Supports are not just for Adc...

Valhalla Rising·7/27/2015, 2:56:22 PM·57 votes·5,646 views

Am I wrong? Are supps purely the adcs muppet and should constantly shadow their every move good or bad?

Or are they actually part of the team with their own playmaking potential and roaming capabilities?

Im just really disgusted with the average adc/team attitude towards their supp.

constant blame, constant micro-management, Im pretty sure "boss of the support" is not in the adcs description...

This stigma towards supports needs to end.. like for really reals...

p.s. adcs are insanely over rated. Even when needed, they could easily solo lane if it wasnt so taboo to not have an adc/supp duo bot. this game wrinkles my brain, creativity is shunned unless you're lcs.

74 Comments

LordDarkshayde7/27/2015, 3:00:44 PM20 votes

I get yelled at by ADC every time I roam mid to make a play and get our mid-laner a kill simply because the ADC doesn't understand that while I am gone from lane that 1-2 minutes to sit back and just farm what they can while I am gone. Instead they just keep pushing by themselves and suddenly it's my fault that they get caught out when I am not there even though before I left I placed ward coverage so they would see ganks coming. ADCs are the spoiled brats of the League community and as such I usually mute them above anyone else on my team.

kJs7/27/2015, 3:05:15 PM6 votes

Traditional Yes. Supports are ADC's bodyguard, butler, medic, and meatshield. But when it comes to post-lane phase they support everyone else most especially including the mid carry.

Riot's trying to change it. Bard is meant to be an exception, a roaming support that doesn't need to be with/near his ADC to support them. The long range ult and medi-pack is the manifestation of this idea.

Most ADCs can't solo lane I don't think. I mean against a traditional support • ADC combo, most really can't because of inherent high mana costs and general squishiness.

BeaWhoeverYouAre7/27/2015, 3:50:33 PM6 votes

I know exactly what you mean. When I joined this game at the beginning of summer (I used to play it back in like 2012 but I just stopped) I didn't know what or who to be, met a few friends played and bought some characters, and I learned that my potential lies in the Great Steam Golem himself. Blitzcrank But my ADC Jinx Jinx could not go a minute without screaming at me that I did something wrong. It's not my fault your more experienced then me. I'm learning. Now he barely screams (at me anyway, still screams a bunch at the game and at other noobs) and I can actually enjoy the game a little bit more. The truth is ADC's are useless without some kind of support. Sure they can start off ok but they'll just feed with all the ganks and stuff and then they'd get mad at the team for them not supporting him. Either treat your support with some respect or don't have a support at all! Who's with me!? summoner 21

Professor Ward7/27/2015, 2:59:45 PM5 votes

TLDR: The support should be your 2nd jungler

As a support main who plays with two teams i made it clear early that im not going to leash the adc the entire game, And a supp who isnt ganking mid is a sup who isnt playing right. Hell ive even ganked top after double kills bot lane. I sacrifice minion xp early soley for warding/ganking after we cause bot lane to back. Also the support should always leash early drags and help if the jungler gets into a 1v1 close to bot lane

You will always get blamed for the adc going all in too hard. You will always get blamed for the adc getting caught out.
You will always get blamed if they lose trades. As a morg main if my solo que adc gets hit by any ability its instant "why didnt you shield me?" like that shit doesnt have a 10 sec cooldown and cost enough mana to resurrect diablo..... Just something you have to get used to.

Valhalla Rising7/27/2015, 5:11:40 PM4 votes

I just wish supports could "farm up" when behind like the rest of the team, but sadly it's against the "law", which is stupid because if you have a failure adc why should they get to keep sucking up all those resources if they are just going to waste.

not saying it's impossible, but it's drastically more difficult for a support to recover from a bad early game than it is for any other role, yet according to so many nubs they are responsible for every bad play, but chastised for the kb in a good play.

