What is Ability Power in League of Legends?

Ability Power (AP), a crucial statistic in League of Legends, enhances the effectiveness of a champion's abilities, particularly those with magical or special effects.

Unlike Attack Damage (AD), which directly influences basic attacks, AP primarily boosts the power of spells and unique champion skills. This plays a significant role in shaping a champion's playstyle and item build, often determining their role and impact in team compositions.

Sources of Ability Power

Champions can increase their AP through various means. Items are the primary source of Ability Power, with popular choices including Rabadon's Deathcap, Luden's Companion, and Zhonya's Hourglass.

Runes can also provide AP, either as a flat bonus or through scaling effects. Some in-game buffs, like the Infernal Drake's soul, can grant additional AP. Additionally, a few champions even have abilities that can increase their AP temporarily or permanently. 

Also Read: What is Full AP/AD in League of Legends?

Understanding AP Scaling

AP scaling refers to how a champion's abilities become more potent as their Ability Power increases. Each ability that scales with AP has a specific ratio, indicating the percentage of AP that contributes to the ability's effect. For instance, if an ability has a 0.5 AP ratio and the champion has 100 AP, the ability gains an additional 50 points of effectiveness in damage, healing, or other effects.

Difference between AP and AD Champions

Distinguishing between AP and AD champions often comes down to their primary damage source and ability design. AP champions typically rely on spells and magical abilities as their main source of damage. 

AD champions, on the other hand, depend more on their basic attacks and physical damage abilities. Marksmen, fighters, and assassins often fall into this category, with champions like Caitlyn, Darius, or Zed benefiting from AD-focused builds.

If a champion relies on auto attacks and physical damage, they'll generally build AD, while champions relying on spells and their magic abilities will build AP.

Also Read: What is Scaling in League of Legends?

The Impact of AP on Gameplay

Ability Power significantly impacts the flow and strategy of a game. High AP allows champions to deal massive damage in short bursts, often changing the tide of team fights. Many AP champions excel at clearing minion waves quickly, influencing map control. AP-heavy teams can also secure objectives like Dragon or Baron more easily due to their high burst damage. However, AP champions typically rely heavily on completing key items to reach power spikes, affecting their early to mid-game strategy.

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