Knight’s Vow

What is Knight’s Vow? 🛡️

Knight’s Vow is the dedicated single-target carry protection item for tanks and engage supports. Unlike Locket of the Iron Solari‘s teamwide DEVOTION shield, Knight’s Vow focuses all its defensive benefit on one designated Worthy ally — permanently redirecting 12% of all pre-mitigation physical and magic damage they receive to the Knight’s Vow holder, while the holder heals back from the Worthy ally’s combat damage output. Two champions become a combat unit: one deals damage, the other absorbs a portion of the incoming punishment and recovers HP from the attacker’s performance.

The SACRIFICE passive operates continuously while the tether is active and the holder is above 30% maximum health — it requires no button presses, no timing, and no reaction. The 12% damage redirection is pre-mitigation, meaning it bypasses the Worthy ally’s armor and MR reductions and arrives at the holder where it is then reduced by the holder’s own defensive stats. A tank support with 200 armor redirecting 12% of an ADC’s physical damage intake effectively converts 12% of incoming burst into reduced physical damage filtered through their higher armor value.

At 2,300 Gold, Knight’s Vow provides a practical defensive stat package for tanks: +40 armor, +200 HP, +10 AH, and +100% base HP regen. Building from Kindlegem, Chain Vest, and Rejuvenation Bead with a 400g combine. Sell price: 1,610 Gold. ID: 3109.

📊 Base Statistics

🔨 Recipe & Components

Knight’s Vow builds from Kindlegem + Chain Vest + Rejuvenation Bead with a 400g combine:

⚔️ PLEDGE & SACRIFICE — Complete Mechanics Reference

PLEDGE Active — How to Designate a Worthy Ally

PLEDGE is a unit-targeted active — you click on a specific allied champion to designate them as Worthy. The 1,250-unit cast range is generous for a support item, enabling the PLEDGE to be applied from a distance rather than requiring the support to close to melee range. At activation, a visual tether appears between the Knight’s Vow holder and the Worthy ally.

PLEDGE has no cast time, meaning it can be activated during other ability casts or movements without interrupting them. The activation does not break stealth — a stealthed support (Twitch or a champion using Warding Totem-related stealth) can safely designate a Worthy ally without being revealed.

Two important restrictions: a champion can only be Worthy to one Knight’s Vow at a time — if two supports run Knight’s Vow and both try to designate the same ADC, only the first one’s PLEDGE is active; the second PLEDGE targeting the same champion triggers the 10-second static CD rather than reassigning Worthy status. Additionally, you cannot be designated Worthy by an ally’s Knight’s Vow — the item is always the support protecting an ally, never the reverse where the carry protects the support.

SACRIFICE Passive — Continuous Damage Redirection

SACRIFICE is entirely passive and continuous — no button presses, no reactions needed. While the tether is active (PLEDGE designated a Worthy ally) and the Knight’s Vow holder is above 30% maximum health, 12% of all pre-mitigation physical and magic damage the Worthy ally takes is redirected to the holder as the corresponding damage type. Physical damage redirected stays physical; magic damage redirected stays magic. Crucially, the redirected damage is then reduced by the holder’s own armor and MR respectively.

The 30% HP threshold is a hard cutoff: the moment the holder drops to or below 30% maximum health, SACRIFICE immediately deactivates. This is a safety mechanism preventing Knight’s Vow from draining the holder to death in scenarios where the Worthy ally receives extreme burst damage. The threshold means that in situations where the holder is critically low on HP, the passive stops and the Worthy ally absorbs their full damage intake without the 12% redirect.

The heal mechanic (10% of post-mitigation damage dealt by Worthy ally) creates a sustained self-healing effect on the holder proportional to the Worthy ally’s damage output against enemy champions. A high-DPS ADC dealing 600 DPS (post-mitigation) to an enemy champion generates 60 HP/second healing for the Knight’s Vow holder. This heal is most impactful in extended sustained fights — it provides marginal value in all-in burst engagements but compounds meaningfully over 10-20 second fights.

