Talk:Karma/@comment-24971427-20180104173830/@comment-4091261-20180104230211

Mages tend to be the source of teamfighting strength. Whether it may be a sudden nuclear catastrophe or an overwhelming presence, they are supposed to be a threat for teams even when they group up.

Since late game tends to has the most turrets destroyed, it is the time where the performance when grouped up can make or break the game. When you look at at the end game stacked up against other mages, you start to realize that she sucks.

Why does she suck though? Well the main reason is due to what is: an empowerment for basic abilities. If we are talking early game, one can claim she has her ultimate early. If we are talking end game, one can claim she doesn't have an ultimate at all.

There are only two noticeably useful things about. An incredulously powerful and an AOE speedy. Sure, the AOE impact of both abilities are quite useful mid-game, where people are just getting their ults and don't even have a higher than rank 1 for their third ability, but when compared to the impact of a late game ultimate from other mages, she doesn't stack up. This failure is what sets her back from being late game.

In general, to force champions to become end game you need to rely on building for late game. That means things like and. Optimizing the champion statistically is how you'll make them powerful end game. One of the biggest things needs to be optimized by late game is having at least 40% cdr.
 * The only limitation to her ultimate is its CDR thus CDR is naturally the most important thing to increase the frequency of those empowered abilities. That said +  +  should allow you to be set for late game considering you are using  or getting blue buff regularly.

In general, what determines how good a champion is at a certain time is the usefulness of the champion at that certain time. For late game, that typically means when that champion obtains their fourth complete item (including boots). A general appraisal of how the champion stacks up against everyone else is the metric. End game champions clearly represent this through their statistical superiority. However, some champions pull this off with the strength of their tactics. Mages are susceptible to the latter due to their expected teamfighting presence.

is a good example of a mages who pulls off late game purely by tactics. Due to impact of the super bear call, it completely eliminates enemies in teamfights. has no obvious statistical advantage that allows her to overpower the late game, but due to the sheer impact of her bear stun, she is a late game mage.