What is Lord Dominik’s Regards? ⚔️
Lord Dominik’s Regards is the armor penetration item for marksmen and fighters facing high-armor or high-bonus-health tanks. It provides the highest armor penetration percentage in the game at +35%, combined with +35 AD and +25% crit — making it the strongest single item for dealing with heavy-armor champions in the late game. The GIANT SLAYER passive adds an additional 0%–15% increased damage against champions based on their bonus health, specifically designed to punish tanks who stack both armor AND bonus HP items simultaneously.
The item’s stat package is purpose-built for ADC late-game armor shredding: +35% armor penetration eliminates roughly a third of the target’s armor before any other penetration calculation. Against a tank with 300 armor, 35% pen reduces the effective armor to 195. Against a target with 100 armor, the same pen reduces it to 65 — the percentage makes the item more impactful the more armor the target stacks, as the absolute armor reduction grows with the total armor pool.
At 3,300 Gold, Lord Dominik’s Regards is one of the more expensive ADC legendary items, reflecting its late-game specialized power. It builds from Last Whisper — the 1,450g component that introduces the item’s core 20% armor pen concept — and Noonquiver (1,300g), the ADC component providing AD and crit. Sell price: 2,310 Gold. ID: 3036. FATALITY item group — Limited to 1 FATALITY item.
📊 Base Statistics
| Statistic | Value |
| Total Cost | 3,300 Gold |
| Combine Cost | 550 Gold |
| Sell Price | 2,310 Gold |
| Attack Damage | +35 AD |
| Armor Penetration | +35% armor penetration |
| Critical Strike Chance | +25% critical strike chance |
| GIANT SLAYER: Min damage | 0% increased damage (vs equal or lower bonus HP) |
| GIANT SLAYER: Max damage | +15% increased damage (vs significantly higher bonus HP) |
| GIANT SLAYER: Scaling | Linear scaling 0%-15% based on target’s bonus health |
| Item Group | FATALITY — Limited to 1 FATALITY item |
| Item ID | 3036 |
| Availability | SR 5v5, ARAM, Nexus Blitz, Arena |
| Arena AD | 30 AD (reduced from 35) |
| 📊 35% Armor Penetration — Effective Armor After PenFormula: Effective Armor = Base Armor × (1 – 0.35). The higher the target’s armor, the more absolute armor is removed.50 armor target: 50 × 0.65 = 32.5 effective armor. Magic damage multiplier improvement: 100/150 = 66.7% → 100/132.5 = 75.5% efficiency (+13%).100 armor target: 100 × 0.65 = 65 effective armor. Efficiency: 100/200 = 50% → 100/165 = 60.6% (+21%).150 armor target: 150 × 0.65 = 97.5 effective armor. Efficiency: 100/250 = 40% → 100/197.5 = 50.6% (+27%).200 armor target: 200 × 0.65 = 130 effective armor. Efficiency: 100/300 = 33.3% → 100/230 = 43.5% (+31%).300 armor target: 300 × 0.65 = 195 effective armor. Efficiency: 100/400 = 25% → 100/295 = 33.9% (+36%).Key insight: the higher the armor, the more absolute armor is removed and the greater the effective damage amplification. Lord Dominik’s scales in effectiveness with enemy armor investment. |
🔨 Recipe & Components
Lord Dominik’s Regards builds from Last Whisper + Noonquiver with a 550g combine:
| Component | Cost | Notes |
| Last Whisper | 1,450 Gold (+750) | Long Sword + Long Sword — +20 AD and +20% armor penetration; the component that establishes the armor pen concept before full item completion |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Last Whisper (×2) |
| Noonquiver | 1,300 Gold (+350) | Long Sword + Cloak of Agility — +25% crit + AD; standalone strong ADC component shared by multiple crit legendaries |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Noonquiver |
| Cloak of Agility | 600 Gold | Part of Noonquiver — crit chance input |
| Combine Cost | 550 Gold | |
| Total | 3,300 Gold | Complete Lord Dominik’s Regards |
| 💡 Last Whisper vs Lord Dominik’s — When to Stop at ComponentLast Whisper (1,450g): +20 AD, +20% armor pen. Strong enough as a standalone component in the mid-game when the enemy is at 80-120 armor. Provides immediate armor pen without the full 3,300g investment.When to complete Lord Dominik’s over Last Whisper: when the primary threat is a fully-built tank with 200+ armor AND/OR bonus HP from tank items (Warmog’s, Force of Nature, Heartsteel). The upgrade from 20% to 35% armor pen is a 75% relative increase in pen at the same absolute armor — a significant power jump.Noonquiver (1,300g): +25% crit + AD. Shared component with Infinity Edge and other crit legendaries — buying it on a crit path does not lock the build into Lord Dominik’s specifically.Last Whisper is also the component for Mortal Reminder — the other FATALITY item. Which upgrade to complete depends on whether the primary problem is armor+HP (Lord Dominik’s) or healing/shields (Mortal Reminder). |
🐉 GIANT SLAYER Passive — Bonus Health Damage
GIANT SLAYER grants 0%–15% increased damage against enemy champions, scaling linearly with the target’s bonus health. Bonus health is all health above the champion’s base health — every HP item, HP rune, HP from ability scaling, and HP from level-scaling beyond the base value contributes to the bonus health pool that GIANT SLAYER calculates from.
