Struggling to pick the right items as a support? You're not alone. Many supports default to the same build every game, missing out on crucial opportunities to adapt and dominate. A strong understanding of itemization is a key skill highlighted in any comprehensive support guide and can be the difference between a win and a loss.
At a glance:
- Understand your core, situational, and starting support item choices.
- Learn how to adapt your item build to different team compositions and enemy threats.
- Discover which items synergize best with different support playstyles (utility, tank, mage).
- Grasp how to prioritize control wards and late-game item decisions.
The Support Item Starter Pack: World Atlas and Beyond
In Season 14, every support begins their journey with a World Atlas. This is your starting point for generating gold and scaling into a more impactful item. Gold is earned by damaging enemy champions/towers or killing minions with stacks available. Don't greed for last hits without stacks – that's your ADC's job!
Once you earn 400 gold, your World Atlas transforms into the Runic Compass / Bounty of Worlds, providing improved stats and continuing the gold generation process. Keep stacking gold using the same methods as before.
The real decision comes after earning 1000 gold from your upgraded item. This unlocks the ability to transform it into one of four powerful support items, each catering to a specific playstyle: Bloodsong, Solstice Sleigh, Celestial Opposition, Zaz’Zak’s Realmspike, and Dream Maker.
Choosing Your Ascended Support Item: A Style Guide
The item you pick after completing the quest changes how you play for the rest of the game.
AD Poke Support: Bloodsong
Bloodsong empowers AD-based supports with extra damage, especially effective for ranged champions who excel at poking like Senna. The item amps your damage and makes your AD carry more effective.
- When to pick it: When you're playing an AD support and need to poke your enemies often.
- Best suited for: Senna, Pyke, Pantheon.
- Example: As Senna, constantly use your Q to poke and heal your allies, with Bloodsong amplifying both the damage and utility.
Engage Tank Support: Solstice Sleigh and Celestial Opposition
For supports wielding crowd control, Solstice Sleigh is your go-to item. The extra speed helps to chase down enemy carries. Celestial Opposition is for tank supports and reduces incoming damage, allowing them to soak up more when they go in for trades and skirmishes.
- When to pick it: Solstice Sleigh is perfect for chasing enemies, while Celestial Opposition is better for soaking up damage.
- Best suited for: Leona, Alistar, Nautilus.
- Example: Leona can use Solstice Sleigh’s speed boost to secure an engage with her E, while Celestial Opposition allows her to survive the immediate burst damage.
AP Mage Support: Zaz'Zak’s Realmspike
Zaz'Zak’s Realmspike turns up the heat for mage supports, adding significant damage to their poke. It deals extra damage after you hurt an enemy champion.
- When to pick it: When you need to deal extra damage yourself as the support.
- Best suited for: Zyra, Brand, Lux.
- Example: Zyra's plants can trigger Realmspike's effect, creating significant zone control and burst damage.
Enchanter Support: Dream Maker
Dream Maker empowers shielding, buffing, or healing supports, enhancing the impact of their utility.
- When to pick it: When you want to buff your allies with extra shields or healing.
- Best suited for: Janna, Nami, Soraka.
- Example: Nami can use her W to heal herself, then attack the enemy champion to get the bonus damage to herself.
Beyond the Support Item: Core and Situational Builds
While your support item provides a foundation, other item choices are crucial for adapting to the game.
Understanding Core Items
Core items are those that synergize perfectly with your champion's kit and playstyle. These are the items you'll build in most games.
- Example (Leona): After your support item, Locket of the Iron Solari could be your core item if your team lacks magic resist and needs extra survivability. A tank item that provides a lot of defensive stats and a shield.
Adapting with Situational Items
Situational items are those you build based on the specific circumstances of the game.
- Example (Facing heavy AP): If the enemy team is AP-heavy, rush Mercury's Treads to reduce magic damage and crowd control duration.
- Example (Need more healing): If you're playing a heal-heavy support like Soraka, consider Redemption to provide extra healing in teamfights.
The Underestimated Power of Vision: Control Wards
Vision control is the unsung hero of support play. Control Wards deny enemy vision and provide crucial information about their movements.
Prioritizing Control Wards
- Early Game: Use Control Wards to protect your lane from ganks and secure objectives like Dragon.
- Mid Game: Place Control Wards in key areas like the enemy jungle and around objective control points.
- Late Game: In the late game, information is king. Prioritize buying Control Wards over completing item builds, especially if you're already reaching full build. Knowing where the enemy is located can be the difference between winning and throwing the game.
Practical Vision Tips
- Deep Warding: Place wards deep in the enemy jungle to track their jungler's movements.
- Objective Warding: Ward around objectives like Dragon and Baron to provide early warning of enemy attempts.
- Defensive Warding: Ward your own jungle entrances to spot incoming ganks.
Examples of Support Items: Locket and Redemption
Locket of the Iron Solari
Locket of the Iron Solari is a tank item that provides a lot of defensive stats. Most players pick this item due to its active which can provide a large AOE shield that can protect you and your carries in a fight.
Redemption
Redemption is an item that is effective for utility and healing/shielding champions.
Practical Playbook: Building for Specific Scenarios
Let's walk through a couple of examples of adapting your build based on the game's circumstances.
Scenario 1: Facing a fed Zed as Janna
- Core: Start with Dream Maker and Ardent Censer to amplify your heals and shields.
- Adaptation: Rush a Mikael's Blessing to cleanse your ADC from Zed's ultimate. Also, consider a Zhonya's Hourglass to protect yourself from Zed's engage.
- Vision: Prioritize deep wards to track Zed's roams and protect your team.
Scenario 2: Playing Leona against a scaling enemy team - Core: Start with Celestial Opposition to mitigate early game damage.
- Adaptation: Follow up with Knight's Vow to redirect damage from your carries and provide them with extra survivability. Build Thornmail if the enemy team relies heavily on healing.
- Vision: Control the vision around Dragon and Baron to deny the enemy team opportunities to scale.
Quick Answers: Support Itemization FAQs
- Q: When should I deviate from recommended builds?
- A: Always! Recommended builds are a starting point. Analyze the enemy team composition, their damage threats, and your team's needs. If you need more magic resist, build it. If you need more healing, build it.
- Q: Is it ever okay to build damage items on support?
- A: In some cases, yes. If you're significantly ahead or your team lacks damage, a situational damage item like a Rylai's Crystal Scepter on Zyra can be effective. However, prioritize utility and survivability first.
- Q: What if I'm behind and can't afford my core items?
- A: Focus on completing your support item and buying Control Wards. Building cheaper, more cost-effective items like a Kindlegem early can provide valuable stats without breaking the bank.
Trial and Error: Learn and Adapt
Figuring out the ideal item build for each game requires experience. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what works best for you.
- Copy the Build: As we mentioned at the top of the article, in the pre-game, you can see what we recommend to build on your champion and when, you can see what others are building on your champion and try to build the same way.
- Analyze Your Games: Review your replays and identify situations where your item build could have been improved. Did you build enough magic resist against a heavy AP team? Did you prioritize Control Wards effectively?
Itemization is a constant learning process. By understanding the core principles, adapting to the specific circumstances of each game, and consistently refining your builds, you'll become a more impactful and successful support. Now that you have a more tactical view of support itemization, read this Essential League Support Guide to learn how items fit into a more broad view of the support role.