What is Mortal Reminder? ⚔️
Mortal Reminder is a legendary Marksman item providing physical damage, armor penetration, critical strike chance, and the most important utility in the game against healing-heavy compositions: Grievous Wounds. The GRIEVOUS WOUNDS passive reduces all healing received by afflicted champions — covering regeneration, life steal, omnivamp, spell vamp, shields converted to healing, and ability-based heals simultaneously.
The item sits in the FATALITY item group alongside Lord Dominik’s Regards — both items cannot be held at the same time (Limited to 1 FATALITY item). This is the primary build decision point: Mortal Reminder for healing reduction vs Lord Dominik’s Regards for bonus damage vs high-HP targets. When the enemy team includes significant sustain (multiple Immortal Shieldbow users, Ravenous Hydra, Soraka, Vladimir, Aatrox), Mortal Reminder is the correct FATALITY choice.
At 3,000 Gold, it costs the same as Lord Dominik’s Regards. Sell price: 2,100 Gold. ID: 3033. Available on SR 5v5, ARAM, Nexus Blitz, and Arena.
📊 Base Statistics
| Statistic | Value |
| Total Cost | 3,000 Gold |
| Combine Cost | 150 Gold |
| Sell Price | 2,100 Gold |
| Attack Damage | +35 AD |
| Armor Penetration | +30% (percentage — not lethality) |
| Critical Strike Chance | +25% Crit |
| Item Group | FATALITY — limited to 1 (shared with Lord Dominik’s Regards) |
| Item ID | 3033 |
| Availability | SR 5v5, ARAM, Nexus Blitz, Arena |
| 📊 Mortal Reminder vs Lord Dominik’s Regards — FATALITY Group DecisionLord Dominik’s Regards: +35 AD, +30% armor pen, +25% crit — GIANT SLAYER: bonus damage up to +20% vs targets with 1,750+ HP. Cost: 3,000g.Mortal Reminder: +35 AD, +30% armor pen, +25% crit — GRIEVOUS WOUNDS: 40%-60% healing reduction on physical damage. Cost: 3,000g.Identical base stats (AD, armor pen, crit) at the same gold cost.FATALITY group: build ONLY ONE. The passive is the entire decision.Choose Lord Dominik’s: enemy team has 2+ champions with 1,750+ HP (tanks, bruisers), and sustain is not the primary threat.Choose Mortal Reminder: enemy team has meaningful healing sources (life steal ADCs, sustain mages, healing supports, omnivamp fighters) that must be reduced to win fights.In most games where both tank HP and healing exist: prioritize by which threat wins the fight first — healing kills faster than HP in late game. |
🔨 Recipe & Components
Mortal Reminder builds from Executioner’s Calling + Last Whisper + Cloak of Agility with a very low 150g combine:
| Component | Cost | Notes |
| Executioner’s Calling | 800 Gold (+450 combine) | Long Sword — AD + early Grievous Wounds source (applies GW on hit — key early game spike) |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Executioner’s Calling — pure AD input |
| Last Whisper | 1,450 Gold (+750 combine) | 2x Long Sword — AD + 20% armor pen mid-item |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Last Whisper — first AD input |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Last Whisper — second AD input |
| Cloak of Agility | 600 Gold | Standalone crit chance input |
| Combine Cost | 150 Gold | Final assembly — lowest combine cost in the item |
| Total | 3,000 Gold | Complete Mortal Reminder |
| 💡 Executioner’s Calling — Early Grievous Wounds Before Mortal ReminderExecutioner’s Calling (800g) applies Grievous Wounds on basic attack hit — useful against healing champions in lane.Executioner’s Calling is the earliest GW source at 800g. Against Soraka, Vladimir, Aatrox, or Lifesteal-heavy ADCs in lane, buy it on first or second back.Executioner’s Calling upgrades fully into Mortal Reminder — no gold is wasted.The 150g combine is the most efficient completion cost among 3,000g items — completing from Executioner’s + Last Whisper + Cloak is a single-back affordable upgrade.Last Whisper provides +20% armor penetration as a mid-item — also strong standalone before completion. |
🩸 GRIEVOUS WOUNDS — Complete Mechanics Reference
What Grievous Wounds Does
GRIEVOUS WOUNDS reduces all healing received by the afflicted champion by 40% for 3 seconds whenever they receive physical damage from Mortal Reminder. This reduction applies to every healing source simultaneously: life steal from basic attacks, omnivamp, spell vamp, passive regeneration (Warmog’s Armor, base HP regen), ability-based heals (Soraka W, Aatrox Q, Sylas sustain), drain tank abilities, and shield-to-heal conversion passives.
