User blog:Alartan/Swiftness or Mobility boots?

During my games I spotted one strange thing - in all recommended item sets for junglers are. I think that's big misconception and it renders many viable champions useless. Obviously, professional jungle players widely use Mobilities on champions, but is it really the only choice? On opposite side are, those are bought rarely. Are they that bad?

In this little discussion I provide my own point of view with some in deep explanation.

Lets see about what I'm writing:

800 gold +25 movement speed. Increases to +105 movement speed when out of combat for 5 seconds.

+60 movement speed. Movement slowing effects are reduced by 25%.

Other boots: +45 movement speed statistics and unique passives

Boots of Mobility - the cheapest of all boots, with excellent passive. It's great choice every time you want to walk around map doing stuff. The dark side of this choice is low basic speed value, equalling. Boots of Switfness - much higher price and useless passive (that 25% slow reduction is relatively low in values). The best thing of all, Swiftness provide the highest base value of speed and scale well with percentage Movement speed boosts.

It is obvious - mobilities are superior choice every time it's right choice. The only problem is included flat 20 slow comparing to other boots. We may swear - it's not a problem, then can't catch anyone,  just goes around on  and  can only roll from bot to top. Question is - when that 20 units slow is not a problem and when it is?

Answer is suprisingly simple - if champion has considerable amount of gapclosers and ranged skills that slow isn't really that important, because skills give enough means to stick to enemy, apply cc and secure taget for team. Obvious champions:
 * funny thing, but she doesn't need Boots
 * (hit )
 * (hit, apply stun, use ulti)
 * funny thing, but she doesn't need Boots
 * (hit )
 * (hit, apply stun, use ulti)
 * (hit )
 * (hit, apply stun, use ulti)
 * (hit )
 * (hit, apply stun, use ulti)

On second hand there is bunch of champions without particular gap-closers. To stick to enemy they need to be faster and immune to slows. Many of them also have boosts to movement speed. Those are:
 * (despite to utilize all skills is the best to follow enemies)
 * (With Mobilities' passive and  Rammus exceeds soft MS cap!)
 * (With Mobilities' passive and  Rammus exceeds soft MS cap!)

On those champions is mistake to buy Mobilities. Without it's passive on base movement speed value those champions are nearly useless, unable to properly initiate and catch carries. There are two solutions:
 * To buy Mobility and use them on early stages of games - then swap with others
 * or buy Boots of Speed and upgrade it later.

I puposely avoid support's cases and write only about limited number of champions. I wanted to write about items, not strategies or champions. Anyway I think, here should be another list of champions, champions I'm unsure of.


 * , actually I recommend Swiftnesses or other boots. Aatrox should stick to enemy hitting them with auto-attacks, not following slowly.


 * should hit q, then speed doesn't matter.


 * has movement boost from q, and sticks to enemies easily, but still he can achieve better performance with more reliable movement speed.


 * has one gap-closer and ranged skills so Mobilities can be a choice, but it's better to get into mid of enemy team and wreck them there.


 * really needs movement speed, but for early domination Mobilities are great


 * has 1 gap-closer and lack of easily applicable cc, but with early domination Mobilities are good choice. Although, in late game Xin should chang shoes.


 * has % boost and only one gap-closer, but Mobilities aren't that bad if one is farming and ganking only with ultimate.

Obviously Boots of Mobility are part of static domination of junglers like Lee Sin. With really low price and great passive it's the best and obvious choice if particular champion can play over that 20 movement speed reduction.

But, if you already took another champion into game don't commit that mistake and take proper Boots. With champions like Nasus or Volibear running around in circles unable to pick up any opponent team plays 4vs5.