Boards›Gameplay

Props to Riot, but your work is half done.

ModCaptainMårvelous··3 votes·1,632 views

So...screw it, you have to give them props. Non-ADC bots are actually working now. Pros have been taking stuff like Vlad, Mordekaiser, Yasuo, Irelia, a whole smorgus board of non-ADCs are going bot and finding success. For whatever flaws they've had, they've actually accomplished the goal of opening up botlane to some degree. And hell, you can still see stuff like Lucian, Ezreal, Kai'sa, etc bot lane.

But this work is half-done.

The biggest issue was never making non-ranged ADCs work bot. That's the easier part. The issue is now where those ADCs go. Oh sure, you have some like Quinn and Graves who can go to other lanes but a large majority now don't have a home. ADCs have persisted bot lane for so long that a majority of their gameplay has been centered around a support. Yes, I get that there have been periods where champions/classes have rotated out of the meta but ADCs are so confined to bot lane that by making them not the #1 pick, you've given them little option.

Now, I ain't good at the game and couldn't begin to figure out a solid solution to where they should go. I do, however, think that some champions can naturally make the switch or move to other lanes. For example:

  • Long range ADCs (Caitlyn, Ashe, Varus, etc.) could go mid-lane. Provided they have a way to survive AP burst, the ability to bully mid-lane mages could serve as a counter to mages clearing the wave then roaming. Plus this used to be the case back in Season 1. (ASHE MID ONLY OR FEED)

  • Duelist ADCs could go top or jungle. It'd be tough and it's a lot of frustration but hell, maybe we could find a way to make ranged AD top laners work without being TOO frustrating.

  • If all else fails, we could try to support the 2-1-2 set-up. Imagine playing without a jungler while having a support run smite/spellbook so that you could push down on the 2v1, then take your jungle for additional free gold? Transfer buffs to your ADC? Etc. At least this way crit/ranged ADCs could have more use and maybe even help in having a double-siege composition.

I don't know how viable these suggestions are. Hell, they may be outright terrible. That said, Riot accomplished a goal I honestly didn't have any hopes of. If you guys can make changes that shatter over five years of ranged ADC dominance barring absurdity (Cough cough Juggerkaiser) and a short time of history (Ziggs bot), I think you guys could probably find a home for Crit-ADCs and truly open up the game.

8 Comments

Fízz v22 votes

Why do they have to go away from bot tho? Adcs still seem to be god bot so far (yasuo bot was played once in pro and lost hard vs Lucian). They could just coexist bot, there arent that many adcs anyway.

D357R0Y3R2 votes

i think adcs that are supposed to be weak in early game should be forced to go bot

adcs that are lane bullies like draven cait ashe could be allowed mid

Atmosphere2 votes

ADCs are too squishy early, mid, and late game to be able to deal with any amount of burst damage. That's why they're the only lane that requires a support to be with them. The new champs in the bot lane have such harsh powerspikes (Irelia, anyone?), do too well with new items (Renekton and ER), or have crazy high base damages (Brand, Zyra, other mages) to have a health coexistence with marksmen. The point of marksmen is to have heavy mid to late game damage dealers, but with assassins taking over mid and jungle, and bruisers and mages moving into bot lane, ADCs can't get to the point where they actually become useful. Positioning was already ridiculously important on them, but now any misstep will get you dove, CCd, bursted, and killed before you can even cast a summoner spell. Marksmen were completely static bot lane because of how easy it is to pressure them out of lane. That's why Zyra, Brand, Lux, etc are popular solo queue picks as supports. They can't have a peaceful coexistence unless their survivability is upped heavily. They can't do that, though, as that defeats the point of an ADC: A full damage glass cannon that dishes out heavy damage from the back line and relies on good positioning and peel for survival. Zed could already oneshot a mispositioned ADC before, but now if a mage or bruiser sets them behind, they're just a free bag of gold if they're not under tower or surrounded by 2 players bodyguarding them. ADCs are the only champions in the game that can't maximize their damage while also increasing survivability. A bruiser can build AD+health items. Mages can build Zhonyas, Protobelt, Liandrys, Morellonomicon, just to name a few. ADCs only have Maw, Guardian Angel, and Black Cleaver, all three of which don't optimize their builds. Maw only gives resistance against magic, so it's useless against bruisers, GA has the same cool down as Flash, and Black Cleaver isn't as good for armor shred as Last Whisper items. Only a few champs can reliably use those items (MF, Lucian, mainly). While I agree marksmen needed a change, it was to their late game damage and how impactful they were overall. Nerfing their damage and scaling, then allowing for champs that can overpower them early into bot lane is just going to kill the entire role once people get out of their basic instinct of locking in a marksman in bot lane.

ModCaptainMårvelous1 votes

Good stuff right here. Really highlights their issues.

D357R0Y3R1 votes

that's what i said sir, they need to increase base movement speed to 330 or 335 to make them viable in solo lane, it wouldn't be toxic because adcs deal no damage in early game now

Also vlad isn't being played bot at all, only kramer tried him however VOLIBEAR is being played bot and by a lot of people http://www.probuilds.net/champions/details/Volibear volibear is the only bruiser that doesn't need xp, bringing renekton bot is terrible because of how much xp he needs, voli only needs lvl 3 then build full hp to deal damage

https://i.gyazo.com/253f9a830305127efb93c5e53a558d2c.png

Mordekaiser has 55% win rate and 6% pick rate everytime they bring back Morde, he's fucking cancer and broken

enteg1 votes

I feel this is the thought process of someone who knows nothing about how the game works. Oh well, it will be fixed soon enough so enjoy this as it last friends.

VoraciousX1 votes

I was doing quite well on Xayah top lane when she didn't have that nerf on her Q being unable to auto while casting it. It helped evade ganks but didn't make me invulnerable to them. Caitlyn can also go top lane decently, or she could. I haven't played any ADCs since the item changes except maybe Lucian.

xelaker1 votes

other stuff works better bot lane in the higher tiers of play because they can handle the little bumps in the road. gold and below just don't have consistent skill level to pull anything off more then a few times here and there.

More from Gameplay

3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay764 comments
7,167
votes
3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay156 comments
3,510
votes
UPVOTE FOR URF
Gameplay606 comments
2,440
votes
Yes plz.
Gameplay456 comments
1,721
votes
3 Refunds per season, up vote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay114 comments
1,716
votes
When is ANYONE at riot going to address the awful new player experience?
Gameplay634 comments
1,383
votes

More by CaptainMårvelous

"Wow dude you're playing like shit"
Gameplay167 comments
298
votes
Can the Cass situation from today be the beginning of a trend?
Gameplay95 comments
257
votes
How to Reward Vets (Without just dumping 30+ boxes on them)
General Discussion341 comments
254
votes
Please make Taric's V-neck scale with armor.
Story, Art, & Sound48 comments
242
votes
Riot, you're working yourselves deeper into a corner with skins.
Story, Art, & Sound135 comments
241
votes
Gotta say: Not a fan of Kayle's new look.
Story, Art, & Sound267 comments
237
votes