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Suggestion for ADCs: Try Going 18-0-12

Sugar Momma··4 votes·1,695 views

It's become meta to go 18-12-0 for ADCs ever since Keystones were introduced (except briefly they went 12-18-0 when everyone went TLD for a patch or two).

The main issue ADCs have is getting bursted down right now and I'd like to suggest that the 12 points in Resolve are actually more beneficial right now, particularly if you aren't comfortable on ADC, than 12 in Cunning. I'm not saying it'll solve the issue -- ADC's probably need a bit more love -- but it can help!

With 12 in Cunning you get:

  1. Easier time CSing (Savagery)
  2. More sustain (Secret Stash)
  3. More dmg (Merciless)
  4. Extra hp/mana on kill (Dangerous Game)

Merciless is probably the predominant reason ADCs go 12 into Cunning. Dangerous Game used to be a lot better before when summoner 14 was more common bot lane, as it would save you from it.

Whereas with 12 in Resolve you get:

  1. More sustain (Recovery)
  2. Extra defense (Tough Skin)
  3. More HP (Veteran's Scars)
  4. More uptime on summoner 4 and summoner 7 (Summoner's Insight)

It used to be ADC's went 21-9-0. The extra defenses from Resolve are really, really helpful in keeping you alive more. The loss of item 2010 is made up for by Recovery more or less. You don't really need Dangerous Game so much, and Savagery is really not as needed when you're building AD.

14 Comments

Dealth2 votes

Could hold true, but I think the extra 5% damage is greater than a 2-per-auto reduction and 50 health..

Sugar Momma1 votes

50 health is significant, and the main reason you go into Resolve is so you have summoner 4 and summoner 7 up more. It makes it so effectively every teamfight you will have them up.

They are your greatest tools to survive, and you don't do damage when dead!

JavelinJoe1 votes

50 health use to be more impactful, but now when champions hit pretty hard with their abilities, that 50 is not much after like level 6 or so. I would opt for the extra healing mastery over it, that 8% extra healing, from all sources more or less, could keep you alive too. Either way it works if you go 18-0-12 or 18-12-0. Just what you are comfortable with.

Sugar Momma1 votes

Runic Armor is definitely good too, especially if you have a shielding/healing support.

JavelinJoe1 votes

not to mention the 5% Health and Mana on kills and assists.

Sugar Momma1 votes

I explain in my post why Dangerous Game isn't so necessary anymore (summoner 14 is rarely taken now).

Also, 5% HP is very little to begin with. 5% HP only amounts to 50 HP at 1000 HP which most ADCs don't reach until ~lvl 9-10 and even then it's going to be reduced by Grievous Wounds.

JavelinJoe1 votes

I usually find that the 5% mana usually is more important because it helps in getting that last ability off to get another kill/assist. But the new mastery could also work (the one where it deal % health after you are in a bush).

Ralanr2 votes

You can't hurt people when you're dead.

Well unless you're Sion or Karthus.

Ackelope1 votes

Or.... Kog'Maw.... (though it's a lot more limited)

DwainTheRock1 votes

It's 5% more damage to targets below 40% HP. So in an all in where everyone starts full HP, it's closer to 0.05 * 40 = 2% more damage over all. If your opponent has the 50 HP from veteran's scar, you would need him to have 2500 total HP for merciless to only get to par with his bigger HP pool.

Hige2 votes

I do this on ADCs that are easy targets, primarily Kog maw.

Though on a lot of adcs the increased damage on targets below 40% is pretty important as well, not to mention that racking up kills in fact heals you (Tristana and Jinx are the ones where you kinda need those to keep going)

but going for resolve seems to be a solid strat too

Big Lincoln1 votes

great, now we'll never get riot to revert veteran's scars

Ralanr1 votes

You still had hope? You're more optimistic than you act.

DwainTheRock1 votes

The way I see it, resolve tree is much better for the laning phase, where the cunning tree gets better mid/late game. And since you're not gonna do well mid game if get crushed in the laning phase, might as well play to win the lane IMO.

How many all ins are won or lost by one auto attack on the botlane (veteran's scar)? Or by a flash engage or by a heal save (Summoner's insight gives you a 45 seconds window were you have your flash and they don't if u used it at the same time, which is huge in close lanes)? And even tough skin is massive damage reduction from minions.

Besides, the cunning tree is really situational. You need a kill to get any use out of dangerous game and you need already low opponents to use merciless, where the resolve tree is 100% reliable.

I always go resolve tree on ADCs unless there's a special synergy with a champion's kit (some reset mechanic to really use the sustain from dangerous game or some execute damage that gets multiplied by merciless), and even so, I still go resolve in harder match ups.

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