Deciding which item is best for which situation can be difficult: there are a lot of important items to buy when playing Support, and it can be difficult knowing which items to prioritise. Hopefully this guide explains which item is best for different scenarios. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of an item is crucial to utilising them to their maximum potential, without being restricted by their limitations. Moreover, knowing these strengths and weaknesses means you can counter and punish enemy Supports for their item choices.

Finally, when playing Support, your gold is finite, and in most games you'll have the lowest amount of gold in your team. Therefore, it's imperative to know which items are best for Supports, rather than wasting your precious gold on useless items.

Ancient Coin/Nomad's Medallion/Talisman of Ascension

Recommended for: Janna, Soraka, Zilean, Lulu, Veigar

Although these item aren't very popular, many people forget about the plus [x] health whenever you're near a minion that dies. Therefore, they are fantastic against a poke heavy enemy bot lane (such as Caitlyn and Nami), as it provides sustain. Furthermore the +[x] gold generated whenever a minion dies means you can still generate gold without having to poke/trade unfavourably with enemy bot lane (i.e. if you bought Spellthief’s Edge).

However, one major weakness of Ancient Coin is its lack of +[x] gold per 10 seconds, so I suggest upgrading the item to Nomad’s Medallion as soon as possible. Talisman of Ascension is fantastic in the mid and late game: it provides consistent opportunities for engage, disengage, and the sustain can be useful in long sieges or against poke compositions.

Spellthief's Edge/Frostfang/Frost Queen's Claim

Recommended for: Janna, Soraka, Zilean, Lulu, Veigar, Sona, Nami, Zyra, Morgana, Annie

The quintessential item for poke-heavy champions: these items are fantastic at generating pressure, harassing the enemy bottom lane and generating a lot of gold in the early game. Mastering this item involves using it efficiently (i.e. rarely having 3 stacks left in the laning phase), without becoming over aggressive and taking unfavourable trades just to generate gold. If you are ahead orwinning the lane, I suggest upgrading your Spellthief’s Edge into a Frostfang on your first shop, as it increases your gold generated, damage dealt to the enemy bot lane, and can help you transition an advantage into a lane victory. However, if you are behind, losing the laning phase or struggling to consistently damage/poke the enemy bot lane, I don’t recommend upgrading the Spellthief’s Edge at all, as it wont help even out the lane, and there are more important items to prioritise (such as Sightstone).

Although the slowing effect on Frost Queen’s Claim is good for kiting, engaging and disengaging, it is very difficult to consistently use it effectively. Moreover, during the mid to late game, there are fewer opportunities to consistently attack an enemy/structure due to the infrequent fights and cautious play-style, meaning less gold is generated from the item. I highly recommend selling your Spellthief’s Edge/Frostfang/Frost Queen’s Claim once the laning phase is over, and buying Ancient Coin/Nomad’s Medallion/Talisman of Ascension instead. Not only are the opportunities for engage and disengage more consistent, but the gold generated from being near a minion that dies ensures you are still generating a lot of gold.

Relic Shield/Targon's Brace/Face of the Mountain

Recommended for: Thresh, Blitzcrank, Leona, Alistar, Braum, Taric

These items are brilliant for tank supports, and also benefit your ADC too. In the early game, it can be difficult to decide whether to save the stacks to heal your ADC or to generate more experience to reach the level 2 power-spike. I suggest prioritising experience (hence using your stacks on the first/second waves of minions) as a lane can be won if you reach and abuse your level 2 power spike, while you can still be safe and survive without the heal generated from your stack.

Targon’s Brace is a weak item, and it isn’t worth buying in the early game: the increase in stacks and decrease in cooldown doesn’t warrant 500 gold, especially when there are other, more important items to prioritise (i.e. Sightstone). I would suggest upgrading your Relic Shield into a Face of the Mountain after you have your other key support items (i.e. Sightstone and Boots), and buying a Kindlegem first, as it’s a more valuable item than Targon’s Brace. The Face of the Mountain shield can influence a fight greatly, so ensure you use it on a vulnerable target when they are being focused. Also, don’t forget about last hitting minions to generate gold once the laning phase is over!

