35 scaling AD(marks+quints/lvl) or 19 Armor penetration? (marks+quints). At which lvl I will do more damage with scaling AD runes than Arpen in all fields? Please don't mention any other runes.
Edit: consider for:
adc with full magic damage abilities
adc with only part magic/part physical damage abilities
adc with full physical damage abilities
typical AD assassin
do your abilities have high AD scaling without decent bases? If yes then the AD potentially. Otherwise ArPen all the way.
Per level AD vs Armor Pen? Armor pen hands down. By the time you can make use of even half the AD the armor pen is already adding way more damage to you abilities and attacks.
Armor pen runes on most characters start to kick into effect at about level 6. The only champs that are excluded from that are stuff like Ashe who have no base physical damage moves outside of like one move. AD per level doesn't kick into effect until about level 12-14 and by then the game is usually already in favor of one team. You want to have more of an effect earlier on. Arm pen runes are great on champs like Gnar.
Scaling AD runes will work fine if your opponent doesn't build armor or have natural tankiness. 19 Armor penetration will work better all around if you know your opponent will build armor or have natural tankiness.
Both runes will hurt your early game laning phase. Your damage from scaling damage runes will be insignificant(Lower) to their most likely flat AD Runes till a while after laning phase.
Since most opponents you face will bring flat armor yellows. I'd take 19 Armor penetration because your scaling AD Runes will hold almost no significance against their most likely flat AD runes during laning phase and you will be out traded.
PS: Your scaling AD Runes will outscale his flat AD runes at lvl 8.
Its all situational. Ad is better for last hitting, but armor pen is for tank shredding.
flat ad = arpen > scaling ad
scaling ad sucks.
I think Zed and Talon usually takes early armor pen for more damage since they have good base damage. For ADCs i think you usually take flat damage; scaling is better if you're in a solo lane and will level up faster. Plus you're getting a ton of damage from items (the scaling damage makes less of a difference, i think it's better to have that damage in lane to help you last hit and harass so you can get to your item spikes) and are probably getting last whisper.
I would prefer armor pen over any AD runes. Having more AD dsnt mean that you get more damage, having armor pen will be much more efficient as an early game item for tanks/fighters in case of ADC having more damage pre 6 means you can last hit more effectively. But mid game I would prefer to have Armor pen.
If you intend to make a rune page specifically for marksmen than I suggest adding in some Attack speed Quints for late game efficiency.
