Hello, I'm Elohaven.

Currently, on this account, I am a Silver III ADC main whose secondary role is support. I play top occasionally if I am autofilled or can abuse an ADC there. Top laners currently face the issue of their item prices compared to ADCs and midlaners. They have the most expensive kits generally. The boards and reddit is filled with people who dislike the large price disparity between ADCs and top laners. This post is to discuss, analyze, and explain why this is happening, whether it should be an issue to be solved, and how we can address this issue.

I will post my thoughts below to start it off.

#ADC Build vs Top Lane Build

14,900 Gold 175233

That is a 2633 gold difference. By the time a top laner is finished with their build, assuming both the ADC and top laner are receiving the same amount of GPM(gold per minute), the ADC will be ahead with two items.

#Pricing and Possible Reasoning

However, that does not necessarily mean the ADC stomps the top laner. ADCs are squishy and can be bursted down. Bruisers, like Camille, can pop an ADC at full build with just four items - including boots.

If top laners had item prices as cheap as ADCs, then the snowballs in top lane would be monstrous and League would be determined by defense primarily. Tanks could easily abuse cheap items to conquer the game and we would be back to a tank meta. Early game conquerors would lose their advantages much quicker due to how cheap top laners item sets are - allowing them to easily catch up and sustain when behind. For example, Pantheon against Ornn would get stomped at level 5 if they both backed for items. Ornn would already have a full tier 3 armor item while Pantheon would have a lethality item. Another example would be Fiora and Jax where the advantages of Titanic or Trinity Force would come way too early. This would cause them to easily cut down squishies with their kits and dominate fights. Toplaners are meant to peel or get on to the backline or engage. Cheaper items would put them in a strong position.

Riot does not want the game determined by defense. It makes the game less exciting and action-packed. It will make new players go away. It will make people feel weak.

#The Actual Issue

Did you notice something funny about what I posted about the builds?

I did not add a single lifesteal item into the ADC's kit. Why? Because ADCs do not need lifesteal right now. And how does this relate to our topic?

Look at the prices of . Notice how they are all over 3000 gold. ADCs do not build these any more due to "peel creep". Runes like Legend:Bloodline, support heals, shields, Gargoyle's, Resolve's Guardian rune, passives, and many more types of security from other champions or external resources allow ADCs to give up on lifesteal in exchange for more damage. The reason you feel ADCs pump out a lot of damage compared to you unexpectedly is because they are. With these lifesteal items, their kits shoot up dramatically. Say every ADC did not buy two zeals anymore and two sustain items for peel instead, then their prices hover around 16K with only one zeal and one lifesteal item. If they require another, it exceeds a typical toplaner's. Riot made crit items cheap as ADCs typically needed sustain first or during the mid-game so they made crit items easier to gain late mid or late game.

Peel Creep is an issue because it's the primary reason ADCs have the ability to pump out so much damage than previous seasons.

#Is this an actual issue?

Yes and no.

Yes in regards to the snowball nature of botlane and the nature of ADCs. Peel Creep allows ADCs to CONSTANTLY build damage and DPS. They do not have to stop for sustain. They lose that small period/pause where they don't get a full item during a back. This causes a snowball feel impossible to slow down.

No as it is not why botlane is so relevant. People state Riot has made ADCs the star of the show repeatedly - but ADCs have always been an important role. They are meant to be the main source of DPS and since Riot's beginnings. But why are they so strong now? Simply because of the map's structure, champion varieties, and synergy.

See, first of all, botlane is 40% of the team - thus putting botlane behind takes away 40% of a team's power. It also is next to one of the biggest objectives, drakes. In addition, it has a tower and a support who is behind will make the enemy team lose vision control. Lack of vision control leads to more gank opportunities, objectives, etc. and a snowball. It is very easy to get botlane tower due to two people there and this can easily turn to five with top's teleport, mid's roaming potential, and the jungler. Whereas, at top or mid, fights turn to a 3v2 or 2v2 easily - making a defense possible unless substantially ahead. In botlane, a 5v2 means a quick turret and objective due to ADCs being weak early and single-target early on.

Botlane isn't the most impactful position. It is the most interactive, which people despise. Mages still pump out more DPS than ADCs if they can land their shots or spread their AoE damage well. ADCs are very simple to deal damage with. Riot fears allowing mages to deal more damage than ADCs on average because AoE in a teamfight is a very dangerous tool. ADCs single-target nature, in typical kits, are much preferred. They require an item for AoE usually unless their kits allow it - but the AoE from kits is smaller than mages without items. Players dislike botlane's loss as it does not just put two people ahead - it puts three. The jungler gets access to camps, ADCs and supports roam, etc. etc.

#Conclusion or TLDR

ADC itemization is due to the meta and "peel creep". It allows for a cheaper item set as less sustain allows for more damage. Botlane isn't the most powerful lane, it is the most interactive which allows for more influence due to 40-60% of the team gaining a lot of opportunity. Top lane buffs/ADC nerfs need to be strongly considered.

#Funny Thoughts

Removal of critical strike is a bad idea. A rework is unnecessary. Riot uses pseudorandom chance - a game design concept controlling RNG in crit. You can search it up. Also, it'll just make Riot buff ADCs in general.

Kit reworks are not needed guys. It's numbers this season. Runes, items, or stats. Big reworks aren't needed even if a champ is annoying. Compared to a whole player population who loves X champion and is more valuable than a single entity, it means people love playing as him than people who dislike him.

#Community Contributions

• Suggested we increase ADC zeal item prices
• Removing AoE from ADCs
• Crit chance removal (Not critical strike)
• Buffs to top lane in a healthy way (perhaps armor items)
• Healthier itemization