I get it's good to funnel gold on to the adc but honestly, what if adc gets gibbed and your force in to 4v5? would be sweet if supp had some kill gold to compensate for the dead adc.#KSshouldnotbeathing

this game, wrinkles my brain..

junglerboy167/27/2015, 3:16:45 PM3 votes

I'm actually a big fan of solo lane supports, especially if they aren't just the standard "shields+heals" solo lane support, but rather a champ who excels in a 1v1 lane but offers great team utility in the form of engage, disengage buffs, debuffs, and so forth. Champs like Alistar Leona Nami Thresh are really fun supports that I can and often will take in solo lanes if my team comp allows for it (AP Nami is a steamroller with fins, try her out!) and other supportive champs that are good (and fun to play) solo include Blitzcrank Karma Sona Taric (at least in my opinion)

MrBuffington7/27/2015, 4:51:45 PM3 votes

To me, support is just a jungler that doesn't need to farm. You're just in lane to try to get some experience and gain an advantage for your team, typically by getting your ADC ahead. Then you play the map, just like a jungler would, except you have more freedom since you don't have to worry about keeping your farm up like every other role.

Punkkee7/28/2015, 5:02:55 AM2 votes

It's the support's job to support. It's the tank's job to tank. It's the Carry's job to carry. It's the mage's job to burst. It's the jungle's job to keep those chickens in check. You can't really complain about a specific role being flamed because if any of these roles don't do their job, they get flamed. NOT JUST the support

TheVishual7/27/2015, 3:37:26 PM2 votes

In teamfights your support should probably peel for the ADC/try to cause as much blockage as possible because he's the main source of sustained DPS late game.

Throughout the game, no. A good support should be helping everyone past lane and that's why you see so many people who are bad at support. If your ADC bitches about dying because the enemy botlane killed him 2v1 while he was farming, he was out of position and shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Most adcs suffer from what we like to call in psychology "delusions of grandeur"

Cleril7/27/2015, 6:27:34 PM2 votes

Bard I'll leave you 2+ shrines and you still die?

Well, time to abandon bot lane.

TurquoiseYoshi7/27/2015, 8:03:34 PM2 votes

I don't have too much of a problem with the first part, except that it is very over-generalized and stereotyped.

The P.S. is what I don't like. The Top/Jungle/Mid/ADC/Support meta is what has been proven to be the best system. The reason why is that ADCs require a lot of gold, but need to not be harassed all game by the jungler. With a Support, you get another person to zone away harass and jungle pressure. Additionally, a support is needed to engage into teamfights. Creativity in LCS is mainly limited to what is used in each of those positions. ADCs are not overrated in pro play. In low-level play, carry top laners are more common, as are carry junglers, making the ADC role less of the full damage output. In pro play, junglers are more support-like, and top laners are mostly tanks. Meaning that ADCs are one of only two main damaging roles, as opposed to 4.

If you want to be creative, get some friends and try out your ideas. Don't expect Solo Queue to accept all of you ideas for a full team comp. In Solo Queue, I'll let you play Poppy top lane if you want, but I'm not going to let 3 people go mid lane just because you said that it's the best strategy.

BlkStar1007/27/2015, 8:31:57 PM2 votes

My second gold rule for supporting " Never leave your ADC " Ignore that rule in the laning phase and it might cost you the game . As a fellow support player I advice that if you find yourself in the position where you can't support accordingly due to the stress , you should pick another lane the next game or take a half an hour break . Negativity is bad for anyone's health , I feel you :( .

CharQueen7/28/2015, 2:53:32 AM2 votes

Put Shyvana bot, ADC+Sup go top. Profit.

Aspynn7/28/2015, 6:20:54 AM2 votes

Supports are supports, and their main job is to support the CARRY of the team. However, just because ad carries have the word carry in their name does not mean that every adc has the potential to carry. The support should always focus on keeping the carry alive, whether its a fed lee sin jungle, a zed or syndra midlaner, or the adc. If the adc is behind, it's more worth for the support to focus their efforts on keeping other members of the team alive.

Sinneli7/29/2015, 8:45:24 AM2 votes

As a person who mains support, I assure you that keeping your ADC alive and well-fed is the first few minutes of your job description. But fortunately, your ADC is not your superior. You are literally babysitting and if the guy decides to go ham on the enemy and dies because you 'did not follow up', then he is a jackass and you ward, go away so he can farm under his tower, and help the jungler and midlaner more, put more ward coverage, and come back with a bustling assists.

And for the hundredth time. Tristana and Vayne : STOP JUMPING FORWARD OR ROLL TOWARDS THE ENEMY AS AN INITIATE WHEN THERE IS A LEONA ON THE ENEMY TEAM.

Edit: Also, to people who I lane with complaining about me taking CS when I'm poking the enemy, @#!$ you. >: I To those who also complain about there being two CS nearly dead and I take one because I needed 20 more gold for sightstone and I need to back soon because OOM, hell to you too.

