League of Legends has hundreds of Items under its belt. As a game that has been around for over a decade, it is only natural that many Items have come and gone. With updates to the Itemization system, Riot has drastically changed how Items work and are approached. Some changes were much more drastic than others, but even the slightest patch can have a groundbreaking impact on the overall meta.
End Items are no exception here. These are items purchased last, and their popularity will rely more on strategy than anything else. Of course, any Item in the game can be an End Item if purchased last. However, some have the strategic reason for being the last on the list of priorities. They are the items that add that finishing touch to your build.
They are also entirely situational, which adds even more to their strategic nature. You’ll have a full assessment of the game by the time you reach the End Items. Based on what the enemy is doing, how strong they are, and what effects they carry – you will choose the adequate End Item.
The popularity of End Items is different when they’re looked at as overall items. Thus, don’t take these percentages here as the general popularity. These percentages will represent only their popularity as end items which is a separate category altogether.
So, with everything out of the way, let’s begin!
Also read: Best ADCs in LoL
show
7. The Bloodthirster
- Pick Rate: 0.3%
- Stats: +55 AD, +20% Critical Strike Chance, +20% Life steal
- Price: 3400g
Unique Passive – Blood Barrier: Convert the healing received from life steal in excess of 100% maximum health into a shield for up to 50 − 350 (based on level), which slowly decays after not dealing or taking damage for 25 seconds.
The Bloodthirster’s lowest position on this list is only natural. As an item that is most beneficial as an early purchase, it definitely fails to be a sound and viable End Item. I believe that this low percentage of purchases likely comes from the lower ranks that haven’t yet grasped particular items’ timings.
The Bloodthirster is an inherent Core Item that works on a select number of Champions. They rush this Item first in most situations, with rare deviances. As an End Item, The Bloodthirster serves, quite literally, nothing. The effects it adds are nothing special that will help you fare better in the Late Game.
With how closely related it is with a particular set of Champions, its overall viability is also low. It’s not that popular overall, and it’s even less popular as an End Item. I don’t really know why anyone would buy a Bloodthirster as their End Item. There simply isn’t a build out there where this Item represents a viable situational late purchase.
Those who believe that there is, be sure to correct me below. I am honestly perplexed that I’m even talking about the Bloodthirster as an End Item at all. Still, that’s just one of the many surprises League is ready to throw at me at any given moment.
6. Mortal Reminder
- Pick Rate: 0.3%
- Stats: +25 AD, +25% Attack Speed, +20% Critical Strike Chance, +7% Movement Speed
- Price: 2500g
Unique Passive – Sepsis: Dealing physical damage to enemy champions inflicts them with 40% Grievous Wounds for 3 seconds. Basic attacking a champion 3 times while they remain affected by Grievous Wounds increases their effect to 60%, and dealing physical damage to a target affected by 60% Grievous Wounds will refresh the empowered effect.
The Mortal Reminder is one of the more common End Items. However, its low popularity is likely because it’s more viable to get as a 2nd or 3rd purchase. You’ll have an assessment of its necessity quite early in the game and probably even buy the Executioner’s Calling right away. Thus, it’s best as an item to get somewhere in the Mid game due to how powerful its Grievous Wounds effect can be.
Mortal Reminder is almost a must-have against Champions like Warwick or similar life-stealing beasts. Either it or Chempunk Chainsword must be bought to counter the insane healing of such Champions. As the only 2 AD anti-healing Items, it’s obvious why either has to be owned in such a situation.
The Mortal Reminder is not that bad as a closing build option. However, due to the reasons mentioned above, its popularity as an End Item isn’t at an exceptional level. I suggest you make the calculation early on in the game on whether or not you’ll be getting it early or as a closing option. The former is what you’ll choose most of the time, but each situation calls for a different approach.
5. Morellonomicon
- Pick Rate: 0.3%
- Stats: +80 AP, +250 HP
- Price: 2500g
Unique Passive – Affliction: Dealing magic damage to enemy champions inflicts them with 40% Grievous Wounds for 3 seconds, increased to 60% if the target is left with less than 50% of their maximum health.
As the AP counterpart to the previous entry, the Morellonomicon has the exact reasons for End Item unpopularity. It is the only anti-healing AP item in League of Legends and thus is best to be purchased as a 2nd or 3rd or even 1st option if the need requires. Holding out on an essential and impactful item in dire situations is a wrong decision to make.
Morellonomicon also offers a considerable boost in AP for the low price of 2500g. The sheer value of this Item should make you want to buy it as soon as possible. Waiting for the build to close out before purchasing it is not recommended, and I will argue against it. Buy Morello if you think that the enemy has too many heals to handle, even if it is very early in the game.
Those heals are bound to get stronger so cut them in their roots as soon as you can. Don’t wait for no reason – you’re just letting the enemy win at that point.
Also read: Best Top Lane Champions
4. Death’s Dance
- Pick Rate: 0.3%
- Stats: +55 AD, +15 Ability Haste, +45 Armor
- Price: 3300g
Unique Passive – Ignore Pain: Stores (30% / 10%) of all post-mitigation physical and magic damage received, including on shields, which is successively taken as true damage over 3 seconds instead, dealing a third of the stored damage each second.
Unique Passive – Defy: If an enemy champion dies within 3 seconds of you damaging them, removes Ignore Pain’s remaining stored damage, and heals you for 175% bonus AD over 2 seconds.
