Best Legendary Items in League of Legends (2026) — Core Items Every Player Should Know

Your first completed item defines your spike. Your second and third items define the rest of the game. In the post-mythic era where every completed item is a legendary, knowing which items to build after your core is what separates players who win teamfights from players who are always one item short of relevance.

Our companion guide covered the best core (first) items for every class — Trinity Force, Luden's Companion, Infinity Edge, and the rest. This guide picks up where that one left off. These are the legendary items that complete your build, counter enemy strategies, and determine whether you scale into the late game or fall off a cliff.

Every item below is organized by class and ranked by how consistently it performs across patches. For each item you will learn what it does, who builds it, when to buy it, and when to skip it.

Fighter and Bruiser Legendaries

Fighters live and die by their defensive second item. The right defensive legendary after your core damage item is the difference between surviving a teamfight and dying before your combo finishes. Season 2026 has three standout defensive fighter items that serve different purposes, and knowing which one to build in each game is one of the most impactful decisions a fighter player can make.

Death's Dance

Cost: 3100 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 45 armor, 15 ability haste

Death's Dance is the single highest win-rate fighter item in Season 2026. Its passive stores a portion of damage taken as a bleed over 3 seconds instead of applying it immediately. When you get a takedown, the remaining stored damage is cleansed and you heal instead.

Best users: Riven, Aatrox, Camille, Fiora, Irelia, Jax, Darius, Lee Sin, Briar

When to build: Death's Dance is your default second item when the enemy team deals primarily physical damage. The armor plus the damage delay passive means you effectively have more health in every fight — you take the same total damage, but spread over time, giving your healing, lifesteal, and abilities time to sustain you through it. The takedown cleanse is what makes this item broken in teamfights. Kill one target and the bleed resets, which means you survive what should have killed you and immediately start fighting the next target at partial health.

When to skip: Against AP-heavy teams, the armor is wasted. Build Maw of Malmortius instead. Against teams that deal true damage (Vayne, Fiora on the enemy side), the damage delay does not help because true damage ignores your resistances and the bleed is still lethal.

Sterak's Gage

Cost: 3100 gold | Stats: 400 HP

Sterak's Gage grants a massive shield when you drop below 30% health, scaling with your bonus health. It also provides bonus AD based on your base AD, making it stronger on champions with high base AD values.

Best users: Olaf, Aatrox, Wukong, Camille, Jax, Sett, Darius, Volibear

When to build: Sterak's is the anti-burst fighter item. When the enemy team has assassins or burst mages who threaten to delete you before your sustained damage kicks in, Sterak's shield absorbs that initial burst and keeps you in the fight. It pairs exceptionally well with Trinity Force — the combined win rate of the two items together is among the highest two-item combos for fighters. Build Sterak's when you need to survive burst rather than sustained damage.

When to skip: Against sustained damage teams with no burst threat, the shield rarely triggers at the right time. Death's Dance or a resistance item provides more consistent survivability in prolonged fights. Sterak's is also less effective on champions with low base AD since the bonus AD scales with base, not bonus.

Maw of Malmortius

Cost: 2800 gold | Stats: 65 AD, 50 MR, 10 ability haste

Maw of Malmortius grants a magic damage shield when you take magic damage that would drop you below 30% health. After the shield triggers, you gain omnivamp for a short duration.

Best users: Any AD fighter or assassin against AP-heavy teams

When to build: Maw is the mirror image of Death's Dance for magic damage. When the enemy team has two or more AP threats, Maw prevents them from bursting you through your combo. The omnivamp after the shield triggers lets you heal back up during the fight. If you are a fighter facing a fed Syndra or Viktor, Maw is often the difference between dying to their combo and killing them after surviving it.

When to skip: Against AD-heavy teams, the MR is wasted. Build Death's Dance instead. Maw and Sterak's Gage share the Lifeline passive, meaning you cannot have both shields — building both wastes one item's most important feature.

Endless Hunger (New in 2026)

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 60 AD, 5% omnivamp, 20% tenacity

Endless Hunger is the new late-game sustain item for Season 2026. On champion takedowns, you gain significantly increased omnivamp for 8 seconds. It also grants ability haste scaling with your bonus AD.

Best users: Aatrox, Jax, Irelia, Hecarim, Briar, Samira, Ambessa

When to build: Endless Hunger is a third or fourth item for fighters who thrive in extended teamfights. The 20% tenacity stacks with other tenacity sources to make you nearly immune to crowd control, and the omnivamp on takedowns means every kill resets your health bar. On champions like Aatrox who already have built-in healing, the omnivamp stacking creates absurd sustain — kill one target and you are healing for more damage than the enemy team can deal.

