Talk:Vel'Koz/@comment-25953891-20150103192546/@comment-9048637-20150106170829

Well, with the current itemization, penetration builds are honestly the most cost-effective option for most if not all mages, but never mind that for now. Firstly, there's NeonSpotlight's point that nothing except CDR actually 'synergizes' with the passive. Secondly, penetration is recommended because Vel'Koz has absurd base damages but mediocre scalings (his ult in particular). Thirdly, as far as synergy with the passive goes - as mentioned, only CDR has direct synergy, but indirectly, the passive does have synergy with Liandry's Torment - though granted, not with the penetration the item provides, but with the %-health passive, since the counter to true damage is health (unless the true damage is coming from Vayne...).

As far as tank-killing goes... well, Brand may well be better. I imagine it would depend partially on whether the tank(s) in question had stacked chiefly health or chiefly MR. Health, Brand would definitely be better; MR, Vel might be thanks to his true damage. Still, Vel has other strengths, namely that he's much longer-ranged than Brand and much better at kiting. He's also arguably better at deleting squishies, not because he does more damage to them necessarily, but because it's easier for him to focus his fire on them (thinking chiefly of the ults here, though again, Vel's general long range is a factor).