Death’s Dance shares much of its End Item woes with the Bloodthirster. However, it has some good effects that make it a bit more useful as an End Item. You can focus on building everything else before taking Death’s Dance as a finishing touch. It might be that the enemy team has substantially grown in power throughout the game, and thus damage mitigation is a necessity.
For those who want to buff their strength and defenses simultaneously, Death’s Dance is a great closing option. However, as a Core Item for some Champions, it’s also better to get early on. When the enemies don’t have that much damage, the passive of this Item becomes so much more potent.
When they’re super strong and deal thousands of damage in a blink, the passive doesn’t help that much. I wouldn’t say that it is useless, but it won’t be nearly as good when the enemies are high and mighty. Therefore, Death’s Dance should be seen as a good 3rd option Item or even 2nd on some Champions such as Graves.
3. Infinity Edge
- Pick Rate: 0.4%
- Stats: +70 AD, +20% Critical Strike Chance
- Price: 3400g
Unique Passive – Perfection: Gain 35% bonus critical strike damage if you have at least 60% critical strike chance.
The Infinity Edge is one of the most popular Items in League of Legends history. It has existed for as long as the game has and has gone through some drastic changes over the years. However, it always managed to remain among the most purchased Items ever.
As an End Item, it’s perfectly viable. However, its new passive effect calls for an early purchase. If you garner 60% Critical Strike Chance (which takes only about an item or two), you should immediately go for Infinity. Whenever I play crit-reliant Champions such as Gangplank, I look to take Infinity as my second-last option. It helps complete that Critical Strike Chance stat and adds some extra kick to my attacks.
It’s not that good as an early option, nor is it the perfect End Item. It falls somewhere in the middle – an excellent mid to late game Item with a lot of potential and might attached. Many Champions in League of Legends (every crit Champion, actually) love this Item and will have it as part of their Core build.
As such, Infinity Edge will mostly be purchased by the time you reach minute 30 of the game, well behind the usual time for a complete Build.
2. Zhonya’s Hourglass
- Pick Rate: 0.4%
- Stats: +65 AP, +10 Ability Haste, +45 Armor
- Price: 2600g
Unique Active – Stasis: Put yourself in stasis for 2.5 seconds, rendering you untargetable and invulnerable for the duration but also unable to move, declare basic attacks, cast abilities, use summoner spells, or activate items (120-second cooldown).
Zhonya’s Hourglass is honestly an item that is to be purchased either first or last. Most people will do the former over the latter. Why? Well, it’s a situational AP defense Item whose necessity is deduced as soon as the Champion select is over. If you’re an AP player and you see Champions like Zed or Kayn in the enemy team – you already know that you’re buying Zhonya’s.
It’s a direct counter to the Assassins and their quick killing means, which is why most people will immediately purchase Zhonya’s as their first Item. If they don’t get Zhonya’s, they’re at least going for Seeker’s Armguard, which is Zhonya’s core part. We’ve spoken about it in some of our other articles where we assessed that the Seeker’s Armguard is one of the best defense Items in League of Legends, despite not being a full Item.
As an End Item option, Zhonya’s isn’t all that bad. It’s similar to the Guardian Angel, the most popular End Item in League. Thus, due to the similarity, Zhonya’s serves as the AP form of Guardian’s – a way to save yourself in critical situations. However, it’s not the same, which is reflected in its End Item popularity.
I don’t believe that Zhonya’s is a lousy End Item. But it’s much better to be purchased early due to its low cost and significant active effect.
Also read: Best Teamfight ADCs
1. Lord Dominik’s Regards
- Pick Rate: 0.4%
- Stats: +30 AD, +20% Critical Strike Chance, +35% Armor Penetration
Unique Passive – Giant Slayer: Deal 0% − 15% (based on maximum health difference) bonus physical damage against enemy champions.
Out of all the Items on this list – this is the genuine End Item. Despite having low popularity for an End Item, it’s definitely the best one on the list. As Mortal Reminder’s crossbow brother, Lord Dominik shares some traits with it. The primary is, of course, an anti-Tank sentiment.
While Mortal Reminder is directed against Healing, Lord Dominik’s is directed against HP itself. Its primary goal is to allow you to do much more damage to opponents with a ton of HP. Due to how the passive works, it will get more and more powerful the tankier the enemies are. They won’t be that tanky early on, and you likely will share the HP with them. By the time everyone starts getting their End Items, the enemy will have a lot more HP than you do.
This is when Lord Dominik’s effects are maximized, making it an excellent late-game purchase. I’ve bought Mortal Reminder as an early option several times, but Lord Dominik’s rarely comes to my build before I complete at least 4 items, including boots.
It’s perfectly viable to purchase early on if the enemy Tank gets fed. That situation changes everything and is an exceptional occasion. In lower ranks, that will often happen, making Lord Dominik’s an excellent early purchase. But since that is also a unique situation, it doesn’t reflect much on the Item’s general use.
As I’ve said, Lord Dominik’s is the only authentic End Item on this list, and it’s no wonder its popularity is the highest on the list.
Conclusion
End Items are a special kind. Since every Item in the game can be an “End Item,” even the most popular ones will have a low percentage of purchases. Despite these being very low, some have even lower purchase rates (under 0.1%). I’ve excluded those because they are genuinely useless as End Items; the ones above at least have some use.
The only useless End Item I decided to leave on here is the Bloodthirster, which served to explain the End Item’s uselessness. The others have their moments and situations as End Items, with the final one being the most viable in that regard.
I hope you’ve found this list informative and fun to read, and I wish you all the best on the Summoner’s Rift!
(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)
Loading…