When to skip: As a first or second item, Endless Hunger lacks the defensive stats to keep you alive long enough to proc its takedown passive. You need Death's Dance or Sterak's to survive the initial burst first. Build Endless Hunger later when teamfights are long enough for the sustain to matter.

Spear of Shojin

Cost: 3400 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 300 HP, 20 ability haste

Spear of Shojin empowers your non-ultimate abilities based on how many other abilities you have recently used. After casting three different abilities, your next non-ultimate ability deals bonus damage.

Best users: Riven, Hecarim, Renekton, Wukong, Jarvan IV, Kled

When to build: Spear of Shojin is the ability-cycling fighter item. Champions whose kits have multiple short-cooldown abilities get enormous value from the passive — Riven cycles through Q, W, E and gets empowered damage on each rotation. The combination of AD, health, and ability haste makes it a well-rounded offensive option that also gives survivability. Build it when you are ahead and want to press your damage advantage while still being durable.

When to skip: On fighters who rely on one or two abilities rather than cycling through their entire kit, the passive does not trigger consistently. Jax and Camille get more from Trinity Force and Blade of the Ruined King.

Blade of the Ruined King

Cost: 3200 gold | Stats: 40 AD, 25% attack speed, 8% life steal

Blade of the Ruined King deals bonus physical damage on-hit equal to a percentage of the target's current health. It also steals movement speed on hit.

Best users: Irelia, Jax, Viego, Master Yi, Vayne, Kog'Maw, Warwick, Bel'Veth

When to build: BotRK is the premier anti-tank dueling item for auto-attack fighters. Against health-stacking enemies, the percentage health damage shreds through their HP pool faster than any flat damage item. The attack speed and life steal make your sustained trades stronger, and the movement speed steal prevents enemies from kiting you. If the enemy top laner is Cho'Gath, Sion, or Dr. Mundo, BotRK pays for itself in side lane.

When to skip: Against squishy teams, the percentage health damage is less effective since the targets do not have enough HP for it to outdamage flat AD items. Fighters who do not auto-attack frequently (Illaoi, Rumble) get no value from the on-hit passive.

Titanic Hydra

Cost: 3300 gold | Stats: 40 AD, 500 HP

Titanic Hydra deals bonus on-hit damage scaling with your maximum health and cleaves nearby targets with your basic attacks. The active resets your auto-attack timer.

Best users: Sion, Cho'Gath, Tahm Kench, K'Sante, Volibear, Urgot, Sett

When to build: If you are a health-stacking fighter or tank who wants to add damage without building glass cannon stats, Titanic Hydra converts your health pool into offensive power. Sion with 5000+ HP deals massive on-hit damage with each auto. The waveclear from the cleave passive is also critical for split-pushing — fighters who build Titanic can shove waves as fast as mages.

When to skip: On fighters who do not build heavy health (Riven, Fiora) or who do not auto-attack frequently, Titanic's on-hit passive is wasted. Pure damage items like Death's Dance or Sterak's provide more value.

Mage Legendaries

Mages have the most predictable item path in the game: core item, then amplifier or penetration, then Rabadon's Deathcap. But knowing which amplifier to build second and whether to slot in a defensive item makes the difference between a mage who one-shots carries and one who dies before casting a spell.

Rabadon's Deathcap

Cost: 3600 gold | Stats: 130 AP

Rabadon's Deathcap increases your total ability power by 35%. It is the single highest damage item for mages and the reason AP scaling exists in the game.

Best users: Every AP champion who builds damage

When to build: Rabadon's is almost always your third item. At two items, you typically have 150-200 AP. Rabadon's adds 130 AP plus 35% of your total, which means your effective AP jumps by 200+ in a single purchase. This is the biggest power spike a mage gets in the entire game — completing Rabadon's often means the difference between your combo leaving a carry at 20% health and killing them outright. Build it when you have at least two other AP items to maximize the multiplicative passive.

When to skip: As a first item, the 35% passive amplifies almost nothing — you are paying 3600 gold for raw AP when cheaper items provide more power relative to cost. Also skip it in games where you need defensive stats to survive. A dead mage deals zero damage regardless of AP totals.

Void Staff

Cost: 2800 gold | Stats: 95 AP, 40% magic penetration

Void Staff ignores 40% of the target's magic resistance. Against any target building MR, this is the highest damage increase per gold of any mage item.

