Elixir of Sorcery

Elixir of Sorcery is the late-game consumable for mages in League of Legends: 500 gold in patch 26.21 for a drink that grants 50 Ability Power and 15% Mana Regen for 3 minutes, plus 25 bonus true damage every time you damage a champion or a turret while it runs (with a 5 second cooldown against champions). It has no components, no upgrades, and no slot cost after you drink it.

What does Elixir of Sorcery do?

Three things for 3 minutes. 50 Ability Power is the headline, 15% Mana Regen keeps a long fight from ending in an empty mana bar, and the true damage proc is the part most players forget they have.

That proc is small but it ignores resistances and it works on turrets, so a mage who drinks the elixir and walks to a tower is doing 25 extra per hit on top of a damage type that structures do not resist. Against champions the 5 second cooldown keeps it from stacking on a single combo, but over a teamfight where you tag three different targets it still adds up. How much is 50 AP at full build? On a champion with 600 Ability Power already, it is a little under a tenth more damage on everything, which sounds modest until you remember the elixir costs less than a Needlessly Large Rod and takes no inventory space at all.

Is it worth 500 gold?

The efficiency table shows 0% because a timed buff has no stat lines to price, so ignore that figure. The useful comparison is with permanent stats: at the basic item rate of 20 gold per point, 50 Ability Power would cost 1,000 gold if you bought it as a stat, and that is before the mana regen and the true damage.

So the catch is only the timer. 3 minutes covers one Baron setup and the fight after it, or two drakes if they come quickly, and then the 500 gold is gone. Honestly, for a full-build mage with nothing else to spend on, that is the best damage per gold in the shop, and the players who lose games with 3,000 gold banked and no elixir in their stats are not rare. The sell price is 200 gold, which only matters if you buy it and then recall before drinking (do not do that).

Who should drink it?

Mages and AP assassins at full build, or close to it: Syndra, Orianna, Viktor, Ahri, Akali, Katarina, and any AP jungler heading into a late objective fight. Enchanters too, since the mana regen and the AP both feed their shields and heals, though they usually have the gold later than carries do. Who should not? Anyone who still has a component to finish, because a permanent item beats a 3 minute one every time, and AD champions, who have the Elixir of Wrath instead.

Timing matters more than the choice. Buy it on the recall before Baron or Elder Dragon spawns. Not after the fight starts. Drink it when you leave base rather than when you arrive, since the walk eats a few seconds either way. Thing is, a lot of players treat elixirs as a one-time purchase at six items and forget to rebuy after the buff ends; in a long game you should be on your second or third.

How has Elixir of Sorcery changed over the patches?

It appeared in the data in patch 4.20, with the 2015 preseason that reworked the elixirs, and has barely moved since:

• Patch 5.1: Effect text changed.
• Patch 5.22: Cost 400 → 500 gold.
• Patch 14.12: Effect text changed.

One price change in a decade. The numbers on the buff itself have stayed put through every item overhaul since, which is rarer than it sounds. Funny enough, that stability is shared by the other two elixirs, which sit at the same price and got the same 5.22 increase. The LoL items database lists all three with their current effects.

Elixir of Sorcery or Elixir of Iron?

Sorcery for anyone who deals magic damage and wants to end the fight; Elixir of Iron for tanks and bruisers who want to survive it, since Iron gives Health, Tenacity and a Move Speed trail instead of damage. A mage who is being dived every fight is still better off with Sorcery and better positioning, because 50 AP does more for a squishy champion than the Iron’s Health does. For what it’s worth, the only common case for Sorcery on a non-mage is an AP bruiser like Mordekaiser or Gwen, who gets both damage and, through their scalings, a bit of sustain from it. If you are still working out which positions build AP and end up here at six items, the guide to LoL roles covers mid lane and the AP junglers, and Elixir of Sorcery is the last purchase in most of their builds.

FAQ

How much does Elixir of Sorcery cost?

500 gold in patch 26.21. It sells for 200 gold if you have not drunk it yet.

What does it give?

50 Ability Power and 15% Mana Regen for 3 minutes, plus 25 bonus true damage on champions and turrets while active.

How long does it last?

3 minutes, starting when you drink it rather than when you buy it.

Does it take an inventory slot?

Only until you drink it. The buff itself uses no slot, which is why it is bought at full build.

Does the true damage work on turrets?

Yes. Every hit on a turret while the elixir is active deals the bonus true damage, with no cooldown against structures.

Can you buy it more than once?

Yes. When the buff ends, buy another on your next recall.