u/hulpmenow

1. Is static shiv good?

So we know that static is a stronger item at 1-2 items. We also know that this item is harder to make use of in the top lane since it will result in you perma-shoving the wave when completed, so it will not work in certain matchups. Alternatively, it is good when you are having a really hard time shoving the wave (although you would complete this item quite late into laning).

Coachless has this item as net 0 on the WPA (win probability added). This is for top lane.

This means that buying this item, accounting for your lead (or lack of), skill level, and your game state (which team is winning), this item changes pretty much nothing.

In the mid lane, you actually lose 1.33 WPA rushing shiv.

What does this mean?

You go nash first. All other items have significantly worse WPA, and most have negative. There are certain games where you may want to get other items first, but those are highly situational.

2. Boot situation

The omnivamp boots have negligable WPA benefits in the top lane, and negative effects in the mid lane (although the sample size is too small).

Swifties are still your best bet, but certain matchups can still benefit from the omnivamp boots like yorick. if you manage to get a few stacks on your boots, you can just tank his e's for days lol.

I will say, buying steelcaps in certain matchups is being slept on. Against Pantheon, if you rush the plated steelcaps and have the tenacity shard, you can tank his combo pretty well even if he is lethality (which he often is against kayle). These boots also have the highest WPA of 3.65, although small sample size.

So.

*Note, I realise a lot of these points only matter dia/master+, and also, that is the elo in which this is becoming a problem (positive wr)

We are seeing the rise of a bunch of mages top. I myself have had the punishment of facing Annie, Anivia, and Lissandra top a few times.

Unlike other ranged champions we see in the top lane, like Teemo, Vayne, and Varus, these mages have much more utility, and are harder to punish. If vayne positions badly a few times and goes 0 3, her game is over. If Annie goes 0 3, she just gets r, presses it on the melee top and he dies if she gets a gank. very easy to dive as well with a diving jungler due to the reliable cc. If not a dive, you can easily zone and use the pressure to invade enemy top side.

Lissandra and Anivia are the worst offenders in my view. They have so many tools to win lane in the top lane, and if not that, ensure they can't lose. their utility is always useful as well, which contrasts with the resource hungry nature of the top lane. As a result, it feels horrible to play against these champions. To add insult to injury, they also scale really well compared to other 'lane bully' champs in the top lane that share the ability to not really lose lane (K'sante).

Anivia also has really high range.

Aside from having certain good picks, into them that can either survive these picks (sion, cho), or look to find kills (naaf / yi) I find that this 'feature' in itself is not healthy - the mages in top.

I find it akin to having Zed or Jayce jungle be strong. Those champions are not meant to be in the jungle as it fundamentally warps the champions intended interaction with the game mechanics. (zed early levels are weak, so enemy laners can have early prio etc).

Now with the jungle, its much easier to buff / nerf champs by changing their clear speed since all jungler have jungle monster damage buffs/nerfs. But when it comes to laners, its often a change of mr / armour numbers. This is a bandage solution as seen with trying to keep Kayle out of the mid lane by having her mr be the lowest in the game.

Is there any hope for the top laners, or is Anivia just going to be OP AF. Alternatively, what is the optimal way to counter these champs with traditional top laners without hyper mobility?

Somewhat boring, but I find the best build to be the same full ap Nash -> dusk -> raba -> shadow -> void
With swiftness.

There are some games against like 3 assassins or low engage comps where I’ll go the the new omnivamp boots, and if I do, I like swapping void or shadow for gun blade. You end up with 20% omnivamp, so you are kinda immortal.

The new starter item is ok, and I think has most use mid lane against non-poke matchups where you can’t auto attack much.

I don’t really like static because it does not seem to do anything much. The ad is nice, and the build back is actually op, but the two item core feels worse in play. I also don’t like the perma shoving you get from the item unless you are mid lane. You could buy it and I guess prevent freezes in the top lane, but this has not come up for me yet.