Best users: Every AP champion against MR-stacking enemies

When to build: If the enemy team has even one champion building magic resistance items, Void Staff becomes more gold-efficient than Rabadon's as a damage amplifier. The 40% magic penetration means that a target with 100 MR effectively has 60 MR against you — a massive damage increase. Build Void Staff second when the enemy is stacking MR early, or third after Rabadon's as your default build path. In Season 2026, the breakpoint is roughly 60 MR on the target — above that, Void Staff outdamages every other AP item.

When to skip: Against teams with no bonus MR (five squishy champions who only have base MR), the penetration is partially wasted since base MR is low. Shadowflame or more raw AP deals more in those games.

Shadowflame

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 110 AP

Shadowflame is the most-built AP item in Season 2026 with the highest pick rate among mages. It deals bonus magic damage to targets based on their missing health, making it a strong execute item for burst mages.

Best users: Syndra, Viktor, Ahri, Veigar, Lux, Brand, Annie, Ziggs

When to build: Shadowflame is your default second item when the enemy team is squishy and you want consistent damage amplification. The missing health damage means your combo deals more damage to targets who are already chunked — it rewards poking a target first and then finishing with your full combo. It is the simplest and most consistent damage option after your core item.

When to skip: Against tanky teams with high MR, Void Staff's penetration outdamages Shadowflame's flat bonus. Against teams that threaten to kill you, a defensive item like Zhonya's is more important than raw damage.

Zhonya's Hourglass

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 105 AP, 50 armor

Zhonya's active makes you invulnerable and untargetable for 2.5 seconds. This is the most important active item in the game for mages.

Best users: Every mage against assassins or dive-heavy teams

When to build: Against Zed, Talon, Qiyana, or any champion whose job is to kill you before you cast spells, Zhonya's is non-negotiable. The 2.5 seconds of invulnerability buys time for your team to collapse on the assassin, and the armor makes their lethality less effective even outside the active. Many mages build Zhonya's second against heavy AD teams regardless of how ahead they are because surviving is worth more than damage you never get to deal.

When to skip: Against AP-heavy teams with no AD assassins, the armor is wasted. Build Banshee's Veil instead for the spell shield and MR.

Banshee's Veil

Cost: 2800 gold | Stats: 105 AP, 40 MR

Banshee's Veil grants a spell shield that blocks the next enemy ability. The shield regenerates after not taking damage from champions for a set duration.

Best users: Any mage against AP burst or pick compositions

When to build: Banshee's is the Zhonya's equivalent for magic damage threats. Against a Blitzcrank hook, a Lux binding, or an Ahri charm — any single ability that leads to your death — Banshee's blocks it and lets you play the fight safely. The MR also reduces the damage of any magic damage that gets through after the shield pops.

When to skip: Against AD-heavy teams, Zhonya's outperforms. Against teams that deal sustained magic damage rather than burst (Brand DOT, Cassiopeia DPS), the spell shield pops on the first tick of damage and does not prevent the sustained follow-up.

Cosmic Drive

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 80 AP, 250 HP, 25 ability haste

Cosmic Drive grants bonus movement speed when you deal ability damage to champions. It is the mobility mage item for champions who need to kite, reposition, or chase.

Best users: Karma, Ahri, Cassiopeia, Lillia, Singed, Viktor, Aurelion Sol

When to build: Cosmic Drive is the best second item for mages who fight in extended trades and need to reposition constantly. The ability haste lets you cycle spells faster, the health keeps you alive, and the movement speed passive lets you dodge skill shots while maintaining aggression. On Cassiopeia, who stands still to DPS, the movement speed between spell casts is the difference between getting caught and kiting an entire team.

When to skip: Burst mages who cast their combo and then wait on cooldowns get less value from Cosmic Drive's sustained movement speed. If your champion dumps abilities and then has nothing to do for 5 seconds, Shadowflame or Rabadon's is more impactful.

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Cost: 2600 gold | Stats: 75 AP, 400 HP

Rylai's slows enemies hit by your abilities. Every damaging spell applies a slow, making it impossible for enemies to walk away from your damage.

Best users: Brand, Zyra, Malzahar, Swain, Mordekaiser, Singed, Lillia, Aurelion Sol

When to build: On DOT mages and champions with persistent area-of-effect damage, Rylai's slow is essentially permanent. Brand with Rylai's and Liandry's creates a kill zone — anyone hit by his passive is slowed and burning simultaneously, making it nearly impossible to escape the fire. The 400 HP also makes you surprisingly durable for a mage.

