Season 26 LoL Item Guide: Are the Low-Efficiency Items Secretly OP? Full Breakdown and Champion Synergies
December 9, 2025
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In our previous article, we summarized the stat-based gold efficiency of the 11 new items introduced in Season 26. We focused on the top 5 items that showed especially high efficiency and analyzed which champions they synergize with the most.
However, relying only on efficiency rankings to judge an item's value can also be risky. Items that fall into the lower efficiency tier may not seem attractive at first glance by their stats, but for certain champions they can be irreplaceable choices. In some cases, depending on the meta or game situation, they can even offer surprisingly high utility.
Below is the full efficiency table for the Season 26 new items once again. In this article we will take a closer look at the 6 items from the lower end of the efficiency spectrum (Hexoptics C44, Echoes of Helia, Eternal Hunger, Protoplasm Harness, Actualizer, Diadem of Songs).
Although their raw efficiency might be somewhat low, we will examine individually when they actually shine in games, and which champions can get the most out of them.
Based on raw stat efficiency, this item ranks sixth, but it is a clear exception that cannot be evaluated by gold efficiency alone.
Its true power comes from two passives: the bonus damage applied at 700 range and the additional 100 attack range gained after participating in a takedown. These effects create strong synergy with crit-based champions who have long base attack range and place high value on each individual auto attack rather than raw attack speed.
Caitlyn is the standout example. She has an exceptionally long 650 base attack range, and her passive Headshot makes every enhanced auto attack highly impactful. This allows her to meet the 700-range condition easily, and the extra 100 range after takedowns pushes her close to the 800 mark. As a result, she can become extremely threatening in extended fights, poke scenarios, and turret pressure situations.
Although the base stats may seem ordinary, the actual flow of combat is shaped by the extended range and the increased value of each auto attack. Once the season begins, it is very likely that players will explore builds centered around Caitlyn with this item, and the item could become popular early in the meta.
Helia is an item that has been reworked from its previous version, and although its stat profile remains almost the same, several parts of its mechanics have been adjusted.
Since its original release, Echoes of Helia went through repeated numerical tweaks. Its pick rate fell sharply once Moonstone Renewer, another item in the similar functional category, received buffs. Considering this background, it appears that the item was revisited again for the new season.
The current rework version keeps the same structure where its effect activates when dealing damage, and the stored damage and healing values will likely receive multiple adjustments early in the season. Its fundamental usage pattern remains mostly unchanged.
It still works best with support champions who can poke consistently from range and provide shielding or healing utility. Champions such as Karma, Lulu, and Yuumi are expected to make stable and effective use of this item.
The key stats provided by this item are Attack Damage, Omnivamp, Tenacity, and Ability Haste that scales with AD. This combination naturally brings two champions to mind: Aatrox and Zaahen.
Both champions excel in extended fights, rely heavily on Ability Haste, and have kits designed around sustained skirmishing and self-healing. Zaahen especially benefits from this item because his passive continuously increases his Attack Damage, allowing him to fully capitalize on the AD-scaling Ability Haste. He is, quite literally, one of the champions who can take full advantage of everything this item offers.
The Tenacity provided by Eternal Hunger is also valuable, since this stat has previously been available in a stable form only through Sterak’s Gage or Mercury's Treads. Being able to acquire Tenacity in a single item slot is a significant advantage for Zaahen.
However, Zaahen generally prefers to build items that provide Ability Haste and health for reliable engage potential as his first core. This is why Eternal Hunger is most effective when built as a second or third core item. At that timing, the stacked passive AD and the scaling Ability Haste begin to align, greatly increasing his carry potential and amplifying his impact in teamfights.
This item is likely to be rated as one of the strongest tank options at the start of the season, at least until other items receive balance adjustments.
When looking back at tank items from Season 25, most high-tier options failed to surpass a gold efficiency of 95. In contrast, Protoplasm Harness already shows notably high stat efficiency, and its low price makes it extremely valuable from an opportunity-cost perspective.
Season 25 was a period when the tank item meta lacked stability. Warmog’s Armor disappeared after its early OP phase due to nerfs, and once Liandry's Torment was toned down, the game lacked reliable ways to burn through tank health. Tanks with limited offensive pressure struggled to find cost-effective core items, which pushed many teams to use bruisers as pseudo-tanks or forced jungle tanks to default to Heartsteel simply because of its raw health efficiency.
Protoplasm Harness addresses these issues almost directly. It provides the key components tanks need: Ability Haste, a solid pool of base Health, and a Lifeline-style defensive effect that significantly boosts survivability.
For jungle or top-lane tanks who begin with the Bami’s Cinder line for clearing, there is little reason not to choose this item as their next step.
Players who have tried ARAM Mayhem may recall augments that increase mana costs in exchange for stronger ability damage or shorter base cooldowns. Actualizer appears to convert that concept into an item, and it provides clear value only for champions who cast abilities repeatedly and rely heavily on synergy with mana-based items.
In practice, this item is essentially designed for Ryze. Ryze casts spells at a very high frequency and converts mana into combat stats through his kit, allowing him to benefit from nearly all aspects of Actualizer. For most other champions, however, the opportunity cost is too high to justify the purchase. Since it is built around an active effect, it is not the easiest item to use, and poor activation can noticeably reduce its expected performance.
Ryze’s traditional item path focuses on Rod of Ages and Archangel’s Staff to secure both durability and damage. Actualizer can feel lacking in damage as a third core choice, so the more realistic path seems to involve skipping Rod of Ages and building it alongside Archangel’s Staff instead. In the end, this item may become a new situational option for Ryze depending on the meta and build trends, yet it remains highly specialized and unlikely to be a consideration for most other champions.
Items built from Tear of the Goddess naturally become more valuable as the game progresses. Support champions like Lulu and Seraphine, who rely on healing and shielding during lane phase, typically use the Manaflow Band rune to address early mana issues. Since most enchanter support items offer some level of mana regeneration, early-game rune selection has traditionally revolved around supplementing mana.
Diadem of Songs has the potential to shift this pattern. Because it solves mana concerns naturally through the Tear build path, supports no longer need to commit to Manaflow Band by default. As a result, rune pages that focus more heavily on survivability and stability, such as Resolve combined with Inspiration, become much more viable than before. This added flexibility is the most significant change introduced by the item.
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