Maybe it's just because I'm still in Emerald-Diamond, but I honestly don't get the whole "you have to build Locket as a support item" thing.
For me personally:
1st item is always Trailblazer 2nd item depends on the situation
→ Our AP is fed → Abyssal Mask (has CDR too) → Enemy AP is too fed → Kaenic Rookern → Enemy only has one AP and they're not fed → that's when I go Locket
The shield isn't bad, but there are a lot of times when I'm like, "Do I really HAVE to build this?" Especially when the team doesn't group much and fights end quickly, the Locket shield feels pointless and loses a ton of efficiency.
I've actually had quite a few win streaks without buying Locket. Sure, maybe it's because of the elo, but the whole "Locket is mandatory" mindset feels outdated in the current meta. I feel like being flexible based on the situation is actually way more beneficial.
What do my fellow OP.GG bros think?
basically adc always gives a shield + if you have solari when an assassin jumps in you can survive a turn and it’s insanely op lol
More
i always buy if the enemy has cannon or kettle especially sustain makes a big diff
More
From the enemy's perspective, a support with Solari next to the AD carry makes assassination attempts difficult (the AD carry is more comfortable when clearing the mid lane). You can "fish" for Solari just like barrier fishing. It's cheap, so you can buy it quickly.
More
noobs only buy whatever the weird item shop tells them to and can't flexibly swap their build. the star‑stuff is fine to grab, but just getting it doesn’t guarantee a win. i usually sup vel'koz, but it’s a dmg role and can’t tank, so i take utility and 1‑pick shurelya. boots are swift. thanks to the passive you can slice up small fights even without a lot of ap. once the pick phase is over and you start thinking about flexibly swapping items, i feel like i’m doing the work of one person.
More
if you time it right you can gank nice
More
personally i think redemption or mikael's value is higher than solar relic. if you can soak just a bit of incoming damage, redemption can pop and if the enemy has a lot of cc, it’s better in teamfights
More
price is fucking cheap so you can crank it up fast on 1 core and that early shield amount is really meaningful
More
it depends on the champ but thresh is definitely a pioneer
More
the shield amount is really something something, no feel range is oddly short and cooldown is long but if you have it, sometimes you get a super save so you can't not build it fuck
More
but is there any item as good as Solari for the price? it's a cooldown‑reduction health active full shield on a ward‑to‑ward basis, and if I skip Solari I just end up melting
More
Solarite shield is kinda ambiguous.. It's better to go for Pioneer attack speed than trying to snowball with this. Once you get used to Pioneer’s attack speed, switching to something else feels way too slow.
More
solar relic's sub‑items have no answer, so if i can just post something i’ll eat some gukbap and head out..
More
there are champs that vibe with solari but honestly you pick items based on the situation
More