![]()
Thornmail is tempting because of its high armor and the fact that it reflects auto-attack damage back at the attacker, but it's actually really narrow and ultimately not worth the cost/item slot. The problem is that since you're the tank, you usually aren't the prime target for your enemies to hit anyway, so the damage reflection effect isn't very useful. Oftentimes, you find yourself being focused after your teammates are already dead, and Thornmail won't bail you out of that situation. Thornmail only helps you, and not your teammates. Compare it to Frozen Heart or Randuin's Omen, two items that also punish enemy auto-attackers. Both of those items will have a great effect regardless of who the enemy is attacking, whereas Thornmail relies on your opponents being stupid enough to focus you before your allies.
Another problem with Thornmail is that it's very one-dimensional in its stats. It gives you armor, and nothing else. Every other tanky you can build offers other stats in addition to resistances: Frozen Heart gives mana and CDR, Randuin's Omen and Sunfire Cape both have HP, Abyssal Scepter grants AP, etc. You only get 6 item slots, and you want those slots to be used efficiently. You can't waste an endgame slot on just armor, when something like Frozen Heart gives you almost just as much armor as a Thornmail, plus a bunch of other more useful stuff.
Start boots + pots, grab a Doran's Ring or two on first recall, pick up Kage's Lucky Pick early if you want (usually when you're doing well, and intend to build into Evil Tome), then go for Deathcap, Sorc Shoes, Morello's Evil Tome, Void Staff, and maybe Lich Bane (depending on your play style). Most people build her as an extreme glass cannon and abuse her good range to keep themselves alive.
edited 11th Jun '12 8:56:08 PM by Mirrinus
The cow eats Fruit Loops at midnight.So, that was a fun game we played!
I'd just like to tell whoever it was that was playing Draven: situational awareness! The enemy team got a couple early kills on us because you weren't paying attention to retreat in time. Minimap and pings are your friends.
Whoever was Malphite: you were pretty cool and got some good ults in. Funtimes.
edited 11th Jun '12 9:18:55 PM by Teebert
"Teebs is a total grump, but he's usually right." - NLK
I was Malphite! That was my first time jungling him in awhile, but it's nice to know that I've still got my ult senses down pat. Helps that I also play Nautilus, so I both knew the tricks of the trade of the enemy and also have experience with a similar ultimate.
A gold ranked annie that's highest rating is nearly platinum hurts when fed, luckily Janna carry np, more kills than the kennen that carried.
Why is there always one person in arabs/arams that won't shut up? They always have to comment on every single thing that happens when they are winning but you'll never hear them if they look like they're losing.
Proving grounds map is decent has one health relic on each side and some bushes, lots of gold to start, will cut down cheaters a lot with backing being pointless, games last around 30 minutes since the turrets are absolute monsters, you can ace like twice in a row and still not take down a turret sometimes.
edited 11th Jun '12 10:08:00 PM by Jeorg
A love that crushes like a mace.New skin sale! Mercenary Katarina is one. So for just 260 RP you too can own some of the ugliest splash art in the game, at least until kat's visual re-work.
Learned something interesting: Aphro says to build a brutalizer on Graves, Sivir and some others if playing with a kill lane support.
edited 11th Jun '12 11:37:11 PM by MrShine
Not the way you've been building her.
Ashe is an AD carry, so there actually aren't many items that are good on her. Dorans blades, berserkers greaves, infinity edge, phantom dancer, last whisper, bloodthirster will be your items basically every game. Just try to last-hit minions and farm up your items for late-game. Unless your opponents screw up quite a bit most enemies will out-damage if they can get in range of you, but whats great about ashe is she can "kite", constantly slow and damage enemies while staying at a safe distance, among the best in the game.
edited 11th Jun '12 11:47:52 PM by MrShine
Random Nightmare Fuel is what we do here best around here, especially when Hilarity Ensues as a result of it.
Also, Icezera is not being abused by his girlfriend. A pity, I wanted to question his masculinity.
edited 12th Jun '12 12:59:35 PM by VutherA

...More soul-destroying yaoi. Why does this keep happening?
On topic: what's the best way to build a Lux?
Suits my state of mind right now...