The debuff duration refreshes on every physical damage hit — continuous basic attack sequences maintain GW permanently on the target as long as Mortal Reminder is dealing physical damage to champions. A champion who escapes auto-attack range for more than 3 seconds without receiving physical damage loses the GW debuff.
GRIEVOUS WOUNDS — Key Interaction Rules
| Mechanic | GRIEVOUS WOUNDS Behavior |
| Applies through shields? | YES — GW is applied even if the physical damage is absorbed by a shield |
| Stacks with other GW sources? | No — GW does not stack or double; 40% is the standard cap (60% enhanced on some items) |
| Duration refresh on each hit? | YES — refreshes to 3 seconds on every physical damage hit; continuous attack maintains it permanently |
| Applies to regeneration? | YES — base HP regen, Warmog’s passive, and all regeneration healing are reduced |
| Applies to life steal? | YES — life steal recovery reduced by 40% |
| Applies to omnivamp? | YES — omnivamp healing reduced by 40% |
| Applies to ability heals? | YES — Soraka W, Aatrox Q, Sylas, Nami W all reduced |
| Applies to shields? | NO — GW reduces healing, not shielding; shields themselves are NOT reduced by GW |
| Thornmail also applies GW? | YES — Thornmail applies GW when reflect damage hits champions (melee attackers get GW applied) |
| ⚠️ GRIEVOUS WOUNDS — Critical Distinction: Shields vs HealingGW reduces HEALING — it does not reduce SHIELDING.A Lulu E shield is not reduced by GW — the shield absorbs damage at full value.If the shield converts to healing upon expiration or absorption, THAT healing is then reduced by GW.Immortal Shieldbow’s shield is NOT reduced by GW — but life steal recovery that would have replaced HP IS reduced.Blood Barrier (Aatrox passive shield) is NOT reduced by GW — but Aatrox’s ability heals (Q) ARE reduced.Build Mortal Reminder for healing threats, NOT for shielding threats — Serpent’s Fang counters shields. |
GRIEVOUS WOUNDS Applies Through Shields — Critical Rule
The single most important mechanic: Grievous Wounds is applied to a champion even if their physical damage is absorbed by a shield. This means: if Immortal Shieldbow‘s LIFELINE shield activates and absorbs a basic attack, the target still receives the GRIEVOUS WOUNDS debuff from that attack — even though zero HP damage was dealt. The healing reduction is now active as the target attempts to use life steal or healing abilities while the shield is active or after it expires.
Practical implication: don’t stop attacking when a shield activates — the GW debuff applies through it and the healing reduction is already working on any sustain the target has. Against Sterak’s Gage LIFELINE or Immortal Shieldbow shields, the GW tick through the shield is setting up healing suppression for the post-shield phase.
| 💡 GW Through Shields — Why This Matters in PracticeImmortal Shieldbow LIFELINE at 30% HP: activates shield. Mortal Reminder’s next auto is absorbed by the shield — but GW still fires on the target.While the shield lasts (typically 1.5-2s), any healing attempts are already 40% reduced.After shield expires, the target is at 30% HP trying to sustain back up — GW is already active suppressing their life steal recovery.Sterak’s Gage LIFELINE shield is similarly bypassed: the physical damage that would have triggered the shield boundary still applies GW.Against Soraka target who gets an R heal while under your shield: GW reduces that R heal by 40% — timing auto-attacks to maintain GW before Soraka R lands prevents the full heal. |
GRIEVOUS WOUNDS Stacking — Which Items Apply It
Multiple items apply Grievous Wounds but they do not stack beyond the standard 40% (or 60% enhanced) rate. The practical importance is coverage across different damage sources. On a team where the support also applies GW (Thornmail on the tank, or Morellonomicon on the AP midlaner), the ADC’s Mortal Reminder ensures GW is applied from ranged auto-attacks while teammates apply it from different vectors — maintaining the debuff more consistently throughout the fight.
| Item | GW Application Method | GW Rate | Who Builds It |
| Mortal Reminder | Physical damage to champions | 40% | ADC Marksmen |
| Thornmail | Reflect damage on attacker | 40% | Tanks / Support tanks |
| Morellonomicon | Ability damage to champions | 40% | AP mages / supports |
| Chempunk Chainsword | Physical damage to champions | 40% (60% enhanced) | Fighters / Bruisers |
| Executioner’s Calling | Basic attack hit on champions | 40% | ADC (early item before Mortal Reminder) |
| Oblivion Orb | Ability damage to champions | 40% | AP (component of Morellonomicon) |
🏟️ Arena Mode — Map-Specific Differences
| Stat / Passive | SR 5v5 / ARAM / Nexus Blitz | Arena |
| Attack Damage | +35 AD | +30 AD |
| Armor Penetration | +30% | +30% (unchanged) |
| Crit Chance | +25% | +25% (unchanged) |
| GW standard effect | 40% healing reduction | 40% healing reduction (unchanged) |
| Arena NEW EFFECT | N/A | If target heals 60%+ of max HP while under continuous GW: healing reduction increases to 80% |
Arena adds a significant new effect: if the target heals for a total amount over 60% of their maximum health while continuously afflicted with Grievous Wounds, the GW strength increases from 40% to 80% healing reduction. This threshold mechanic punishes extreme sustain tanks and drain fighters (Aatrox, Vladimir, Soraka-supported targets) who attempt full HP recovery under constant GW pressure. Maintaining Mortal Reminder’s physical damage contact without a 3-second gap is the key requirement — the debuff must be continuously applied without interruption for the 80% threshold to activate.
| 💡 Arena 80% GW — How to Activate the ThresholdRequirement: target must heal 60%+ of their max HP while CONTINUOUSLY under GW (no gap in the debuff).If GW expires even once (3-second lapse without physical damage hit) and reapplies, the 60% healing accumulation resets.To maintain continuous GW: stay within auto-attack range and don’t let 3 seconds pass without hitting the target.Against an Aatrox or Vladimir with 3,000 HP: 60% threshold = 1,800 HP of healing attempted while under GW.Once the 80% threshold activates: virtually all sustain is eliminated — healing is reduced by 4/5ths, making drain tank playstyles non-functional.In Arena’s shorter rounds, reaching the 60% healing threshold is achievable against high-sustain targets within a single extended fight. |
🎯 Best Champions for Mortal Reminder
Mortal Reminder is a situational purchase — it is the correct choice specifically when the enemy team has meaningful healing that is determining fight outcomes. The base stats (+35 AD, +30% armor pen, +25% crit) are identical to Lord Dominik’s Regards, so the FATALITY item selection is purely about which passive solves the actual game problem.
✅ Ideal Picks — When to Choose Mortal Reminder
- Standard ADC marksmen vs healing-heavy compositions (Ashe, Caitlyn, Jinx, Jhin): any ADC whose basic attack pattern naturally maintains GW uptime benefits from Mortal Reminder against healing comps. Ashe with perma-slow keeps GW refreshed constantly. Caitlyn at 650 base range applies GW safely from outside normal auto range.
- Vs Vladimir: Vladimir’s entire kit is healing-based — Crimson Pact provides AP-from-HP, Sanguine Pool (W) heals, Tides of Blood (E) provides healing stacks, Hemoplague (R) amplifies healing. Mortal Reminder makes Vladimir’s sustain loop significantly less effective throughout the fight.
- Vs Aatrox: The Darkin Blade’s Deathbringer Stance (P) and World Ender (R) are sustain-dependent. Aatrox is designed to outlast opponents through healing — GW directly counters this. Mortal Reminder is standard against Aatrox pick compositions.
- Vs Soraka support: Soraka’s Astral Infusion (W) and Wish (R) provide massive single-target and AoE healing. Mortal Reminder’s constant GW from auto-attacks reduces her W heal by 40% on every target under attack, and any R cast on GW-afflicted targets heals 40% less.
- Vs Yuumi, Nami, Sona support healing: champion-targeted heals from supports are GW-reduced. Maintaining Mortal Reminder’s GW on the supported carry before their support heals them reduces the heal impact significantly.
- Vs life steal stack compositions (Ravenous Hydra + Bloodthirster on fighters): bruisers and fighters who stack multiple life steal items become sustain tanks in extended fights. GW reduces all their life steal recovery simultaneously, compressing their effective HP regen from basic attacks to 40-60% of normal.
❌ When to Choose Lord Dominik’s Regards Instead
- Lord Dominik’s Regards is correct when: enemy team has 2+ champions stacking HP above 1,750 (Malphite, Cho’Gath, Sion, Ornn) and healing is not the primary survivability factor. GIANT SLAYER’s bonus damage vs high-HP targets can deal 15-20% more damage per auto against these targets — the raw DPS increase outweighs GW utility when there is nothing meaningful to reduce.
- Mixed threat (HP + healing): if the enemy has one high-HP tank AND one healing champion, evaluate which kills you faster. In most cases, the healing champion is the greater threat in extended fights — Mortal Reminder suppresses healing while armor penetration already affects both targets equally.
⚙️ Recommended Build Paths
Anti-Sustain ADC Core (Ashe / Caitlyn / Jinx)
- Kraken Slayer — First item — anti-tank true damage + AS; armor penetration foundation
- Infinity Edge — Second item — crit damage amplification; 50% crit from IE activates amplification
- Mortal Reminder — Third item — GW locks down enemy sustain mid-to-late game; 30% armor pen + 25% crit + 35 AD compound with existing build
- Runaan’s Hurricane — Fourth item — bolt spread applies Mortal Reminder’s GW to multiple targets simultaneously — each bolt that deals physical damage to a champion applies GW to that champion independently
- Guardian Angel — Fifth item — revive passive safety net; AD amplifies GW damage output
Crit ADC Standard Build (Ashe — vs Sustain Comp)
- Infinity Edge — First item — core crit damage amplification
- Mortal Reminder — Second item — early GW pressure in mid-game; 30% armor pen makes mid-game fights decisive
- Runaan’s Hurricane — Third item — GW spread to 3 targets simultaneously from Hurricane bolts in teamfights
- Phantom Dancer — Fourth item — ghost kiting + +65% AS maintains GW refresh rate constantly during movement
- Kraken Slayer — Fifth item — true damage adds anti-tank component once healing is suppressed
| 💡 Runaan’s Hurricane + Mortal Reminder — GW on All Targets SimultaneouslyRunaan’s Hurricane bolts each deal physical damage to the champion they hit — each bolt independently applies Mortal Reminder’s GRIEVOUS WOUNDS to its target.Result: one auto attack applies GW to the primary target AND both bolt targets simultaneously — up to 3 champions receive GW from a single attack.Against a backline with Soraka + Heal-reliant ADC + Vladimir: one Hurricane attack applies GW to all three simultaneously.The GW duration (3 seconds) refreshes independently on each target — maintaining Hurricane attacks keeps all 3 targets under GW simultaneously.Ashe with Hurricane: Frost Shot slow on all bolt targets keeps GW-afflicted targets in range for continuous refresh — the combination of perma-slow and GW spread is the strongest anti-sustain teamfight pattern for ADCs. |
🔄 Similar Items — Grievous Wounds & Anti-Healing Family
| Item | Role | GW Application | Additional Effect | vs. Mortal Reminder |
| Lord Dominik’s Regards | ADC | None | GIANT SLAYER +20% dmg vs 1,750+ HP | Same stats, anti-tank bonus vs anti-heal — FATALITY choice |
| Thornmail | Tank | On reflect damage (attacker gets GW) | CRIPPLE damage reflect + armor | Tank-side GW vs ADC-side GW |
| Morellonomicon | AP Mage | On ability damage | AP scaling | AP GW source vs AD GW source |
| Chempunk Chainsword | Fighter | On physical damage | 60% enhanced GW scaling | Melee fighter GW vs ranged ADC GW |
| Executioner’s Calling | ADC | On basic attack hit | Low cost (800g) early GW | Early GW source that upgrades into Mortal Reminder |
| Oblivion Orb | AP | On ability damage | Low cost AP GW component | AP component vs AD item |
| Serpent’s Fang | Assassin | N/A — shield reduction | SERPENT’S FANG shield reduction | Anti-shield vs anti-healing — different threats |
❌ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
- Buying it when the enemy has no meaningful healing: Mortal Reminder’s GRIEVOUS WOUNDS is zero-value against teams with no healing sources. Against a full-dive composition with Zed, Talon, Khazix, and an engage tank with no sustain, Lord Dominik’s Regards provides 15-20% more raw damage per auto against any targets with 1,750+ HP — a real offensive upgrade vs Mortal Reminder’s wasted passive.
- Not buying it when the enemy does have healing: the reverse mistake. Against Vladimir, Aatrox, Soraka, Yuumi, or multiple life steal stacking champions, delaying Mortal Reminder to 4th-5th item instead of 3rd-4th means the enemy team’s sustain has been winning fights for the entire mid-game. GRIEVOUS WOUNDS is a reactive purchase that should be prioritized when healing is observed winning fights — not delayed as an afterthought.
- Expecting GW to reduce shields: Grievous Wounds reduces healing, not shielding. Immortal Shieldbow‘s LIFELINE shield, Sterak’s Gage‘s LIFELINE shield, and Lulu E shields absorb damage at full value regardless of GW. The shield itself isn’t weakened — only the healing that comes after or alongside the shield is reduced. For shield-specific reduction, Serpent’s Fang is the correct counter.
- Letting GW expire between attacks: GW lasts only 3 seconds and refreshes on each physical damage hit. If the target escapes auto-attack range for more than 3 seconds, GW expires and healing resumes at full rate. Maintain constant attack pressure on healing targets — this is especially important during Arena where the 80% enhanced GW threshold requires continuous application without gaps.
- Not spreading GW with Hurricane: many ADC players focus single-target GW without recognizing that Runaan’s Hurricane‘s bolts each independently apply GW. If a Soraka is healing an ADC who isn’t your primary attack target, Hurricane’s bolt hitting that ADC applies GW to them — suppressing Soraka’s W heal on them simultaneously. Always position Hurricane to bounce bolts toward the highest healing priority targets, not just the tankiest.
✅ Best Practices
- Buy Executioner’s Calling early against healing-heavy laners: 800g provides GW in lane and upgrades into Mortal Reminder — no gold wasted; it’s the cheapest lane-phase heal counter available
- Pair with Runaan’s Hurricane for AoE GW application: each bolt independently applies GW to the champion it hits; one auto applies GW to up to 3 champions simultaneously — essential in teamfights vs multi-healing compositions
- Maintain auto-attack pressure to refresh GW: GW expires after 3 seconds without physical damage; constant attack on the healing target prevents sustain recovery — prioritize GW uptime over optimal positioning in fights against drain champions
- Apply GW through shields: continue attacking when a LIFELINE shield or Banshee shield activates — GW applies through the shield damage absorption; the healing reduction is already active when their healing attempts fire during or after the shield
- In Arena: target the 80% GW threshold: maintain continuous GW without a 3-second gap; against Aatrox/Vladimir/Soraka combos, constant attack for the full duration of the fight activates the 80% healing reduction — essentially negating all sustain
FAQ
Q: Does Grievous Wounds apply through shields?
A: Yes — this is explicitly documented. GRIEVOUS WOUNDS is applied to a damaged champion even if they are protected by a shield. If Immortal Shieldbow‘s LIFELINE shield absorbs the physical damage, the champion still receives GW. If Sterak’s Gage‘s LIFELINE shield is active, the attacker’s GW still applies. This means healing reduction is active during the shield window — any sustain attempts while the shield lasts are already reduced by 40%.
Q: What’s the difference between Mortal Reminder and Lord Dominik’s Regards?
A: Both are in the FATALITY group, cost 3,000g, and provide identical base stats (+35 AD, +30% armor pen, +25% crit). Lord Dominik’s Regards provides GIANT SLAYER: up to +20% bonus damage vs targets with 1,750+ HP — scaling with HP gap above that threshold. Mortal Reminder provides GRIEVOUS WOUNDS: 40% healing reduction on physical damage. The entire decision is passive utility. High-HP tanks without sustain → Lord Dominik’s. Healing-heavy compositions → Mortal Reminder. When both threats exist, default to Mortal Reminder — healing wins long fights more reliably than HP.
Q: Does Mortal Reminder reduce Soraka’s ultimate (Wish)?
A: Yes — if the Soraka target has GRIEVOUS WOUNDS applied when Wish (R) lands, the healing is reduced by 40%. This is why maintaining GW on the priority target before Soraka presses R is critical — the 3-second GW duration must still be active when the heal resolves. In a fight, prioritize applying GW to the target most likely to receive Soraka R (usually the lowest-HP ally of the enemy team) before Soraka’s R threshold triggers. Runaan’s Hurricane bolts help apply GW to multiple targets simultaneously for this reason.
Q: Does GW reduce regeneration (Warmog’s Armor passive)?
A: Yes — GRIEVOUS WOUNDS reduces ALL healing received, including passive regeneration from items like Warmog’s Armor, base HP regeneration, Doran’s Shield regen, and any rune-based regen. At 40% GW, a Warmog’s Armor passive that normally restores 5% max HP per second now restores only 3% per second. Against Warmog’s-stacking tanks who intend to disengage and regenerate, maintaining GW through auto-attacks is more effective than chasing — keep them under GW and their regeneration cycle is permanently suppressed.
Q: Can I build both Mortal Reminder and Thornmail on the same team?
A: Different team members can build Mortal Reminder and Thornmail simultaneously — there is no FATALITY restriction between these two items (Thornmail is a separate armor item, not in the FATALITY group). A setup where the ADC builds Mortal Reminder (GW from ranged physical damage) and the top tank builds Thornmail (GW from reflect damage on melee attackers) means virtually any physical attack against either target applies GW from separate sources simultaneously, maximizing GW uptime across the entire team.
Q: Does the Arena 80% GW threshold require uninterrupted attacks?
A: A: Yes — the 80% threshold requires the target to heal 60%+ of their max HP while CONTINUOUSLY afflicted with GW. If GW expires for even 3 seconds and reapplies, the healing accumulation resets. To activate the 80% threshold in Arena, stay within auto-attack range and don’t allow any 3-second gap in the GW debuff. The continuous requirement is why mobile kiting patterns must be managed carefully — brief disengagements reset the threshold counter.
