Information on why devourer is a lowsy item for top lane, or any lane for that matter.

Warning Shot·Jul 11, 2015·2 votes·2,064 views

lets say you get 5 kills in laning phase as a solo laner. thats 5 stacks. then you help kill 1 dragon, thats 5 stacks as well. Thats 10 stacks during laning phase, now you need 20 stacks more. NOW throw in how long it takes to hit 2250 gold. you get 1550 gold at 43 cs, which is around the 6 minute mark normally. if youre csing well. so 6 minutes in, you have devourer finished. the only stats you get from it are attack speed, and 30 magic damage on hit.

( This has been checked, at 7 minutes [estimated time of wave clear] you will have between 2,043 / 2,313 the latter being perfect cs)

laning is over in most game by 20 minutes. usually by about 17 minutes. so from 7 minutes, you need to gain 30 stacks worth. 5 kills and 1 dragon is a good laning phase to get from the 7 minute mark until the 20 minute mark right? it doesnt stack on minions at all. so, 10 stacks is taking no jungle camps, jungle camp spawns what every 3 minutes?

(For arguments sake lets say youre on krug side of top lane. ) Krug spawns 1:40 after being killed. So, from 7 minutes until 20 minutes. (13 minutes) you CAN kill 4.85 krugs if you kill it the second you get devourer, and the second that krug spawns every time you kill it. ( impossible). So, that leaves you with roughly 14 stacks on devourer.

5 kills = 5 stacks 1 dragon kill = 5 stacks 4 krugs = 4 stacks That is 14 stacks at the 20 minute mark.

So, that's 44 magic damage on hit, at 20 minutes. for arguments sake, lets say in the next 13 minutes, you get your final 16 stacks. ( For those keeping up, that's 5 kills or assists, 1 epic monster, and 6 large jungle monsters. or, [2 dragons 1 large monster] )

So, at the 33 minute mark. You get 60 magic damage on hit. and a phantom hit every 2 attacks. Is this really worth an item slot? keep in mind you have to take smite to even buy this item, effectively taking away either an escape or an offensive ability, in your summoners.

In my honest opinion, I don't see it being viable on any laning champion.

Thank you for reading.

TL:DR

The numbers don't add up. Now, I know that the numbers are skewed a little bit, and i'm only silver so give me a break, but i'll fix the numbers to exact amounts tomorrow when I've had sleep.

EDIT: most of the numbers have been fixed. I'd like to hear your opinions.

12 Comments

EpicusmaximoJul 11, 20151 votes

Yeah it's not nearly as OP as people are making it out to be. You're better off building a BorK early, etc, and getting ahead early. From my testing, it's about as powerful as a boRK stand alone, and that' sated.

Warning ShotJul 11, 20151 votes

Yeah, i only went through typing this out because i was explaining it to the top laner on the team that i play with a couple times a week. Not everyone look into numbers and it can cost them. so having everything in front of them can help someone out.

StealWolverineJul 11, 20151 votes

You are also not counting the 2 stacks from scuttle, or any counterjungling. On top of that you aren't considering the benefits of chilling or challenging smite in lane.

Warning ShotJul 11, 20151 votes

{quoted}

You are also not counting the 2 stacks from scuttle, or any counterjungling. On top of that you aren't considering the benefits of chilling or challenging smite in lane.

How many times does top lane run down and kill scuttle crab itself? very rarely id gather, very rarely.

Again, chilling smite, a mediocre slow, bested by exhaust by farrrrr. Challenging smite, an ignite that you have to be able to autoattack the champion to get any damage off. Trading guaranteed true damage for maybe some true damage all to build a certain item.

It's not that you cant build it, it's that it's so far out of your way as a top laner that all you're doing is gimping yourself incredibly.

StealWolverineJul 12, 20151 votes

Exhaust while mostly better than chilling smite, has a much much larger CD. It also does no damage.. As for challenging vs ignite, ignite does not reduce incoming damage. It is used very differently. Unlike ignite its generally used early in the fight too use both parts of it instead just used after an enemy has basically gotten away to finish off a kill. And you should gather some more when it comes to scuttle. Even without a smite and incentive of stacking I will take it multiple times in lane. You need to consider the ones who would like sated, are generally some of the better at killing scuttle. With devourer it's not only easier but also more reason to.

An Angry MurlocJul 13, 20151 votes

THE COMMON BRONZE ARGUMENT

IT DOESNT DO DAMAGE SO OBVIOUSLY CHILLING SMITE IS MORE VIABLE LOL

StealWolverineJul 13, 20151 votes

Just glaze over the first part where I say I has a lower CD? About1/3rd of exhausts. It is also more useful as an escape especially against multiple champs as it steals the ms. The little extra damage point as click damage can be enough to secure a kill for a melee champ with no ranged abilities. It also obviously gives better objective control.

junglerboy16Jul 11, 20151 votes

5 kills is a LOT of kills for lane phase unless your opponent starts feeding hard. I wouldn't ever count on kills for Devourer stacks period.

I don't think this is viable at all except for one situation; Double jungle+top lane. Basically, you take 2 champions, one who is really strong early in lane and one who is very good early in the jungle. Before first back, the strong laner goes to the lane and the strong clearer goes to the jungle. They do what laners and junglers do, and then after they each back once or twice as the need may be, they simply share the lane and the jungle camps, effectively turning into a combined duo-lane and duo-jungle at the same time. they then proceed to farm extra hard and double gank lanes for high pressure and gold income. if both are Devourer stackers, they split camps and do a lot of invading. if one is a devourer (say Jax) and the other is a cinderhulk jungler (say Cho'gath), the devourer jungler who started in the lane will transition primarily to power clearing for stacks, while the tanky cinderhulk jungle/laner can hold a lane and get more durability and income.

It's a bit of a wonky play style, but I've seen similar strategies work.

Warning ShotJul 11, 20151 votes

{quoted}

5 kills is a LOT of kills for lane phase unless your opponent starts feeding hard. I wouldn't ever count on kills for Devourer stacks period.

I don't think this is viable at all except for one situation; Double jungle+top lane. Basically, you take 2 champions, one who is really strong early in lane and one who is very good early in the jungle. Before first back, the strong laner goes to the lane and the strong clearer goes to the jungle. They do what laners and junglers do, and then after they each back once or twice as the need may be, they simply share the lane and the jungle camps, effectively turning into a combined duo-lane and duo-jungle at the same time. they then proceed to farm extra hard and double gank lanes for high pressure and gold income. if both are Devourer stackers, they split camps and do a lot of invading. if one is a devourer (say Jax) and the other is a cinderhulk jungler (say Cho'gath), the devourer jungler who started in the lane will transition primarily to power clearing for stacks, while the tanky cinderhulk jungle/laner can hold a lane and get more durability and income.

It's a bit of a wonky play style, but I've seen similar strategies work.

I know 5 kills is a lot, but i put 5 for arguments sake to say that even with you destroying your lane, its still not viable to build it.

While that could work, it would take a very pre-planned out group to pull it off, and event hen things have to go right for them. In solo que it's just not going to work out. ranked 5s? anything can work out inr anked 5s with enough practice, but, made to work, and being optimal and gold efficient? 2 different things.

thanks for your post :)