Sustain Start Item: Crystalline Flask vs...

[quote=NicknameMy]The question is, which of these 2 items is the better start item, [[crystalline flask]] or [[doran's shield]]? For this, I made a little calculation: If you buy [[crystalline flask]] you normally get 3 [[health potion]]s with it, but you can also wait a little bit and get 4 [[health potion]]s. If you start [[doran's shield]] you will only have 1 [[health potion]]. So, there goes the formula for sustain: 120*3+150*4=100+150+2x x=355 Means after 355 seconds or 6 minutes, [[Doran's Shield]] will outscale [[crystalline flask]]. This is a very long time and you also have to consider that [[crystalline flask]] is refillable and also gives mana. So, which one is now the better start item? BTW: If you get [[alchemist]]+[[culinary master]], the formula changes to this: 120*3+185*4=100+185+2x x=407,5 For this, it is 407,5 seconds or nearly 7 minutes. Without potions, so later in the game, the formula changes to this: 120*3=100+2x x=130 So 130 seconds or around 2 minutes.[/quote]

[quote=Vapora Dark]Doran's Shield is stronger in all ins and gives you a higher chance of surviving ganks. Also with Doran's Shield, you're spending 440 gold on something that will remain after your first B. With Crystalline Flask, if you use all the pots, you're only keeping the 330 or so gold that Flask cost.[/quote]

[quote=Khazem]why are you comparing items that serve different purposes? you buy flask if you want sustain, you buy shield for the passive[/quote]

[quote=Lugignaf][quote=Khazem] why are you comparing items that serve different purposes? you buy flask if you want sustain, you buy shield for the passive [/quote] Especially 'cause Shield gives bonus health, and flask gives mana. They're completely different items.[/quote]

[quote=NicknameMy]Both of them give a great form of sustain, [[crystalline flask]] with the charges and [[doran's shield]] with it's HP/5. And the current top lane meta is based onto sustain, that is why you see [[doran's shield]] and [[Greater Quintessence of Health Regeneration]] everywhere. The question is, could some champs, which use [[doran's shield]] get more use out of [[crystalline flask]]?[/quote]

[quote=Khazem]No, they buy doran's shield because they want both sustain and an item that actually does something for them in a trade All a flask offers is sustain. You can't compare it to an item that does things other than that. You buy them in different situations for different reasons.[/quote]

[quote=tehAsian]Top laners buy Shield over Flask because all the top tier laners don't have mana. See: Renekton, Rengar, Riven, Yasuo, Tryndamere, Shen Nasus has non-existant mana problems too, and if you don't start Shield you get all-in'd at level 2 and die because you don't have +120 HP and a block passive.[/quote]

[quote=PsiGuard]+100 hp* Also, lots of the top tier laners deal a lot of autoattack damage or have abilities that count as such. Lots of current junglers do too (Vi, Shyv, Lee, Elise etc.)[/quote]

[quote=Thalia Kael]Yeah so the 8 block damage is also very helpful[/quote]

[quote=Nighthawk]You only buy Flask if you're a mid that wants to farm all day, or if you're a weird sort of top, I suppose. Other starts are superior to it, such as rejuv or faerie charm. Only time I've actually bought it recently is when I was an adc and wanted a bit of mana regen so I could spam skills.[/quote]