Power Spikes
As the game evolves and players understand to play the map better we learn to use the tools we have to garner advantages more efficiently. Power spikes were always identified through thresholds such as champion level and item progression. AD carries were identified strong once they hit their third big item, mages once they hit levels 6, 11 and 16. While you can still identify a powerspike through those means, players have started to manufacture pseudo power spikes. By doing this you're able to put more pressure on the map because your champion is much stronger than it regularly is at a specific time. Think of a Twitch with GB and BotRK versus a Twitch with BotRK and PD. The former is much, much more stronger than the latter if they only have those items with a zerkers and a dblade. GB's mid game power is very strong because it can be utilized much more efficiently mid game than in the late game. For most (if not all) ad carries their optimal build doesn't have GB in it. Since most players follow builds somewhat religiously, psuedo power spikes created by building off the beaten path have gone unnoticed for quite a while. Not to say it hasn't been done, just that it wasn't done enough for the builds to become staple for a role or champion.BT had a HUGE powerspike when paired with TF and was a large part of the reason why it was so popularly built. Other than BT + TF, ad carries aren't all that useful during the mid game. Normally they would have to hit the big three item threshold before becoming of any real use, outside from a few outliers. The BT + TF powerspike developed a new playstyle for ad carries in competitive play, where they took a much more active role in the mid-game. When BT was nerfed, instead of returning back to the old style of play and build people searched for a different way to reach the powerspike so that they could still impact the mid game heavily. This is where the popularity of GB + BotRK skyrocketed.
Buildpath
Its also worth noting that you're able to get more stats momentarily when buying a BotRK than a BT. BotRK has a bunch of small pieces to buy so you can back and come back into lane with more items than the person trying to save up 1550 gold for a BF sword.Youmuu's Uprising + Twitch
Before patch 4.10 GB already had a surge in popularity. AD carries who favored (mainly Vayne and Twitch) BotRK had tenancies to build GB right after to hit their powerspike. This was especially so with Twitch, infact we may have not seen this build at all if it weren't for him. During 2014 Allstars Twitch saw a rise in play due to the fact that not many people had experience playing against him. His mid game powerspike came from the fact that he could roam and pick off kills very easily but teams learned how to play against him very quickly and he fell off the map just as fast as he appeared. Teams learning to play against him lowered his mid game prowess a lot until BotRK/GB build took rise. Twitch was much more powerful mid game with this build but not just because he was able to gank other lanes, but the actives and ultimate allowed him to throw his weight around in teamfights mid game very effectively. Vayne players who were already building BotRK and maxing W (as opposed to maxing Q and building BT) started to build GB as well, as it synchronized with their ultimate.When BT was nerfed and people felt like the powerspike that was brought from BT/TF wasn't worth the gold it cost anymore, BT fell to the bottom of the list of items you'd want to build first on an AD. Before 4.10 there were two mid-game powerspike builds for ADCs and so when one got nerfed, everyone obviously defaulted to the other. It worked very well for Lucian and the ones it couldn't work for defaulted back to the 3 item threshold playstyle. Not to say that AD carries got weaker, infact I would say that they got stronger late game. If they ever reached it, that is. With so much of the map outcome being decided in the mid-game, having an AD who is strong in the mid-game is very important. The team that doesn't have an AD with a mid game power spike will try not to make any map movements and will just wait until the enemy makes a mistake or starts getting outscaled before starting to take action. With BT gone, TF followed after since it was part of the BT/TF powerspike and the item diversity for AD carries stayed relatively the same early game, lower in the mid and the same during the end.
PBE Bloodthirster
The BT on the live patch has been changed in the PBE. The shield amount has been lowered but it stays up for longer. The really important change is the new passive that gives 10% bonus attack damage. We've already established that the item efficiency isn't the only reason for an item being in flavor or not, we have to think about whether it can be used to create a power spike or if it'll just be an item to add to your build later on. If its the latter, the buff isn't really that game changing and just buffs AD carries who build it in the lategame. So the question is, can the new BT be used in conjunction with another item to create a 2 item powerspike? The passive gives 10% BONUS attack damage, so its not going to be as strong as it was before stat wise until you get a dblade and 200 bonus attack damage. First we should find out who it'll most likely benifit the most. Probably Draven, Graves and Sivir since they can dominate their lane and the game with enough AD. These champions have their own AS boosts as well, so they can do with just zerkers for a while. The champs do better with flat AD quints than with flat AS quints as well. With a dblade, flat ad quint + ad marks and a BT you have about 112 bonus AD with the new passive, 102 bonus AD without. Those three champions won't do well with TF and they don't need the AS early so more flat AD would be the optimal route. The only thing I can think of is LW.BT+LW has always been a 2 item powerspike for Graves and Draven for a while but its even weaker now statwise than it was before even with the passive. You have 157 AD instead of the 163 AD you used to have, so about 6 ad short of the original. The only difference is now you still have the shield. Albeit weaker since it it got nerfed, it lasts longer so you're able to go into fights with it on much more easily. The question is, is it good enough to compare to the power spike of GB/BotRK? Well, its different. GB/BotRK is a powerspike, but as soon as those actives are used the power spike is greatly diminished until their back up again. You might think this doesn't matter because they'll just wait until the opportune time to use it but it isn't that simple. They have to wait until the opportune time to use them or else they'll be useless. The champs who build BT+LW are already lane bullies, but with their two item spike they don't have any downtime on it. They can throw their weight around in lane as much as they want and if the enemy tries to engage with their actives they can just back off and force objectives while its down. Not to mention that bullying the lane becomes even easier with a shield, BT+LW vs BotRK+GB may just become a case of apples vs oranges.
Conclusion (TL;DR)
The new BT may be able to create a new powerspike with LW, enabling them to bully around enemy laners who have to save their actives or end up losing their powerspike.BotRK = Blade of the Ruined King
ADC = AD carry
AD = Attack Damage
BT = Bloodthirster
LW = Last Whisper
GB = Youmuu's Ghostblade
TF = Trinity Force
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