[TFT] [Article Summary] Item Tier List Commentary by Balmyeong & kangsunjong (translated by Scilla)

Article Summary: Kitsunebi Bibi @TFT🦊🔥 (@0kitsunebi) / X

article

Translator: Scilla (@scilla_tftft) / X
Title: Translation of video by Balmyeong and kangsunjong on creating an item tier list (15.4)
URL: Translation of video of item tier list creation by Balmyeong and kangsunjong (15.4)

summary

Korea’s top ranker Balmyeong and distributor kangsunjong (강선종), who has participated in the Set13 World Tournament, have created a discussion-style list of major item tiers as of patch 15.4.

Each item’s evaluation, usage, and compatible champions are explained in detail.

Contents

Item Evaluation Summary (as of 15.4)

*The video was taken before the B patch, but the tier list has not changed significantly after the B patch.

S Tier

• Sterack’s basket
  → Effective for tanks as well as fighters. For most tanks, it is no different from warmog armor. In fact, it is even regarded as a perfect replacement for the Wormog.
  
• Giant Slayer
  → Rated S with a 5% damage increase buff.
  “Because the damage amplification on gold augments is 10%-15%, and half of that was buffed.”
  
• Infinity Edge
  → S tier because it is an essential item for skill dealers. Infinity Edge is limited to the champions who can make use of it even if it is made (Vals, Kai-Sa, etc.), but it is an absolutely essential item for those limited champions.
  
• Kraken’s Wrath.
  → The additional attack speed is superb. Ash (Duelist 6) used to be “Kraken + Guinsaw”, but now Kraken alone is sufficient. The attack speed item is removed and Kraken’s Wrath is used to compensate for the attack speed.
  
• Red Buff.
  → Morellonomicon is subtle, especially when held by AD champions, but Red Buff works well with both AD and AP. Red Buff is also a better statistical choice for AP champions because of its increased attack speed.

A Tier

• Death Blade
  → Rated as being able to do so-so if you put a deathblade on an AD character. It also does a fair amount of damage. Infinity Edge is S for Skill Dealer, and Deathblade is the next highest rated.
• Night Edge
  → There are so many situations where the game is decided when you have a champion who can use Night’s Edge well. It is effective against fighters, but also works well with rear-guard carries.
• Bramble Best.
  →Reviewed recently because the environment has more AD dealers and fewer AP dealers.
• Gargoyle Stone Plate
  →God of early progression and highly rated. The current patch has weakened one tank considerably, so the tier is lower than before due to the reduced performance of hard champions like Udia, Leona, and Ka Sante.
• Oath of the Giants.
  → Now with the Quicksilver effect from Set, it is also a counter to Braum. even if you give it to 1 tank, there are champions (Udia, Lakan) that will be essential to prevent Braum from flying away with his skills.
• Unshakable heart
  → Useful for digesting gloves. If a champion who has a shield or strength recovery skill has it, it will increase solidity and stability.
• Wormog armor
  → Safe as a vanguard item.
• Shozin’s pike
  → Relatively higher rating due to the weakening of the blue buff.
• Striker Flail
  → Strong champion when combined with Infinity Edge or with a champion whose skill originally has a criticality probability.
• Morellonomicon.
  → Safe recovery inhibition. The best fit for Morellonomicon right now is Malzahar. Morellonomicon can be held by anyone.
• Lavadon Death Cap
  → Stronger when given to AP characters. Even a champion like Malzahar is stronger with the Rabadondes cap than with the Jewel Gauntlet.
• Adaptive Helm
  → You can put it on a rearguard character, or on a tank, because it works well. Easy to use.
• Nasher Tooth.
  → When loaded with critical items, AD characters with critical builds are also stronger with Nasher Tooth than with Shozin’s Contraption.
• Guinsaw Rage Blade
  → Overshadowed by the arrival of the Kraken, but still an S-class in early progression. A core item for ner.
• Last Whisper.
  → Better than Even Shroud for AD configuration. Last Whisper has surprisingly good status.
• Void Staff.
  → Magic defense penetration. Item to make as soon as it appears early in the game; AP’s version of the Last Whisper.
• Thieves’ Gloves.
  →Mentor was rated S for being strong, but is now rated A.
• Spirit Visage.
  →There are quite a few champions that fit in the current environment. Now Set makes Gargoyle Stone Plate and Spirit Visage more often than Gargoyle Stone Plate and Warmog Armor (especially good with *3 Champions in reroll configuration)
• Blue Buff.
  -> In the last patch, it was the god of mana items, but now it’s all situational. Shozin’s pike, nasher tooth, all of them are evaluated differently depending on the situation.

B tier

• Bloodthirster.
  → Now that fighters have attack speed instead of lifesteal, they can also make Bloodthirsters.
• Sunfire Cape
  → Recovery inhibition is essential. It is strong to have it in the vanguard when there is no recovery inhibition at the end of the day. It’s not bad to make it in the early stages, but you lose options like Malzahar.
• Dragon Crow
  → Limited to tables with a lot of magic damage. Inferior to Bramble since the current environment is more AD-oriented.
• Jewel Gauntlets
  → Compared to Lava Don Death Cap, Lava Don Death Cap is by far the better choice. The champion that Jewel Gauntlet fits is Lucien.
• Even Shroud.
  → Better than Ionic Spark. Often, the Even Shroud is given to the vanguard without making the Last Whisper. The Last Whisper can be given to the rear guard, but it is not an item you want to rush to make early in the game.
• Dragon Crow
  -> Can be used if the table has a lot of AP. The current patch has so much AD that it is completely backwards compatible with Bramble Vest.
• Protector’s Oath.
  → Exclusively for Jar Van IV and Braum. Rated A because tank items are never made from the protector’s oath.
• Hand of Justice
  ->Item that is not made very often because there is no user. If I had to say so, it is an item for Leesin in the Rise configuration, or for Yasuo when there is an Infinity Edge.

C Tier

• Hextech Gunblade
  →The only one to use it was Yumi, but that Yumi has been weakened. The sword virtually lost its owner.
• Ark Angel Staff
  → Nerfed and completely wilted. There are no longer any users.

D Tier

• Crown Guard.
  → I only have use for Leona Rams. I only make them when I have extra materials at the end of the day.
• Ionic Spark.
  → Not even a good substitute for void staff. Almost never made. Magic defense-lowering items are absolutely necessary, but void staffs cannot be made. In such cases, Ionic Spark is made.

impression

　I found this tier list very helpful in that it “discusses almost every item with examples of actual use and statistical background”.

　The emphasis is on the environment being AD-leaning, and as a result, the appreciation of items such as “Bramble, Last Whisper, and Sterac” is impressive.

　Among the tier list was a very clearly delineated list of “environment-defining items” such as stelacs and giant slayers.