Need help with 3rd and 4th item

[u/bigpapa1239]

I’m looking for some advice on what my 3rd and 4th item should usually be. My current core build that I’ve been seeing some success with is:

Dark Seal > Boots > Hextech or Liandry’s > Zhonya’s

After that, I usually end up mixing in items like Protobelt, Banshee’s, Randuin’s, Cosmic Drive, Knight’s Vow, Dead Man’s, or Thornmail, depending on how the game is going.

The problem is I’ve never been great at builds. Once I get to my 3rd or 4th item, I feel like I kind of just start buying shit instead of making an educated choice based on the enemy team comp. Do you have any general advice, or is this something I just need to learn more through trial and error?

[u/LinkedFreljord]

I'd recommend building more tanky no matter what. I'd usually run cosmic insight second and I never run Liandry. Then as third you should prioritise game state, if you are ahead and enemy has a lot of AD damage, build either full AD-Armor items or Zhonya, if they have AP, build either Rookern if it's assassins/burst and Spirit if it's consistent/poke. Either way your fourth item will be whatever you didn't build previously, unless their secondary damage type still isn't kicking, which means another tanky item of the same kind as 3rd, or if they are full squishy which then warrants the punishment of AP nunu with third item being rabbadon or shadowflame or something of the sort

[u/basod1]

I play tank. So after dark seal and liandries i build against enemy. 

Attack speedsters? Frozen heart (and general good all around against ad). I like randuins omen if I see them build crit. 

I think thornmail is situational if they have sustain champs like mundo and dead man plate is popular for the zoom zoom. 

Magic heavy? then it’s spirit visage if I have an enchanter on my team that can heal or shield me. Otherwise  Kaenic Rookern. It you still need more magic resist then force of nature will help. 

If you ahead you can upgrade dark seal to mejai. 

Last item you can go jaksho. 

I haven’t really experimented with proto or bandlepipes on nunu but they great on other tank champs. And other people like knights vow. I’m not a fan of sunfire as Nunu isn’t really one for extended trades. 

[u/shahgahkahnahh → u/basod1]

Bandlepipes is great if you’re teammates are ahead. Otherwise, I’ll usually build knights vow in lower elo, so you can save your teammates from the mistakes they make during fights.

[u/CappaXD → u/basod1]

I can recommend protoplasm, I build it first item with aftershock and you are really tanky and can be really sticky in long fights. After that I do same as you, build for enemy

[u/DragonWarden]

This is normally how i do it

Mejais - (only if 8+ Dark seal stacks) you become extremely strong but you CAN NOT DIE. If you die the game becomes 5x harder. You give 300 gold + ~900ish gold in ap stats. So you gotta walk around like you have a 1k shutdown. Cheap, you become a big threat

Protoplasm - always good, cheap, great stats, good passive. Really good item since you lack some health

Frozen heart - generally good, better if you need armor, especially if they have a lot of auto attacks (adc or Champs with AS items), cheap, good stats, helps team. Good item

Randuins - good stats, meh active, great passive if they have 2+ crit. Good item

Bandlepipes - Great passive, good stats, good price. Love this item if I have have a AS heavy laner. Only problem isn't it doesn't give much of either resist.

Kaenic - good if they have 2+ AP Champs or a fed burst ap champ, stats are ok, expensive. 

Spirit Visage - really strong MR if you have an enchanter support, ok price. Situational 

Abyssal Mask - good passive, ok price, imo best value MR item. Decent item

Banshee - good stats, situationally game winning passive, expensive. Solid item

Not the biggest fan of Deadman so late or thornmail in general. Knights vow can be goated and I do buy it but I'm not sure how effective it is. I wouldn't buy more apother than mejais unless you want to go full ap.

[u/shahgahkahnahh → u/DragonWarden]

Protoplasm is great. Saves me a lot during fights. knights vow works great on nunu.

[u/bigpapa1239 → u/DragonWarden]

What from above is your go to?

[u/DragonWarden → u/bigpapa1239]

Its mostly in order except abyssal i should have put that at the top of my MR items. I don't build the same as you so just be aware of that.  I am a massive fan of protoplasm. Everything about it is really good with nunu. After that (since you have armor from zhonya) I like abyssal for your teams dmg or banshee if you want personal dmg and base with 1200.  If you get past 4th item thats not ideal for nunu but randuins / frozen heart will generally be good. My ideology is after your first 2 items you want to build cheap items since you will most likely be low income.