TL;DR
- Mythic items become build cornerstones with unique passives affecting entire item sets
- Three marksman mythics offer distinct playstyles: survivability, damage, or mobility
- AP bruisers finally get dedicated items ending their mage item dependency era
- Completely redesigned shop interface improves navigation for all skill levels
- One-third of items get major updates, one-third minor improvements, one-third replaced entirely
Riot Games has unveiled comprehensive details about the transformative item system rework scheduled for the 2021 preseason. This monumental update introduces the groundbreaking Mythic item tier alongside numerous new standard items that will redefine champion builds across all roles.
Following the initial announcement one month prior, developers have now shared specific mechanics about Mythic items, which represent the most significant component of this system-wide overhaul. The changes aim to dramatically increase build diversity and strategic depth while maintaining game balance.
The item distribution strategy reveals that approximately 33% of existing items will receive minor adjustments, another third will maintain their core identity with quality-of-life improvements, while the remaining portion gets completely replaced with innovative new options.
Mythic Items for League of Legends
Mythic items represent an entirely new classification tier in League’s item ecosystem. These powerful artifacts serve as the foundational elements for complete builds, featuring game-changing effects that dictate both itemization paths and champion playstyles. A critical restriction limits players to equipping only one Mythic item per game, making the initial selection a strategic decision with lasting consequences.
Each Mythic item provides distinctive bonus statistics to other Legendary items within the build, creating synergistic effects that influence the entire item set’s performance characteristics.
During the recent presentation, Riot showcased several Mythic items specifically designed for marksmen, each catering to different gameplay approaches and team compositions.
Crimson Shieldbow
Crimson Shieldbow delivers essential marksman statistics including attack damage, attack speed, critical strike chance, and life steal. Its unique passive ability activates when health drops below 30%, providing both a protective shield and enhanced life steal. This makes it particularly effective for vulnerable marksmen facing assassin-heavy compositions or other burst damage threats.
The Mythic passive augments other Legendary items with bonus armor and magic resistance, significantly increasing the build’s overall durability.
Behemoth Slayer
Behemoth Slayer serves as the optimal choice for hyper carries who receive adequate protection from their team. The item generates substantial bonus damage on every third basic attack, making it exceptionally powerful for marksmen like Caitlyn, Ashe, and Jinx who rely on sustained damage output.
Its Mythic passive enhances other Legendary items with additional critical strike damage, dramatically amplifying the potency of critical strike-focused builds.
Galeforce
Galeforce provides crucial mobility for champions with limited escape options during pivotal team fights. The active ability grants a short directional dash while dealing magic damage to the lowest health enemy within range. While its base statistics resemble Behemoth Slayer, this item offers superior safety through its repositioning capabilities.
Riot Will Be Adding AP Bruiser Items
Ability Power bruisers have historically struggled with suboptimal itemization, forced to adapt mage-focused items that don’t fully address their hybrid durability and damage requirements. Riot is fundamentally addressing this long-standing issue by introducing a dedicated series of AP bruiser items during the 2021 preseason update, providing champions like Mordekaiser and Sylas with build options that properly support their combat roles.
Riot previewed one of these innovative AP bruiser items: Cursed Demonhelm. This artifact provides substantial ability power and health—the two most critical attributes for the majority of AP bruiser champions.
The passive ability, Azakana’s Embrace, inflicts percentage-based maximum health damage when successfully applied to targets.
New Item Shop Interface for 2021 Preseason
The in-game item shop receives a comprehensive interface redesign focused on improved usability and enhanced customization options. The primary objective involves creating a more intuitive navigation experience while offering players greater flexibility based on individual preferences and experience levels.
Players can utilize the recommended items tab for build guidance or access the complete items tab for advanced customization and theorycrafting.
The preseason update is anticipated to launch on the Public Beta Environment (PBE) in the coming weeks, allowing for extensive community testing and feedback collection before the full live server deployment.
Action Checklist
- Test all three marksman mythic items on PBE to understand their situational strengths
- Practice AP bruiser builds with Cursed Demonhelm on Mordekaiser and Sylas
- Master the new shop interface using both recommended and full item tabs
- Analyze mythic item passive synergies with different legendary item combinations
- Develop counter-building strategies against popular mythic items
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Riot reveals Mythic items and new item shop for next LoL season Complete guide to League's 2021 preseason item overhaul with mythic items and strategic build optimization