The 0%–15% scaling means the passive provides zero value against targets with no bonus health (a freshly purchased squishy ADC with no HP items) and reaches full +15% damage against high-bonus-HP tanks who build Warmog’s Armor, Heartsteel, Force of Nature, and multiple HP components. Against a tank with 2,500 bonus health, GIANT SLAYER is at or near maximum effectiveness — every ability and auto-attack deals 15% more damage than without the passive.
GIANT SLAYER — Scaling Reference
| Target Bonus HP | GIANT SLAYER Damage Bonus | Practical Target Example | Combined effect with 35% armor pen |
| 0 bonus HP | 0% | Pure base-stat champion, no HP items | 35% armor pen only — no GIANT SLAYER bonus |
| ~500 bonus HP | ~5% | ADC with Immortal Shieldbow (~250 HP) | 35% pen + minor damage bonus |
| ~1,000 bonus HP | ~7-8% | Bruiser with Trinity + Sterak’s | 35% pen + meaningful damage bonus |
| ~1,500 bonus HP | ~10-11% | Fighter with multiple HP items | 35% pen + significant bonus |
| ~2,000 bonus HP | ~13% | Tank: Heartsteel + Warmog’s build | 35% pen + near-max GIANT SLAYER |
| ~2,500+ bonus HP | ~15% (maximum) | Full tank: 4-5 HP items | 35% pen + 15% damage = maximum output |
| 💡 GIANT SLAYER Synergy — More Valuable Against HP-Stacking TanksThe most dangerous late-game configuration for a marksman is a tank with BOTH high armor AND high bonus HP — champions like Malphite, Ornn, or Cho’Gath who build armor + HP items simultaneously.Against those targets: 35% armor pen eliminates armor efficiency, and GIANT SLAYER adds up to 15% more damage on top. The two effects compound multiplicatively in terms of effective damage output.Example: 200 armor, 2,000 bonus HP tank. Without Lord Dominik’s: 100/(100+200) = 33.3% physical damage efficiency. With 35% pen: 100/(100+130) = 43.5% efficiency. With 15% GIANT SLAYER on top: 43.5% × 1.15 = 50% effective damage.Compared to no item: 33.3% efficiency. With Lord Dominik’s: 50% efficiency. That is a 50% increase in physical damage output against that specific target — more than any single other item provides in physical damage amplification.Mortal Reminder: same armor pen but GRIEVOUS WOUNDS instead of GIANT SLAYER. Against a healing tank (Mundo, Soraka-supported tank), Mortal Reminder’s GRIEVOUS WOUNDS reduces their healing by 40-60%, while GIANT SLAYER adds 0-15% damage. The right choice depends on whether armor+HP or healing is the bigger threat. |
⚖️ FATALITY Item Group — Lord Dominik’s vs Mortal Reminder
Lord Dominik’s Regards and Mortal Reminder share the FATALITY item group — only one can be held simultaneously. Both provide +35% armor penetration and +25% crit, differing only in their unique passive: GIANT SLAYER (0-15% damage based on bonus HP) vs GRIEVOUS WOUNDS (Grevious Wounds application on hit, reducing healing/shields).
