AP Vs AD In League Of Legends: A Beginner's Guide

by Jhon Lennon 50 views

Hey Summoners! Ever found yourself scratching your head, wondering what all this talk about AP and AD in League of Legends is all about? Don't worry, you're not alone! It can seem like a whole new language when you're just starting out. But understanding the difference between Ability Power (AP) and Attack Damage (AD) is super important if you want to climb the ranks and dominate the Rift. Think of it as the fundamental building blocks for understanding how champions deal damage. This guide will break down everything you need to know about AP and AD, so you can build the right items, choose the best champions, and start dishing out some serious hurt. So, let's dive in and demystify these key stats!

Decoding AP: Ability Power Explained

Alright, let's start with AP, or Ability Power. In League of Legends, Ability Power is all about boosting the effectiveness of your champion's abilities. Think spells, skills, and everything that isn't a basic attack. When a champion scales with AP, it means their abilities get stronger as you build items that grant AP. It's like pouring fuel into a fire – the more fuel, the bigger the flames (or in this case, the more damage or healing!). Champions that primarily deal magic damage (often mages or enchanters) rely heavily on AP. Their abilities will often scale with a percentage of their AP, meaning the more AP they have, the more damage or healing their spells will provide. Building AP is essentially about maximizing the impact of these abilities.

Now, how do you know if a champion scales with AP? It's all about reading the ability descriptions. Look for phrases like: "Deals magic damage equal to (X% of ability power)." The "X%" is the scaling ratio. The higher the percentage, the more AP affects the ability. Certain champions have abilities that scale with AP, some may have multiple abilities that scale with AP, and some even have passive abilities that scale with AP. For example, Annie, a popular mage, deals damage with her Q, W, and ultimate abilities. Each of these scales with AP. This means, the more AP you build for Annie, the more damage she deals. Similarly, a support like Sona will use her AP to make her healings and shields stronger. A few items that grant AP include, but aren't limited to: Rabadon's Deathcap, which significantly increases your total AP; Luden's Tempest, which provides burst damage and ability haste; and Zhonya's Hourglass, which gives you a crucial active ability to become invulnerable for a short duration. Remember, AP is not just about raw damage. It can also enhance the effects of crowd control abilities (like stuns and slows) or increase healing power. So, if you love throwing around spells and controlling the battlefield, AP is your jam.

Building AP is all about optimizing your ability damage and other effects. It is extremely important that you read the ability details so that you understand if the champion you are playing scales with AP or not. If the champion has high AP scaling, you want to invest in items that provide AP. Building AP can significantly impact your team fights and will allow you to quickly eliminate the enemy team.

Understanding AD: Attack Damage Demystified

Next up, we have AD, or Attack Damage. This stat primarily influences your champion's basic attacks, also known as auto-attacks. AD champions focus on dealing physical damage through these auto-attacks, and many of their abilities also scale with AD, meaning the more AD you have, the harder those abilities hit. Unlike AP, which is all about spells, AD is about the raw, physical power behind your champion's attacks. These champions often rely on constant, consistent damage. Think of it as a steady stream of bullets rather than a big, explosive spell. AD champions are often found in the bot lane, such as Marksmen, and are designed to deal consistent damage over a period of time. However, there are also AD assassins and fighters who utilize AD as their main damage stat.

How do you know if a champion scales with AD? Again, check the ability descriptions. Look for phrases like: "Deals physical damage equal to (X% of attack damage)." Also, the basic attack will do more damage the more AD you have. The champion's auto-attacks will be stronger, as well as the abilities. Many champions will have abilities that scale with AD. Building AD is about maximizing the power of your auto-attacks and AD-scaling abilities. It's about dealing consistent physical damage. Some items that grant AD include Infinity Edge, which greatly increases your critical strike damage, The Black Cleaver, which offers armor shredding, and Blade of the Ruined King, which deals damage based on the target's current health. If you prefer to deal consistent damage with auto-attacks and AD abilities, then you'll want to focus on building AD. AD champions typically excel at taking down turrets, and often have the potential to carry their team to victory. They are great at dealing constant damage and often have ways to sustain during the fight.

Building AD is all about maximizing your auto-attack damage and physical damage abilities. It's important to understand your champion's scaling so that you can invest in the right items. AD champions are great at taking down turrets, and can carry their teams to victory. AD champions typically use attack speed so that they are able to quickly eliminate the enemy team.

AP vs. AD: Key Differences

So, what's the real difference between AP and AD? Here's the lowdown:

  • Damage Type: AP champions deal magic damage, while AD champions deal physical damage. This is super important because different champions and items have different resistances. Magic Resist reduces magic damage, while Armor reduces physical damage. This is a very important concept to understand. The items that you build for your champion will depend on the type of damage they deal.
  • Source of Damage: AP champions rely on their abilities, while AD champions rely on basic attacks and AD-scaling abilities. Again, always read the ability description to understand if the ability scales with AP or AD.
  • Playstyle: AP champions are often burst damage dealers, capable of eliminating enemies quickly with a single rotation of abilities. AD champions are often sustained damage dealers, dealing constant damage over time, especially during fights.
  • Itemization: AP champions build items that grant AP, ability haste, and magic penetration. AD champions build items that grant AD, attack speed, critical strike chance, and armor penetration. Understanding your champion will help you choose the right items.

Choosing the Right Champions

Knowing the difference between AP and AD is crucial for choosing the right champions. If you want to play a mage, you'll be looking for champions that scale with AP, such as: Ahri, Annie, or Veigar. If you want to play a Marksman, you'll be looking for champions that scale with AD, such as: Ashe, Jinx, or Miss Fortune. Some champions are hybrids, meaning they can be built with either AP or AD, while some champions will only scale with one type of stat. Always read the ability details to see if the champion has AP or AD scaling. It's super important to identify the main source of damage for a champion to determine what items to build. Building the right items will allow you to maximize your damage and help you to win games.

Building Items: The Key to Success

Itemization is a huge part of the game and can single-handedly impact the outcome of the game. Now, let's talk about building items. Since AP champions deal magic damage, you'll want to buy items that provide AP, ability haste, and magic penetration. Examples include: Rabadon's Deathcap to boost your AP, Luden's Tempest for burst damage and ability haste, and Void Staff to penetrate the enemy's magic resistance. AD champions should focus on items that provide AD, attack speed, critical strike chance, and armor penetration. Some key items include: Infinity Edge for critical strike damage, The Black Cleaver for armor shredding, and Lord Dominik's Regards for armor penetration. It's also worth noting that some items provide both AP and AD, allowing for flexibility in your build. Experiment with different item builds to find what works best for you and your champion.

  • Situational Itemization: The best item build is always situational, and depends on your champion and the enemy team composition. Don't be afraid to adjust your build based on the game's circumstances.

Conclusion: Mastering AP and AD

Alright, you've made it this far, so give yourselves a pat on the back! You should now have a solid understanding of AP and AD in League of Legends. Remember that AP boosts the power of your abilities, dealing magic damage. AD enhances your basic attacks and abilities, dealing physical damage. Understanding these concepts is fundamental to building the right items and choosing the right champions. Keep practicing, experimenting with builds, and reading those ability descriptions. Keep playing, and you'll be climbing the ranks in no time, dominating the Rift with your newfound knowledge. Good luck, summoners, and may the best champion win!