League of Legends has tons of different items. Every role and class has specific items with stats and unique passives that give them advantages throughout the game.
But we can’t deny that active items are often the most powerful items you can buy in LoL!
Before mythics were introduced to the game, active items weren’t such a big deal in League. In fact, they were only a handful of good abilities that you can get from items.
But Riot Games changed this all when they reworked old active items and added new mythic active items to the game.
Some of them brought old champions back to the meta and some completely changed the way newer champions are played.
So, here’s everything you need to know about active ability items as well as the top 10 best active item effects in League of Legends!
What Are Active Items in League of Legends?
Active items in League of Legends are those items that you can activate to perform an additional ability. There are offensive and defensive active items in LoL.
For example, when you activate Galeforce you damage an enemy champion. But when you use Zhonya’s, you shield yourself.
Unlike regular items, active items have their own cooldowns. These work like your champion’s abilities, but they’re usually much longer.
For example, Galeforce has a cooldown of 90 seconds and it cannot be reduced with ability haste. However, Goredrinker has only 15 seconds cooldown and you can bring it to 10 or fewer seconds with ability haste.
Some active items can only be cast on yourself while others on your teammates too.
How to Use Active Items in League of Legends?
To use any active item in League of Legends, you first need to purchase the item and then press the number in your inventory.
For example, if you just bought Everfrost and it’s currently in second place in your inventory, you simply need to press “2” on your keyboard to use it.
And like the rest of your items, you can move them in different inventory slots to set them exactly how you want. I personally play with offensive active items on “2” and “3” while “1” is reserved for my defensive items.
Some item active items are best used during a team fight and some before that.
For example, it’s always good to use Zeke’s Convergence and link your champion to your ally before the fight starts.
However, it’s always advised to use Zhonya’s Hourglass in a fight to dodge and outplay your enemy.
Read Also: The Best Burn (DoT) Effect Items
Top 10 Best Active Items/Item Abilities in League of Legends
10. Zeke’s Convergence
Zeke’s Convergence isn’t a new nor a mythic item in LoL. And since its initial release back on the v7.12 patch, the item has undergone a lot of changes.
In its current form, Zeke’s Convergence is a great item for many support champions that have crowd control. It’s an offensive tool and increases your potential to score a kill each time you engage.
And here’s how it works.
Zeke’s Convergence allows a champion to bind themselves with another, usually a support with an ADC.
And when the wearer of Zeke’s Convergence immobilizes an enemy champion (stun, root, etc.), his bound ally deals bonus magic damage with abilities and on-hit auto-attacks.
This item scales with a percentage of the wearer’s maximum health and AP. And it’s ideal for AP bot lane combos such as Leona and Veigar or Thresh and Ziggs.
The best champions to buy Zeke’s Convergence on are:
- Karma
- Leona
- Thresh
- Nautilus
- Blitzcrank
9. Prowler’s Claw
In the 9th place, we have Prowler’s Claw – the assassin’s mythic item. This is one of the newer items to the game and it has pretty interesting interactions and powers.
Shortly put, Prowler’s Claw allows you to dash through an enemy champion, deal bonus physical damage, and increase your damage done to them by 15% for 3 seconds.
In this state, Prowler’s Claw is the ideal item for AD assassins that are always looking to burst a target down.
For example, Zed can use Prowler’s Claw to synergize it with his Deathmark and do way more damage. And Qiyana can use Prowler’s Claw before her big combo to one-shot anyone in the game.
Besides the active, Prowler’s Claw also grants tons of lethality and ability haste.
The best champions to buy Prowler’s Claw on are:
- Zed
- Talon
- Qiyana
- Lee Sin
- Sion
Read Also: Top 10 Best Items Against Tanks
8. Hextech Rocketbelt
Hextech Rocketbelt is a mythic playtoy for all bursty AP champions in the game.
When Riot Games first reworked it, the item wasn’t in a very good state. But with a few buffs, Rocketbelt became a go-to mythic choice for magic champions that don’t have dashes or don’t use mana.
Although Hextech Rocketbelt is great for many different things, it’s mainly used for engaging in a team fight.
When it’s activated, Hextech Rocketbelt dashes your champion forward and fires rockets that deal bonus magic damage. It also grants movement speed
Champions like Rumble or Annie can use Hextech Rocketbelt to quickly get into range for their ultimate abilities. And with the bonus magic penetration, it can help them one-shot their opponents.
That’s why Hextech Rocketbelt is one of the best active items in LoL!
The best champions to buy Hextech Rocketbelt on are:
- Annie
- Rumble
- Malphite
- Galio
- Kennen
7. Locket of the Iron Solari
Locket of the Iron Solari has always been one of the best support items in League of Legends. It is a very old active item that has been a part of the game ever since season 1.
And it also kept its name when it became a mythic item in season 11.
Locket of the Iron Solari casts a shield on all ally champions in a range radius of 850 units.
And the best way to utilize Locket is to buy it on a support champion and activate it when you’re around all of your teammates.
One negative thing about this item is that it doesn’t scale with AP, AD, or health. It has a fixed scaling per level, so you can’t increase its shield by buying items.
Many support champions rely on Locket to protect their ADCs. And depending on how you use it, Locket can sometimes outplay your enemies.
The best champions to buy Locket of the Iron Solari on are:
- Leona
- Nautilus
- Blitzcrank
- Alistar
- Braum
Read Also: LoL Best Items Against Shields
6. Goredrinker
Like Prowler’s Claw, Goredrinker was added back in season 11. And at the start, Goredrinker was one of the most broken items that Riot Games had ever added to the game.
And it took them many nerfs in order to balance it out.
