Season 14 of League of Legends has been marked as a pivotal update, bringing substantial changes across various aspects of the game including equipment, maps, and overall gameplay.
This season has necessitated adaptations from many champions, compelling them to adjust to new items for optimal performance. Ezreal, a long-standing champion in the League of Legends roster, is among those who have had to adapt to these changes.
Shadowflame Ezreal with hidden interaction
A recent strategy developed by a high-rank player, specifically a “one champ” Ezreal in the Western European Server Challenger tier, has brought to light a new approach for this champion.
This player has innovatively integrated the item Shadowflame into his build, following the acquisition of his basic damage items. The choice of this item is unconventional and not commonly considered by many players, evident from its low purchase rate of just 1.09%.
In the 14th season, Shadowflame possesses a unique ability where spell damage under 35% health is increased to a critical value of 120%. This becomes particularly effective with Ezreal’s W ability, which can trigger this critical effect even if the target’s health has not dropped below the specified threshold.
Consequently, Ezreal’s W-Q combo, when used in conjunction with Dark Flame, can inflict tremendous damage towards the latter stages of a game.
The mechanism behind this is that the damage from his W is calculated after the target is hit by his Q skill. Therefore, if the Q skill brings the opponent’s health below 35%, the subsequent W will automatically deal critical damage. Moreover, Dark Flame itself offers substantial benefits, including up to 120 AP and 12 MR pen, thereby significantly amplifying the damage from both Ezreal’s W and his ultimate ability.
This approach to Ezreal’s build in season 14 proves to be highly effective. It provides a solution for players to circumvent situations where the opponent has substantial armor, as the magic damage from his W and ultimate abilities is considerable.
Additionally, this strategy serves as a counterbalance in team compositions lacking in magic damage, particularly when the top and mid-lane champions are more physically damage-oriented.
In essence, the use of Shadowflame has emerged as a highly compatible and impactful addition to Ezreal’s arsenal in season 14. This new strategy not only boosts Ezreal’s damage output significantly but also offers players a more nuanced and effective way to utilize this champion.