dedicated gamers do when their in game assets become worth different amounts? Why, they try to scheme min-max the system, of course! This post talks about some ideas, and why they might not be as brilliant as you thought they would be.
Please note I'm not encouraging trying any of these, it's just pointing out that they're options that exist because of the change.
First, let me introduce you to our favorite store item for these ideas, the Hextech Mystery Champion Shard!
http://i.imgur.com/B1XUgR5.png
I'm going to call it an HMCS for this article (and this article only. Seriously, it's not cool enough to abbreviate outside of this discussion). These guys cost 195 RP or 1700 IP, and give you a Champion Shard and have a chance of giving you some extra BE as well.
Option 1: RP to BE (for Urfwick)
$5 gets you 650 RP, so at 195 RP a piece you can buy 3 HMCS, convert them into champion shards, and start stockpiling your preseason in game currency.
Here's a table of your potential profits
| IP | Champions | Probability | BE gained | BE converted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | 13 | 9% | 87 | 565.5 |
| 1350 | 22 | 16% | 165 | 1072.5 |
| 3150 | 24 | 17% | 263 | 1709.5 |
| 4800 | 48 | 35% | 293 | 1904.5 |
| 6300 | 32 | 23% | 325 | 2112.5 |
Now, if my math is right, that means on average you'd get 1661.8 BE per HMCS. If you start out with 0 IP and 0 BE (then play some games! otherwise), you'd need about 91 HMCS to get enough BE for Urfwick, 17745 RP's worth of HMCS. That comes out to $120 for the skin, which is probably better than what you would have to spend if you were trying to buy boxes for a Hextech Crafting skin.
TLDR: This is pretty much only useful for those who really want that Urfwick skin, since the rest of us would likely prefer to spend that RP on something else.
Option 2: IP to BE
The other option is to convert your IP into HMCS, effectively trying to increase your stockpile of in game currency for free. Lets take another look at the table, this time modified for profit (since you're spending some of your would-be BE)
| IP | Champions | Probability | BE gained | BE converted | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | 13 | 9% | 87 | 565.5 | -1134.5 |
| 1350 | 22 | 16% | 165 | 1072.5 | -627.5 |
| 3150 | 24 | 17% | 263 | 1709.5 | 9.5 |
| 4800 | 48 | 35% | 293 | 1904.5 | 204.5 |
| 6300 | 32 | 23% | 325 | 2112.5 | 412.5 |
At first glance it seems like a winner, right? Sure, you've got a 25% chance of getting a champion shard that will get you less than the 1700 IP you paid for it (after conversion), but you've got a 75% chance of coming out ahead!
Well... not so fast.
The problem is you're not winning and losing the same amount. When you win, you're only getting at max 412.5 BE more, while you can lose -1134.5 BE. It takes 3 max payout wins to balance out 1 max loss.
When you factor in how likely you are to gain BE and how much, you end up with your average win netting you 223.5 BE, while your average loss costs you 815.8 BE. If you assume it's a perfect world and you get each champion shard once, you'll lose 3820 BE.
TLDR: This is the Casino method. Some people might get lucky and pull ahead, but most people trying this will lose.
Comments? Questions? Corrections? Leave them below!