When to skip: On burst mages who kill targets in one combo, the slow has no time to matter — the target is dead before they need to be slowed. Champions with built-in crowd control (Syndra stun, Veigar cage) already lock down targets without Rylai's help.

Marksman (ADC) Legendaries

ADC itemization after your core item follows a simple rule: build sustain to survive, then build penetration to kill. The order depends on whether the bigger threat is dying before you deal damage or dealing damage that does not kill anyone.

Bloodthirster

Cost: 3400 gold | Stats: 80 AD, 18% life steal

Bloodthirster is the premier sustain item for marksmen. The life steal keeps you healthy through poke, and the overheal passive converts excess healing into a shield that absorbs damage.

Best users: Draven, Samira, Aphelios, Jhin, Miss Fortune, Sivir

When to build: Bloodthirster is your second or third item when you need sustain to survive the lane phase or teamfight poke. The overheal shield gives you an effective health buffer before fights start — if you are topped off from life stealing off minions, you enter every fight with a few hundred extra HP worth of shielding. Against poke compositions that whittle you down before teamfights start, Bloodthirster keeps your health bar full.

When to skip: Against all-in teams that burst you from 100 to 0, life steal does not help because you are dead before you auto-attack. Build a defensive item like Immortal Shieldbow or Guardian Angel instead.

Phantom Dancer

Cost: 2600 gold | Stats: 25% attack speed, 25% critical strike chance, 7% movement speed

Phantom Dancer grants bonus attack speed and ghosting (move through units) after attacking champions. It is the kiting ADC item that lets you reposition smoothly in teamfights.

Best users: Vayne, Aphelios, Jinx, Sivir, Zeri, Twitch, Kalista

When to build: Phantom Dancer is essential on short-range ADCs who need to reposition constantly during fights. The movement speed plus ghosting means you never get stuck on minions or allies while kiting a diving bruiser. On Vayne, the attack speed synergizes with her Silver Bolts true damage, and the movement speed lets her tumble and kite more effectively. Build it second or third when you need to survive through positioning rather than raw stats.

When to skip: Long-range ADCs like Caitlyn and Jinx (Fishbones) who fight from extreme distance get less value from the ghosting and movement speed since they are rarely close enough to get body-blocked. They prefer raw damage items.

Rapid Firecannon

Cost: 2600 gold | Stats: 25% attack speed, 25% critical strike chance, 7% movement speed

Rapid Firecannon charges as you move, and when fully charged your next auto-attack has extended range and deals bonus magic damage.

Best users: Caitlyn, Jinx, Jhin, Tristana, Aphelios

When to build: On ADCs who already have long range, Rapid Firecannon extends it to absurd levels. Caitlyn with RFC can auto from range that most champions cannot respond to. The charged auto is also useful for safe poke — one extended range auto with bonus damage can chunk a squishy target before the fight starts. It is a strong third or fourth item when you want safe damage without committing to a full engage.

When to skip: In games where you are constantly in auto-attack range anyway (your team has strong peel, the enemy has no dive), the extended range is wasted. Phantom Dancer or Runaan's provides more consistent DPS.

Runaan's Hurricane

Cost: 2600 gold | Stats: 40% attack speed, 25% critical strike chance

Runaan's fires two bonus bolts at nearby enemies when you auto-attack, applying on-hit effects at reduced power. It is the teamfight AoE item for marksmen.

Best users: Jinx, Twitch, Ashe, Kai'Sa, Kog'Maw, Kalista, Aphelios

When to build: Runaan's is the best teamfight DPS item for ADCs who benefit from hitting multiple targets. Jinx with Fishbones rockets and Runaan's bolts deals AoE damage to the entire enemy frontline. Twitch with Spray and Pray plus Runaan's hits every target in a line. On champions with on-hit effects, each bolt applies them — Ashe's slow, Kog'Maw's Bio-Arcane Barrage, Kai'Sa's passive stacks. Build it second or third when the enemy team groups tightly.

When to skip: In games against split or isolated targets where you are only hitting one enemy at a time, Runaan's bolts hit nothing. Build single-target DPS items like Phantom Dancer or Infinity Edge instead.

Immortal Shieldbow

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 20% critical strike chance, 10% life steal

Immortal Shieldbow grants a shield when you take damage that would drop you below 30% health. The shield scales with your level and provides a burst of life steal while active.