Goredrinker gives you attack damage, ability haste, health, and omnivamp. But it also has an active that deals physical damage and heals your champion for a significant amount.
In fact, Goredrinker’s healing is increased with AD, missing health, and how many enemy champions are around you. And its cooldown is very short.
Needless to say, Goredinker is the only reason why many top lane and jungle champions are still in the meta. It’s the perfect item for fighters, bruisers, and even tank champs.
It allows them to deal damage and stay alive in a fight much longer.
The best champions to buy Goredrinker on are:
- Renekton
- Riven
- Kayn
- Lee Sin
- Jarvan IV
5. Mikael’s Blessing
Mikael’s Blessing has been a part of League of Legends for many years now. It’s always had the same active effect, even though its stats and name have been changed multiple times. And once it was called Mikael’s Crucible.
The active of Mikael’s Blessing allows you to clear almost all crowd control effects from you or a targeted ally. This item basically works like QSS, but it can also be used on teammates and not only as a self-cast cleanse.
Because Mikael’s Blessing can even remove CC types like Airborne, it’s a very valuable support item.
Enchanter champions are always recommended to buy it, especially against heavy CC team. It also improves their heals and shields.
Depending on how you use it, Mikael’s Blessing can help you outplay your enemy in many situations. Not to mention that it helps your ADC tremendously during a team fight.
And because of that, Mikael’s Blessing will always be one of the best active items in LoL!
The best champions to buy Mikael’s Blessing on are:
- Lulu
- Janna
- Yuumi
- Seraphine
- Soraka
Read Also: LoL Items That Increase the Size
4. Quicksilver Sash
Speaking of cleansing crowd control, here’s is QSS – Quicksilver Sash. This is one of the most popular active items in League of Legends, even though it’s not built that often.
When you activate Quicksilver Sash, you instantly remove almost all crowd control effects from your champion, except for Airborne. Keep in mind QSS can’t remove Summoner’s Spells like Ignite.
And in the cause of Exhaust, QSS can only remove the slow and not the damage reduction effect.
QSS is often bought to counter champions such as Malzahar and Skarner. Since their ultimates are categorized as suppressions, you can simply cleanse them with QSS.
Quicksilver Sash can be upgraded in two similar items – Mercurial Scimitar and Silvermere Dawn. The first one grants AD and critical chance while the second AD and bonus health.
But QSS keeps its active ability in both of these items.
The best champions to buy Quicksilver Sash on are:
- Zed
- Samira
- Aphelios
- Talon
- Ashe
Read Also: The Best Items Against Vayne
3. Everfrost
In the third place, we have Everfrost. This is personally one of my favorite items in LoL, simply because of how useful it is on many of the champions I play.
And no one can deny the fact that Everfrost was very influential in the development of the current meta in League of Legends.
Once activated, Everfrost shoots a ray of ice in a large cone area in front of your champion. It deals magic damage that scales with your AP and slows all enemies down.
But those enemy champions caught in the middle are rooted instead.
Everfrost synergizes perfectly with AP champions that already have another CC ability in their kits or champions that need help landing their skill shots.
For example, Ahri can use Everfrost to slow or root her opponent so she can land her Charm much more easily.
Everfrost is also great for clearing minions in the lane and becoming a bit tankier as a mage (it grants bonus health).
The best champions to buy Everfrost on are:
- Lissandra
- Twisted Fate
- Vex
- Ahri
- Kassadin
Read Also: The Best Slow Items in League of Legends
2. Zhonya’s Hourglass
Ever since I started playing League of Legends, Zhonya’s Hourglass has been my personal favorite active item in the game.
It’s one of the best-designed abilities that Riot Games has ever done, and it definitely deserves this spotlight.
Zhonya’s Hourglass allows you to enter a Stasis mode and become immune to everything for 2.5 seconds.
And the best way to use it is when your opponents are casting their most powerful abilities (For example, Zed’s R).
Depending on how you use it, Zhonya’s Hourglass can really be one of the strongest items in the game. It’s literally a life-saver for all AP champions that require protection. But it’s especially powerful on champs that go all-in.
Not to mention that it also grants them bonus armor.
And the best part about Zhonya’s Hourglass nowadays is that you can buy its effect through Stopwatch much earlier in the match. So, always build it on mages!
The best champions to build Zhonya’s Hourglass on are:
- Twisted Fate
- Sylas
- Fizz
- Vex
- Ahri
Read Also: The Best Items Against AP Champions
1. Galeforce
And in the first place, we have Galeforce!
In my opinion, this is the best active item in the whole League of Legends. Its ability is super powerful and makes so many champions viable in the current meta.
So, let me just explain how influential Galeforce has been since Riot Games added it in season 11.
90% of the reason why you see so many players pick Jhin, Twitch, and Caitlyn is because of Galeforce. This item completely changed the bot lane meta because it made immobile champion mobile! And here’s what it does.
When you activate Galeforce, it shoots 3 missiles at the enemy champion with the lowest health, dealing magic damage that scales with your AD.
However, Galeforce also dashes your champion in a target location, allowing you to dodge attacks as well.
This mythic item is designed to help immobile ADCs against assassins. It also grants them bonus AD, critical strike, and attack speed. So, it’s a perfect ADC item overall!
The best champions to build Galeforce on are:
- Xayah
- Jhin
- Twitch
- Sivir
- Caitlyn
Read Also: LoL Items That Increase Your Range
Conclusion
Even though Riot Games often shake things up, these are the overall 10 best active items in League. As you can see, LoL has a great variety of active items and all roles have their own helpful active times too.
In the future, Riot can remove some of these abilities, rework them, or add completely new ones.
And if you’re interested to check all info on each of these items, you can check this link.
