Talk:Ryze/@comment-68.94.7.155-20120130064036/@comment-67.180.186.17-20120130101611

Your last comment about "will of the ancients" makes me wonder if you think Ryze is a Mage.

Ryze is not a Mage. He's a Tank that melts squishes. His damage comes from how many times he can cast his spells. You should never consider any AP items for him - not even ROA IMHO. Itemization is easy. First item is always tear - never build into archangels until you finish your other items. Next is boots. Next is either catalyst or glacial shroud, depending on whether your opponent is AP or AD. If AD, they can no longer damage you, and you've just won your lane (unless you've fed them >2 kills early). If AP you farm and harass with Q (if it's range is longer then their harassing spell) until you finish your boots and Banshees. After you finish those, they can no longer damage, and you've won your lane (unless you've fed them >2 kills early).

In teamfights, before you've finished your core (banshees, frozen heart, tear, and boots) you should be cautious. Think of yourself as a AP with an ROA - you can take some hits, you're a baller, but it's not your job to lead the charge. After your core, as long as it's an even teamfight, it's detrimental for them to hit you because of your defenses AND it's detrimental for them to ignore you because of your crazy damage. Heck, if you can catch their squishy, it doesn't even matter if it's an even teamfight. In other words, you've won (again, unless you or your team has been feeding). Here you can start leading some charges, dive some towers, f some s up. Here is where you are basically invincible. Only champion that can challenge you is pretty much just a farmed Nasus. And even then, you can kite him. Push some lanes and win the game. It's that simple.

Late game (why are you even here?), you start to wear off a bit. I've tried experimenting with AP/Magic pen. It does not work. His ratios are just too awful. Go full tank. I swear, Warmogs is better then a Deathcap if it comes to that. Don't target tanks at all during this phase (unless to catch a straggler... and even then only if their team is like a minute away). It's just not worth it. Your job is to trap squishes and make their team focus you - cause if they don't, 3 secs later, their squishy is dead and they have no damage. They have no damage = they lose the teamfight. They lose the teamfight = they lost the game.

But really I've gotten 1 or 2 games where I've been Ryze and it actually gets to late game. If you make it to mid, you've won if it's even or they're slightly ahead. If they're crushing everyone else... Well... It's time to stop playing Ryze and start considering jungle Shaco...

Sorry about the essay... But I've been playing Ryze for a while and I want to give some advice <_<