FluxBound7/28/2015, 5:51:08 AM1 votes

Kalista "Yes, you are wrong"

Aerilus12/20/2015, 11:31:13 PM1 votes

As support I feel obligated to spend the first 5-8 minutes in bot, but then if we are doing well I will roam usually mid or even top if they need help more. I usually return to bot eventually and I'm always watching over the map to see who needs help the most.

A few times I have had that ADC who will freak out whenever I leave lane, and I usually tell them I'll help top or something and return.

Even worse when the whole team thinks support should go bot the entire game - I go to help mid who is having trouble just to get him a quick kill then probably return bot, but instead of going in they just spam fall back pings...

I'm usually support, but when I'm not there's sometimes the support who will leave bot lane WAY too early, like the ADC has no kills and only 20 cs so far and then the support leaves and never returns.. I can see why that would be annoying. When people rage at me when I'm support though I usually just try to help, flaming them back never helps.

WolfBV7/28/2015, 6:58:53 AM1 votes

I've bought champions like Bard but never play them because I get worried that I'll do badly so I just stick to champions I'm confident I can play decently. Saying this makes me feel a bit better. I think I'll try Bard now.

Hatless Casual7/28/2015, 9:02:52 AM1 votes

I sometimes leave bot lane if my ADC gets too salty and often go help whoever needs it. Me and a buddy found out Sion and Sona make a pretty amusing duo.

I always let the carry know once they get offensive over nothing I'm gone and taking my heals with me.

For Carthage7/28/2015, 9:04:54 AM1 votes

Your support is the support for the team. The ADC is meant to carry the team in damage. Therefore, you serve the team by serving your ADC.

Sounds douchy. It is douchy. But that is your role.

Imagine you're a parent and you were told by an oracle that one day your child would become the most powerful person alive. But they're still a baby - basically defenseless, worthless, no ability whatsoever early years. So you have to make sure you raise the child right so that they can actually become that prophecy. That's you as a support. Just know that your child can't really blame you if they intentionally run in front of a goddamn bus and are forever crippled so they never reach that point. That's their stupidity.

Eleshakai7/28/2015, 1:39:20 PM1 votes

The support's job is to facilitate late game success. It is a broad term... but it's really what supporting is about.

Usually the best way to do in the early game that is to protect the highest scaling member of the team - the adc. Not always, and if you see an opportunity to have an impact elsewhere, then by all means. But just remember that if you leave your adc alone and their adc outscales yours, it IS your fault so the impact you have elsewhere had better outweigh that.

Mandang07/28/2015, 2:48:01 PM1 votes

Put yourself in the ADC's shoes: you come into a game expecting to 2v2, and instead your support leaves you to 1v2. Not saying they're right to lash out, but try to understand where they're coming from. Singling out the ADC isn't very meaningful because this same effect doesn't happen in any of the other lanes. Mid's never going to be 1v2'ing because of something their own team did, nor will mid or jungle.

Again, maybe ADC can solo lane, but if the other support is sticking with their ADC and you leave yours, you're putting them in a different situation than what's normally meant by "solo lane".

Spacesuit Spiff7/28/2015, 3:32:59 PM1 votes

adcs think this in low elo bc "pew pew im carrying". in high elo they actually understand that they're basically a helpless glass cannon that needs to be constantly babysat by the support. the support, meanwhile, can be effective paired with anyone who does damage.

JAGMAG7/28/2015, 5:15:59 PM1 votes

well it goes both ways yes supports can make plays and roam...but its all about TIMING
ive mained both adc and support so i think my view of this is fairly balanced

if your a support and want to roam that's fine however roam smartly leaving your half health adc in a 2v1 against very healthy enemies is just asking for him to get dove you can say "well just back off then" allot of support players do not understand the adcs unwillingness to give up farm since most support players are used to not having gold. But as an adc you need as much farm as you can get as quickly as possible so giving up an entire wave or two for no reason other then your support decided to leave lane is very very frustrating to an adc. usually when i support i stay in lane till ive either forced a back or we have such an advantage that a 1v2 should be survivable for my adc then i go out and ward or gank and then immediately recall or return to lane i dont ever spend more than 3 minutes out of lane usually much less. now i can get kills and make plays during this time but you really need to get back to your lane sides if you haven't made a play in that time chances are your not going to and your just frustrating your mid by soaking up xp and drawing jungle attention to his lane. then later in the game you do not have to stay with the adc your responsibility becomes the team overall if the adc is with the team then you need to protect him even wile engaging because as much as supports tend to hate their adcs he is your carry and needs peel. if hes off split pushing you can chose to either stick with him or the team either works but as a support you should never ever be off split pushing it drives me crazy when i see a support do that.

