User blog comment:Willbachbakal/(Champion Rework) Viktor, the Machine Herald/@comment-4813965-20140626131022/@comment-1330314-20140626174311

There are actually several reasons why I wanted the Hex Core to go into the trinket slot: first off, each Hex Core has its own unique combination of stats and unique effects, as with any item: it would make more sense to have those bonuses listed as an item rather than as a list of extra stats and unique passives in a tooltip, particularly as they're all items in their own right.

There are several reasons why I didn't want the Hex Core to take up space in Viktor's main inventory, however: first off, the lack of an item slot is itself a negative effect, and not just in the late game: early on, you can't build six different components, or fill out your item slots to the same extent as any other champion, and in the late game you only get to play with five item slots instead of six, aside from your one-in-three choice. I think Viktor should be the champion able to play the most with items, and therefore it would be a lot better for him to have seven items in exchange for appropriately lower bases rather than go back to five items. The other issue here is that I want the Hex Core to be a power module that defines Viktor's playstyle and build: to really feel like one of three very different roles, he needs everything he can get to differentiate himself from his alternate iterations, and the best way to do it would be to tailor his stats into seven items.