Tier 2 Items Guide - SAMURAI GAMERS

A guide to the tier two items in Arena of Valor. While building up their arsenal, players will come across a number of mid-range items to tide them over until they reach their final states.

Tier two items are much more diverse than those in tier one, and have much more flexibility in the order they can be purchased as a result. This list is restricted to items that build into larger, more effective items. Any other items that the game considers to be tier two but are the final item in their tree, like Curse of Death or Virtue’s Necklace can be found on our primary item guide. For just the items and their attributes, go to our items list.
Item Builds

Attack

Cleaving Claymore

Attack Damage +80

None

Forgoing all utility for straight damage, Cleaving Claymore is a natural part of many attack-focused items. It is built from Short Sword, a straight upgrade of the item.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Warriors, assassins, and marksmen will be the most common heroes to pick this item up. Tanks opting for Mantle of Ra will need to grab it at times as well. As it is an upgrade of Short Sword and usually the only tier two item needed for the items it builds into, take Cleaving Claymore whenever it is available. The only exception is when making Mantle of Ra, where many can find Heart of Incubus a better way to farm minions and get gold quickly.

Arcane Hammer

Attack Damage +25
Attack Speed +15%

Speed Up: Normal attacks increase movement speed by 10%

Arcane Hammer’s special effect is great for sticking to opponents. The attack speed and damage will strengthen your assault while the speed boost helps you keep up with their escape.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
This item can be a great way for marksmen and warriors to stick onto their target. That said, it only builds into a single item at present: Omni Arms. While Omni Arms is a wonderful attack item, it isn’t very focused on keeping enemies close by, Frost Cape being a better choice for heroes who have that in mind. Some players might want to pick up Arcane Hammer as a stopgap before they are able to get better, tier three chasing items, but the cost keeps this from being something we’d suggest. Most heroes would be much better off farming up bigger items than waste time building this up.

Tempest Blades

Attack Speed +25%
Movement Speed +5%

None

Made from a pair of daggers, Tempest Blades focuses on improving its wielder’s attack and movement speeds. In addition, it is the base of all other items the give a flat movement speed boost, aside from boots.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Marksmen will most find this item effective, it helping them kite enemies who wander into their range. Each of the items it builds into can be a very big help to a hero’s dps, keeping this a strong item to build when lagging behind enemies.

Astral Spear

Attack Damage +50

Armor Pierce +60

Astral Spear is one of the first steps when building any item that allow heroes to tear through the opposition’s armor. This is extremely important when dealing with tanky foes, physical damage heroes needing a way to counter their defenses. Learn more about calculating pierce damage.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
All physical damage heroes, be they marksmen, assassins, or warriors, benefit from armor pierce. Grabbing one of the three items that Astral Spear builds into is virtually required for physical damage heroes, so getting Astral Spear and getting it early will always be useful.

Shuriken

Attack Speed +25%

Vital Point: Normal attacks deal additional 20 physical damage (+1 per hero level) for melee heroes and 40 physical damage (+2 per hero level) for ranged heroes.

The attack speed that Shuriken offers pairs well with its unique passive, the flat damage adding up as the wielder lays more and more attacks onto their target. In addition, Shuriken builds into Fafnir’s Talon, a powerful item sought by numerous damage-based heroes.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Shuriken is a great fit for marksmen, the attack speed and passive effect benefiting their basic attack-focused play style. When building Fafnir’s Talon, the damage and speed it provides can help the wielder farm more than the other components, making this a strong item to quickly build.

Magic

Enchanted Scroll

Ability Power +120

None

Enchanted Scroll offers straight ability power and is the core of a number of powerful magic items.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Enchanted Scroll is best suited to mages, pumping up their damage potential. The amount it offers for a single slot should make it the first thing they build when putting together larger items. The added ability power will help them farm and fight, essential to nearly every mage’s kit.

Trick Blade

Trick Blade	Ability Power +60 Cooldown Speed +10%	Elemental Power: After using an ability, the next normal attack deals additional magic damage. 3-second cooldown.
SG Note: The bonus damage is roughly 19% of the user’s AP and 30% of the user’s AD added together.