Best users: Yasuo, Yone, Samira, Draven, Vayne, Aphelios

When to build: Shieldbow is the defensive ADC item for games where assassins or divers will reach you regardless of positioning. If the enemy Zed or Kha'Zix is going to jump on you no matter what, Shieldbow gives you a second chance to survive their burst and auto them to death with the bonus life steal. On melee ADCs like Yasuo and Yone who are always in danger, Shieldbow is often a first or second item.

When to skip: In games with strong peel from your support and no dive threat, you do not need the shield. Offensive items like Infinity Edge or Lord Dominik's give you more damage, and your team keeps you alive.

Guardian Angel

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 45 armor

Guardian Angel revives you after death with partial health. The revive has a long cooldown, but while it is active you have a second life in teamfights.

Best users: Any ADC or carry who is the primary win condition

When to build: Guardian Angel has the highest win rate of any ADC item in Season 2026 — not because the item is overpowered, but because players who buy it are the ones who recognize they are the most important target. When you are the fed carry and the enemy team invests everything to kill you first, GA punishes that strategy. They kill you, they commit cooldowns, and then you come back while their abilities are down. Build it fourth or fifth when you are carrying and the enemy team is focused on shutting you down.

When to skip: When you are not the primary target, the revive is wasted — you come back in a fight that is already lost because your team died while the enemy ignored you. GA is a win-more item for carries who are already ahead.

Mortal Reminder

Cost: 2600 gold | Stats: 35 AD, 25% critical strike chance, 7% movement speed

Mortal Reminder applies Grievous Wounds on physical damage, reducing healing on the target. It is the anti-heal ADC item.

Best users: Every ADC against healing-heavy teams

When to build: When the enemy team has Soraka, Yuumi, Aatrox, Vladimir, Dr. Mundo, or any champion with significant healing, Mortal Reminder is required. Without Grievous Wounds, healing champions effectively have 40-60% more health in fights. One ADC building Mortal Reminder can neutralize an entire healing strategy. Build it second or third when the enemy has multiple healing sources.

When to skip: Against teams with no significant healing, the Grievous Wounds passive does nothing. Build a pure damage item instead — Mortal Reminder's AD is lower than other options specifically because you are paying for the anti-heal.

Tank Legendaries

Tank itemization is entirely reactive. You do not have a default build path — you look at the enemy team, identify their primary damage type, and build resistances accordingly. The items below are organized by what they counter.

Spirit Visage

Cost: 2900 gold | Stats: 450 HP, 50 MR, 10 ability haste

Spirit Visage increases all healing received by 25%, including self-healing, life steal, and allied heals. It also grants significant health and MR.

Best users: Mundo, Zac, Maokai, Volibear, Cho'Gath, Sion, any tank with self-healing

When to build: Spirit Visage is the best MR item for tanks who have self-healing in their kit. Mundo's passive and R heal for more. Zac's bloblets heal for more. Maokai's passive heal procs for more. The 25% healing increase applies to everything — if your Soraka is healing you, that heals for more too. Build it against AP-heavy teams when you or your team has healing.

When to skip: Against AD-heavy teams, the MR is wasted. Also skip it if nobody on your team heals you and your champion has no self-healing — the passive is the entire point of the item, and without healing to amplify, Force of Nature gives better raw MR defense.

Force of Nature

Cost: 2800 gold | Stats: 400 HP, 55 MR, 5% movement speed

Force of Nature grants stacking magic damage reduction when you take magic damage, up to a significant reduction at full stacks. It is the best pure MR item in the game against sustained magic damage.

Best users: Any tank against sustained AP damage

When to build: When the enemy has champions like Brand, Cassiopeia, or Teemo who deal magic damage over time in sustained bursts, Force of Nature's stacking reduction is more effective than raw MR because it reduces each tick of damage. The movement speed also helps you close the gap on kiting mages. Build Force of Nature when the enemy has consistent AP damage rather than one-shot burst.

When to skip: Against burst mages who kill in one combo (Syndra, Veigar), you do not have time to stack the passive. Spirit Visage or Kaenic Rookern provides better protection against single-combo burst.

Dead Man's Plate

Cost: 2900 gold | Stats: 300 HP, 45 armor, 5% movement speed

Dead Man's Plate grants stacking movement speed as you move, and your next auto-attack discharges the stacks for bonus damage and a slow.

Best users: Sion, Ornn, Shen, Poppy, Singed, Hecarim, any tank who needs to reach targets

When to build: Dead Man's Plate solves the biggest tank problem: reaching the enemy backline. The movement speed stacking means you arrive at fights faster and your first auto slows the target so they cannot escape your CC. For tanks who need to flank or engage from long range, Dead Man's is the engage enabler. Build it when the enemy team kites you and you need mobility to reach them.

