Alongside changes to the item system, the Recommended Items feature is also an important update for the League of Legends store in Season 11. This feature now suggests items that the system deems most suitable for the champion and the player’s role. This promises to be a significant improvement aimed at helping players quickly adapt to the new item system.
However, the fact that the Recommended Items feature operates completely automatically sometimes leads to some “wild” suggestions. Most recently, during a stream by player Crownshot, he was suggested to buy Windbow while playing Soraka. This player could only laugh off the absurd suggestion from the League of Legends store.
Crownshot: “Why is this happening? I’m playing Soraka. Yet the store thinks Windbow is a Decent item for me.”
Perhaps the most reasonable explanation for this suggestion from Riot Games is that Crownshot was playing Soraka in the Marksman position. Remember that Windbow is currently the strongest Mythic item for Marksmen, providing excellent mobility and damage. It’s likely that the automatic system from Riot assumes that every champion playing in the Marksman position should use this item, which is why Windbow was suggested. Hence, the League of Legends store evaluated Windbow as a “Decent” item for Soraka Marksman.
Nevertheless, this suggestion is clearly not suitable at all for Soraka’s champion type. Even when this champion plays in the Marksman role, Soraka usually builds Support items like Moonstone Renewer or Staff of Flowing Water. Clearly, this playstyle does not align at all with Windbow.
Perhaps it’s time for Riot Games to review their Recommended Items feature. They should prioritize items that are suitable for the champion’s type rather than the character’s position in the match. Indeed, Windbow is powerful in the Marksman position, but for unconventional picks like Soraka, Swain… in the bot lane, it is not suitable at all.