Thursday, 25 Jul 2024

How to Optimize Your Itemization as a Battlemage in League of Legends

Battlemages are a unique class of champions in League of Legends. They are mage-bruisers who rely on getting up close and personal to deal damage, while also having spells that help them survive in the heat of battle. In this guide, we’ll explore the best strategies for itemizing as a Battlemage, ensuring that you can maximize your effectiveness on the Rift.

Understanding Battlemages

Battlemages are characterized by their short-ranged spells and their ability to sustain themselves in combat. Because of their playstyle, they require a careful balance of offensive and defensive items. The key stats that Battlemages prioritize are ability power (AP), movement speed, and health. By focusing on these attributes, you can enhance your survivability while still dealing significant damage.

Key Takeaways for Itemizing Battlemages

  • Battlemages are short-range mages who trade their own health to deal damage.
  • Due to their close-range nature, they tend to prioritize movement speed, AP, and health.
  • Battlemages have the flexibility to build either as glass cannons or full-on tanks, depending on the situation.

Battlemage in action

Variations of Battlemages

Battlemages come in various forms and playstyles. Some opt for a full glass cannon build, relying on their utility spells to burst down enemies. Others forgo mana entirely, building items that do not rely on mana resources. Examples of mana-based Battlemages include Swain, Ryze, Cassiopeia, and Sylas. Understanding the nuances of each Battlemage variant is crucial for optimizing your itemization strategy.

Understanding Battlemage Item Requirements

As a Battlemage, there are key requirements that your items need to address. Firstly, you need to survive the initial burst of damage inflicted upon you to be able to sustain tank the continuous damage. Items such as Archangel’s Staff, Rod of Ages, Gargoyle Stoneplate, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and Crown of the Shattered Queen are essential for mitigating this initial burst.

Secondly, you need to be able to close the gap between you and your targets and stick to them. Items like Rocket Belt, Cosmic Drive, Rod of Ages, and Rylai’s Crystal Scepter are highly recommended. These items provide movement speed and additional survivability or damage, enabling you to effectively engage and maintain pressure on your opponents.

Lastly, Battlemages often find themselves in the midst of the enemy team, making items with AoE debuffs incredibly valuable. Frozen Heart, Jak’Sho, and Abyssal Mask are examples of items that can provide strong AoE debuffs, further enhancing your impact in team fights.

Striking the Balance between Survival and Damage

Itemizing as a Battlemage requires finding the delicate equilibrium between survival and damage. Without defensive stats, it’s challenging to withstand the enemy’s onslaught and sustain yourself. Conversely, low AP values make it difficult to output significant damage and be a threat. Additionally, you need to carefully consider the amount of movement speed you require to efficiently engage opponents without compromising your survivability and damage potential.

For example, a Battlemage like Vladimir, who has a supreme survival cooldown ability, can build full glass cannon with just a bit of movement speed from items or summoner spell Ghost. However, some Battlemages may require items like Zhonya’s Hourglass to enable a second rotation of spells.

In most cases, it is optimal to strike a balance between offense and defense. Building some health, resistances against the most dangerous sources of damage, and AP will maximize your effective health while also allowing you to deal significant damage.

Specific Itemization Choices

While most tank items in the game cater to champions who rely on attack damage (AD), there are still some notable item choices for Battlemages. Movement speed items like Deadman’s Plate and Chemtech Putrifier can prove useful in certain situations. Additionally, items like Sunfire Aegis, Shurelya’s Battlesong, and Jak’Sho’s Omen offer a mix of damage, team sustain, and survival stats that can greatly enhance a Battlemage’s effectiveness.

Battlemages who find themselves in close proximity to enemies can also benefit from items like Frozen Heart, Randuin’s Omen, and their respective passives. These items provide additional survivability while impeding the enemy’s offensive capabilities. Anathema’s Chains can be a useful choice when you need to neutralize specific high-threat targets, making it much more difficult for them to take you down.

FAQs

Q: Can Battlemages effectively build as full glass cannons?
A: While some Battlemages can get away with a full glass cannon build, most still require some defensive items to continuously stay in combat and survive.

Q: What are the key stats that Battlemages prioritize?
A: Battlemages prioritize ability power (AP), movement speed, and health. These attributes enhance their survivability and damage output.

Q: Are there specific items that help Battlemages close the gap to their targets?
A: Yes, items like Rocket Belt, Cosmic Drive, Rod of Ages, and Rylai’s Crystal Scepter provide movement speed and additional utility, allowing Battlemages to effectively engage and remain in close proximity to their targets.

Q: Are there instances where Battlemages can benefit from tank items?
A: Yes, certain tank items like Frozen Heart, Randuin’s Omen, and Jak’Sho’s Omen can significantly enhance a Battlemage’s survivability and overall effectiveness in team fights.

Conclusion

When itemizing as a Battlemage in League of Legends, it’s crucial to strike a balance between offense and defense. Prioritize items that enhance your survivability while still providing the necessary damage to be a threat in team fights. Understanding the unique requirements of your champion and adapting your itemization strategy accordingly will greatly improve your overall performance on the Rift. Remember, being a Battlemage is all about finding that perfect balance between destructive power and unwavering resilience.