When to skip: If you already have reliable engage (Malphite R, Ornn R) and do not need extra movement speed, pure resistance items give you more survivability in the fight itself. Dead Man's helps you start fights, but does not help you survive them as well as Randuin's or Frozen Heart.

Frozen Heart

Cost: 2500 gold | Stats: 75 armor, 400 mana, 20 ability haste

Frozen Heart has an aura that reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies. It is the best anti-auto-attack tank item.

Best users: Malphite, Rammus, Nasus, Maokai, Ornn, any tank against auto-attackers

When to build: When the enemy team has multiple auto-attack champions (ADC plus an auto-attack fighter or jungler), Frozen Heart's attack speed reduction aura weakens all of them simultaneously just by standing near them. The 75 armor is the highest of any single armor item, and the mana is useful on tanks who use abilities frequently. Build it when the enemy damage comes primarily from auto-attacks rather than abilities.

When to skip: Against ability-based teams (mages, assassins who do not auto-attack), the attack speed aura does nothing. Build Randuin's Omen for the crit reduction passive against crit-based damage or Thornmail for the Grievous Wounds against healing.

Warmog's Armor

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 800 HP, 200% base health regeneration

Warmog's passive regenerates your entire health bar in seconds when you are out of combat. It requires a minimum total health pool to activate.

Best users: Cho'Gath, Sion, Tahm Kench, Mundo, Zac, any tank with bonus health stacking

When to build: Warmog's is the siege and poke defense item for tanks. Against teams that poke you down before fights (Xerath, Jayce, Nidalee), you can eat the poke, step behind your team for a few seconds, and regenerate to full health. In ARAM, Warmog's is the most broken tank item in the game because the constant poking means you always have an opportunity to regenerate between fights.

When to skip: In games with constant all-in teamfights where you never leave combat, the out-of-combat regen never activates. Warmog's also requires a large health pool to unlock the passive — if you rush it first without other HP items, the passive may not activate.

Thornmail

Cost: 2700 gold | Stats: 350 HP, 50 armor

Thornmail reflects damage to attackers and applies Grievous Wounds when enemies hit you with auto-attacks. When you immobilize an enemy, Grievous Wounds is applied at increased strength.

Best users: Rammus, Malphite, Leona, Nautilus, any tank against healing auto-attackers

When to build: Thornmail is the tank anti-heal option. When the enemy ADC has life steal and the enemy bruiser has sustain, Thornmail punishes them for hitting you. The Grievous Wounds passive works by being hit — you do not have to do anything except stand in front of your team and take damage, which is your job anyway. Build it against teams with both auto-attack damage and healing.

When to skip: Against teams that deal ability-based damage rather than auto-attacks, the reflected damage and Grievous Wounds barely apply. Morellonomicon (on your mage) or Mortal Reminder (on your ADC) applies anti-heal more reliably in those games.

Assassin Legendaries

Assassins build lethality until they can one-shot their target, then build utility or defensive lethality for the late game. Most assassin items were covered in the core items guide, but several second and third slot legendaries deserve attention.

Axiom Arc

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 10 lethality, 25 ability haste

Axiom Arc refunds a portion of your ultimate's cooldown on champion takedowns. For assassins whose ultimate is their primary engage or damage tool, this means more frequent all-ins.

Best users: Zed, Kha'Zix, Pyke, Nocturne, Rengar

When to build: When your champion's ultimate is the core of your assassination combo, Axiom Arc lets you use it in every skirmish. Zed's Death Mark, Nocturne's Paranoia, Pyke's Death from Below — all of these have long cooldowns that Axiom Arc dramatically reduces with each kill. In teamfights, killing one target resets your ult so you can immediately dive the next. Build it second or third when you are consistently getting kills.

When to skip: On assassins whose ultimates are utility rather than damage (Talon R is primarily an escape), Axiom Arc's refund is less impactful. Also skip it when you are behind — the refund requires takedowns, and a losing assassin does not get many.

Serpent's Fang

Cost: 2600 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 12 lethality

Serpent's Fang reduces shield strength on enemies you damage. When you deal damage to a shielded target, the shield's remaining value is reduced significantly.

