Rabadon’s Deathcap

Rabadon’s Deathcap is the biggest pure Ability Power item in League of Legends: 130 Ability Power plus a passive, Magical Opus, that raises your total Ability Power by 30%. In patch 26.20 it costs 3,500 gold, and it gets stronger the more AP you already have.

What does Magical Opus actually do?

Magical Opus multiplies everything (yes, everything). It isn’t 30% of the 130 AP on the hat, it is 30% of all the Ability Power you have from items, runes and other sources. With 300 AP before the passive, that is 90 extra. With 500, it is 150. The bonus also keeps growing during the game, because every AP item, rune shard or stacking effect you add later is multiplied too, which is why the hat feels weak on the first back and huge in the last teamfight.

So why not rush it? Because the multiplier needs something to multiply, and early on you simply don’t have much AP for it to work with.

Is it worth the gold?

Is it gold efficient on paper? No, at 74%. Counting only its stat line, 130 Ability Power at 20 gold per point (the price of AP on Amplifying Tome) is worth 2,600 gold against a 3,500 gold cost.

The thing is, that calculation ignores Magical Opus, and the passive is the reason you buy the hat. Once you own enough Ability Power, the bonus from the passive alone is worth more than the 900 gold gap.

What does the build path look like?

Two Needlessly Large Rods (1,200 gold each) and 1,100 gold to combine them. One rod on its own already bumps your damage, so your first back still feels good before the hat is complete.

It is a final item and doesn’t build into anything else.

How has Rabadon’s Deathcap changed over the patches?

Its price has gone up and down for more than a decade. A few points from Riot’s data:

• Patch 10.23: cost 3,600 → 3,800 gold.
• Patch 11.6: cost 3,800 → 3,600 gold.
• Patch 14.1: Ability Power 120 → 140.
• Patch 14.19: Ability Power 140 → 130.
• Patch 25.10: cost 3,600 → 3,500 gold.

Riot also reworded the passive a few times. The list above covers each change, and the LoL items database tracks the full history for every item in the shop.

When should you buy Rabadon’s Deathcap?

Wait until you have one or two Ability Power items, because that is when the multiplier actually has something to work with and Magical Opus spikes your damage.

Put simply, it is a poor first item for most champions, because the 30% has little to work with and the 74% stat efficiency shows. Buying it third is the common pattern for exactly that reason, after two items that already stack AP for the passive to multiply. Fighters with mixed damage get more from items like Trinity Force. Real talk, the hat stays a mage item through and through.

Do the math yourself: with 400 AP from other sources, Rabadon’s Deathcap adds its own 130 plus 30% of the new total, so one slot gives you far more Ability Power than the number on its stat line.

FAQ

How much does Rabadon’s Deathcap cost?

3,500 gold in patch 26.20, with a 1,100 gold combine cost. It sells back for 2,450 gold.

What does Magical Opus do?

It increases your total Ability Power by 30%, counting AP from every source, not just the hat.

Why is its gold efficiency so low?

The 74% figure counts only the 130 AP. The 30% passive is not included, and it is where most of the value comes from.

What does it build from?

Two Needlessly Large Rods.

Which role buys it most?

Mid lane mages and other AP carries. Our guide to LoL roles covers what each lane usually plays.