Are you playing Mobile Legends and wondering why you lose matches even after playing well? One of the main reasons could be inefficient item usage. In this blog, I’ll share four essential item tips that most players either overlook or don’t use properly. Mastering these tips will help you win more team fights and climb the ranks faster. Let’s dive in!
Table of contents
1. Use Anti-Heal Items Wisely
Did you know that 90% of players don’t know what anti-heal items are or don’t use them effectively? This often leads to lost matches because the enemy heals too much during team fights. If your enemies can recover health quickly through lifesteal or healing, it’s nearly impossible to take them down and secure a win.

There are three main anti-heal items in Mobile Legends:
- Dominance Ice: A defensive item ideal for tank heroes. It not only reduces enemy lifesteal but also slows their attack speed.
- Sea Halberd: Best for physical damage heroes. It deals extra damage to enemies with high HP.
- Glowing Wand: Designed for magic damage heroes, it applies a burning effect to enemies.
When to buy them? Always adapt your anti-heal item choice based on the enemy team composition. For example, if the enemy has heroes with strong lifesteal or healing like Estes, your tank should buy Dominance Ice first. If multiple enemies rely on lifesteal or healing, every team role should consider purchasing an anti-heal item. This strategy reduces enemy healing and gives your team a better chance to win fights.
2. Understand Penetration Items
No matter how strong your hero is, enemies can build defensive items to counter you. To overcome this, penetration items are key as they reduce the enemy’s defense stats, letting you deal more damage.

There are two types of penetration:
- Percentage-Based Penetration: Reduces a percentage of the enemy’s total defense.
- Flat Penetration: Reduces defense by a fixed amount.
The game applies percentage penetration first, then flat penetration on the remaining defense. Because of this, percentage-based penetration items are most effective in the late game when enemies have built defense items. This combination significantly lowers their defense, making kills easier.
However, if the enemy hasn’t built defense items, focus on attack items like Blade of Despair instead.
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3. Prioritize Items Based on Situation
Choosing the right items at the right time is crucial. Mobile Legends allows you to set priority items in the shop, which makes your preferred items appear first when available. For example, if you face multiple lifesteal heroes, prioritize buying anti-heal items early to gain an edge in team fights.
4. Don’t Overlook Sub Items in Early Game
Many players ignore sub items, but they can provide valuable early-game advantages. Sub items are components of main items, cheap, and offer crucial benefits early on.

For example, if you’re playing a squishy hero against Saber, who can one-shot you, buying Dreadnought Armor (a sub item of Antique Corass) can help you survive Saber’s combo early in the game. Similarly, if you play an assassin, purchasing Fury Hammer reduces enemy defense and helps secure early kills.
Even pro players buy sub items like Knife when playing hyper carry heroes, as it helps farm buffs and jungle creeps faster.
more article: 7 Secret Tips for Junglers During Early Game | Complete Jungle Guide MLBB
Final Thoughts
Efficient item usage can make or break your gameplay in Mobile Legends. By mastering anti-heal, penetration, prioritization, and sub items, you’ll increase your chances of winning team fights and climbing the ranks. Keep practicing, and watch your gameplay improve dramatically!
FAQ
Anti-heal items reduce enemy healing and lifesteal effects, preventing opponents from recovering health quickly during fights, which is crucial to secure kills and win team battles.
Penetration items are most effective in the late game after enemies have built defensive gear. They reduce enemy defense, allowing you to deal more damage.
You can set priority items in the shop settings, so your preferred items appear first when available. This helps you buy critical gear faster based on the match situation.
Yes! Sub items are affordable components of main items that provide early advantages like survivability and damage boosts, helping you survive early aggression and farm better.