Best users: Any lethality assassin against shield-heavy teams

When to build: When the enemy team has Lulu, Karma, Seraphine, or any enchanter who shields the carry you need to kill, Serpent's Fang cuts through that protection. Without it, a 400 HP shield on the enemy ADC means your combo does not kill. With it, the shield is halved and your combo finishes the job. Build it as a second or third item whenever shields are preventing your assassinations.

When to skip: Against teams with no shields, the passive does nothing. Build more raw lethality or ability haste instead.

Experimental Hexplate

Cost: 3000 gold | Stats: 55 AD, 300 HP, 5% movement speed

Experimental Hexplate grants a burst of attack speed and movement speed after using your ultimate, helping you follow up on your all-in.

Best users: Nocturne, Vi, Hecarim, Rek'Sai, Rengar, Kha'Zix

When to build: Hexplate is the diver's item — champions who ult in, need to stick to their target, and auto-attack to finish the kill. Nocturne ults in, gains attack speed and movement speed, and runs down the target before they can escape. Vi ults, then auto-attacks with the bonus attack speed to burst the carry. Build it second when your champion's pattern is ult into auto-attacks.

When to skip: On assassins who deal all their damage through abilities rather than auto-attacks (Zed, Qiyana), the attack speed is wasted. Build lethality and ability haste instead.

Support Legendaries

Enchanter support items consistently have the highest win rates of any item class in Season 2026. This is not because supports are overpowered — it is because the right support item multiplies your carry's effectiveness in ways that no other role's items can match.

Ardent Censer

Cost: 2100 gold | Stats: 60 AP, 10% heal and shield power, 100% mana regen

Ardent Censer grants on-hit magic damage and bonus attack speed to allies you heal or shield.

Best users: Lulu, Nami, Janna, Karma, Sona, Milio, Soraka

When to build: Ardent Censer is the best support item when your ADC is auto-attack-focused (Vayne, Kai'Sa, Jinx, Kog'Maw). Every heal or shield you cast turns your carry into a faster, harder-hitting threat. The on-hit magic damage adds up over extended fights, and the attack speed accelerates their DPS significantly. Build it second after your core support item when your carry benefits from attack speed.

When to skip: When your ADC is ability-based (Jhin, Miss Fortune lethality) or your team's primary carry is a mage, the attack speed and on-hit are wasted. Build Staff of Flowing Water instead.

Staff of Flowing Water

Cost: 2100 gold | Stats: 60 AP, 10% heal and shield power, 100% mana regen

Staff of Flowing Water grants bonus AP and ability haste to allies you heal or shield.

Best users: Lulu, Nami, Karma, Sona, Janna, Milio, Soraka

When to build: Staff is the Ardent Censer equivalent for AP-heavy teams. When your carry is a mage or your team has multiple AP threats, every heal or shield buffs their damage. The AP and ability haste boost is less visible than Ardent's attack speed but equally impactful — your mid laner's combo deals significantly more damage during your buff window.

When to skip: When your team is AD-heavy and your carry benefits from attack speed, Ardent Censer provides more value. Staff and Ardent are rarely built together — pick the one that matches your team's damage type.

Redemption

Cost: 2100 gold | Stats: 200 HP, 15% heal and shield power, 100% mana regen

Redemption has an active that calls down a beam at a target location, healing allies and damaging enemies in the area after a short delay. It can be cast while dead.

Best users: Every enchanter support

When to build: Redemption is the teamfight support item. The AoE heal can swing an entire fight — a well-timed Redemption on your grouped team heals multiple allies and damages enemies in the same zone. The fact that it can be cast while dead means even if the enemy kills you first, you can still contribute to the fight. Build it third or fourth when teamfights are happening frequently.

When to skip: In games with constant small skirmishes rather than grouped teamfights, the AoE heal hits fewer people. Mikael's or a second enchanter item may be more useful.

Mikael's Blessing

Cost: 2100 gold | Stats: 40 AP, 10% heal and shield power, 100% mana regen

Mikael's Blessing has an active that cleanses a target ally of all crowd control and heals them.

Best users: Every enchanter support against CC-heavy teams

When to build: When the enemy team has a single critical CC ability that kills your carry (Ashe arrow, Sejuani ult, Malzahar ult), Mikael's cleanses it and saves them. One well-timed Mikael's can prevent a lost teamfight. Build it when your carry is the primary target of enemy CC and cannot build Quicksilver Sash.

When to skip: Against teams with low CC or when your carry already has Cleanse or QSS, Mikael's is redundant. Build damage or utility items instead.

