Item Value Analysis: AD Carry

I   INTRODUCTION

First of all, people need to know that item builds are situational. There is no standard static item-build for a certain champion(s). In order to better understand the concept behind building your AD Carries correctly, I'm writing this blog-guide to direct people's thoughts towards the right thing.

Item building is no easy thing to do. Often, (even though people don't find it that way) it's game-turning. General perception is that people don't pay that much attention to what they're building - rather having their own item-pattern which they follow every game, thinking it's the right thing to do.

In the current meta, items are more dependant on the team-compositions (both allied and opposing) rather than on the champion itself. This is the thing people oftenly don't recognize, which leads to them being an easy target during the team-fights, or getting easily picked and smashed without even having a chance to do anything.

II   VALUE ANALYSIS

This guide is primarily aimed at newer players willing to learn more. So, talking value analysis, means we'll have to consider all of the core items for an AD Carry - overview their cost, benefit and possible substitute items.

  Berserker's Greaves - Most standard choice for an AD Carry.

-Total cost: 920G.
-Benefit: Movementspeed +2, +25% Attackspeed.
-Substitute items: Mercury's Treads, Ninja Tabi.

Doran's Blade (early item) - Also most standard early-game item choice for an AD Carry.

-Cost: 475G.
-Benefit: +90 HP, +10 AD, +3% Lifesteal.
-Substitute items: Wriggle's Lantern.

The Bloodthirster - A core item necessary for every AD Carry in the game.  Highly dependable on how well an AD Carry is doing at the moment of buying it.

-Total cost: 3000G.
-Benefit: +60 AD, +12% Lifesteal.
-Substitute items: Wriggle's Lantern.

Infinity Edge - Same as above, a core item every (non-Urgot) AD Carry needs to have. Not really substitutable.

-Total cost: 3830G.
-Benefit: +80 AD, +25% Crit. chance, +50% Crit. damage.

Last Whisper - Necessary choice for when an opposing team stacks armor points in order to take less damage from AD sources.

-Total cost: 2290G.
-Benefit: +40 AD, +40% Armor Pen.
-Substitute items: Black Cleaver, The Brutalizer.

Phantom Dancer - Also a core item for most of the AD Carries in the game. Some replace it with Trinity Force (Corki, Ezreal mostly).

-Total cost: 2845G.
-Benefit: +55% attack speed
+30% crit. chance
+12% movement speed
-Substitute items: Trinity Force.

Guardian Angel - Core defensive item for all AD Carries. Can be replaced with few other defensive items.. Necessary late-game when AD Carries shine the most.

-Total cost: 2600G.
-Benefit: +68 Armor, +38 MR, Revive effect.
-Substitute items: Banshee's Veil, Quicksilver Sash.

III   Item builds

Talking general AD Carry item builds, there are 6 core items which are seen at the most of the AD Carries later in the game - as counted above. In order to adopt your build to the situation, items may vary. There are several factors which affect item building:

- The champion itself - If you're playing Urgot for instance, you're going to build tanky DPS, which will affect your damage output late-game but instead you'll play the role of the off-tank.

- Team composition (both allies and opponents) - E.g. if your team is running more front-liners than usual - then you should avoid defensive items, unless you still get killed, or if your team has hyper-carries then you should situationally adjust the build to survive the fight longer and go for defensive items, since you don't need a lot of damage.

- How well you're doing - If you didn't start off that well, then you should aim to go for some def-off items such as Wriggle's Lantern or stacking Doran's Blades - in order to do some damage but also aim your build towards survival. Or, if on the other hand you did start well, and the opponents aren't really able to burst you down, then you should aim for greater items which will dramatically increase your already ahead start. (e.g. Infinity Edge as earlier as possible, or Bloodthirster)

IV   Substitute items

As far as Substitute items are concerned, each and every one of them depends on both team's compositions. For example, you'll go Merc. Treads instead of Berserker's Greaves in case an enemy has more than 3-4 stuns in their team, or in case the enemy tunnel-visions you solely - in that case, it might just help you survive all the oncoming CC.
Ninja Tabi on the other hand should be built when you fell a little bit behind during the laning phase and/or take too much damage from different sources. Although not very standard item choice, it can be viable.

Wriggle's Lantern substitutes both The Bloodthirster and Doran's Blade. Wriggle's is also a fall-behind item, in case you started off bad and aren't able to survive during the laning phase. It also helps with the Dragon quest or other counter-jungling acts.

Image courtesy of mmohut.com

Both Black Cleaver and The Brutalizer are items similar to its substitutor Last Whisper. Difference is, The Brutalizer is aimed more at gaining the early-game advantage and damage, while Black Cleaver and Last Whisper are more later-game items. The Brutalizer being most common on Urgot, Black Cleaver most common on Vayne and LW on rest of the AD Carries as well as some bruisers. All 3 being very important.

Trinity Force represents core-item choice for Ezreal and Corki, since they benefit off it much more than off Phantom Dancer. Most of the times you'll see them rushing Tri-force, which just shows the importance of the item.

Banshee's Veil and Quicksilver Sash are most oftenly built when you seem to be grounded by the amount of CC an enemy has, or when an enemy's CC gets you killed immediately. Most common choice for when playing against Veigar, Annie, Cassiopeia, Skarner, Maokai, Amumu, Mordekaiser, Galio, Leona, Nautilus, Rammus, Urgot, Ashe, Kennen.