PLEDGE & SACRIFICE — Full Mechanics Table

🗺️ Map-Specific Differences

🎯 When to Build Knight’s Vow

Knight’s Vow is most effective when a single allied champion is the primary win condition and needs continuous passive protection throughout the entire game — not just for one 2.5-second window. The 12% redirection is always-on as long as SACRIFICE conditions are met, making it the most consistent carry protection available in the item shop without requiring any in-game reactions.

✅ Build Knight’s Vow When:

• Team has a hyper-carry ADC who is the primary win condition: Jinx, Kog’Maw, Twitch, Vayne — hypercarries who need to survive long enough to deal sustained damage; SACRIFICE reduces 12% of every auto-attack, ability, and source of incoming damage that hits the ADC, providing consistent protection that compounds over extended fights
• Playing engage or tank support for a specific carry: Leona, Nautilus, Alistar, Braum, Thresh — engage supports who stay within tether range of the ADC naturally; designate the ADC as Worthy and the 12% redirect activates continuously throughout laning and teamfights without any additional management beyond the initial PLEDGE
• Enemy team focuses the carry with assassins or dives: against Zed, Rengar, Talon, LeBlanc assassin patterns — the 12% damage reduction on the ADC doesn’t stop the burst, but takes a meaningful slice off each ability’s hit; at 600-damage Zed combo, 12% = 72 damage redirected before the combo resolves, landing on the tank who reduces it further with armor
• Carrying to pair with Locket of the Iron Solari: Knight’s Vow + Locket as items 1 and 2 provides the most comprehensive support protection kit — continuous single-target SACRIFICE redirect + emergency teamwide DEVOTION shield; the two items have no overlap or group restrictions and cover different protection patterns

❌ Do NOT Build Knight’s Vow When:

• No clear single carry to protect: in teamfight compositions where the win condition is 5-player AoE engage rather than one hyper-carry, the single-target Worthy designation provides less value than Locket of the Iron Solari‘s teamwide shield. If 5 champions are equally important to survive, 12% redirect on one is proportionally less impactful than 200-360 shield on all 5
• Playing enchanter support who heals/shields from range: Knight’s Vow requires staying within tether range of the Worthy ally to maintain SACRIFICE. Enchanter supports (Soraka, Nami, Lulu, Janna) whose protection comes from ability-cast healing and shielding at range don’t benefit from staying close enough to maintain the tether pattern — and their item choices better serve amplifying their kit rather than adding an armor-focused stat item
• Tank who doesn’t stay near the ADC: if the tank support’s role is to front-line dive into the enemy team (far from the backline carry), the tether is broken and SACRIFICE provides no protection. Knight’s Vow rewards tank supports who stay relatively proximate to the Worthy ally — front-line divers who separate from the carry should prefer Locket of the Iron Solari for range-independent teamwide shielding

