League of Legends Items Guide
Master itemization and win more games. Here's everything you need to know about LoL items in 2026.
Items win games. You can have perfect mechanics, but if you're building the wrong items, you're going to lose. League has over 200 items, and knowing which ones to build — and when — is the difference between carrying and getting carried.
This guide breaks down every item category, the best items for each role, and how to adapt your build based on the game state.
Item Categories Explained
Mythic Items (Removed in Season 14)
Mythic items were removed in Season 14. You can now build any legendary item first without restrictions. This opened up build diversity and made itemization more flexible.
Legendary Items
The core of your build. Legendary items provide the bulk of your stats and power spikes. You can build up to 6 legendary items (including boots).
Boots
Movement speed is crucial in League. Boots are usually your first or second item, and the type you buy depends on the enemy team comp (armor boots vs AD, magic resist boots vs AP).
Support Items
Supports start with a support item (Relic Shield, Spectral Sickle, or Steel Shoulderguards) that generates gold and upgrades over time. These items are essential for support economy.
Jungle Items
Junglers start with a jungle item that upgrades as you clear camps. The item provides smite upgrades and bonus stats. You can't buy a jungle item if you're not the jungler.
Consumables
Potions, wards, and elixirs. These are temporary items that provide short-term benefits. Always buy control wards — vision wins games.
Best Items by Role
ADC Core Items
- Infinity Edge — The ADC staple. Increases crit damage by 35%. Build this after 2-3 crit items.
- Kraken Slayer — True damage on every third auto. Best for tank-shredding.
- Galeforce — Dash active for repositioning. Great for immobile ADCs.
- The Collector — Executes low-health enemies. Snowball item for early leads.
- Lord Dominik's Regards — Armor penetration. Build this if the enemy has 2+ tanks.
Mid Lane Core Items
- Luden's Companion — Burst damage and magic penetration. Best for poke mages.
- Liandry's Torment — Burn damage over time. Best for DPS mages and tanks.
- Rod of Ages — Scaling item that gets stronger over time. Great for late-game mages.
- Shadowflame — Magic penetration against shields. Build this if the enemy has enchanters.
- Zhonya's Hourglass — Stasis active. Essential for surviving assassins.
Top Lane Core Items
- Black Cleaver — Armor shred and health. Core on bruisers.
- Trinity Force — Sheen proc and attack speed. Best for auto-attack bruisers.
- Sundered Sky — Sustain and damage. Great for fighters who need healing.
- Sterak's Gage — Shield on low health. Prevents burst damage.
- Thornmail — Reflects damage and applies Grievous Wounds. Core against healing comps.
Jungle Core Items
- Blade of the Ruined King — Percentage health damage. Best for auto-attack junglers.
- Eclipse — Armor penetration and shield. Great for assassin junglers.
- Riftmaker — Omnivamp and true damage. Best for AP bruiser junglers.
- Sunfire Aegis — AOE burn damage. Core on tank junglers.
- Stridebreaker — Slow active. Great for gap-closing on immobile juggernauts.
Support Core Items
- Moonstone Renewer — Healing over time. Best for enchanters.
- Shurelya's Battlesong — Movement speed active. Great for engage supports.
- Locket of the Iron Solari — AOE shield. Essential for protecting your team.
- Imperial Mandate — Bonus damage on CC. Best for poke supports.
- Zeke's Convergence — Bonus damage for your ADC. Great for tank supports.
Situational Items: When to Build What
Against Heavy AP: Build Magic Resist — Maw of Malmortius (AD), Banshee's Veil (AP), Force of Nature (tanks)
Against Heavy AD: Build Armor — Plated Steelcaps, Randuin's Omen, Frozen Heart
Against Healing: Build Grievous Wounds — Executioner's Calling (AD), Oblivion Orb (AP), Thornmail (tanks)
Against Tanks: Build Penetration — Lord Dominik's Regards (AD), Void Staff (AP), Black Cleaver (bruisers)
When Ahead: Build Damage — Snowball with items like The Collector, Mejai's Soulstealer, or Sword of the Occult
When Behind: Build Defensive — Guardian Angel, Zhonya's, Sterak's Gage to survive longer
Common Itemization Mistakes
Building the same items every game — Adapt your build to the enemy team comp. If they have 3 AP champions, you need magic resist.
Not building Grievous Wounds — If the enemy has Soraka, Yuumi, or Aatrox, you NEED Grievous Wounds. Don't skip it.
Delaying boots — Boots are cheap and give you movement speed. Buy them early (usually after your first item).
Ignoring armor/magic penetration — If the enemy is stacking resistances, flat damage won't cut it. Build penetration.
Not buying control wards — Vision wins games. Always have a control ward in your inventory.
How to Use the Item Shop Efficiently
- Use the search bar — Type "armor" or "magic resist" to filter items quickly
- Check recommended items — Riot's recommended builds are usually solid for beginners
- Use item sets — Create custom item sets for your main champions
- Quick buy with hotkeys — Bind item slots to hotkeys for faster shopping
FAQ
How many items can you have in League of Legends? You can have up to 6 items in your inventory, including boots. Most builds consist of boots plus 5 legendary items. You can also carry consumables like potions and control wards in your 7th slot.
What are the best items for beginners? Beginners should follow Riot's recommended item builds. These builds are optimized for each champion and provide a solid foundation. As you learn the game, you can start adapting your builds based on the enemy team comp.
When should I build armor vs magic resist? Build armor if the enemy team has multiple AD champions (ADC, AD assassins, AD bruisers). Build magic resist if they have multiple AP champions (mages, AP assassins, AP supports). Check the enemy team comp in loading screen and plan your build accordingly.
What is Grievous Wounds and when do I need it? Grievous Wounds reduces enemy healing by 40-60%. You need it against champions with heavy healing like Soraka, Yuumi, Aatrox, Vladimir, or Dr. Mundo. Build Executioner's Calling (AD), Oblivion Orb (AP), or Thornmail (tanks).
Should I build the same items every game? No. Itemization should adapt to the enemy team comp and game state. If they have 3 tanks, build penetration. If they have heavy healing, build Grievous Wounds. If you're behind, build defensive items. Flexibility wins games.
Test New Builds on a Fresh Account
Experiment with different itemization strategies without risking your main account's MMR.
Browse LoL SmurfsFinal Thoughts
Itemization is one of the most important skills in League. You can have perfect mechanics, but if you're building the wrong items, you're going to lose.
Adapt your build to the enemy team comp. Build penetration against tanks, Grievous Wounds against healing, and defensive items when behind. Master itemization, and you'll win more games.
