Never Start Doran's Blade in Solo Queue

Archive post, March 2012. The shop math this argues from is gone. Doran's Blade costs 450 gold today and hands you 80 health and 2.5% omnivamp alongside the attack damage, so it isn't the all-damage, no-safety buy the post treats it as, and boots plus three health potions comes to exactly the same 450 gold. The warding complaint went too, because every champion now gets a free Stealth Ward trinket and a support who never buys wards isn't a thing any more. So did the ELO the last line tells you to farm: Season 3 replaced the single ELO ladder with tiers, divisions and League Points, and the rating itself sits hidden behind them. What survives is the underlying argument, which is to buy for the worst case when you can't plan around your lane partner.

Hello there summoners! This post specifically pertains to AD carries and solo queue. A lot of pros start with Doran's blade when they have a sustain support, such as Soraka, Sona, or Alistar. For a 5v5 arranged team, this is a great idea.

For solo queue, this is a terrible idea.

Why? Well it's simple, you really don't know what your support's going to do...unless you're duo queuing with him/her of course.

Problems:

• Solo queue people DC.
• If your support DCs and you're holding a Doran's blade, chances are you'll get out-harassed with no ability to retort.
• Solo queue supports die.
• If your sustain support decides to overextend and die, those heals won't be very effective will they?
• Solo queue supports might not ward very well.
• That ward in the little bush is great and all if a slow jungler decides to hide there, but honestly more and more junglers realize that the tri-bush is a much more effective way to gank.

Solution: Start with Boots + 3 pots

• This gives you room for error if your support DCs or dies
• This gives you the ability to kite, harass, and position better than someone with Doran Blade
• This gives you more potential to escape from jungle ganks

Naturally, if your support isn't a sustain support you'll want to get Boots + 3 pots anyway, but even with Soraka, I'd say Boots + 3 pots is the way to go.

Just remember, in solo queue, expect the unexpected. Playing consistently without relying on your teammates is the fastest way to gain ELO.

 

Are you saying you don't trust me?