Update for Season 4 in progress

Welcome to RockJockey's Gold per 10 Support Guide!

Supports in general very poor throughout the game. Even with Season 3's changes that increased the amount of Global Gold that everyone got, Supports still are left penniless for the most part.

I present to you a guide to an alternate way to generate Gold. This will allow you to purchase Big Bad Items that Supports normally do not get to buy. Why feel meek and defenseless as a Support when you can be grabbing Rabadon's Deathcap? Using this method of accumulating Gold comes at the cost of early game stats. However, if you can survive the Early Game without feeding and keeping your ADC safe, your Mid and Late Game will be stronger overall. You will be able to buy more items and bigger items (and wards of course) to give your team a greater chance of succeeding.

This guide could also be used by Mid Mages and perhaps even Toplaners. I would suggest only using it if your Champion is a safe Champion or one that likes to farm over fighting. Buy your GP10 Items and sit on them until you feel ready, usually about 20 minutes in, to cash in.

Gp/10s can be used on virtually any Champion in a Support Role, because who does not like Gold? However, what you use the Gold for depends on your Champion. Buy what is necessary. This is a general guide for all Ranged Support-type Champions (except GP and Nunu), and I would not suggest this set-up on melee Supports like Alistar or Leona because they truly do need the Flat Armor. Except for the gp/10s, this Guide is not about what specific Items to build Champion ________.

"Hidden in the glorious wildness like unmined gold."
― John Muir

Pros:
-Lots of Gold
-Lots of Gold
-Lots of Gold
-Did I mention 'Lots of Gold'?

Cons:
-Loss of Armor (Flat Yellow Armor Runes)
-Potentially Weaker Early Game.
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This Guide is a rejection of the Meta. The Meta for Supports involves building to survive the early game (i.e. Yellow Flat Armor Seals and Scaling MR Glyphs). In general, 90% of Summoner's use this set-up or a similar one. But there is no reward, you are simply less likely to die. The Support Meta is a Low Risk/Low Reward . The gp/10 Set-up involves risk, the risk of less survivability. However there is also Reward, if you survive the Early Game, you will have at least twice as much Gold as your Enemy Support. If you have more Gold, you can buy more Items. If you have more Items, you have a bigger chance to win the game.

More Gold= More Items= More Damage/Resistances/Utility= More likely to Win.

This section is dedicated to the mathematics behind how the gp/10 method works.

The math here is to show you the earliest possible time it would take to complete both Philospher's Stone and Kage's Lucky Pick. This is assuming ideal variables and that you started the game by not spending any gold.

That being said, nothing is ever ideal, and more than likely you will start with a Rejuvenation Bead and a Faerie Charm and a couple of wards and potions. Starting with wards is not unreasonable. Without map awareness, you will get ganked and feed the enemy, which defeats the purpose of this set-up. Even with a delayed start, you should be able to purchase both gp/10s before 10 minutes easily.
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Starting Gold:
475gp + 50gp (Masteries) = 525gp

Gold per 10 (gp/10):
16gp/10(Global gp/10) + 2gp/10(Greed) + 5.25gp/10(Runes) = 23.25gp/10
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Assuming:
a) You do not spend any of your Starting Gold (525)
b) You do not farm any creeps
Conclusion: When the Global Gold starts (1:30), from there, it takes exactly 1 minute and 25 seconds (2:55) for you to acquire enough Gold to purchase philosopher's stonePhilosopher's Stone.

Your new Gold per 10: 28.25gp/10 by 2:55.
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Assuming:
a) You do not farm any creeps
b) You have a Philosopher's Stone
Conclusion: It takes exactly 4 minute and 30 seconds (7:25) for you to acquire enough Gold to purchase kage's lucky pickKage's Lucky Pick.

Your new Gold per 10: 32.25gp/10 by 7:25.
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What 32.25gp/10 means: (For comparison everything in Parenthesis is the normal Gold Gains a Champion without any gold generating Runes, Masteries or Items)
-32.25/gp10 (16gp/10)
-193.5gp per Minute (96gp per Minute: over double)
-1935gp per Ten Minutes (960gp per Ten Minutes)

By 17:25 minutes into the game using this method:
-(700)Philosopher's StoneThe Math Behind the Gold per 10 Mechanics
-(765)Kage's Lucky Pick
-1935gp to spend on whatever you want.
Total: 3400gp (1723gp)

By 20 minutes into the game using this method:
-(700)Philosopher's Stone
-(765)Kage's Lucky Pick
-4717.75gp to spend on whatever you want.
Total: 6282.75gp (2299gp)

I used LeagueWiki to figure out the totals. Wiki

Greater Quintessence of Gold: GOLD. Movementspeed Quints are very good, if they cannot catch you, they cannot kill you.
Greater Seal of Gold: GOLD
Greater Glyph of Scaling Cooldown Reduction: 10% CDR at Level 18. Means that you only need 20% CDR from Items to Reach 40% CDR in game. Scaling MR is also a good choice.
Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: MR Pen so your abilities deal more damage. This is important if you plan on building big AP items.