| Stat | Lord Dominik’s Regards | Mortal Reminder |
| Attack Damage | +35 AD | +20 AD (less AD) |
| Armor Penetration | +35% armor pen | +35% armor pen (same) |
| Critical Strike | +25% crit | +25% crit (same) |
| Unique Passive | GIANT SLAYER: 0-15% damage based on target bonus HP | GRIEVOUS WOUNDS: applies 40% GW on-hit (60% vs champions below 50% HP) |
| Cost | 3,300 Gold | 2,900 Gold (400g cheaper) |
| Sell | 2,310 Gold | 2,030 Gold |
| Best against | High bonus HP tanks, HP stackers, any high-armor target | Healing-heavy targets: Mundo, Soraka, Aatrox, Sylas, Yuumi support |
| 💡 Lord Dominik’s vs Mortal Reminder — Decision FrameworkBuild Lord Dominik’s when: primary tank threat has BOTH high armor AND high bonus HP (Ornn, Malphite, Cho’Gath, full tank Garen). GIANT SLAYER amplifies damage output against exactly these targets.Build Mortal Reminder when: enemy team has significant healing (Mundo R, Aatrox W+R, Soraka heals, Yuumi, Sylas), or the tank survives primarily through healing rather than armor+HP stacking.Mortal Reminder is 400g cheaper — if the primary threat is mixed (some armor, some healing), Mortal Reminder’s cost efficiency often wins at the 3,300g vs 2,900g comparison.Lord Dominik’s is the correct choice when the enemy tank has 2,000+ bonus HP from items — GIANT SLAYER at max scaling (+15%) multiplied on top of 35% armor pen creates the highest physical DPS ceiling against those specific targets.Can swap between the two mid-game: if the game state changes (enemy buys Warmog’s → Lord Dominik’s; enemy Mundo starts snowballing → Mortal Reminder), sell one and buy the other.Limited to 1 FATALITY item — you cannot hold both in the same build regardless of how many item slots are available. |
🗺️ Map-Specific Differences
| Mode | AD | Armor Pen | Crit | GIANT SLAYER | Notes |
| SR 5v5 | +35 | +35% | +25% | 0%-15% bonus HP | Standard item |
| ARAM | +35 | +35% | +25% | 0%-15% bonus HP | No changes from SR 5v5 |
| Nexus Blitz | +35 | +35% | +25% | 0%-15% bonus HP | No changes from SR 5v5 |
| Arena | +30 | +35% | +25% | 0%-15% bonus HP | AD reduced 35→30; all other stats unchanged |
| 💡 Arena Lord Dominik’s — Only AD ChangeAD reduced 35→30 in Arena — the only stat adjustment between SR and Arena versions.35% armor penetration and 25% crit remain unchanged.GIANT SLAYER 0-15% scaling remains unchanged — still scales with target bonus HP.In Arena, champions naturally have more bonus HP from augments and repeated rounds — GIANT SLAYER tends to reach higher effectiveness values than in SR because Arena augments frequently grant HP.The AD reduction (−5 AD) is minor relative to the item’s core value proposition (35% armor pen + GIANT SLAYER). The item remains strong in Arena for ADC and fighter builds that face HP-stacking augment builds. |
🎯 When to Build Lord Dominik’s Regards
The decision to build Lord Dominik’s Regards should be driven by the enemy team’s armor investment and bonus HP stacking. It is not a first or second item — it is a late-game armor counter that reaches peak efficiency when the enemy primary tank has completed multiple HP and armor items.
