Thought: Critical Strike Runes

Critical Strike runes are generally considered to be a cheese, used only for luck-based wins during laning. However, when I made a spreadsheet to compare physical damage runes on AD carries I was surprised to find that Critical Strike runes were actually one of the best late-game rune options. In fact, the only runes which provide more damage than Critical Strike late-game are Attack Speed and AD/Level.

In retrospect it shouldn't be all that surprising. Critical Strike is one of the key scaling factors which make AD carries scary late-game, but is the only one which is directly affected by Critical Damage. Meanwhile Critical Damage is itself utterly dependent upon Critical Strike, and Armor Penetration is devalued by Last Whisper. These factors give Critical Strike an edge in the late-game.

It's not enough of an advantage to make Critical Strike the best mathematically, but it's possible to argue that Critical Strike is the best overall. Attack Speed is only better on paper if the carry has no Attack Speed steroid or external buff, and requires the player be able to continuously attack in a fight. Even though it's hands down better than Critical Strike in all scenarios late game, AD/Level is nearly useless early on. Because Critical Strike is a rare steroid, does not exist as a buff, and has early game value it can be far more valuable than Attack Speed or AD/Level.

The big downside to Critical Strike is the RNG game you play during laning. If you do not crit, which is possible, you're at a disadvantage during trades. Moreover, your last-hitting can be screwed up by errant crits on creeps. It's risky to run Critical Strike and right now most players, even pros, are very risk averse.

Still, Critical Strike runes are very much worth considering on AD carries. If you're going to be aggressive early, but still want late game strength, Critical Strike runes are the best option available.