League of Legends has a wide variety of items that enhance champions' abilities and stats, giving players the opportunity to customize their gameplay based on their champion, the match situation, and the opposing team's composition. Items are an essential part of success in the game, allowing champions to increase their damage output, survivability, and utility. Below, we’ll cover important aspects of items in League of Legends, including how many items are in the game, how to buy them, reasons why they might be locked, and how to upgrade them during the match.

1. How Many Items Are in League of Legends?

As of the most recent patch, League of Legends includes over 200 items in total. This count fluctuates with updates as new items are introduced and older ones are reworked or removed. The item system is divided into several categories, each serving different roles depending on the champions and the playstyles they cater to. Items are usually categorized into:

• Starter Items: Low-cost items to help you in the early game.
• Basic Items: Foundational items used to build more powerful upgrades.
• Epic Items: Intermediate items with stronger effects but without game-changing passives.
• Legendary Items: High-cost, powerful items that significantly enhance your champion's stats.

The game regularly undergoes balance patches that tweak existing items or introduce new ones, ensuring a dynamic meta and strategic diversity.

2. How to Buy Items in League of Legends

To buy items in League of Legends, you need to follow these steps:

1. Gold Collection: Gold is the in-game currency used to purchase items. Gold is earned over time and through actions such as killing minions, monsters, and enemy champions, or destroying objectives like towers and inhibitors.
2. Visiting the Shop: You can only purchase items while in the fountain (your base). To access the shop, press the 'P' key (default setting) or click on the shopkeeper icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
3. Choosing Items: Items are organized into categories in the shop, making it easier to find what you need based on your role and champion. You can purchase items outright if you have enough gold, or buy smaller components that eventually build into more powerful items.
4. Recommended Items: The game suggests a set of recommended items for each champion based on the current meta and item power. New players can follow these recommendations for an optimal build path.

3. Why Are Items Locked in League of Legends?

Sometimes, players encounter situations where items appear locked and cannot be purchased. There are several reasons why this happens:

• Not Enough Gold: If you do not have sufficient gold to buy an item, it will be locked in the shop. You'll need to farm more minions, jungle camps, or secure kills/assists to earn gold.
• Item Restrictions: Some items are unique and cannot be stacked, such as Mythic items. A champion can only have one Mythic item in their inventory, so after purchasing one, all other Mythic items will appear locked.
• Shop Location: Items can only be purchased while in the fountain (your base). If you try to buy an item while outside the base, the item will be locked until you return to the fountain.
• Specific Requirements: Certain items have special purchase conditions. For example, Ornn's Mastercraft Upgrades can only be bought by champions when Ornn (a champion with a unique passive) is in the game and has reached a certain level.

4. How to Upgrade Items in League of Legends

Upgrading items in League of Legends involves combining smaller, cheaper components into more powerful items. Here's how the upgrade process works:

1. Buy Components: Most items in the game are built from basic components, which are small, affordable items that give moderate stat boosts. For example, to build Infinity Edge (a core item for many ADCs), you'll first need to purchase components like B. F. Sword and Cloak of Agility.
2. Combine to Form Legendary/Mythic Items: After purchasing all necessary components, the game automatically combines them into the more powerful item when you return to the shop. You don't need to manually combine them—the shop system handles that for you.
3. Ornn's Upgrades: If Ornn is in the game and reaches the required level, he can upgrade certain items into their Mastercraft versions, which are even more powerful than the regular Legendary or Mythic versions.
4. Mythic Passives: Mythic items provide unique passives to boost your champion’s stats. Once you’ve purchased a Mythic item, any additional Legendary items you buy will receive extra bonuses, depending on the Mythic item's passive.
5. Special Item Effects: Some items have active abilities or stacking passives that further increase their value. For example, Sterak’s Gage provides a shield when a champion takes burst damage, and Luden’s Tempest grants additional damage and slows when hitting an enemy.

Mastering the item system in League of Legends is crucial to your success. Understanding how many items in league of legends are available, how to buy them, why they might be locked, and how to upgrade them mid-game will improve your gameplay significantly. Items are more than just stat boosts—they define playstyles, enhance champion abilities, and often dictate the outcome of fights. By staying updated with the item meta and learning the best build paths for your champions, you'll be well on your way to climbing the ranks and improving your performance on the Rift.