✅ Build Lord Dominik’s When:
- Enemy primary tank has 2+ armor/HP items: Ornn (Sunfire Aegis + Warmog’s + Gargoyle Stoneplate), Malphite (Sunfire + Thornmail + Warmog’s), Cho’Gath (Gargoyle + Warmog’s + Radiant Virtue) — the combination of high armor AND high bonus HP triggers both 35% pen and near-maximum GIANT SLAYER simultaneously
- Playing a crit ADC at 3+ items: the +25% crit integrates naturally into crit builds (Infinity Edge, Kraken Slayer, Stormrazor patterns) — Lord Dominik’s adds 25% crit alongside armor pen without requiring a separate crit purchase, enabling 100% crit with only 3-4 items
- Enemy tanks are building Bonus HP first (Heartsteel meta): HP-stacking tanks who buy Heartsteel as first item to scale bonus HP through the game are the ideal GIANT SLAYER targets — by 20+ minutes they may have 1,500+ bonus HP from Heartsteel alone, making GIANT SLAYER near-maximum before full tank completion
- Team needs a physical damage amplifier for a single tank: if one specific champion (the enemy Malphite, the enemy Tahm Kench) is effectively unkillable, Lord Dominik’s is the focused counter to that individual target’s defense profile
❌ Do NOT Build Lord Dominik’s When:
- Enemy team has no significant armor investment: against a squishy composition (4 assassins + support), the 35% armor pen provides minimal effective value (35% of 50 armor = 17.5 armor removed). Infinity Edge, Kraken Slayer, or Blade of the Ruined King provide better damage output against squishy enemies without armor stacking
- The primary tank survives through healing rather than armor+HP: Dr. Mundo (max HP healing R), Soraka-supported tanks, Aatrox (W healing + R empowered healing), Yuumi-buffed tank — GIANT SLAYER adds 0-15% damage but does nothing against regeneration. Mortal Reminder (GRIEVOUS WOUNDS 40-60% healing reduction) is the correct purchase when healing is the survival mechanism
- Already at 35%+ armor pen from other sources: stacking multiple armor penetration items has diminishing returns at the percentage level. If the build already includes Serylda’s Grudge (30% armor pen) or Black Cleaver (armor reduction from stacks), evaluate whether additional % pen is the most efficient stat at that point. The combination of Black Cleaver armor reduction + 35% Lord Dominik’s pen is powerful but redundant at low-armor targets
👥 Best Champions for Lord Dominik’s Regards
✅ Ideal Picks — Crit ADC
- Caitlyn — long-range ADC with natural crit build path. Lord Dominik’s integrates at 3rd or 4th item alongside Infinity Edge and Kraken Slayer to complete 75-100% crit with maximum armor pen. Caitlyn’s Headshot (P) crits benefit from both the armor pen and the GIANT SLAYER bonus on high-HP tank targets. The 650 range position means she can apply sustained DPS against tanks without diving into melee range.
- Jinx — Get Excited (P) reset ADC. Lord Dominik’s at 3rd item alongside Kraken Slayer and Runaan’s Hurricane provides maximum tank-shredding DPS output in late-game teamfights. Fishbones (Q) rocket shots with GIANT SLAYER’s bonus damage turn Jinx into a consistent tank-killer. The passive reset from kills means Jinx at Lord Dominik’s timing is hitting tanks from maximum effectiveness range with reset move speed.
- Ashe — Frost Shot perma-slowing crit ADC. Lord Dominik’s provides 35% armor pen that amplifies every slowed auto-attack against tanks who can’t escape the slow. The +35 AD also feeds Ashe’s Enchanted Crystal Arrow (R) damage and the GIANT SLAYER bonus applies to every basic attack against the slowed high-HP target. Infinity Edge first into Lord Dominik’s second is a standard Ashe tank-killing path.
- Miss Fortune — Bullet Time (R) AoE ultimate. Lord Dominik’s armor pen applies to every bullet in the R channel — against a clustered enemy team where Bullet Time hits tanks and squishies simultaneously, the 35% armor pen makes R deal considerably more physical damage to the armored frontline. GIANT SLAYER bonus applies per bullet hit against high-HP targets caught in the R.
- Vayne — Silver Bolts (W) true damage scales regardless of armor, but Vayne’s basic attacks and Final Hour (R) empowered attacks benefit from Lord Dominik’s armor pen for the non-true-damage portions of her DPS. More importantly, the GIANT SLAYER bonus specifically rewards fighting tanks — the same targets Vayne is designed to 1v1 with Silver Bolts. The item compounds with Vayne’s existing anti-tank identity.
Fighters and Off-Tank ADC
- Fiora — Lunge (Q) + Grand Challenge (R) fighter who deals physical damage exclusively. Lord Dominik’s armor pen amplifies every basic attack and Lunge against high-armor tanks. GIANT SLAYER compounds the damage further against tanks who survive through both armor AND HP. Typically built as a 2nd or 3rd item in Fiora’s fighter pattern after Trinity Force.
