User blog comment:LionsLight/Sunfire Cape/@comment-4080931-20120108054247

Long wall of text time! I disagree with your view on the usefulness of Sunfire Cape. Note that the skills you compare Sunfire Cape with...


 * Are immediate, therefore they are more effective at effecting multiple enemies, and have a more immediate effect in a teamfight. For instance, Pulverise can be applied immediately to a big group of enemies at an opportune moment. Leona's Eclipse and Ultimate can be applied instantly (both with a bit of good timing) at an opportune moment. Sunfire Cape is a simple damage aura, and enemies will likely be scattered after the initial attack on them, making it harder for Sunfire Cape to damage multiple enemies.


 * Have secondary effects. Alistar has a stun on his Q, Leona's Eclipse slows AND applies her passive, while granting a big defense boost. Sunfire Cape's damage aura just damages. Yeah, Sunfire Cape has Health and Armor too, but you could just get a Giant's Belt and Chain Armor and be done with that.

A tank's main role is not to deal damage, but to withstand punishment and hand out CC. Sunfire Cape's damage is also dependent on Magic Penetration, a vital stat that allows casters to deal relevant damage mid to late game. Maybe I'd get Sunfire Cape on Amumu, because of his passive, and Galio, because I sometimes build a Void Staff on him, no joke. But you're overestimating the usefulness of Sunfire Cape.

As for your Cost section, yes, it is an aura of 35 Magic Damage per second for 760 gold. That's pretty good, I'll admit, but as I said, this damage is dependent on Magic Penetration, a stat that you likely won't be getting. And as I said, a tank's job is to deal CC and withstand damage. Heck, you could get a Kindlegem for 800 gold and have 10% CDR and 200 Health, allowing you to deal CC more often and take a bit more damage. And while 35 AD is useful on carries, they will normally have steroids that further improve this damage, such as Tristana's Rapid Fire. AD is even further improved by Crit, and while Crit is itemized for, costing gold, it increases the value of AD immensely, making up for it's cost. You have no skills or appropriate items that will improve this 35 Magic Damage per second, except for Amumu, with his passive, and maybe Galio, if you want a Void Staff.

TL;DR: Sunfire Cape is decent, but you're overestimating it's usefulness.