👥 Best Champions for Knight’s Vow

✅ Engage Tank Supports

• Leona — Eclipse (W) + Shield of Daybreak (Q) + Solar Flare (R) engage kit. Leona naturally stays near the ADC in bot lane, maintaining the SACRIFICE tether. In teamfights, Leona’s engage brings her into the frontline but the 1,250-unit tether range is long enough to maintain while the ADC stays in the backline. The combination of Leona’s personal armor/MR (Eclipse W) + Knight’s Vow’s SACRIFICE creates multilayer ADC protection: Leona’s W blocks damage on herself, SACRIFICE reduces 12% of what the ADC takes.
• Nautilus — Staggering Shield (P) + Dredge Line (Q) hook engage. Nautilus stays in the bot lane proximity pattern that keeps the tether active. The +40 armor and +200 HP from Knight’s Vow improve Nautilus’ bulk for absorbing the redirected SACRIFICE damage. In extended teamfights where Nautilus anchors the front line, SACRIFICE’s 10% heal from the ADC’s DPS provides meaningful HP sustain on the tank who is absorbing both regular frontline damage AND the 12% carry redirect.
• Braum — Unbreakable (E) front block + Concussive Blows (P) stun chain. Braum + Knight’s Vow creates the strongest single-carry physical protection profile: Unbreakable physically blocks projectile damage AND SACRIFICE redirects 12% of everything else. The two protection mechanisms are complementary — projectiles blocked by Unbreakable don’t hit the ADC at all; non-projectile damage is reduced by 12% through SACRIFICE. Locket of the Iron Solari as a second item further adds the emergency teamwide shield for situations where neither Unbreakable nor SACRIFICE can fully prevent a big engage.
• Thresh — Death Sentence (Q) hook + Dark Passage (W) lantern + The Box (R). Thresh’s Dark Passage lantern already provides a click-to-teleport escape tool for the ADC. Knight’s Vow’s SACRIFICE adds passive damage reduction that stacks alongside the lantern escape option. Thresh’s Damnation (P) soul stacking enables scaling HP that makes the Knight’s Vow holder’s 30% threshold higher over time — more HP means a higher absolute HP value where SACRIFICE deactivates.
• Alistar — Pulverize (Q) + Headbutt (W) combo engage. Alistar’s Unbreakable Will (R) personal damage reduction combined with Knight’s Vow SACRIFICE creates back-to-back defensive layers: Alistar’s R reduces damage to himself by 75% for 7 seconds while SACRIFICE simultaneously reduces the ADC’s incoming damage by 12%. During Alistar R, the Knight’s Vow holder is near-unkillable from the R’s massive damage reduction, enabling the SACRIFICE redirect to continue operating at full efficiency.

Non-Standard Picks

• Malphite (support): Granite Shield (P) periodic shield + Unstoppable Force (R) engage. Knight’s Vow on Malphite support designates the ADC before R engage — SACRIFICE provides pre-engage carry protection, then R initiates while SACRIFICE continues in the resulting teamfight.
• Renata Glasc (enchanter-adjacent): Renata’s Bailout (W) gives an ally temporary death immunity — Knight’s Vow SACRIFICE reduces the burst that forces the Bailout to activate; lower incoming damage = less frequent emergency Bailout uses.

❌ Less Optimal

• Enchanter supports (Soraka, Nami, Lulu, Janna): enchanters protect through ability-cast healing/shielding at range; Knight’s Vow requires proximity for SACRIFICE tether and provides armor (a stat with low value for glass-cannon enchanters). Ardent Censer, Moonstone Renewer, Staff of Flowing Water amplify the enchanter’s kit more effectively per gold than the armor + HP + passive redirect of Knight’s Vow

⚙️ Recommended Build Paths

Braum — Maximum ADC Physical Protection

1. Chain Vest — First back (800g) — immediate +40 armor against ADC lane physical damage; helps Braum survive aggressive early poke and survive dives before Knight’s Vow completes
2. Knight’s Vow — First full item — PLEDGE designates ADC as Worthy immediately; SACRIFICE 12% redirect active; combined with Unbreakable (E) projectile block = maximum single-carry physical protection profile
3. Locket of the Iron Solari — Second item — DEVOTION teamwide emergency shield; 90s CD complements SACRIFICE’s always-on nature; combined item set covers both continuous single-target and burst teamwide protection
4. Zeke’s Convergence — Third item — IGNITE: empowers linked ally (same Worthy ADC) with slowing bonus damage when Braum uses CC; Braum’s frequent CC (Q, P, R) generates IGNITE procs for the ADC; +AH, +MR, +HP for defensive scaling
5. Warmog’s Armor — Fourth item — WARMOG’S HEART regen when out of combat; massive HP pool raises the absolute value of the 30% SACRIFICE threshold (higher HP = SACRIFICE stays active longer under pressure); regen sustains the redirected damage Braum absorbs from SACRIFICE
6. Redemption — Fifth item — INTERVENTION active area heal for allies; pairs with Knight’s Vow and Locket for a third separate active defensive tool with independent CD

