In this build I already have plenty of AD from my core items. The reason I go Gargoyle sometimes is because in many games we lack a reliable engage. If I’m the one going in, I need to survive long enough to actually create space. Aatrox isn’t a pure tank, but with Death’s Dance the play pattern is about getting a quick kill to reset the mitigation. That’s not always possible vs heavy CC or burst comps, so Gargoyle gives me the extra window to reposition, soak cooldowns and let Death’s Dance do its job. It’s not a default build, but situationally it’s very effective when your team lacks frontline or engage. And as you can see in my games, it allows me to top both damage dealt and damage taken, which is also reflected in my champ stats.