Forum: gaming.stackexchange.com
Tags: <league-of-legends>
Title: When is stacking items like Rod of Ages inappropriate in LoL?
Question: Is stacking items, like Rod of Ages, considered bad gameplay?

Answers:
sents: text: I wouldn't recommend stacking RoA on any characters really.
text: In order for the item to get to its full potential, you have to have it for 10 minutes.
text: Thus if you obtain it by 10 minutes, at 20 minutes you will have it maxed.
text: So if you get a second at 15 minutes (which would be very fast) it will be ready at 25 minutes.
text: In the time it takes for a second RoA to mature you could have beefed up your armor AND health with something like Sunfire Cape, or your armor AND mana with something like Frozen Heart.
text: RoA is a great item, but other items give benefits that it just doesn't.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/15996/Emerica.
score: 7
sents: text: At all times, you should only ever have one Rod of Ages and it should be bought before you are level 14.
text: The main reason Rod of Ages helps you is because of an early catalyst which gives hp and mana regen.
text: Once combined it is still not worth the amount of money invested in it for at least 7min.
text: The fact that it is so expensive and not worth the inital cost until time has past makes stacking Rod of Ages illogical, unless you know your game is going to last 2 hours.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/22416/GGClassic-Jona52
score: 3
sents: text: I think if that's all you build, without boots or pure damage/defense, then yes it's bad gameplay.
text: You need to build what you can to win the game.
text: The only people I can see you building more than one Rod of Ages are Singed, or Ryze, as they both benefit largely from everything that RoA gives you.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/22334/Kirkalirk
score: 1
sents: text: RoA gives 60+20=80 Ability Power(AP), 450+180=630 health and 525+200=725 mana for 3035g.
text: If at this point you're having problem with AP:
text: Abyssal Scepter gives you 70AP, Magic Resistance (MR) and MR debuff for enemies.
text: Rylai's scepter give 500 Health plus the slow, plus 80 AP With health: Rylai's scepter give 500 Health plus the slow, plus 80 AP Shoul Shroud provides 520 Health plus cooldown reduction aura and improved mana regeneration With Mana:
text: Archangel's staff brings you 45 AP + 3% of your mana in AP and the passive will grow your mana pool drastically
text: Deathfire graps provides 60 AP, mana regeneration plus damage burst
text: So if you look correctly, all these items can bring you more than the initial Rod of Ages bonuses you could be looking for.
text: By the way, RoA is efficient only 10 minutes after you bought it.
text: In conclusion, I can't find any game where it would be more efficient to stack RoA rather than getting other items.
text: Even Vlad who gains bonuses in AP for health bonus and vice-versa has better object to go for.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/7709/M'vy
score: 1
sents: text: AP/tank: Nasus Nunu
text: Amumu Are the only 3 champs I could see this working for.
text: You will also need boots for all champs and Lich Bane for Nasus.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/31164/LungCancer
score: 1
sents: text: No, though it depends on the situation.
text: It isn't cost efficient in the sense that there are other items that can develop good synergy.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/22669/luckypuppy67
score: 0
sents: text: I would say it is ok to get maybe two RoA if you are playing a character like sling.
text: However, you've got to remember that they take 10 minutes to mature.
text: Also, if their AD or bruiser/jungler figures out that you are stacking ROA or Warmog's for that matter... they can just build a Madred's Bloodrazor, and then your HP items would be working against you.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/22305/Trevor Patch
score: 0
sents: text: I don't think it's bad gameplay, I think it's very good.
text: I just recently started doing this with Ryze, because Ryze's damage is based off his mana.
text: This item, immediately - not just after 10 minutes - is the most mana you can get from a single item.
text: So most mana available + health
text: + ap for some extra damage?
text: Yes please.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/33148/League
score: 0
sents: text: This is for season 3.
text: I've considered 2 RoAs (not tried it yet) on AP
text: /AS Teemo depending on the game.
text: Say if I'm mid vs Annie: I need HP to counter her burst, since I can't get useful early magic resist.
text: Then, with CDR (Nashors+blue/DFG), you are spending 125 mana every 19 seconds for the mushrooms, on top of using Q and W to move around/harass/farm.
text: That's a lot of mana burn.
text: Thoughts.
text: A Nashor's Tooth can't keep up the mana regen
text: The HP removes some of the "glass cannon" problem Teemo doesn't really proc Rylais except with Q
text: but this isn't that spammable Wit's end isn't as useful as Malady in S3 for MR instead Banshees (also built from Catalyst) isn't an offensive/early item
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/23311/gbn
score: 0
sents: text: Generally speaking, it's not efficient to stack items with unique benefits because these unique benefits don't stack.
text: Because a Rod of Ages has no unique benefits, stacking them is ok provided the champion can make good use of the stats.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/11969/Ryre
score: 0
sents: text: For extremely late game, two rod of ages, seraph's embrace, boots, void staff, rabadons on any champ with atleast 250-300 base mana, for a champion such as ahri, ziggs, or gragas, you'll end up with 3.6k health with over 900 ap + magic pen.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/43785/KEWKEWKREW
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
You should only have one Rod Ages unless you are a character like Sling. It has no unique benefits.
While the general rule is to never stack items, it seems that few people are stacking items that don't have unique passives.