Lethality is a stat in League of Legends that reduces a portion of the target’s armor. Armor mitigates physical damage, lessening the impact of auto-attacks and physical damage-dealing abilities. By effectively bypassing some of this armor, lethality allows attacks to deal more damage to heavily armored opponents. For instance, if a champion has 50 armor, and an attacker has 20 lethality, the target’s armor is effectively reduced to 30 against the attacker’s physical damage.
The primary importance lies in increasing damage output against durable enemies. Prior to its introduction, armor penetration operated on a percentage basis, making it less effective against targets with lower armor values. This alternative provides a more consistent form of armor reduction, particularly potent against champions who don’t heavily invest in defensive stats but still possess some base armor. It provides a scaling mechanism, becoming more effective as the target’s armor increases.
