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The Case of the Bad ADC - What Should a Support Do?

BlueBilberry··1 votes·6,658 views

I've been playing League for over a year now, and gravitated towards the support role (because so many others don't want to play it plus I often play similar roles - tanks, crowd control and healers - in other games).

Anyway, I've been wondering how the experienced support mains handle the really "bad adc problem" in the early to middlle game (which seems to be a combination of: poor last hitting; not taking the odd poke on the enemy support/adc; playing out of position; taking risks or not reading that the support has set up a potential kill; and/or not bothering to drop his odd yellow ward).

I get the idea that there are two obligations: trying to guard this gimped botlaner feeding on botlane (and inevitably pushing past the river to get ganked) while at the same time as a support, wandering and warding to try and help the other lanes snowball. But how the heck do you balance these two extremes?

So far, it seems that the game itself is pushing me towards more pokey supports as opposed to the more utility supports (which I prefer). I note this seems to be the situation up to about Platinum tier - so I say fine to this. But really I would like some ideas from the more experienced...

13 Comments

Rákãñ5 votes

Just support the carry of your team after laning phase. If the ADC is not doing good, help out other the members of the team. You can check this game out for an example.

http://matchhistory.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/#match-details/NA1/2474014234/230598164?tab=overview

By no means, I got that kind of score by being with the ADC at all times. My focus was on helping Ori and Tryndamere staying alive. Though, if Lucian or anyone else was there, I'd still help the whole team. As they can still do their part in a team fight.

Big Lincoln2 votes

carry them

if they're salvageable i.e at least trying then sit with them so they can farm somewhat safely. you have to understand that ADCs are bad at all ranks except for the highest, so even if you ward every bush they could possibly pass they'll still get caught. be there so they can have an escape, even if it's at your expense, since they'll at least hopefully scale.

go with your team if it's for an objective or if you can combine this with the above, especially if pulling your carry to a group around drake, baron, or towers can lead to them getting kills and recovering their disadvantage. (depends on how much they can do on their own; even if you peel your best, if they have no damage it's not worth the time)

if they can't be helped because they're inting or if they're just running their mouth too much and you want to spite them, then abandon them entirely and focus on getting someone else as fed as possible, either someone who can snowball extremely hard like an assassin or bruiser, or someone who can fill the role of late game carry like Karthus.

BlueBilberry1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Big Lincoln,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=kR5BJuf7,comment-id=0000,timestamp=2017-04-16T16:41:05.666+0000)

carry them

if they're salvageable i.e at least trying then sit with them so they can farm somewhat safely. you have to understand that ADCs are bad at all ranks except for the highest, so even if you ward every bush they could possibly pass they'll still get caught. be there so they can have an escape, even if it's at your expense, since they'll at least hopefully scale.

go with your team if it's for an objective or if you can combine this with the above, especially if pulling your carry to a group around drake, baron, or towers can lead to them getting kills and recovering their disadvantage. (depends on how much they can do on their own; even if you peel your best, if they have no damage it's not worth the time)

if they can't be helped because they're inting or if they're just running their mouth too much and you want to spite them, then abandon them entirely and focus on getting someone else as fed as possible, either someone who can snowball extremely hard like an assassin or bruiser, or someone who can fill the role of late game carry like Karthus.

I think you gave me the best advice of the entire lot so far - and at least, gave me advice which makes a lot of sense. So for this I thank-you greatly. [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

Leo10242 votes

Don't be overagressive, don't take fights, tell your adc to focus on farming and ward for ganks, be sure to peel for them when you can so it's only one kill instead of a double. only fight if the enemy engages poorly or when your adc has caught up

if it's to the point where they just afk, forget your lane, it's lost, so go roam and get your other lanes ahead and try to snowball them, let the jg know so you can pull off a 2 man gank mid. unless you're playing someone like brand or zyra, you want to leave lane if the adc is afk, even then you'll have to be super careful and you'd have to be pretty confident to 2v1 a lane

Anhartamin2 votes

[deleted]

BlueBilberry1 votes

{quoted}

You need to realize that everyone on your team is bad you included and play accordingly towards the win

Fine - I accept that everyone can always improve - support included. However, I was looking for advice from support mains - not a jungle/midlaner. (No offense intended! ;) )

khorney1 votes

Nothing you will get blamed for losing no matter what. It doesn't matter if you help top mid get kills you lose they will blame you. God forbid if you got a kill because of ignite that the adc in no way shape or form could have gotten you will get blamed

Around999People1 votes

After a while I tend to bail on the ADC and go to another lane. This lets the adc farm and get more xp, while I get to help the person who's already doing ok and steamroll them to the win. However, I tend to play supp champions that can stay in a 2v1 lane and kinda ok. Stuff like thresh, karma, vel.

Arduno1 votes

support toplane? mehehehehehehe

Hawckey1 votes

Go brand support and tell the mong adc to build the SS

Aptest1 votes

Options:

  1. Play brand / malzahar / zyra etc. If ADC bad, step in as the damage dealer.

  2. Carry their asses hard. find kills for them and spoon feed them. A monkey with 15 kills is a monstrous raging gorilla.

  3. Find another guy to support. Figure out who the guy who is making (good) things happen on your team. Look to set up good moves for that person to make. For instance bait for them. Ward around them. Or be there where they fight (roam) and do your heal/shield/CC/nuke routine on their picks.

  4. A lot of time the problem is poor synergy between you and the marksmen player. Go away and roam. Gank, ward, be elsewhere and make things happen elsewhere. Leave the ADC alone and a lot of time this stops the bleeding ( caution: does not work in high elo where people have balls ) because you are the bad influence and he just farms under tower and you get your groove back hammering that 1/5/0 into the enemy toplane.

Pancake In Bush1 votes

xD here's a way to solve all your problems. Find an ADC duo partner.

BlueBilberry1 votes

{quoted}

xD here's a way to solve all your problems. Find an ADC duo partner.

This is what used to be called a "pat" answer.

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