Leona — Engage Support Carry Protection

7. Kindlegem — First back (~800g) — HP + AH; toward Knight’s Vow completion; AH enables more frequent Solar Flare (R) and Zenith Blade (E) cooldowns
8. Knight’s Vow — First full item — PLEDGE on ADC; SACRIFICE live from first full item; +40 armor + +200 HP improves Leona’s frontline bulk while redirecting 12% of ADC damage intake
9. Locket of the Iron Solari — Second item — DEVOTION teamwide shield for R engage moments; classic Knight’s Vow + Locket dual support item core; complete dual protection active + passive coverage
10. Sunfire Aegis — Third item — IMMOLATE persistent AoE magic damage on nearby enemies during frontline engagement; HP + armor; allows Leona to deal supplementary damage while protecting the carry from the frontline
11. Thornmail — Fourth item — SPIKESHELL reflected damage + GRIEVOUS WOUNDS on hit; armor + HP; counters healing-heavy enemy compositions; absorbing 12% of the carry’s physical damage intake through SACRIFICE means Thornmail’s reflected damage may occasionally activate from redirected hits

🔄 Similar Items — Ally Support and Teamwide Protection Family

❌ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

• Letting the 30% HP threshold disable SACRIFICE during critical moments: SACRIFICE stops the moment the holder reaches 30% max HP or below. In a fight where the tank takes heavy frontline damage, dropping to 30% HP disables the carry’s protection right when they need it most — typically when the enemy is trying to clean up after bursting the tank. Building sufficient HP (Knight’s Vow +200 HP + Warmog’s + other sources) raises the absolute HP value where SACRIFICE deactivates, giving more room before the threshold is reached
• Not re-pledging when the team composition changes in late game: the PLEDGE designates one Worthy ally for the 60-second CD cycle. If the ADC is behind and a fed mid laner becomes the primary win condition, retargeting the Worthy designation to the fed carry maximizes SACRIFICE’s value. Many players set PLEDGE at the start and forget to reassess who the highest-value protected target is as the game progresses
• Diving too deep and separating from the Worthy ally: SACRIFICE requires the tether to be active, which means the Knight’s Vow holder must stay within range of the Worthy ally. Tank supports who dive 1,500+ units into the enemy backline break the tether and lose SACRIFICE’s protection on the ADC. If the engagement requires deep diving, use Locket of the Iron Solari‘s DEVOTION shield before diving and accept that SACRIFICE deactivates during the deep dive portion
• Building Knight’s Vow when the ADC is far behind or fed enemy team: if the ADC is 0-5 and not the win condition, SACRIFICE on them provides low value — 12% of their low damage output = minimal healing, and protecting a champion who won’t win teamfights anyway doesn’t change the outcome. Reassess whether the fed mid or top laner is the actual win condition and PLEDGE them instead, or switch to Locket of the Iron Solari‘s teamwide approach if no single carry is dominant
• Forgetting the 10-second static CD for re-targeting: if you accidentally PLEDGE the wrong ally, activating PLEDGE on an ally who already has Worthy (from your previous designation) triggers a 10-second static CD rather than the full 60-second CD. This means rapid ally-switches are possible if the 10-second window hasn’t expired — useful if you initially pledge the wrong target in a chaotic teamfight

