The topic of items in League of Legends and their impact on gameplay is a subject of intense debate among players. The first item purchased by a player can significantly shape the game's direction. One such item under discussion is the Rabadon's Deathcap, often referred to simply as 'Deathcap'.
Players have considered the Deathcap as a late-game item because of its high cost and late-game power scaling. However, it's essential to look beyond the surface level price tag and examine the gold efficiency of any item. Gold efficiency can be best understood as the value gained from an item per gold spent.
Calculating the Deathcap's gold efficiency is crucial to understanding its potential as a first item purchase. The Deathcap costs 3800 gold and gives players a whopping 120 Ability Power (AP). Plus, it offers a unique passive ability, which increases AP by 35%. But what does this mean in terms of gold efficiency?
The in-game currency, known as gold, allows players to purchase items like the Deathcap. Each point of AP is valued at around 21.75 gold. Therefore, multiplying the base AP (120) by the gold value of AP gives us 2610.But, this isn't the full story.
One of the things that make the Deathcap unique is its ability to amplify all Ability Power by an additional 35%. Therefore, if a player has the base AP and the bonus from the Deathcap, the total AP rises to 162. It's this total AP value that needs to be considered.
To calculate revised gold efficiency, we need to factor in the total AP after including the 35% increase. So, multiplying the total AP with the gold per AP gives us a gold efficiency value of around 3521.50 for an unstacked Deathcap.
What does this mean for players? Well, even though at a first glance, the Deathcap may appear as a steeply priced item, it is, in fact, gold efficient from the very start of the purchase. And this is without the Deathcap being stacked.
Once the Deathcap is fully stacked, it offers 170 AP. Therefore, the gold efficiency of a stacked Deathcap rises up even further. And this is what usually happens in the mid and late phases of a game.
Another point concerning the Deathcap as the first item is the matter of slot efficiency. Slot efficiency refers to the effectiveness of an item occupying a player's inventory slot. Considering that the Deathcap takes up only one slot and gives a massive power boost, it scores high on this aspect.
However, the analysis wouldn't be complete without presenting an alternative perspective. Many players might consider the time required to gather enough gold for a Deathcap purchase. Nonetheless, the longer it takes to build a Deathcap, the more AP the player loses out on.
Moreover, if a player is closed out of AP during the early game, that might leave them worse off during conflicts. However, the raw power bestowed by a finished Deathcap balances it out once it's eventually completed.
Still, all these considerations come to the fore only if the player is proficient in last-hitting minions and earning enough gold to purchase a Deathcap. Thus, gold income skill matters too when deciding the first-item purchase.
Further, whether the choice of Deathcap as a first purchase works for all champions is another question. The answer to that again depends on the champion being used and the player's gameplay strategy.
Some champions inherently come with more AP or have better AP scaling, making a Deathcap as the first item more effective than for others. Deathcap's amplified AP plays well into these strengths.
Moreover, a champion with better poke potential or a player with more aggressive gameplay will also benefit from a Deathcap as their first item. After all, the whole purpose of Deathcap is to deliver that massive hit of AP to the opponent.
On the other hand, champions who rely more on cooldowns or survivability might find other items more suitable. The need for a first-item purchase then becomes more specific to the champion's requirement.
Lastly, it's worth noting that just because an item is gold-efficient does not mean it should always be the first choice. Gold efficiency is one aspect of gameplay, but many other factors need to be considered, including the champion's requirements and the player's skill level.
In conclusion, while the Deathcap may be an unconventional first choice for many players, it is a gold-efficient and slot-efficient item even at the start. Therefore, under the right circumstances, with the right champions, and the correct skill level, the Deathcap could be the smart choice for a first-item purchase.