Talk:Brand/@comment-26808509-20180118204541/@comment-4600122-20180225133558

Riot knows Brand will max E last, so for 80% of the game, it's only 70 mana. When it gets to late game and he has 4 - 5 items, plenty of which will grant mana (especially after 8.4) the cost is justified. Because at that point in the game, you're constantly doing teamfights and pushing waves, so the power of the spell really amps up. Especially because of the liandry + rylai combo. It's a guaranteed slow if you get too close, and that leads into an almost guaranteed stun and follow-up in most cases. It's very hard to miss your Q at that range while they're slowed.