- Jax — Counter Strike (E) + Grandmaster’s Might (R) fighter. Lord Dominik’s provides 35% armor pen for Jax’s basic attack-heavy pattern and GIANT SLAYER rewards fighting HP-stacking tanks that Jax typically dives onto. The +25% crit integrates naturally with Jax’s crit-optional build paths.
❌ Less Optimal
- AP champions: the +35 AD and +25% crit are wasted on AP builds. Magic penetration items (Void Staff, Shadowflame) serve the anti-tank role for AP champions. Lord Dominik’s armor pen specifically reduces physical damage armor mitigation, not magic resistance.
- Lethality/armor pen builds that already have high pen: assassins running Youmuu’s + Serylda’s (30% armor pen) may not need additional % pen from Lord Dominik’s. Calculate the stacking: 35% + 30% multiplicative = 50.5% effective total, which is strong but occupies a crit-build slot on a non-crit champion. For lethality assassins, Serylda’s Grudge provides slow + 30% pen in a more utility-focused package
⚙️ Recommended Build Paths
Caitlyn — Standard Crit ADC Anti-Tank
- Kraken Slayer — First item — BRING IT DOWN true damage every 3 hits; max HP % damage cuts through any HP pool; strong vs both armor AND HP stackers; sets up tank-kill pattern
- Infinity Edge — Second item — PERFECTION crit amplification at 60%+ crit; +50% crit bonus damage; Caitlyn Headshot (P) crits deal massive burst
- Lord Dominik’s Regards — Third item — 35% armor pen + GIANT SLAYER live; +25% crit pushes toward 100% crit at 3 items; armor pen amplifies all Infinity Edge crits against tanks
- Phantom Dancer — Fourth item — movement speed + crit; SPECTRAL WALTZ ghosting through enemies; complete 100% crit; +15% damage vs champions while active
- Rapidfire Cannon — Fifth item OR Runaan’s Hurricane — RFC for extended range Headshot crits; Runaan’s for AoE teamfight bolt spread
Jinx — Late-Game Tank Destroyer
- Kraken Slayer — First item — BRING IT DOWN true damage; every 3rd hit deals bonus true damage scaling max HP; complements Lord Dominik’s for maximum tank-killing DPS
- Runaan’s Hurricane — Second item — WIND’S FURY bolt spread; Fishbones rocket AoE + Runaan’s bolts apply Kraken Slayer stacks across multiple targets; crit and AS
- Lord Dominik’s Regards — Third item — 35% armor pen applies to all Runaan’s bolts and Fishbones rockets; GIANT SLAYER fires on every hit against high-HP tank targets; 75% crit reached
- Infinity Edge — Fourth item — PERFECTION amplifies Jinx’s 75%+ crit to bonus damage; all crit hits + armor pen + GIANT SLAYER = maximum anti-tank DPS ceiling
- Mortal Reminder — Fifth item situation: if enemies run heavy healing — NOTE: FATALITY group means only one of Lord Dominik’s or Mortal Reminder can be held; if selling Lord Dominik’s for Mortal Reminder late game, evaluate the specific anti-healing vs anti-HP value carefully
| 💡 Kraken Slayer + Lord Dominik’s — Anti-Tank DPS StackKraken Slayer BRING IT DOWN: every 3rd basic attack deals true damage scaling with the target’s max HP (10% at max stacks). True damage bypasses armor entirely.Lord Dominik’s 35% armor pen: reduces all non-true physical damage armor mitigation by 35%.Combined against a 300 armor, 4,000 total HP tank: Kraken Slayer every 3rd hit = 400 true damage (10% × 4,000). All other basic attack hits deal at 35% reduced armor (300 → 195 effective armor). GIANT SLAYER adds 0-15% more damage based on bonus HP.DPS breakdown example at 4,000 HP, 300 armor, 2,000 bonus HP tank (late game Ornn): Basic attacks 1-2: 35% armor pen applied → ~44% physical efficiency vs 25% without. Basic attack 3: Kraken Slayer true damage ~400 (bypasses armor) + regular 44% efficiency hit. GIANT SLAYER at 2,000 bonus HP: ~13% bonus damage on every hit including Kraken Slayer true damage.Result: the combination of both items produces substantially higher effective DPS against heavy tanks than either item alone or any other two-item anti-tank combination available in the ADC itempool. |
🔄 Similar Items — Armor Pen & Physical Damage Family
| Item | AD | Armor Pen | Other | Unique | vs. Lord Dominik’s |
| Mortal Reminder | +20 | +35% | +25% crit | GRIEVOUS WOUNDS on-hit 40-60% | Cheaper by 400g; same armor pen; GW vs heal; less AD; FATALITY group — cannot hold both |
| Serylda’s Grudge | +45 | +30% | +15 AH | CURSED: slow on ability damage | More AD + AH + slow; less pen (30% vs 35%); no GIANT SLAYER; fighter not ADC focused |
