How to build optimally in LoL: damage, EHP and order
Building isn’t copying the most popular item list. It’s balancing how much damage you deal against how much you take, and choosing the right ORDER to have power exactly when you need it. Here’s the framework to do it well.
Damage vs survivability: DPS, burst and EHP
Every build lives in a tension between damage and survivability. Every gold point you spend on one side you take from the other, so the question is never “what’s the best item?” but “how much of each do I need for *this* game?”.
On the damage side there are two distinct metrics. DPS (damage per second) is your sustained damage: autos + abilities spread over time. It matters to champions who fight for several seconds — ADCs, bruisers, duelists. Burst is your damage in a single rotation: the full combo you dump at once to delete a target before it reacts. It matters to assassins and pick mages. The same item can be excellent for DPS and mediocre for burst, or vice versa.
On the survivability side, the key metric is EHP (effective health): how much *real* damage you can absorb counting your resistances. The formula is simple: EHP = HP × (1 + resist/100). With 2000 health and 100 armor, your EHP against physical damage is 2000 × (1 + 100/100) = 4000. This explains why HP and resistances *multiply*: adding resistances makes each point of health worth more, and adding health makes each point of resistance worth more.
How each build style spends its points across 5 axes (indicative). There’s no "complete" build: each one sacrifices something.
Why build ORDER matters
Two players can end with the same six items and still one wins the game and the other loses it — because of the order they bought them in. Order decides *when* you have power, and as we saw with power spikes, relative power each minute is what wins fights.
The first tension of order is power now vs power later. An item that gives you a strong window immediately (a cheap first item that already spikes) can be a better first buy than a “stronger in the late game” item that leaves you weak in the very phase where the game is decided. If you’re behind, you buy to *stabilize now*; if you’re ahead, you buy to *extend your lead* into your next window.
The second is component efficiency and recipe timings. Some legendaries are built from components that are already useful on their own (e.g. a recurve/component that gives you much of the value before the item is finished), while others are worth little until the last piece. If an item only “spikes” on completion, buy it when you can finish it in one back; if its components already pay off, you can start it earlier. That’s why back timing and which component you buy each trip to base can matter more than the final item itself.
The chart above is a concrete example: Caitlyn at level 18 with Infinity Edge, Phantom Dancer, Rapid Firecannon, Lord Dominik’s Regards, Bloodthirster and Berserker’s Greaves. The engine computes her real AD, attack speed, crit and DPS — the same math as the Build Lab, where you can assemble your champion’s optimal build and compare it against the enemy in Versus.
| Item | Adds |
|---|---|
| Infinity Edge | +75 AD · +25% crit · +30% crit dmg |
| Phantom Dancer | +65% AS · +25% crit |
| Rapid Firecannon | +35% AS · +25% crit |
| Lord Dominik's Regards | +35 AD · +25% crit · +35% pen |
| Bloodthirster | +80 AD · +15% vamp |
| Berserker's Greaves | +25% AS |
| Base (no items) | With the build | |
|---|---|---|
| AD | 127 | 317 |
| Attack speed | 1.14 | 2 |
| Crit | 0% | 100% |
| DPS | 145 | 1453 |
×10 DPS is multiplied. Caitlyn at level 18 with six items, resolved by the same engine as the Build Lab (resolveStats + crit auto-attack damage). DPS is per-hit damage × attack speed. Build your own in the Build Lab.
Reading the matchup: armor vs MR, squishy vs tank
The right build depends on *against what and whom*. On defense, look at where the enemy team’s damage comes from: if you’re mostly hit by physical, you buy armor; if it’s magic, magic resist. Because EHP is multiplicative, defending against the *wrong* damage type wastes gold: 100 armor won’t save you from a full-AP team. When damage is split, you mix some of each resistance plus health, which helps against everything.
On offense, look at *who you want to kill*. Against a squishy target (low health, low resistances), flat damage and burst are plenty — you can even skip penetration, since there’s little resistance to penetrate. Against a tank (lots of health and resistances), flat damage gets diluted and what pays off is penetration (percent against high resistance, flat against low) and max-health % damage, which scales with the target’s health instead of being absorbed by it.
This reading changes your build on the fly. If the one killing you is a physical assassin, a single armor item can multiply your survivability. If your job is to melt the front-line tank, you prioritize penetration. Use the site’s compare and Build Lab tools to pit your damage against a specific target and see, numbers in hand, which item gives you more against *that* resistance profile.
Each archetype wants different stats and items. Recognizing a champion’s role is the first step to optimizing its build. Tap any to see its page.
Raw stats vs passives: when each one wins
Not all of an item’s value is in its numbers. Many legendaries have passives that gold efficiency doesn’t measure: bonus damage on first hit, max-health scaling, healing, conditional penetration. The practical question is: do I want this item for its raw stats or for its passive?
Raw stats win when you just need more of what you already do: more AD for your autos, more health to survive, more resistance against a clear damage type. They’re predictable and always add up. That’s why cheap components and defensive items are usually picked for pure stats — there, gold efficiency is almost all that matters.
Passives win when they create value that stats alone can’t: a penetration passive that makes your damage viable against tanks, a %-health-damage passive that scales with chunky targets, an antiheal passive that shuts off enemy sustain, a shield passive that effectively raises your EHP. Rule of thumb: on cheap and defensive items, look at the stats; on offensive legendaries, the passive and its synergy with your kit usually outweigh the last handful of stats. When in doubt, compare them in the site’s tool against the real target and let the number decide.
DPS of the same crit build (Caitlyn level 18) adding one item at a time, with the real engine. The biggest jump comes from the first items: that’s where your purchase power spikes are.
FAQ
Should I buy damage or defense first?
It depends on your role and the matchup. Carries usually prioritize damage to spike their DPS/burst, but if you’re getting bursted before you can deal anything, an early defensive item (armor or MR depending on enemy damage) raises your EHP and lets you play. The rule: buy what gives you the biggest useful window NOW, not what’s “best on paper” for the late game.
Why do health and resistances pay off more together?
Because EHP is multiplicative: EHP = HP × (1 + resist/100). Each point of resistance makes all your health worth more, and each point of health makes all your resistance worth more. That’s why stacking only health or only armor is less efficient than combining them — the product grows faster than either one alone.
When do I pick an item for its passive instead of its stats?
When the passive creates value stats can’t: penetration against tanks, %-health damage against chunky targets, antiheal against sustain, shields that raise your EHP. On cheap and defensive items stats almost always rule; on offensive legendaries, the passive and its synergy with your kit usually weigh more. Compare them in the site’s tool against the real target to confirm.