User blog comment:Zambu/Useless passives/@comment-60764-20130507190313

I see people defending Xerath's passive and this makes me scratch my head. It's an awful passive, as I've mentioned quite awhile ago.

If you build all AP (6 AP items, leading to around 700 AP) on Xerath it's going to give 70-120 armor, or as much as any other item in the game (which will boost his resistance to physical damage to around 40-45%, if/when building nothing else). So at it's best it's about equal to any ol' defense item.

Alternatively, you could just build said defense-oriented item.

Not mentioning that if it's that point in the game, even at it's best, 70-100 armor isn't going to save Xerath from a fed carry.