League of Legends (LoL) Question: Are tanky characters less tanky in S3?

Posted in General 2,372

Are tanky characters less tanky in S3?

Asked by androsynth on January 28, 2013

I play a lot of tanky characters: jungle tanks, jungle bruisers, bottom lane supports -> end game tanks. I've noticed that, in general, it is harder to build tanky in S3 than it was in s2. I am just basing on my own experience so far in s3. Has anyone else noticed this?

My guess is that the removal of hurt tanks more than anyone realized. The gives you an immediate tank stat (health); it builds into a great item: and it gives you gp5. It was a core item on a lot of different champions ranging from bottom lane to jungle and occasionally top lane. As of right now, there really is no good replacement. philosopher's stone is still core on a lot of jungle/lane support builds, but its built for sustain, not directly for engagements. Plus it only builds into a tanky support item , not a pure tank item, not even a supporty tank item.

<opinion>I think this really hurts bottom lane support tanks , and . They now have to go either single gp5, which means they can't get all the heavy tank items and have to go more support, which imo is not what those 3 champions want to build given their kits. 3 tank items, , and boots feels about right on them. Now its more like 1, maybe 2 tank items max (im including as a tank item here). If they want the extra gold, they have to buy kages lucky pick which 1) doesnt make them tankier and 2) doesnt build into any pure tank items ( seems more like an ap offtank item).</opinion>

I think Riot knew what they were doing, since a fully geared s2 tank was a brutal beast, but I think they accidentally went too far and inadvertently changed the end-game tank metagame. Initiating a team fight just feels different.

Also the removal of means there is no single caster-dominator item anymore (now everything is not so overpowering in MR but has other stats). But I think thats because it may have been too easy to shutdown a fed mage in s2.

So has anyone else noticed this? In general, are tanks less tanky in s3? I feel like it affected jungle tanks also, or is it just bottom lane support tanks?

Answers (3)

(3) |

Resistances cost more, AD costs less and HP cost less since the season 3 start.

To be tanky in S3 means more hp and less resistances than in S2.

(539) |

used to make a tank... a tank :D

With the removal of it, tanks are in desperate need of alternative MR and health regen items.
Luckily, was added in the game, being in a lot of cases the new MR item for tanks.
Also: also grants an extra amount of health regen, instead of the passive regen of .

I think did have influence, but not as much as , being a not so expensive, supertanky item.

So to answer your question directly:
Yes, tanks are less tanky.
However, when picking the right items for the right champion, you can almost get the same result as in S2.

So you can't just pick + + and be tanky enough :P

(353) |

Overall it is harder to build tanky because Riot removed the simple efficient paths to tankiness , which caused problems in s2.

However the things you mentioned aren't really true.
The tank-support thing wasn't really a problem. Rather all supports got hurt by the removal of heart of gold because of the cheap health and efficiency. However I do feel sightstone kinda brings it back.
FoN was already seldom used in s2 anyways which is why they removed it. FoN wasn't bought to shutdown fed mages.