Stealth Ward

Recommended for: All Support Champions

While many Supports choose to buy extra health/mana potions for the sustain in the laning phase, I prefer to buy a Stealth Ward instead. A successful early jungle gank from the enemy jungler can snowball the game out of control, and buying a ward to prevent that is crucial. You can't rely on your jungler or other lanes to ward in the early game to spot out the enemy jungler's location; warding is such an important job for support's, and I'd suggest starting early. You can still win the laning phase without the extra sustain provided from the health/mana potions.

Warding Totem

Recommended for: All Support Champions

Vision is an imperative part of the game, especially early on when there are so few wards on the map. Therefore, a free ward in the early game is a great way to either prevent enemy jungler ganks, or to attack the enemySupport/ADC hiding in a bottom lane bush.

Sightstone

Recommended for: All Support Champions

Arguably the most important item for a Support - vision is an imperative aspect of playing Support. You must prioritise this item: if you are losing the laning phase, vision can prevent the enemy bot lane from snowballing; if you're winning the laning phase, vision can ensure you maintain your lead. Moreover, it is an item that benefits your whole team.

The only time I would suggest postponing a Sightstone is if you start with Ancient Coin and want to upgrade it to Nomad's Medallion for the +[x] gold per 10 seconds, or if you start with Spellthief's Edge and you are winning the lane. If you postpone the Sightstone, however, ensure you buy 1/2 Stealth/Vision Wards to compensate for the delayed vision.

Sweeping Lens

Recommended for: All Support Champions

When you buy a Sightstone, remember to sell your Warding Totem and trade it for a Sweeping Lens! You have no need for the ward provided by the Warding Totem, and denying vision from the enemy using a Sweeping Lens is much more important.

Faerie Charm

Recommended for: Janna, Nami, Sona, Soraka, Zilean, Lulu, Veigar, Zyra, Morgana, Annie

In the early game, it's tough to efficiently use your spells, due to the lack of Mana regeneration. Low Mana can lead to unfavourable trades, or even death. If you have a spare 180 gold, consider buying a Fearie Charm to help on Mana-dependent Champions.

Vision Ward

Recommended for: All Support Champions

An early Vision Ward is quite an investment, but a well-placed Vision Ward can last a long time, destroy a lot of wards and make up for its cost. If you are on the Blue side, a Vision Ward in the tri-bush is a fantastic location to place one, as it's easy to defend, and typically, the enemy Support will place a ward in tri-bush, meaning you can easily deny vision for the enemy team.

Boots of Mobility

Recommended for: All Support Champions

The most common boots for Support, the mobility is fantastic for roaming, ganking or helping other lanes, warding, engaging, chasing, disengaging, escaping etc.

Ninja Tabi

Recommended for: Thresh, Blitzcrank, Leona, Alistar, Braum, Taric

If you are against a team with a lot of AD Champions or a fed AD Champion even in the early game, consider buying Ninja Tabi. Coupled with Armour items, they can cripple an enemy team and make you an invincible Support tank.

Mercury Tread's

(Even though I wouldn't encourage buying this item) Recommended for: All Support Champions

If you are against a team with a lot of crowd control, or an effective crowd control chain (such as Fiddlestick's fear into Leona stun into Vi suppression into Jinx snare), consider buying Mercury Tread's. A team with a lot of crowd control can kill you before you do anything, and this item can be life saving.

However, I wouldn't recommend buying Merucry Tread's considering you can buy an Elixir of Iron during the mid to late game, providing you with Tenacity (even though it's 10% less than Mercury Tread's, the difference is not that significant). The Magic Resistance provided is also so minimal it doesn't justify sacrificing the amazing benefits of Mobility Boots (and occasionally for Tank Supports, Ninja Tabi)

Ioanian Boots of Lucidity

(Even though I wouldn't encourage buying this item) Recommended for: Lulu, Janna, Thresh, Zilean, Morgana, Nami, Annie

Cooldown Reduction is fantastic, especially for Supports. However, a lot of the items you build as a Support provides you with Cooldown Reduction; rendering this item as more and more useless as the game progresses, considering you'll probably reach the maximum 40% Cooldown Reduction eventually. If you are desperate for Cooldown Reduction in the early game and mid game, then consider buying this item. However, as mentioned, the benefits of Boots of Mobility (and occasionally for Tank Supports, Ninja Tabi) outweigh the benefits of the Ioanian Boots of Lucidity.