| Black Cleaver | +40 | 20% armor red. stacks | +30 AH, +300 HP | CARVE: −5% armor per hit (6 stacks = 30% reduction) | Flat armor reduction vs % pen; armor reduction benefits team; lower pen ceiling |
| Kraken Slayer | +40 | None | +25% crit, +30% AS | BRING IT DOWN: true damage every 3rd hit (10% max HP) | True damage vs armor pen; HP% scaling vs armor% reduction; different anti-tank mechanism |
| Last Whisper | +20 | +20% | None | None | Component of Lord Dominik’s; 20% vs 35% pen; much cheaper at 1,450g; stop here for early pen |
| Terminus | +35 | None | +25% AS, +25% crit | Light/Dark alternating on-hit buffs (armor reduction + MR reduction) | On-hit hybrid pen; alternates physical/magic; different stat profile |
❌ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
- Building it early against squishy compositions: 35% armor pen against an ADC with 50 armor removes 17.5 armor. The GIANT SLAYER bonus at low bonus HP is 0-5%. Neither passive provides meaningful value against non-tanky opponents. Against squishy comps, Infinity Edge, Blade of the Ruined King, or Kraken Slayer (for HP-stacking targets) produce more damage per gold at comparable item costs
- Confusing Lord Dominik’s with Mortal Reminder: both have 35% armor pen and 25% crit — the decision is purely between GIANT SLAYER (bonus HP scaling 0-15% damage) and GRIEVOUS WOUNDS (healing reduction). Against a tank that survives purely through Warmog’s healing or Mundo regeneration, the 40-60% healing reduction from Mortal Reminder prevents more effective HP than 15% bonus damage adds. Identify whether the tank’s effective HP comes from items (armor + HP) or from in-combat regeneration to make the right call
- Not knowing it’s FATALITY group limited: Lord Dominik’s Regards and Mortal Reminder share the FATALITY group — holding both is impossible. Many players plan builds with both items, not realizing they’re locked out by the group limitation. If a game calls for both (armor + HP stacking tank AND a healing carry), prioritize based on the more immediate threat and swap items if the game state changes later
- Building it against AP-heavy compositions: armor penetration reduces physical damage armor mitigation, not magic resistance. Against a team dealing primarily magic damage, the enemy tank’s relevant defensive stat is MR, not armor. Lord Dominik’s doesn’t improve your effectiveness against the AP burst that’s killing you — build Maw of Malmortius (LIFELINE magic shield) for personal survival or ask your AP teammate to build Void Staff for the MR shredding equivalent
- Forgetting GIANT SLAYER scales with BONUS health, not total health: a tank at 6,000 total HP with 3,000 base HP has 3,000 bonus HP — GIANT SLAYER calculates only from that bonus portion. A freshly spawned champion with 600 total HP and 600 base HP has 0 bonus HP, providing 0 GIANT SLAYER bonus. Early game, before tanks complete HP items, GIANT SLAYER provides little to no bonus. The passive’s value is entirely a late-game phenomenon when tanks have finished multiple HP items
✅ Best Practices
- Buy Last Whisper at first return when armor becomes a problem: 1,450g establishes 20% armor pen immediately; delays the full 3,300g investment while providing relevant pen in the mid-game where tanks typically have 80-120 armor from one item
- Complete Lord Dominik’s when enemy tank has 2+ HP items: GIANT SLAYER reaches meaningful percentages (10%+) only when the target has significant bonus HP from completed items; don’t rush the upgrade before the tank has completed Warmog’s or Heartsteel
- Pair with Kraken Slayer for maximum tank-kill DPS: true damage (Kraken Slayer every 3rd hit) + armor pen (Lord Dominik’s 35%) + bonus HP scaling (GIANT SLAYER) represents the highest sustained physical DPS ceiling against heavy tanks; no other two-item combination destroys tanks as efficiently
- Check armor pen math before completing: if already running Black Cleaver (30% armor reduction stacks) and Lord Dominik’s 35% pen, the combined effective pen is substantial; evaluate whether the 5th item slot is better spent on damage or survivability rather than stacking a third armor pen source
- Swap to Mortal Reminder against heavy healing mid-game: FATALITY group items can be sold and swapped; if the game state shifts to a healing-dominant threat (enemy Mundo scales, Aatrox is unkillable), sell Lord Dominik’s and buy Mortal Reminder at the correct timing
FAQ
Q: Does GIANT SLAYER scale with the target’s TOTAL health or BONUS health?
