When to take ignite or exhaust as a support

TheAceKicker·Feb 13, 2015·2 votes·18,609 views

As many can see in the current high ranking games, supports have either been taking exhaust or ignite. Ignite can be taken as a support to increase kill pressure and lane and in late game teamfights, but gives the chance that one particular enemy that is fed to destroy the fight. So, taking ignite as a support summoner is a risk. Another case of taking ignite over exhaust is when the enemy teamcomp doesnt have the type of carries that suffer a lot from exhaust. For example: exhausting a fiora vs exhausting an orianna. Part of the reason support ignites in soloQ are not as prevalent is due to the soloQ factor of one particular enemy member getting fed, so exhaust would be more useful.

11 Comments

Leti the YetiFeb 13, 20151 votes

imo, exhaust will do more than ignite ever will in late game team fights or just team fights in general

notice how nobody ever takes ignite in aram? its all heal/exhaust + flash ;l

360D3GR3SSFeb 13, 20151 votes

Agreed, but ignite adds a deceivingly large amount of kill pressure especially on dive oriented bot lanes early game. Usually if you have no one who will get onto your squishy quickly you do not need exhaust, Or if you will always be initiating fights first.

As for Aram the teams I play with always have at least 1 exhaust and ignite. It is good to have both.

wwwdotsFeb 13, 20151 votes

ignite can be cancled out by many factors, life steal, shield, potion. exughst cannot. and its huge dmg reduction on any champ early till end.

360D3GR3SSFeb 13, 20151 votes

Yes which is why exhaust (as a support) is always the safe go to. However if you are playing a kill lane or dive oriented lane like I mentioned ignite is almost mandatory. Blitzcrank and graves is a good example of when ignite would be appropriate, In this case even IF the opposing adc heals it is reduced greatly by ignite and increases kill likely hood.

wwwdotsFeb 13, 20151 votes

u secure kill rate at huge cost of survivability, out side of lane phase a dmg reduction provides a lot more then kill secure. that's like support abandon his job to chase a kill.

360D3GR3SSFeb 15, 20151 votes

Yes you do. However sometimes snowballing bot lane means an automatic win which is why I sometimes take ignite so I can snowball my ADC. Again it is all preference and I completely understand why exhaust is so valuable, I personally prefer it because of its versatility compared to ignite.

CyrosGoldFeb 13, 20151 votes

I wish more people would look at the merits of Skirmisher's and smite on a auto attack heavy support as an ignite replacement. Not only will it do more true damage(provided you get the auto attacks in) but it grants vision to them for 6 secs and reduces their damage to you by 20% for that time. So champs like Zyra, Annie, Lulu, even some Thresh builds can utilize smite and Skirmisher's. It also provides options through the enchant, If you need tankiness go Jugernaut, need AP and CDR go Magus. You could even build smite and Relic shield and just smite the canon minions early game. Plus a support with smite can help secure objectives and steal Smite Buffs from enemy jungle camps while warding. Like their raptor, gromp, or wolves.

HowldoomFeb 13, 20151 votes

On the one hand, this is intriguing; wonder how it would work?

On the other hand, though, the Skirmisher's Sabre Smite seems like a watered-down combination of Exhaust and Ignite. It may have the potential for more true damage over time, but Ignite can deal its damage without having to stick to the target for more AAs, AND it applies Grievous Wounds, halving any healing they can do while you whale on them. Exhaust has more damage reduction PLUS some slight armor and MR reduction, AND slows.

In short, I'd stick to keeping Smite on the junglers, who ALSO would probably not be too happy with the potential abuse cases where the Smite support steals the large monster kill during that first leash.

ScramrailFeb 13, 20151 votes

Exhaust is an all around safer pick especially in Solo Queue because youre able to use it both offensively during a kill attempt, or defensively during an enemy all-in/gank. Its just an all around better option when you cant rely on your teammates or the enemy has a diver. Another thing to consider is that most of the time (at least for me), your mid laner is going to have ignite. You've got more breathing room if your mid has exhaust, but even then youd be relying on them to not only use it in team fights, but use it on the right target.

Plus I mean, at the end of the day, a kill that can be secured by Ignite could have probably been secured without it except in rare occasions.

Sirin GioroFeb 13, 20151 votes

I only get ignite when I play Thresh and Blitzcrank because of their ridiculously high kill pressure and high damage early (especially for Blitzcrank). Sometimes I do wish that I have taken exhaust instead of ignite though. LOL I really like Ignite for hookers. It makes your match history looks fancier :^)

Exhaust>Ignite teamfight Ignite>Exhaust laning

TexicantFeb 14, 20151 votes

exhaust can let a bot support lock down an adc and/or support if they have a stun in addition. as Taric exhaust can give my adc a couple seconds of free damage time. ignite...not so much