In Season 16, the standard AP build path for most mages follows a specific sequence to maximize damage output and scaling: Lost Chapter Item → Situational Item → Rabadon’s Deathcap/Percent Pen → Percent Pen/Rabadon’s Deathcap → Final Situational Item.
The most common reason players feel they deal no damage is the lack of “AP Amps” like Deathcap, Dark Seal, or Gathering Storm in their inventory.
1. The Lost Chapter Foundation (First Item)
Your choice of Lost Chapter item sets your early-game tempo.
- Blackfire Torch: The default choice. It offers the best all-around damage and scaling. If you are unsure what to buy, choose Blackfire.
- Seraph’s Embrace: Pick this for scaling plus safety. It is excellent if you cannot survive team fights or need help in side lanes, though it is weaker early and takes time to stack.
- Malignance: Champion-specific. It is best for ultimate-reliant champions who want to stack flat penetration (e.g., Ahri, Aurora).
- Luden’s Companion: Often overrated. It spikes very hard early for burst (e.g., Zoe, LeBlanc) but falls off due to lower haste.
- Rod of Ages (ROA): A “neutralizer” item. It is good against high-burst/low-DPS comps where you just need to survive the initial engage, but it significantly reduces your damage output.
2. Situational Power Spikes (Second & Fifth Slots)
These items are flexible and should be chosen based on the enemy team’s composition.
- Shadow Flame: The best second item if you can get away with it. It deals massive damage against targets with low Magic Resist (MR). However, its value “falls off a cliff” if the enemy builds MR or has multiple tanks.
- Cosmic Drive: Often overrated and low damage. Its main synergy is with Blackfire Torch, as the burn extends the movement speed duration. Buy it only if you absolutely need HP and cannot space well.
- Liandry’s Torment: Excellent against high-HP targets, but misunderstood. It has no haste or penetration, so if a tank has MR (e.g., Spirit Visage), you must buy percent penetration before Liandry’s to be effective.
- Lich Bane: Preferred for burst, haste, and champions who weave in auto-attacks (e.g., Viktor, Ahri). It is also strong for side-lane turret pressure.
- Actualizer: A decent “fill” item if nothing else fits. Use it to pop the passive before your key abilities in a fight.
- Horizon Focus: Now a niche item for long-range poke champions who highly value haste (e.g., Lux, Xerath) after recent nerfs.
- Rylai’s Crystal Scepter: Primarily a utility item. Buying this commits you to “doing no damage” in exchange for the slow and 400 HP.
3. The Essential Damage “Amps”
To maintain relevance as the game progresses, you must prioritize these sources of power.
- Dark Seal: Mandatory every single game. It is gold-efficient even at zero stacks. Buy it after your Lost Chapter or on your first base if you have exactly 350 gold.
- Rabadon’s Deathcap: Usually the highest damage option for your third item slot. Delaying it too long is a “really big problem” for your scaling.
- Percent Penetration (Cryptbloom vs. Void Staff):
- Cryptbloom: The default choice for most because it provides much-needed haste.
- Void Staff: Better for burst champions (e.g., LeBlanc, Zoe) who need to one-shot squishies and do not value haste as much.
- Note: You should often buy percent penetration preemptively before the enemy finishes their MR items, or you will find yourself unable to kill anyone to generate gold.
4. Boots and Defensive Trade-offs
The more defensive items you buy, the lower your “agency” or impact on the game.
- Sorcerer’s Shoes: Best for solo AP builds or when planning to stack flat penetration.
- Ionian Boots of Lucidity: Good default for haste and against tankier, melee-heavy comps where movement speed is vital.
- Mercury’s Treads: Buy these for the tenacity/MR against heavy CC/AP comps (e.g., Fizz + Leona), but be aware they are less effective after recent nerfs.
- Zhonya’s Hourglass: Only for unavoidable burst (e.g., Karthus, Vi, Zed). It is a massive damage loss; if you buy it, consider a Mejai’s to recoup the lost AP.
- Refillable Potion: Described as “insanely broken” for its gold efficiency (200 HP for 150 gold). Try to buy it every game.
5. Example Build Templates
| Scenario | Recommended Build Path |
|---|---|
| Solo AP / Flat Pen | Blackfire → Sorcs → Shadow Flame → Deathcap → Cryptbloom |
| Vs. Heavy Tanks | Blackfire → Sorcs → Cryptbloom (2nd) → Deathcap → Liandry’s |
| Duo AP (Standard) | Blackfire → CDR Boots → Situational (Actualizer/Horizon) → Deathcap → Cryptbloom |
| Safety/Scaling | Seraph’s → Sorcs → Actualizer → Deathcap → Cryptbloom |
Key Pro-Tips
- Mejai’s Soulstealer: Only buy it if you are certain you can keep stacks alive. It pairs well with defensive items because they help protect your stacks.
- The “Rich” Path: If you are extremely ahead with a 10-stack Dark Seal, you can occasionally buy Deathcap second.
- Aggression Rule: Build as aggressively as possible without dying. Every point spent on defense reduces your ability to carry the game.