Lethality is a stat in League of Legends that grants armor penetration, allowing attacks to bypass a portion of the target’s armor. This penetration value is not directly equal to the lethality stat itself; instead, it scales with the enemy champion’s level. For example, possessing 18 lethality against a level 18 opponent effectively translates to 18 armor penetration. However, against a lower-level target, the effective armor penetration is reduced.
The significance of armor penetration stems from its ability to increase the damage dealt to armored targets. Champions who rely on physical damage, particularly assassins and marksmen, often utilize lethality items to counteract the armor values of tanks and bruisers. This ensures their damage output remains relevant throughout the game and allows them to eliminate key targets more effectively. Previously, a flat armor penetration system existed, but the current scaling lethality system was introduced to balance its effectiveness across different stages of the game, preventing early-game dominance while maintaining late-game scaling.
