A response to a post wanting ADC's to be a "late game class".
For those that don't know what I'm talking about, here is the post:
First and foremost, let me inform you that I have been an ADC main for the past 2 years. I have seen every kind of ADC player, and every kind of support player. I've been through assassin metas, tank metas, and even ADC metas. Only recently have I started to transition to mid lane due to reasons I will get into later.
The main point of the post I linked is that the OP feels that a "late game class" such as ADCs need the game to be less snowbally in order to be a "late game class". I do apologize, but this is simply false. Hypercarries are a late game class, and they do not only apply to ADCs. Veigar, Fiora, Master Yi, and even someone like Nasus can be a hypercarry, where the champion is strongest in the late game. Granted, the percentage of hypercarries that are ADCs are much higher than any other class, but that is only because ADCs have the least amount of champs in that role.
ADCs in particular actually have a much more broad range than just being a "late game class". Allow me to explain:
is never weak or strong at any point in the game. She has a very linear power progression through the game, spiking when only very specific items are bought, and those spikes do not last long. She can be easily bullied out of lane, and can be easily outscaled.
has been notorious for her power "valley". A strong early game, that leads into a..."meh" mid game, into a strong late game. Granted, her laning phase has been hit numerous times in the past, but even today, she can still control a lane to her liking.
is the go to "snowball" ADC....his passive is specifically designed to do exactly that. While he can still pump out a truck ton of damage in the mid to late game, any true hypercarry will outscale him, and eventually be able to beat him.
has always been the "mid game" ADC. His laning is "meh", and his late game gets outclassed by several champions. However, his strength lies in getting 1 or 2 items, and being able to burst people down then. He spikes harder on item purchases more so than most of the entire roster.
is somehwat similar to Ashe in that he doesn't have any point in the game where he has a true power spike. However, unlike Ashe, he can be built in different ways to be strong in different points of the game. You can go for an early game lethality build, or a mid game crit build. That said, his late game is actually quite poor with either build, due to having difficulty bursting champs down to built resistances, and more damage to blow him up.
is an early game dominate champ, and if she doesn't gain a lead early on, she will be outscaled by every other ADC in the game (even Ashe). If the game lasts too long, her damage falls off a cliff, and there is simply nothing she can do.
, as stated in the post, is an early to mid game champ, benefiting off of low cooldowns, and high base damages. He also spikes quite well with a couple items. However, come late game, his damage starts to waver as it tends to have trouble cutting through the extra resistances.
has always been a lane bully, and likely always will be. Even though her late game damage is nothing to scoff at, it's mostly all packed into her ultimate, which is reliant on the rest of her team setting her up for the perfect ult. As for the rest of her kit, it shines in early to mid game, but is simply outclassed in the late game, despite what direction of build you go with her.
is just one weird cookie. His builds fluctuate every time there is even a single change to ADC itemization (I bet you anything, it will change again with the Guinsoo changes). He's had builds that have been strong at every point in the game, but never at all points in the game. He never likes to stay in one spot, so, it's hard to classify him as "strong" at any point in the game, since that build will likely be obsolete as quickly as the next Iphone.
My point is is that the ADC class is not specifically a "late game class" it can cover a wide range of points in the game, and conform to a teams weak points. It can be that late game insurance, or it can be that early game control. Calling ADCs a "late game class" is both wrong, and uninformed.
Another point I would like to address is one made by one of the comments in that post:
> I want to actually feel like we have so agency at some point of the game. Currently we don't have agency in lane or mid game and if late game comes around (barely happens) you still get raped by the tanky ass rengar or talon or Irelia, Renekton, Evelynn shaco. So much stuff that has been making your life impossible since min 10. > > As ADC you get shit on by everything early, mid and late game. The same stuff that's been raping you since min 10 is raping you min 40 and it just makes play ADC unbearable this needs to be addressed, this is exactly why playing Lucian is so fun.
This is not the only time I have seen people say that ADCs have no agency over the game. I would like to humbly disagree, and say that the ADC has plenty of agency over the lane. Do they have more than the support? No, but that isn't to say you have none at all.
Saying that an ADC has no agency over the lane means that that person does not understand the mechanics of any specific matchup, or how the lane works in general. Allow me to give a hypothetical example:
In champ select, you see that the enemy team locked in both Draven and Leona. Your support already locked in Janna because she was first pick and didn't know what she was getting into. It's your turn to pick, so, who do choose? For me, I choose Sivir, not only because she is a champion I am comfortable on, but also because she can counter not only Leona, but also Draven. She also pairs qutie nicely with Janna.
Going into lane, you have but one option: push the lane, and drown out the Draven. Since he his paired with a Leona, he will be lacking in sustain until he can go back and buy a vamp scepter. With some good poke from a Janna shielded Sivir Q, Draven should be forced to back quite early, allowing Sivir to get a CS lead, and some damage on the turret. Then, you proceed to freeze the lane, and keep the Draven from getting both stacks and farm.
The problem you run into is whenever Leona decides to engage on you. Sivir can keep from being stunned by Leona quite easily, but that doesn't keep her passive from being applied, and Draven can easily catch up with a Leona. Unfortunately, this is where the agency does fall through, and you are reliant on your support. The Janna can keep the Draven locked down long enough for Sivir to get some distance, and gain back control of the lane.
What if Janna gets engaged on by Leona? Sivir has enough early game damage to threaten even a Draven in the early game that, if the Janna can survive, will help you win the trade.
This is one of the more difficult matchups that can happen in the bot lane. One lost trade, or one good gank simply means a lost lane. But saying that an ADC has no agency at all, even in this kind of situation, is simply incorrect. It is just hard to execute on. Other matchups, like Caitlyn into Vayne, or really any hypercarry at all is an easy lane for Caitlyn.
Where agency truly falls through for an ADC is not through their own lane, but through other lanes, which they have no power over. You may win your lane quite convincingly, but if your top laner loses both of their turrets before you can even get your opponent's bot outer turret below half hp.......you're going to lose that game.
#Conclusion/TL;DR
I wanted to make this post to clarify points that some people seem to misunderstand about ADCs.
Firstly, we are not simply a "late game class". We are class that has a high percentage of champions that excel in the late game, but we also have plenty of champions that can excel at any point in the game. Be it through domination of the lane, or the ability to control the mid game.
Also, ADC's do have agency over their lane, far more than people realize. Our problem lies in not having agency over other lanes, and not being able to influence the map as much as other roles, such as mid or jungle.
From what I can tell, as an ADC main, the people that want ADCs to be a "late game class" or have more agency in the game are those kind of ADC players that want ADCs to rule the game. In my opinion, when ADCs rule the game, it is actually the least favorable time to be an ADC main, because you always have a giant target painted on your back. After seeing 4 man raids in the bot lane every other game for months on end.....it tends to get very tiring.
I do not want more power, and I do not want more agency than I already have. For if I do, my experience starts to wane, because everyone has eyes on me. I want to be left to my own devices, and work for the attention of my opponents, not gain it the moment I load in simply because the meta favors it.
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