A: A: Bonus health only — not total health. Bonus health is all health above the champion’s base health value at their current level. Base health is the health a champion has from their base stats alone at that level, before any items, runes, or scaling HP effects. Every HP item, HP rune, and HP bonus from abilities contributes to bonus health. Early game, most champions have little to no bonus health — GIANT SLAYER provides 0-2% damage then. Late game against a Warmog’s + Heartsteel + Gargoyle tank: 2,000-3,000 bonus HP puts GIANT SLAYER near maximum 15% bonus damage.
Q: Can I build both Lord Dominik’s Regards and Mortal Reminder?
A: A: No — both are in the FATALITY item group, and the limitation is 1 FATALITY item. They cannot be held simultaneously. The decision is: GIANT SLAYER (bonus HP scaling damage, more AD) for armor+HP tanks, or GRIEVOUS WOUNDS (healing reduction) for healing-based tanks. If the game situation changes, you can sell one and buy the other — the FATALITY group doesn’t prevent swapping, just holding both at once.
Q: When should I buy Last Whisper vs completing Lord Dominik’s Regards?
A: A: Buy Last Whisper (1,450g, 20% armor pen) when the enemy tank has just completed their first armor item (80-120 armor range) and you need immediate armor pen without the full 3,300g investment. Complete Lord Dominik’s Regards when: the tank has 150+ armor AND has built bonus HP items that push GIANT SLAYER above 5% bonus damage. The full Lord Dominik’s upgrade is worth completing when both components of the passive — armor pen AND bonus HP scaling — are providing meaningful value simultaneously.
Q: Does Lord Dominik’s armor penetration stack with Black Cleaver’s armor reduction?
A: Yes — they interact in a specific order: Black Cleaver‘s CARVE stacks first apply flat armor reduction (up to 30% of total armor removed in 6 stacks), then Lord Dominik’s 35% armor penetration is applied to the already-reduced armor value. They compound rather than simply adding. Example: 300 armor tank with full Black Cleaver stacks (30% reduction = 210 remaining) then 35% pen applied: 210 × 0.65 = 136.5 effective armor — nearly 55% reduction from 300 total. This combination is specifically powerful on fighters who build both (Darius, Renekton) but note: ADCs don’t typically build Black Cleaver, so this interaction is more relevant for fighters who build both items.
Q: Is Lord Dominik’s Regards worth buying against a squishy team?
A: A: Generally no — the 35% armor penetration against 50 armor targets removes only 17.5 armor, and GIANT SLAYER at low bonus HP provides 0-5% bonus damage. Against a squishy composition with no tanks, the 3,300 Gold is better spent on Infinity Edge (crit + damage amplification), Blade of the Ruined King (% HP physical damage), or a defensive item. The exception is an enemy ADC who is building a high-HP tank item — at that point GIANT SLAYER becomes relevant. Otherwise, assume Lord Dominik’s is a late-game tank counter item, not a squishy-killer purchase.
Q: How does 35% armor penetration interact with flat armor penetration (lethality)?
A: A: Percentage armor penetration and flat armor penetration (lethality) apply in a specific order: percentage pen is applied first (reduces armor by 35%), then flat pen is subtracted from the already-reduced armor value. Example: 200 armor target with 35% pen → 130 remaining armor. Then 20 lethality → 110 effective armor. They compound for better effective penetration than either alone, but the percentage pen is more impactful against high-armor targets while flat lethality is more impactful against low-armor targets.
