Talk:Skarner/@comment-181.132.172.149-20120626135921/@comment-178.166.24.118-20120627103750

GP10 items like HoG are standard choice on junglers nowadays because all itemizations are expensive and junglers aren't exactly on top of the payroll unless you're sucessfull at every damn gank, which only happens once in every X games. You also want the regen from Philo if you're running a mana based jungler since you'll be looking to give Blue buff to your mid laner most of the times. Anyway, HoG builds into Randuins which is hands down one of the best defensive items in the game and mandatory on almost all junglers (every single tank jungler takes it: Udyr, Shyvana, Olaf, Nautilus, Mundo, Skarner...) since you'll find yourself in the middle of the enemy team more often than not. That's why you build it early, to benefit from the income and to prepare for one of your core items.

RCS isn't an optimal item for Skarner, although it can take it's place as a situational if your team lacks damage and you're doing well in the game. Sure, you have AP scalings on every ability, but the slow is not useful since you already have an in-built slow ability and TriForce. All your damage is sustained and comes essentially from the spamming of Q between autoattacks (procing Sheen) and since the cooldown is so short you don't need to rely on the scalings to deliver that damage. The 500 hp is cool, but there are better and cheaper options out there which also provide resistances. For example, BV gives less health but also gives MR and a spell shield.

I start exactly with that building order (Philo, Boots, HoG, Sheen). You can delay building tier 2 boots since Skraner is already fast as hell with W and speed masteries. So I usually build Phage, then Merc Threads/Tabi (depends mostly on CC in the other team and the type of damage) and finally complete TriForce. Remember that you want those GP10 items to pay off, that's why you build them as soon as possible and turn them into the core items later in the match.

An optimal item build progression on Jungle Skarner: Regrowth Pendant; Philo Stone; tier 1 boots; HoG; Sheen; Phage; Merc Threads/Tabi; Tri Force; Wardens Mail; Shurelya's; situational DEFENSIVE item depending on enemy team composition (BV, FH, GA); Randuins; and finally a situational item depending on the outcome of teamfights (need more armor? FH or GA. need more MR? BV, FoN or GA. need raw damage output? Hextech Gunblade. need a mix of survivability plus damage? Atma's Impaler or FM.

Notice that I purposely leave a free slot up until you get Shurelya's. That's because you also need to buy wards during the game. Yep, that's everyone's job, not exclusive to the support. Some people also buy mid-game elixirs. Personally I'm not a fan of that, I only buy elixirs after I get full build or when my team gets ready for a Baron fight which will decide the game winner. You'll be happy to know that Skarner benefits from every single elixir (AP and CDR with Elixir of Brilliance [synergizes with all abilities], HP and AD with Elixir of Fortitude [synergizes with your tankyness and slightly improves your damage], AS and Crit Chance with elixir of Agility [synergizes with passive and TriForce]).

Hopefully this insight made you understand more about Skarner.