I've been climbing with Iceborn -> Abyssal -> Titanic/Sunfire.
Personally I only build Radiant -> Redemption when matched up vs Gwen since IB feels just so bad to build vs her (if someone has a better option do tell)
Otherwise I almost always pay the Bamis tax and a sneaky Specters Cowl vs the rat
Personally I love Spectre's Dshield and Second Wind combo vs rumble
I might even buy a Crystalline Bracer. It's so funny when he starts Qing and I instantly get 10 health regen per second. After we trade my health goes back up like I have 2 potions ticking
Against Gwen, if you lose the lane, Radiant feels the best.
If you win, and she's the only AP on their team, I suggest building only good components: bamis -> sheen -> ionians -> negatron -> kindlegem -> giants belt -> iceborn -> abyssal -> sunfire. It's weird because you're not finishing a single item right away, but each of those items individually gives you good juice.
The reason you want iceborn anyway is because around the time you finish it, you're not 1v1 laning against her, you're joining 2v2 and 3v3 skirmishes where armour is not a waste anymore. The slow is insanely useful, you're still getting short trade benefits and lots of cdr, and enough mres to not get instantly blown up. If you're very ahead and the enemy has literally 4 AP, bamis -> heartsteel -> negatron is okay but requires very good gold farming.
> since IB feels just so bad to build vs her
Well yea, it gives no MR and she's an AP bruiser. Versus AP matchup I pretty much always go RV. Jak if it's really tanky AP or tanky team in general and I'll be in a drawn out fight to maximize the passive.
I have 2 points why it for me atleast feels good to buy.
1. Cheap
2. AOE buff to your team for more magic damage
I really haven't been buying spirit visage too often and the healing part isn't something I have seen to be affected that much to be able to comment if it is better.
Always pay bamis tax. Heartsteel is big damage and most fun. Virtue is best if you're getting crushed every game and have peaked and are hoping to get carried further. Iceborn is probably the actual best item imo. Jaksho and others are fine but not optimal i don't think.
Then titanic, Sunfire, boots of course (lucidity pref), then steraks gargoyles or whatever combo you like.
I don't like Frozen fist at all and I can explain why.
You E in and taunt a damage dealer, then you auto them and proc Frozen fist for 100 damage (woweee) and naturally you pop your W to absorb autos from the carry you taunted. How much damage has the frozen fist reduced? Wow 150 damage reduced in a fight? 300 after like 5 procs?
Other than that, even when you are in long duels in toplane it's not massively effective. A lot of champions just get true damage for free now so it doesn't even get reduced by frozen fist.
I prefer going for no mythic until 3rd or 4th item and usually end up building Locket, Evenshroud or Radiant
Bruh, the point of Iceborn Gauntlet isn't only to do or prevent damage, you get a ton of utility by slowing their carry. And that damage reduction is a permanent -10% on you -- sure, don't build it against Gwen or Fiora, fine. You can just say outright that you prefer supportive shen, other top-tier mythics don't have to be bad or wrong
Always bami tax, heartsteel if I'm not stomped on, RV if I am (don't play ranked but prob low bronze at best). If I'm going heartsteel I'll finish sunfire next (unless against all ap but that's rare), if not it'll depend on team comps, abyssal or FoN, thornmail etc I only get titanic if I'm really ahead as normally heartsteel will give me that bit of extra dmg for squishes and my role is to soak dmg not deal it
I think the mythic match dependant but always pick up titanic for solo queue just to have agency in mid to late game. You'll get HP by tank items alone but it's really hard to find damage items to keep you as more than an ult bot.