Oracle's Lens

Recommended for: All Support Champions

Currently, it is incredibly cheap to upgrade your Sweeping Lens into a Oracle's Lens (only 250 gold), and this is incredible value for gold. Not only does it allow you to deny even more vision from the enemy, but it can counter any stealth champions (such as Evelynn and Rengar). Make sure you upgrade your totem on your first shop after you reach level 9.

A lot of factors (your champion, success in game, the enemy team composition, whether any enemy champions are fed or not) will determine which of these next items to buy and prioritise

Mikael's Crucible

Recommended for: All Support Champions

A fantastic item to counter an enemy team with long and deadly crowd control (such as Lissandra's Frozen Tomb and Ashe's Enchanted Crystal Arrow), make sure you save it in team fights and use it on targets affected by aforementioned crowd control. Even if the enemy team doesn't have a long piece of crowd control, they are bound to have shorter, less threatening crowd control (such as Leona's stun or Thresh's hook), so Mikael's Crucible can be used if one of your squishy, vulnerable teammates are hit. Finally, the item can be used for its healing ability alone if a teammate is about to die, or if a team fight is very close. It's up to you to judge when and who to use Mikael's Crucible on, ensuring you use it on the right target at the right time.

On back-line Support champions (such as Janna, Nami and Sona), I'd suggest building Mikael's Crucible in most games, even if the enemy team doesn't have a long piece of crowd control, due to the strong active, Cooldown Reduction and Mana Regeneration; brilliant stats for back-line Supports. Also, building a Chalice of Harmony/Forbidden Idol in the late laning phase and mid game can ensure you have enough Mana to use all of your abilities in extended skirmishes/multiple trades. I would only suggest building Mikael's Crucible on tanky Supports (such as Leona, Alistar and Braum) if the team have a long piece of crowd control, as the Cooldown Reduction and Mana Regeneration don't benefit tanky Supports that much; Armour, Health and Magic Resistance are much better stats to build.

Mejai's Soulstealer

Recommended for: Janna, Sona, Lulu

A high risk, high reward item. While this has the chance to snowball an advantage and win you the game, it is extremely risky, and can be very detrimental to you and your team. I'd suggest only buying this item if you:

1) are playing a very safe back-line Support with escape and disengage (such as Janna, Sona and Lulu)

2) have won the laning phase while your other lanes have lost (hence, you need to be the one to carry the game and lead your team to victory)

3) are in a game with a lot of kills

4) have died a low amount of times (1-2 deaths maximum)

5) have acquired a lot of assists

6) are generally playing well

Frozen Heart

Recommended for: All Support Champions

A brilliant item to counter an enemy team with a lot of AD Champions, or a fed AD Champion, as the Attack Speed reduction can cripple the enemy team. Moreover, the stats provided are great for a lot of Supports (20% Cooldown Reduction and Armour particularly). Even if somebody else on your team has bought a Frozen Heart, I still feel it is worth buying, due to the raw stats provided, and the fact that your teammate may not always be in range of the enemy champions you're fighting to provide the aura. Although, if this does occur, you may want to delay buying the item.

Aegis of the Legion/Locket of the Iron Solari

Recommended for: All Support Champions

A brilliant item to counter an enemy team with a lot of AP Champions, or a fed AP Champion, as the aura naturally decreases their damage and protects your team. This item is very similar to Frozen Heart, except it is countering AP Champions rather than AD champions. Henceforth, which item you prioritise to buy will depend on your enemy team's composition and whether they have more AD or AP damage. Also, you obviously shouldn't buy this item against a full AD team.

Just like with Frozen Heart, somebody else on your team may buy a Locket of the Iron Solari before you, but I still feel it is worth buying, as your teammate may not always be in range to provide the aura for your whole team, and you can have 2 shields. I recommend always buying Aegis of the Legion first before a Kindlegem, as the Aura provided is much more important and beneficial to your team than the Cooldown Reduction and Health provided by the Kindlgem.

Ruby Sightstone

Recommended for: All Support Champions

An extra ward and 250 Health is good to have, but this is a low priority item; the +250 Health and added ward doesn't justify 800 gold, especially when there are other more important items to prioritise. I'd recommend buying this item after Frozen Heart and Locket of the Iron Solari. However, if the enemy team is constantly denying vision and destroying wards, you could buy this item before Frozen Heart/Locket of the Iron Solari if you wanted.