like I get where you are coming from not liking the passive on sunfire and it definitely declines in relevance as the game goes on
but I still think sunfire is the only item that gives all the things it gives and that all those things contribute in good ways to the champs you see sunfire being built on. I think I can outfight a renekton with a tiamat + assorted dolans as a shen with sunfire, and if I can't, a gank would certainly be more effective on the renekton that only has dorans items n lifesteal for defense. id probably want a sunfire on zac before haunting guise, etc.
but iunno my builds always bandwagon on the pro scene, I'd definitely be up for hearing reasons why other items are better
o yeah also I feel like you'd be more likely to see an offensive item coming out of a laner if they are ahead, like I probably wouldn't be building a bruta or tiamat->hydra on renek against a shen that was richer than me
Tiamat -> Hydra before anything else is questionable enough as it is, given the risk involved to make it work. On some champions it can be worthwhile due to their rapid snowball potential (like Lee or Riven), but any top laner with a champion who's able to fight back accordingly or any competent jungler with awareness will take advantage of such fragility. It's even worse when you see a melee laner still rush that item when behind and the enemy only gets further ahead from there.
And for Renekton I'd probably prefer a Brutalizer / Hexdrinker + Giant's Belt with a cloth armor or two anyways when ahead to such a degree. That said, something has to have gone horribly wrong for him to ever lose to a Shen.
Oh my God. Fuck riven. Seriously. I hate this champion with every ounce of my soul. Barely any fucking counterplay. FUCK YOU RIVEN IM SO SALTY RIGHT NOW UGH
Likely forgetting a few but Garen, Trundle, Renekton, Elise, Karma, Quinn, Darius, Yorick with a
good build and AD Nidalee can beat or keep her in check. Though you don't really want to play the latter since she's a one-trick pony (win lane and push or else).
Riven, Aatrox, Nasus, Singed, Kassadin, Fizz, YORICK, Tryndamere are the worst.
Either impossible to counterplay when they're ahead, or impossible to lane against fairly.
The worst are Fizz and Kass. Your entire team can be dedicated to peeling for you and it counts for nothing due to their invulnerability/mobility/silence.
Kassadin and Fizz only appear much worse than they are during the early stages of the game because the majority of players stubbornly insist on playing a squishy AP against them.
Riven is a good exercise in knowing how and when you should trade effectively. She's good and can snowball well, but there's no lack of champions who can keep her under control or stop her in her tracks.
Susan and Singed are weak early to ranged harrass. If they reach late game though (especially the former) with ample farm, you'd better hope your team knows how to kite damn well.
Tryndamere is strong, but a lot of players right now are unable to read his damage potential ("OMG TRYN dat lucky crit") in lane or have the wrong strategy in mind to stop him from exerting constant pressure top lane. Almost always do you see someone build their champion so that they won't die to him during early to mid game (read: full tank), which is just begging to get dominated on eventually anyways. What you need to do is be able to survive his early damage whilst being able to fight back. Do that and you can put an end to his pushing and simultaneous snowballing. Susan being one of the clearest answers against Tryndamere, for example; he doesn't mind rushing a big armor item like Frozen Heart whatsoever, Wither on top of that and he can very much dish out the pain himself back after a moderate amount of stacks.
And I already discussed Tear Yorick before. I've been trying to help, but we're at an impasse here if you don't acknowledge his blatant weaknesses. If you're the top laner, you couldn't ask for more than a squishy low-mobility melee if you have a shred of all-in potential. If you're the jungler, you couldn't ask for an easier lane to gank and camp. If you're the ADC, then what are you worried about? Most Yoricks build him ineffectively (thus rendering themselves nigh-on useless in teamfights), can't easily reach you and your role scales much harder come late game.
i will remember this advise for sure.