✅ Best Practices

• Designate Worthy in loading screen / first minute: PLEDGE the hyper-carry ADC immediately — SACRIFICE is always-on from that point; there is no reason to delay, as the 60-second CD means waiting costs protection time
• Pair with Locket of the Iron Solari as second item: the two items are the most complementary protection stack for engage supports; SACRIFICE handles continuous single-target carry protection while DEVOTION covers the emergency teamwide burst moment; no group conflict between them
• Add Zeke’s Convergence to the same Worthy ally: Knight’s Vow + Zeke’s Convergence linking to the same ADC creates complete single-carry investment: 12% damage reduction IN + bonus damage and slow OUT; both items together maximize the ADC’s combat efficiency from a support perspective
• Monitor HP above 30% threshold actively: if approaching 30% HP in a fight, either disengage to let SACRIFICE reactivate at full HP, or build HP items (Warmog’s, Heartsteel) to raise the absolute threshold value — a 3,000 HP tank deactivates SACRIFICE at 900 HP, providing far more buffer than a 2,000 HP tank deactivating at 600 HP
• In Arena: leverage the +400 HP version: Arena Knight’s Vow’s doubled HP makes it a significant bulk item on top of the SACRIFICE passive; the HP regen removal is offset by the higher HP pool and the SACRIFICE heal from the duo partner’s DPS output

FAQ

Q: Can two supports both run Knight’s Vow and link to the same ADC?

A: A: No — a champion can only be Worthy to ONE Knight’s Vow at a time. If a second Knight’s Vow support tries to PLEDGE the same ADC who already has Worthy from another Knight’s Vow, the activation triggers the 10-second static CD instead of reassigning Worthy status. Each Knight’s Vow must designate a different allied champion as Worthy. In a duo-support scenario, each Knight’s Vow holder would need to protect a different ally.

Q: Does SACRIFICE redirect true damage?

A: A: No — SACRIFICE explicitly redirects 12% of pre-mitigation PHYSICAL and MAGIC damage. True damage, which bypasses all mitigation, is not redirected by SACRIFICE. Against champions who deal primarily true damage (Vayne Silver Bolts true damage, Fiora Riposte true damage, Quinn Harrier true damage on marked targets), Knight’s Vow’s redirection provides no benefit for those specific true damage instances. The physical and magic portions of their total damage are still redirected normally.

Q: What happens to SACRIFICE if the Worthy ally dies?

A: A: When the Worthy ally dies, the tether breaks and SACRIFICE deactivates until a new PLEDGE is issued (or the Worthy ally respawns within range if the tether auto-reestablishes). If the Worthy ally is respawning, the Knight’s Vow holder must re-activate PLEDGE to re-establish the tether and reactivate SACRIFICE — the full 60-second CD applies to PLEDGE, so if it was used recently, there may be a delay before Worthy can be redesignated.

Q: Does the SACRIFICE heal scale with the ADC’s items?

A: A: Yes — the 10% heal is based on post-mitigation damage the Worthy ally deals to enemy champions. As the ADC builds more AD items and crits higher, the post-mitigation damage per auto increases, and 10% of that larger number heals the Knight’s Vow holder for proportionally more HP. A 1,000 DPS ADC at late-game generates 100 HP/second healing for the tank. This scaling creates a virtuous cycle where protecting a fed ADC generates more sustain for the protecting tank.

Q: Can Knight’s Vow and Locket of the Iron Solari be built simultaneously?

A: Yes — Knight’s Vow and Locket of the Iron Solari are in different item groups (Knight’s Vow is unique per its own group; Locket is its own group). There is no restriction preventing both from being held simultaneously. Running both as items 1 and 2 is the standard dual-protection core for engage tank supports: SACRIFICE provides continuous single-target carry protection at all times, while DEVOTION provides the emergency teamwide burst-protection active. The two items cover fundamentally different threat patterns and complement rather than overlap with each other.

Q: What is the Puppeteer’s Pull Their String Arena exception?

A: A: In Arena mode, SACRIFICE’s 10% heal is specifically excluded from triggering the Puppeteer’s Pull Their String augment’s cooldown reduction mechanic. Without this exception, the continuous healing from SACRIFICE (which pulses frequently from the Worthy ally’s constant DPS output) would repeatedly trigger Pull Their String’s CDR, creating an extremely powerful interaction that reduces all ability cooldowns far too rapidly. The exception exists to balance Knight’s Vow in Arena’s augment environment specifically.