RIFTWISE FIELD GUIDE
Decide what to buy next
Updated 7 October 2026 · Riftwise
A build is a sequence of decisions. The strongest finished item on paper is not always the best purchase on your next recall. Start with the fight you need to win, then check your gold, components and job in the team.
Use a four-question recall check
- What is actually stopping you? Separate losing trades, getting caught, and failing to damage a frontline. Each points to a different solution. Armor will not stop a long stun, and cleansing a stun will not make a poor position safe.
- Who will you fight next? During lane, your direct opponents deserve attention. Before an objective, a fed jungler or mid laner may matter more. In the advisor, mark that champion as the biggest threat rather than treating all five enemies equally.
- What can you complete now? Enter your components as well as finished items. A partly built core item can give a nearer power spike than changing direction into a new counter item. Compare the remaining cost, not just the full shop price.
- What does the detour delay? Buying protection can keep you alive to deal damage, but several defensive purchases at once can leave your team without enough damage. Choose the one problem that matters most for the next fight.
Worked example: Twitch bot against Jinx and Leona
Choose Twitch, select Bot, then put Jinx in the enemy Bot slot and Leona in Support. You can leave the other three slots empty. Riftwise shows situational choices alongside a core recommendation; the counter cards are alternatives, not a shopping list to buy in order.
If Jinx’s attacks are the problem
Defensive boots with armor and basic-attack mitigation can be worth considering. The trade-off is losing the offensive value of your usual boots. Compare how often Jinx gets to hit you with how much pressure you could create using offensive boots. Do not buy a second completed pair of boots.
If Leona’s engage is the problem
A cleanse item such as Quicksilver Sash can answer removable control effects when used at the right moment. It does not remove knock-ups, prevent the next ability from landing or replace good positioning. Decide whether that active solves the specific sequence killing you before delaying your damage core.
If their frontline becomes hard to kill
Check the items they actually bought. Armor penetration answers armor; damage based on current health addresses a different part of durability. A tank champion’s name alone is not proof that penetration is your most urgent purchase. Add their items and revisit the advice as the match develops.
When should you buy anti-heal?
Ask whether enemy healing is materially changing fights and whether you can reliably apply your anti-heal effect to the target. Buying it is not enough: the effect has application conditions. Coordinate with teammates where possible; duplicating the same effect can cost your team damage or utility it needs elsewhere. A component may be a useful short-term answer without making its completed item your immediate priority.
AP and AD are different plans
For a champion such as Ezreal, switching the playstyle selector changes the suggested items. It should also change how you assess those items: compare the abilities and attacks you can reliably use, their scaling, and the time you have to deal damage. Mixing attractive AP and AD items without a plan can delay both builds’ important interactions.
Riftwise labels an alternative build when it cannot point to a measured popular combination. That label matters: an available AP option is not evidence that it is currently as successful as the standard build. Check the patch and source shown below the build before committing.
In ARAM, build for the teamfight you actually have
ARAM changes the purchasing rhythm and the value of sustain, wave clear and repeated fights. Use the ARAM section rather than a lane build. Select the playstyle first, then inspect the starting items and purchase order. If your team already has several damage dealers, surviving to initiate or protecting them may be more useful than adding another burst build.
The listed ARAM data covers standard ARAM, not Mayhem augments. Popular core statistics and a suggested full route are different things: a six-item sequence assembled from compatible purchases is not necessarily a six-item combination observed in the data.
Before you follow any recommendation
- Check the displayed patch and date. An old build can remain useful, but its ranking may no longer apply.
- Read the item tooltip and its conditions. Similar stats do not mean identical effects.
- Use matchup win rates as context, not a prediction of your lane or your personal result.
- Reassess after a major enemy purchase, role change or shift in who is carrying the game.