User blog comment:NicknameMy/My suggested changes to Essence Reaver/@comment-1330314-20141022084355/@comment-3148314-20141024204858

"I definitely agree that Essence Reaver needs to start from a smaller item that provides the mana restoration passive. Mana-hungry AD champions want mana sustain especially in lane and the early to mid game, which ER's high price makes hard to acquire at that stage."

^ that's my thought as well.

"instead introduce a new 15 AD + 10% CDR item that comes cheaper but without the penetration"

Agreed. However, it doesn't have to build into an armour pen item at all.

Brutaliser already is affordable with its current build path; anyway, how would you want to create this item: stand-alone (AD+cdr?) or built from Longsword (we already have Vampiric Scepter) ?