League of Legends developers are currently addressing the double support item strategy through planned nerfs to the reworked support starters. However, player concerns are rising as they anticipate potential effects from the proposed changes.
With each new season, reworked support items often usher in a new meta, and Riot’s approach to diminishing the viability of the double support starter item meta has sparked apprehension among the player base.
Currently, ADCs can efficiently upgrade their support item by purchasing it on their initial back, leveraging its passive to poke, apply lane pressure by clearing minions faster, and even split with their support without a significant gold deficit.
This strategy has become indispensable in many lane combinations, especially when paired with support champions that can make optimal use of the extra income.
The strength of the upgraded support items, coupled with the accompanying wards, not only provides map pressure but also allows teams to potentially snowball the game out of control with an early lead.
How double support item nerfs can affect League of Legends
The existing approach involves teams adjusting to individual income thresholds – once the ADC completes their item, the support starts farming, and vice versa. However, under the proposed changes, the penalty for reduced gold income will be applied to all players owning the support item once the threshold is reached by any individual player.
One noteworthy concern is how this change may affect support champions who thrive with occasional farming. While some supports are content with taking no CS, more aggressive supports like Xerath and Brand greatly benefit from cannon minions and wave clearing in sidelanes.
Moreover, there is skepticism about whether the gold penalty will be a sufficient deterrent for certain lanes. The increased early pressure in a double support lane may outweigh the penalties, particularly for champions like Seraphine or Senna paired with Tahm Kench, who might not be significantly impacted by the penalties.
While suggestions have been made to balance the situation, this approach introduces a new set of challenges. Deciding which player gets the support item and the method of allocation may create additional complications.
In conclusion, finding a solution to this complex issue is undoubtedly challenging, and it remains uncertain whether the upcoming 14.2 nerfs will fully address the concerns.
The potential for additional nerfs raises the possibility of unintended consequences, potentially affecting the support role as a whole and introducing new challenges in League of Legends.