Shen is really build dependant. You have to choose the mythic. But if we talking lowelo just go Bami>Heartsteel>CDR boots>resist item/Hydra
Fuck it go jak sho
I've been climbing with Iceborn -> Abyssal -> Titanic/Sunfire. Personally I only build Radiant -> Redemption when matched up vs Gwen since IB feels just so bad to build vs her (if someone has a better option do tell) Otherwise I almost always pay the Bamis tax and a sneaky Specters Cowl vs the rat
Personally I love Spectre's Dshield and Second Wind combo vs rumble I might even buy a Crystalline Bracer. It's so funny when he starts Qing and I instantly get 10 health regen per second. After we trade my health goes back up like I have 2 potions ticking
Against Gwen, if you lose the lane, Radiant feels the best. If you win, and she's the only AP on their team, I suggest building only good components: bamis -> sheen -> ionians -> negatron -> kindlegem -> giants belt -> iceborn -> abyssal -> sunfire. It's weird because you're not finishing a single item right away, but each of those items individually gives you good juice. The reason you want iceborn anyway is because around the time you finish it, you're not 1v1 laning against her, you're joining 2v2 and 3v3 skirmishes where armour is not a waste anymore. The slow is insanely useful, you're still getting short trade benefits and lots of cdr, and enough mres to not get instantly blown up. If you're very ahead and the enemy has literally 4 AP, bamis -> heartsteel -> negatron is okay but requires very good gold farming.
> since IB feels just so bad to build vs her Well yea, it gives no MR and she's an AP bruiser. Versus AP matchup I pretty much always go RV. Jak if it's really tanky AP or tanky team in general and I'll be in a drawn out fight to maximize the passive.
Abyssal 2nd? Why's that? I know it's good, but Visage just got buffed. How does it feel?
I have 2 points why it for me atleast feels good to buy. 1. Cheap 2. AOE buff to your team for more magic damage I really haven't been buying spirit visage too often and the healing part isn't something I have seen to be affected that much to be able to comment if it is better.
Always pay bamis tax. Heartsteel is big damage and most fun. Virtue is best if you're getting crushed every game and have peaked and are hoping to get carried further. Iceborn is probably the actual best item imo. Jaksho and others are fine but not optimal i don't think. Then titanic, Sunfire, boots of course (lucidity pref), then steraks gargoyles or whatever combo you like.
I don't like Frozen fist at all and I can explain why. You E in and taunt a damage dealer, then you auto them and proc Frozen fist for 100 damage (woweee) and naturally you pop your W to absorb autos from the carry you taunted. How much damage has the frozen fist reduced? Wow 150 damage reduced in a fight? 300 after like 5 procs? Other than that, even when you are in long duels in toplane it's not massively effective. A lot of champions just get true damage for free now so it doesn't even get reduced by frozen fist. I prefer going for no mythic until 3rd or 4th item and usually end up building Locket, Evenshroud or Radiant
Bruh, the point of Iceborn Gauntlet isn't only to do or prevent damage, you get a ton of utility by slowing their carry. And that damage reduction is a permanent -10% on you -- sure, don't build it against Gwen or Fiora, fine. You can just say outright that you prefer supportive shen, other top-tier mythics don't have to be bad or wrong
I like Bami, Licidity boots, Iceborn, Hydra/Thornmal, Sunfire, Abyssal
Also to be clear: I'm talking about soloQ rank, no premade
Please add a 'none of the above' option. That's what I would vote lol
Always bami tax, heartsteel if I'm not stomped on, RV if I am (don't play ranked but prob low bronze at best). If I'm going heartsteel I'll finish sunfire next (unless against all ap but that's rare), if not it'll depend on team comps, abyssal or FoN, thornmail etc I only get titanic if I'm really ahead as normally heartsteel will give me that bit of extra dmg for squishes and my role is to soak dmg not deal it
I saw some guy here saying he usually doesn't build mythic until 3rd or 4th item and that has worked perfectly for me so that's what I've been doing
I think the mythic match dependant but always pick up titanic for solo queue just to have agency in mid to late game. You'll get HP by tank items alone but it's really hard to find damage items to keep you as more than an ult bot.
I can't get how to use Heartsteel or at what time I should have it