Frozen Heart

Frozen Heart is a 2,500 gold Armor item in League of Legends for Mana-using tanks: 75 Armor, 400 Mana and 20 Ability Haste in patch 26.21. Its Winter’s Caress aura reduces the Attack Speed of nearby enemy champions by 20%, which makes it a strong answer to a team of auto-attackers.

What does Winter’s Caress do?

It’s an aura. Every enemy champion near you attacks 20% slower while they stay in range. No clicks needed: standing close is enough.

That makes it a team-wide effect, not just a personal one. A tank who stands in the middle of a fight slows down the attacks of every marksman and fighter around them, which protects the whole team and not only the tank. Thing is, it only works if you’re actually close (a tank who hangs back gets the stats and nothing else).

Who does it hurt most? Attack Speed carries. A marksman built around fast attacks loses a real slice of their damage while you’re near them, and on-hit champions lose on-hit procs along with it.

Is Frozen Heart gold efficient?

Yes, at 116%, and that’s before the aura counts. Every stat has a basic-item price, and together they’re worth 2,900 gold for a 2,500 gold item.

The split: 75 Armor makes up 1,500 gold at 20 per point, 20 Ability Haste adds 1,000 at 50 per point, and 400 Mana adds 400 at 1 per point. That’s a 400 gold surplus. Honestly, the Mana is the only stat some tanks can’t use, and for champions without Mana it’s simply wasted gold.

Which components go into it?

Warden’s Mail (1,000 gold) and Glacial Buckler (900 gold), finished with 600 gold. Warden’s Mail has its own passive, Rock Solid, and gives pure Armor, so it’s the pick when the enemy is already hitting you hard. Glacial Buckler brings the Mana and haste if you need to cast more in lane.

It doesn’t upgrade further.

For a tank, the 20 Ability Haste and 400 Mana matter more than they look. Tanks usually have long cooldowns on their crowd control, and haste shortens every one of them, so over a long fight you get extra stuns and slows that you wouldn’t have had otherwise (how many depends on your kit). The Mana keeps those extra casts affordable, which matters for tanks whose spells cost a lot.

How has it changed?

Riot’s data has it from 2013. Price and Armor have moved several times in the last few seasons:

• Patch 12.20: cost 2,500 → 2,700 gold, Armor 80 → 90.
• Patch 14.1: cost 2,700 → 2,300 gold, Armor 90 → 70.
• Patch 14.2: cost 2,300 → 2,400 gold.
• Patch 14.5: cost 2,400 → 2,500 gold, Armor 70 → 65.
• Patch 14.19: Armor 65 → 75.

The item is back at its 12.20 starting price with less Armor than it had then (the 14.19 buff only recovered part of the cut). To be fair, the aura and haste still make up for it.

Who should buy Frozen Heart?

Mana-using tanks and supports facing a team with one or more Attack Speed threats, especially a fed marksman. It’s usually bought once that threat becomes clear, often as a second or third item.

Who should skip it? Tanks without Mana, who waste part of the stat line, and anyone facing mostly magic damage. Against attack-based champions who heal, Thornmail adds healing reduction instead of the Attack Speed cut. Look, the simplest test is the enemy marksman: if they’re ahead and you’re a Mana tank, Frozen Heart slows their whole game down.

FAQ

How much does Frozen Heart cost?

The cost is 2,500 gold in patch 26.21; finishing it from the two parts takes 600 gold, and it sells for 1,750 gold.

How much Attack Speed does Winter’s Caress remove?

Nearby enemy champions have their Attack Speed reduced by 20%.

Do you need to hit enemies for the aura to work?

No. It affects enemy champions near you automatically.

What stats does it give?

75 Armor, 400 Mana and 20 Ability Haste.

What does it build from?

Warden’s Mail and Glacial Buckler.