Trick Blade is an amusing item. It offers the synergistic combination of ability power and cooldown speed, but also some extra damage on attacks after abilities. Alas, in our testing, its Elemental Power wasn’t nearly as great as the Elemental Power of the item it builds into: Apocalypse.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Trick Blade has rather situational use, suited for mages who rely on both their abilities and basic attacks to damage foes. As such, Raz is the first on the list of candidates, however some others who are looking for alternate sources of damage can benefit from the item as well.

Spoopy Mask

Ability Power +100

Magic Pierce +75

Magic pierce can be an extremely important stat when the enemy is building up their defenses. The items it builds into are very strong, making Spoopy Mask a very valuable pick to most offensive mages.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Any damage dealing mage will get a lot of mileage out of Spoopy Mask, needing to punch through enemy defenses to do as much damage as possible. Hecate’s Diadem is nearly a necessity for many casters as well, making Spoopy Mask even more critical of a pickup. Grab it before other component items whenever possible.

Phoenix Tear

Ability Power +60

From the Ashes: When the hero gains a level, 20% of HP and mana are restored over 3 seconds.

Phoenix Tear is one of the best ways for a mage to stay in the lane. The health and mana it provides whenever they level up can indirectly increase their leveling speed a great deal. Phoenix Tear can be a great temporary pick for mages, even if they do not plan on building it up to Orb of the Magi.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
All mages and supports can get a lot of use out of Phoenix Tear. It provides an amazing amount of sustainability to its wielder, allowing the mage to stay in lane nearly indefinitely. This should be taken as the mage’s first item so that they can get the most use of it throughout the match.

Virtue’s Bracelet

Ability Power +60
Cooldown Speed +5%
Mana +20 / 5 sec

Soaring Spirit: Restores 20% mana after earning a kill or assist.

Another great way of sustaining oneself in lane, Virtue’s Bracelet focuses on keeping the hero’s mana as high as possible in fights.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Virtue’s Bracelet is especially useful on supports, though good on some casters as well. The constant stream of mana will make sure that a support can continually dish out their control abilities and buffs to their allies.

Vlad’s Impaler

Ability Power +180
Cooldown Speed +10%

Magic Life Steal +15%

Vlad’s Impaler is a uniquely defensive magic item that heals the caster for a percentage of the damage they deal. Lacking the outlets for life steal that physical damage dealers have, mages can use Vlad’s Impaler for the quick, sustained healing that the leeching provides.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Vlad’s Impaler is almost exclusively suited to damage mages, particularly burst mages. The health it provides can keep them up and running in fights, mages generally suffering from a lowered health pool. The passive makes it an obvious pick over other components if building towards Rhea’s blessing.

Defense

Greaves of Protection

Max HP +1000

None

A good source of HP without any compromises, Greaves of Protection is a solid way to bolster a hero’s health. It is also a big component in a number of important tanking items, making it even more of a priority to heroes that want to up their durability.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Tanks and warriors will find the most use out of Greaves of Protection, some supports finding use for the later items as well. The durability they and the items they build into provide is invaluable to heroes who want to be able to withstand a lot of damage.

Heart of Incubus

Heart of Incubus	Armor +180	Burn: Deals 50(+2 per level) magic damage to nearby enemies every second (deals double damage to minions and monsters.)
SG Note: “Nearby” = 150 units in this case

Heart of Incubus has mediocre stats for its price, only offering a sub-par amount of armor. What really makes the item shine, though, is the passive. Nearby enemies get toasted when next to the wielder, softening and becoming more susceptible to your attacks. It can also be a great help in farming, the damage last-hitting nearby minions as your lane.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Warriors are the best suited for Heart of Incubus, a number of tanks close behind them. The wielder needs to be able to get into the fray and next to enemies for it to have any effect, and its more offensive nature lends more to those with a bit of damage already under their belt.

