Recently I discussed my thoughts on gp10 items and how, with or without the recent nerfs, they are overrated. As a somewhat related tangent to that thought, I've come to believe that many junglers may be doing themselves a disservice by buying gp10 items.
It's extremely common for junglers today to buy both Philosopher's Stone and Heart of Gold. The reasoning is pretty simple, Shurelya's Reverie and Randuin's Omen are both very good items, so why not buy components for them early on and generate additional revenue? This is not a bad argument, and in some situations this makes a lot of sense. Sitting on gp10s helps secure late-game relevance.
The issue I, and others, have begun to see is that junglers shine the brightest during the early and mid-game. By purchasing gp10s junglers are building counter to their critical timings, playing for a late-game where they are no longer the most important player on the team. When many games don't even reach the late-game, this tradeoff makes considerably less sense.
Investing 1625g into gp10 items delays other, critical mid-game items. With just a little more gold you could have Aegis, or Wit's End, or Phage, or be halfway to a really big item. While much later in the game you might earn that lost gold back, during the critical mid-game you will be at best right where you started. Unless your team is losing very hard or plans on simply free-farming until the late game, it's simply better to have strong, completed items in the mid-game.
As I continue to jungle I plan on phasing out gp10s wherever possible. I'll still buy them often as they are important on some junglers, but on many others rushing for other items is simply the better choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment