Blade of the Ruined King Guide — Classic LoL Item Stats & Best Champions

Blade of the Ruined King Overview

Blade of the Ruined King (often abbreviated as "BORK" or "BotRK") is the definitive anti-tank item in League of Legends Classic. It grants AD, attack speed, and lifesteal — but its on-hit passive sets it apart: each auto-attack deals bonus physical damage equal to 12% of the target's current HP (8% for ranged). This makes BORK the single best item for shredding high-HP targets. If the enemy team has a 5,000 HP Cho'Gath or Sion, Blade of the Ruined King is the answer. In classic LoL, the phrase "build BORK" is synonymous with "the enemy is too tanky."

Item Stats

| Stat | Value | |------|-------| | Attack Damage | +40 AD | | Attack Speed | +25% | | Life Steal | +8% | | Gold Cost | 3,300g | | Build Path | Vampiric Scepter (900g) + Recurve Bow (1,000g) + Pickaxe (875g) + 525g |

Passive Abilities

Mist's Edge (On-Hit)

Basic attacks deal bonus physical damage equal to 12% of the target's current HP (8% for ranged champions). This damage applies lifesteal.

Siphon (Active)

Steals 25% movement speed from the target for 2 seconds and deals 100 magic damage. (60 second cooldown)

The Math

Against a target with 3,000 current HP:

• Melee champion: 3,000 × 12% = 360 bonus physical damage per auto
• Ranged champion: 3,000 × 8% = 240 bonus physical damage per auto

Against a 1,000 HP squishy, the on-hit damage drops to 120/80 — still solid. This is BORK's beauty: it's great against tanks and still decent against squishies.

Important Detail: Current HP, Not Max HP

BORK deals damage based on the target's current HP, not their maximum HP. The lower the target's HP, the less damage BORK deals. This means:

• First few auto-attacks hit HARD (target is high HP)
• Later auto-attacks deal less (target is low HP)
• Combine with execute damage (Collector, Garen R) to finish the job

Best Champions for Blade of the Ruined King

S-Tier (Core Item, Rush First)

| Champion | Role | Why | |----------|------|-----| | Master Yi | Jungle | On-hit double strike applies BORK passive twice | | Vayne | ADC | Silver Bolts (% max HP) + BORK (% current HP) = fastest tank shred | | Irelia | Top/Mid | Q applies on-hit to BORK passive; healing + dueling | | Jax | Top/Jungle | W auto-reset applies BORK twice; passive attack speed stacks it | | Kog'Maw | ADC | Bio-Arcane Barrage (W) + BORK = ever-higher %HP damage |

A-Tier (Strong, Build 1st or 2nd)

| Champion | Role | Why | |----------|------|-----| | Sett | Top | Two autos (passive) apply BORK twice; Q = movement speed for sticking | | Warwick | Jungle | R applies 3 on-hits, triggering BORK 3 times on suppress | | Twitch | ADC | R autos pierce and apply BORK on-hit to the entire enemy team | | Kindred | Jungle | On-hit build; Wolf's Frenzy (W) grants attack speed |

B-Tier (Situational, Against HP Stackers)

| Champion | Role | Why | |----------|------|-----| | Kalista | ADC | Rend (E) + BORK shred; Siphon active helps kiting | | Varus | ADC | Blight (W) + BORK = hybrid %HP melting | | Renekton | Top | Empowered W applies BORK on-hit 3 times in one animation |

Build Path & Timing

Purchase Order

1. Vampiric Scepter (900g) — Early lifesteal for lane sustain
2. Recurve Bow (1,000g) — Attack speed and on-hit damage
3. Pickaxe (875g) — Raw AD
4. Combine (525g) — Blade of the Ruined King complete

When to Buy

• 1st item — On Irelia, Jax, Sett (BORK first = lane dominance)
• 2nd item — On Master Yi, Vayne (after Guinsoo's or mythic)
• 3rd item — When the enemy has a fed HP-stacking tank (Cho'Gath, Sion, Mundo)
• Rush against HP stackers — If the enemy top/mid is stacking HP items (Heartsteel, Warmog's), move BORK up in priority

The BORK Powerspike

Completing BORK is one of the most noticeable powerspikes in the game. The jump from components to the completed item adds the full 12% current HP passive — instantly doubling your damage against tanks and dramatically increasing dueling power. When you complete BORK, look for a fight immediately.

Synergies

Best Item Combinations

| Item | Synergy | |------|---------| | Guinsoo's Rageblade | Double on-hit every 3rd auto = double BORK passive | | Runaan's Hurricane | Bolts apply BORK on-hit to 3 targets at once | | Kraken Slayer | BORK shreds HP; Kraken executes the last bit | | Black Cleaver | BORK physical damage applies Cleaver armor shred stacks | | Terminus | Hybrid pen amps BORK's physical on-hit damage |

Best Rune Synergies

• Lethal Tempo — More attack speed = more BORK procs per second
• Press the Attack — 3-hit exposure damage amplifies BORK's on-hit
• Legend: Alacrity / Bloodline — More attack speed or lifesteal; both amplify BORK

Best Champion Synergies

Champions with on-hit modifiers benefit most:

• Attack resets (Jax W, Irelia Q, Renekton W): Apply BORK multiple times instantly
• Attack speed steroids (Master Yi R, Kog'Maw W): More BORK procs per second
• On-hit doublers (Guinsoo's Rageblade, Master Yi passive): Double BORK damage

When NOT to Build BORK

• Ability-based AD champions (Zed, Talon, Illaoi) — BORK's on-hit doesn't apply to abilities. Build lethality or raw AD instead.
• Against full squishy teams — If the enemy has 5 low-HP champions, the 12% current HP passive is worth far less. Raw AD/crit is more efficient.
• When you need anti-burst more than anti-tank — BORK gives no HP, armor, or MR. Against burst, the lifesteal won't save you.
• On mages / AP champions — BORK deals physical on-hit damage and scales with AD/attack speed.

FAQ

Is Blade of the Ruined King the best anti-tank item?

Yes — BORK is the single best anti-tank item for auto-attack-reliant champions in classic League of Legends. The 12% current HP physical damage cannot be itemized against the way % magic pen or armor shred can. Tanks must build both armor AND HP to reduce BORK's effectiveness, forcing awkward itemization.

Should I build BORK on ranged champions?

Yes, but with consideration. Ranged champions get 8% (instead of 12%) current HP damage. This is still strong against tanks, but melee champions benefit significantly more. Vayne, Kog'Maw, and Varus are the best ranged BORK users because they have built-in %HP damage that stacks multiplicatively.

What's the difference between BORK and Kraken Slayer?

BORK deals current HP % physical damage on every auto — best against high-HP targets. Kraken Slayer deals flat true damage every 3rd auto — better against mixed HP targets. Against a 5,000 HP tank, BORK massively out-damages Kraken. Against a 1,500 HP squishy, Kraken's true damage is more consistent. In many on-hit builds, you buy both.