Belt of Clarity

Magic Defense +110
Max HP +700

Regenerate: When taking damage, restores 4% HP over 2 seconds. 15-second cooldown.

Belt of Clarity is the most basic upgrade from tier one for heroes looking to improve their magic defense. Offering that along with a boost to health and a regenerative effect, Belt of Clarity is a great way to stay in lane when facing off with an enemy mage. The regenerative effect can be used to regenerate when taking light amounts of damage from creeps as well, resulting in a net-gain of health. As a result, wearers should be proactive in its use.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Tanks or warriors looking to shrug off some of the enemy’s magic damage should grab this on their way to building the tier three magic defense items. The passive is useful enough that it should be prioritized over other components, the regeneration offering a lot to a hero’s ability to sustain themselves.

Platinum Gauntlets

Cooldown Speed +10%
Armor +110

None

Despite its lack of a passive effect, Platinum Gauntlets is a very solid pick due to the cooldown speed provided. Lowering the time it takes a hero to wait for their abilities can dramatically improve a hero’s power, the additional armor it provides being a nice bonus as well.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Cooldown reduction is best on heroes who don’t consume mana whenever they use their abilities. The shorter cooldowns will decrease the only thing hindering their spamming of abilities. Cooldown speed is useful on other heroes as well. Mages and supports rely heavily on their abilities and thereby can greatly benefit from lower cooldowns.

Knight’s Plate

Armor +210

Spirit Bond: When taking damage, reduces the attacker’s attack speed by 30%.

The purest form of armor at tier two, Knight’s Plate is a great way to deter physical carries, especially those reliant on their auto attacks. While both of the items that are built from Knight’s plate can be very valuable, the item is still worth holding onto for awhile before upgrading. The attack slow isn’t obvious to attackers, allowing a player to slow their attack speed without the attacker noticing.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Tanks and durable warriors enjoy Knight’s Plate the most. The durability offered by the armor and passive makes it an exceptional choice when trying to ward off physical attackers.

Jungle

Monster’s Bane

Grants Frostbite talent

Hunter: Deals 30% extra damage to monsters and receives 35% more experience from killing monsters.
Seek and Destroy: Gains 8 ability power and 30 mana for every monster killed. Stacks up to 15 times.

One of four tier two jungling items in the game. The experience gain increases make this item a necessity to the few ability power-based junglers in the game.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Any jungling mages should pick this item up before anything else. The sharp increase in experience gains it offers over Hunter’s Crossbow and the stacking ability power make this a very important item for any who are trying to dominate the jungle.

Gnoll Cleaver

Grants Frostbite talent

Hunter: Deals 30% extra damage to monsters and receives 35% more experience from killing monsters.
Wild: Increases maximum HP by 70 for every monster killed. Stacks up to 15 times.

The defensively focused of the four jungling items, Gnoll Cleaver starts stacking up health for the wielder with each monster they kill. Experience gains rise in comparison to Hunter’s Crossbow, making it an important pick up.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Like other jungling items, Gnoll Cleaver should be purchased as soon as possible. Junglers will want to start stacking their health and increase their experience gains as soon as possible. Any hero that isn’t relying too heavily on ability power or basic attacks will want to take this over the alternatives.

Mr. Stabby

Grants Frostbite talent

Hunter: Deals 30% extra damage to monsters and receives 35% more experience from killing monsters.
Wild: Increases attack damage by 3 for every monster killed. Stacks up to 15 times.

Mr. Stabby builds up the holder’s attack while making it easier to kill and receive experience from monsters. Though it doesn’t immediately provide stats, junglers need it ASAP to start building stacks.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:

Junglers who rely heavily on their physical damage-dealing abilities for damage will want this item for the attack damage and cooldown speed. Soulreaver, which Mr. Stabby builds into, provides a number of useful stats as well, making this a very useful pick.

Whispering Wind

Grants Frostbite talent

Hunter: Deals 30% extra damage to monsters and receives 35% more experience from killing monsters, killing monsters increases its attack speed by 2%, up to 15 stacks.