Knight's Vow

Cost: 2200 gold | Stats: 400 HP, 10 ability haste

Knight's Vow lets you designate a partner. You redirect a percentage of damage your partner takes to yourself, and you heal for a portion of the damage they deal.

Best users: Braum, Thresh, Leona, Rell, Nautilus, Taric, Alistar

When to build: Knight's Vow is the tank support item for protecting a fed carry. When your ADC is 5/0 and the enemy team needs to kill them to win, Knight's Vow makes them harder to burst because you are absorbing part of the damage. The healing from their damage also keeps you alive while you frontline. Build it second when you have a clear carry to protect.

When to skip: When no single teammate is the clear carry, the redirect is less impactful. Against teams that ignore your ADC and focus the mid laner instead, the Vow is on the wrong target. Build a teamfight item like Locket or Zeke's instead.

Dawncore

Cost: 2200 gold | Stats: 40 AP, 200 HP, 15% heal and shield power, 100% mana regen

Dawncore amplifies your healing and shielding further, making it the stacking enchanter item for maximum heal and shield output.

Best users: Soraka, Sona, Lulu, Nami, Milio, Janna

When to build: When your team composition revolves around keeping a single carry alive, Dawncore stacks with your other heal and shield items to create absurd amounts of protection. Soraka with Moonstone, Staff, and Dawncore heals for amounts that functionally negate entire enemy combos. Build it when your team needs raw healing and shielding output above all else.

When to skip: When the enemy has heavy Grievous Wounds (multiple anti-heal items), amplifying your healing is partially wasted because it gets cut by 40%. In those games, utility items like Shurelya's provide more value.

Situational Legendaries for Every Class

Some items do not belong to one class but are critical purchases in specific game states. Knowing when to slot these in is what separates good itemizers from great ones.

Executioner's Calling / Mortal Reminder / Morellonomicon / Thornmail

Anti-heal items exist for every class. The rule is simple: if the enemy team has a champion who heals as a core part of their kit (Aatrox, Soraka, Mundo, Vladimir, Yuumi, Swain), someone on your team must build Grievous Wounds. If nobody does, that healing champion is effectively unkillable. Check your team's items — if nobody has built anti-heal, it is your responsibility regardless of your role.

Quicksilver Sash / Mercurial Scimitar

QSS cleanses all crowd control on use. It is the only way to remove Malzahar's suppression, Mordekaiser's Realm of Death, and Skarner's Impale. If the enemy has one of these champions and they are targeting you, QSS is mandatory — no amount of damage matters if you are suppressed for 3 seconds in every fight.

Gargoyle Stoneplate

Cost: 3200 gold | Stats: 80 armor, 80 MR

Gargoyle Stoneplate has an active that grants a massive shield scaling with your bonus health. It is the last-resort tank item for teamfights where you need to survive an extreme amount of damage.

Best users: Engage tanks who dive into the enemy team (Leona, Nautilus, Alistar, Rell, Amumu)

When to build: After your core resistance items, Gargoyle's shield gives you one final buffer of survivability during your engage. You flash in, CC the enemy team, pop Gargoyle's, and survive long enough for your team to follow up. Build it as a fourth or fifth item when you are the primary engage.

How to Build After Your Core Item

If the number of items in this guide feels overwhelming, use this framework for your second and third purchases:

Step 1 — Ask if you need to survive. Check the scoreboard. Is anyone on the enemy team fed? Is an assassin targeting you? If yes, your second item should be defensive (Death's Dance, Zhonya's, Immortal Shieldbow, Sterak's). Dying with three damage items deals less damage than surviving with two damage items and one defensive.

Step 2 — Check the enemy team's resistance stacking. If tanks are building MR, mages need Void Staff. If tanks are building armor, ADCs need Lord Dominik's. If nobody is building resistances, skip penetration and build raw damage (Rabadon's, Infinity Edge, Shadowflame).

Step 3 — Look for anti-heal. If the enemy has healing and nobody on your team has Grievous Wounds, build it now. Mortal Reminder for ADCs, Morellonomicon for mages, Thornmail for tanks. This check should happen every time you recall with enough gold for a component.

Step 4 — Maximize your class scaling. After defensive and utility needs are met, build the items that scale hardest with your class. Mages want Rabadon's. ADCs want Infinity Edge plus attack speed. Fighters want Titanic Hydra or Spear of Shojin. Tanks want resistance items that counter the enemy's highest damage threat.

The post-mythic item system gives you freedom to build what you need in every game. The best players do not follow the same build every game — they adapt based on the game state. Use this guide as a reference, but always check the scoreboard before you buy.