Masteries: 4/0/26 Sorcery + Intelligence = 10% CDR.
Meditation: +3% Mana Regen. More Mana Regen = More Mana = More Spells.
Meditation: +10 Mana X Level. More Mana = More Spells.
Greed: 2gp/10. More gp/10.
Wealth: 50 More Gold.
Pickpocket: More possible Gold from poking Enemy Champions
Nimble. 3% Increased Movementspeed. Every Champion can always use more Movementspeed, it helps with chasing and with escaping.

Non-Key Masteries:
Artificer: This is only good if you are picking up Items with Actives.
Awareness: 5% bonus exp. This is nice as a Support to help prevent from falling behind in levels, but not a necessity.
Strength of Spirit: +3 Health Regen. This is bonus Health Regen to help deal with poke. Good, but not a necessity.

Core Items:
philosopher's stonePhilosopher's Stone = GOLD
kage's lucky pickKage's Lucky Pick = GOLD

Anything you buy after these two Items depends on the situation.

Purely Support Items
-Shurelya's Reverie: 10% CDR + Health + Active: AoE SpeedBoost.
-Twin Shadows: 40 AP + 40 MR + Active: Twin Ghosts
zeke's herald-Zeke's Herald: 20% CDR + Health + Aura: 10% Lifesteal + 20 AD. Great item to give your ADC and AD offtanks a bit more oomph.
-Ohmwrecker: Usually never picked up, but if you are ahead and want to push turrets, this might be a good item.

CoolDown Reduction + Mana Regeneration
-Chalice of Harmony: I cannot say just how great Chalice is. I never run out of Mana on my Supports even when I am constantly spamming shields trying to keep my Allies alive. This item should be standard on all Supports
-Athene's Unholy Grail: 60 AP + 20% CDR + 40 MR + Infinite Mana Regen. I pick this item up a lot on Lulu to round off my CDR at 40%.
-Mikael's Crucible: Infinite Mana + Active: CC Cleanse + Heal. Use this to keep your ADC alive.
-Morellonomicon: Spells apply Grievous Wounds against Opponents at 40% Health or Lower: Pick this up against opponents who drain-tank your Team through Lifesteal or Spellvamp or or through abilities. Denying them the ability to heal can change how teamfights will end.

Ability Power
-Liandry's Torment: 15 Flat MR Pen + Health + Health Shred. Good item to make your spells bite and to shred Tanks.
-Rod of Ages: 80 AP + 650 Health + 650 Mana. Great item on Supports actually, but normally a Support cannot afford to buy one under 20 minutes.
-Rylai's Crystal Scepter: 80 AP + 500 Health + Slows.
-WoTA: 50 AP + Aura: 20% Spell Vamp + 30 AP. Great Item. All Champions can take advantage of Spell Vamp to some extent, even a Champion like Riven can make use of it.

Big Ability Power Items
-Zhonya's Hourglass- 120 AP + 50 AR + Active: 2.5 seconds of Invulnerability. Pretty snazzy, prevents you from being instagibbed. This may not the best item since you should be casting spells to keep people alive.
-Rabadon's Deathcap: Honestly which AP Scaling Champion wouldn't want one of these.
-Mejai's Soulstealer: Janna is usually the only one to pick this item up because she can fill up the stacks through assists and because of how hard it is to kill her. Other ranged supports might find this a good buy only if they can stay alive.

Health and Resistances
-Spirit Visage: If you have a heal and you need CDR and MR, this is a good buy.
-Banshee's Veil: Takes the edge off of poke.
-Aegis of the Legion: 10% CDR + Little bit of everything. Aura: Bonus Resistances for your Team.
-Frozen Heart: 95 AR+ 400 Mana + 20% CDR + Aura: -20% AS.
-Randuin's Omen: 70 AR + 700 Health + Active: -35% AS and Movementspeed. Lots of Health + Resistances, this will keep you alive.
-Warmog's Armor: 1000 Health + 1%Health Regen/5. Good item if you need tons of Health against Burst. I personally like Randuin's Omen better.
______________________________________________________________________________________________ This would be a Typical Build on my Support Lulu. It offers a little bit of everything.

If my team was doing well, I might pick up some of these more expensive items to give my spells a bit more power.