A precursor item to Scorching Wind, Whispering Wind provides no base stat increase. However, getting it early may give you an edge with your attack speed via the Wild passive and increased jungle effectiveness with the Hunter passive.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:
Building this item early on in the game is essential if you are opting for Scorching Wind. Junglers who rely on their auto attacks will find this item very useful.

Support

Windrider Talisman

Windrider Talisman	Armor +175 HP per second +40 Mana per Second +15 Movement Speed +5%	Wage: Gain 5 gold and experience every 3 seconds if your gold or experience is the lowest on the team. Distinction: Gain 30% more gold and experience after a kill or assist
SG Note: Only one support item is allowed per team

Windrider Talisman boosts a juicy amount of defensive stats, hitting 100% gold efficiency exactly before getting to its unique passives. Therefore, despite being a “support” item, you’ll receive as much bang for your buck as any other defensive item, while receiving extra gold and experience when filling the roaming support role properly.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:

Wind items are to be taken over water items when your hero is heavily focused on roaming: gaining vision of the enemy for your team while setting up ganks. Wage helps gain back some of the gold and experience lost by roaming, while Distinction rewards successful ganks.

If you’re a playing a tanky support character like Thane (he’s a support even if it’s not in his official role), then Windrider Talisman is perfect for its great defensive stats and help with recovering gold and experience. Supports who prefer wind items but deal physical damage rather than magic damage should pick Windrider Talisman over Ring of Gale as well.

Ring of Gale

Ring of Gale	Ability Power +60 Movement Speed +5% Mana per Second +20	Wage: Gain 5 gold and experience every 3 seconds if your gold or experience is the lowest on the team. Distinction: Gain 30% more gold and experience after a kill or assist
SG N0te: Only one support item is allowed per team

Though they’re both wind items, choosing Ring of Gale over Windrider Talisman puts you on a wildly different path, boosting ability power rather than armor and regeneration.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:

Obviously get Ring of Gale when you’re building into Ring of the Fiend. Particularly aggressive supports will enjoy the extra ability power, though you won’t have any extra CDR until you build all the way into tier 3.

Crystal Talisman

Crystal Talisman	Armor +120	Devotion: Gain a stack of Dedication Buff every 30 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times. If a unit dies within 800 units, consume a stack of Dedication Buff to grant the nearest ally 15 extra gold and 40 experience. Tidal Force: You and nearby friendly heroes (within 600 units) receive 20 (+1 per level) HP and 10 (+1 per 2 levels) mana per second.
SG Note: Only one support item is allowed per team

Identical to Stream Bracers in every way except that Crystal Talisman provides 120 armor rather than 10% CDR.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:

Water items are to be taken over wind items when your priority is protecting your damage dealer(s) at all costs. Devotion mitigates some of the gold lost by your ally when they have to share bounties with you, and Tidal Force will keep nearby allies topped off, reducing the need to teleport back to base.

Obviously take Crystal Talisman when you want to build into Tidecaller’s Mark. Before you get there, you’ll be fairly durable with 120 armor, though you don’t have access to the increased ability usage that Stream Bracers could have provided.

Stream Bracers

Stream Bracers	Cooldown Speed +10%	Devotion: Gain a stack of Dedication Buff every 30 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times. If a unit dies within 800 units, consume a stack of Dedication Buff to grant the nearest ally 15 extra gold and 40 experience. Tidal Force: You and nearby friendly heroes (within 600 units) receive 20 (+1 per level) HP and 10 (+1 per 2 levels) mana per second.
SG Note: Only one support item is allowed per team

Identical to Crystal Talisman in every way except that Stream Bracers provides 10% CDR rather than 120 armor.

Recommended Heroes and/or Situation:

Obviously take Stream Bracers when you want to build into Purifying Bracers. Before you get there, you’ll enjoy quicker ability cooldowns with 10% CDR, though you’ll be vulnerable without the 120 armor that you missed out on when you forewent Crystal Talisman.