from the side of the support yeah allot of adcs suck and flame but you need to realize three things. 1. you might be bad or doing bad 2. if your not and its him stick with him threw lane mute him if you have to but carry is noob ass threw lane then as soon as teams start grouping go with your team and let the adc do whatever he wants. 3. i already discussed roaming and how its a timing issues roaming is fine do it smart i so sooooooooo many bad support roams were they roam for no other reason then there trying to be an all star and just end up hurting the team wasting time and accomplishing nothing so be smart about timing.

tl:dr no your not the adcs muppet however in lane phase its your responsibility to keep him safe/help him get kills (if you cant do this and roam then dont) and after lane phase your responsibility is to help the team your playing "support" not "carry"

Avidalarm7/29/2015, 3:12:43 AM1 votes

Getting real tired of seeing posts like this.

I main adc/supp and oh boy let me tell you this never happens. It's either the adc is a mute or the support is a mute or both.

The only time the supp or adc usaully say things to each other is after a fight when they exchange "gj" and "u2".

The boards has gotta stop this whole adc player hate thing. it makes it seem like every single adc is just a ball of anger and seeks only to blame the support.

Plus the only time i can see the adc getting mad at the support is for bad positioning resulting in the supports death or the adc's death or both.

What ever dude idk why i even typed this, i'm just gunna get called a salty adc main anyways.

Soul of Selesnya7/27/2015, 10:37:30 PM1 votes

I really dislike all the stereotypes in this thread. It's like, "QQ ADCS ARE SO MEAN". Not every ADC is an asshole who rages at their supports. I main Vayne, and I'm a pretty nice ADC. Darkk Mane did a great video on this here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yyzGcsGeN44 I totally agree with this video. The seesaw affect is leaning firmly towards the "ADCs are the worst people in the world, we supports are better than them". This mindset is so toxic, these types of supports are the new ADCs.

DazedOnlooker7/28/2015, 5:20:21 AM1 votes

This applies to all non-sup laners too.

Last year when i first started playing league me and my sis were duoing coop vs ai, i was the supp ( Sona )she was the adc( Ezreal ). I was still new to support at the time and our team started falling behind a bit, so i was in the middle of building:

item 3174 item 3085 item 3117 item 3003 item 3115 item 3089

So that we could clear minion mobs faster together and it was very effective, we managed to quickly push to the enemy base fast but our top was struggling and mid was doing fine. he had the most kills pretty fed and obviously did not need help. but anyway our mid laner goes:

Talon : Sona what are you building?

Sona : Attack speed/CDR/AP

Talon : Duh..No s*** i see that, but why?

Sona : So i can help clear the waves faster since we are falling behind. I also need the CDR and mana to better support and keep you guys healed and buffed.

Talon : But your a support, you don't need thoes.

Sona : Oh? what should i get then?

Talon : Nothing. Don't buy gear/items ever on support...

Sona : Why? doesn't these help me to better support you guys?

Talon : No your a support all you need is your kit. don't buy items

Sona : But i run out of mana too fast, and the CDR helps me keep spells on you guys so you can live longer..

Talon : No the only thing your going to do is go 0/3 and feed. You are a BAD support.

Sona : Your saying because i bought items that do nothing but give benefits somehow i'm going to die more often because of it?

Sona :Roaming to top to help out

Talon : Yes. Stop being bad pls. And stop roaming always stay by your adc don't feed pls.

JarvanIV : our top laner, silently struggling and is pushed all the way to our base..

Ezreal : Stop, you just died 4 times over nothing! stop typing and start playing!,mind your own lane if your not going to be helpful omfg!!.

Sona : But i looked up a lot of guides before picking up Sona to help me play more effectively.

Talon : OMG are you trolling or something?. And i died because this supp is being soo bad.

Sona : Then stop typing.

Ezreal : Dude stfu and just play, she's doing FINE.

Talon : These guys are trolling this team is soo bad, Sona after this game don't ever play supp pls your bad.

Sona Ezreal : Still new to League ,Can't find the mute button

We still won. making sure my adc did not die, my mana pool NEVER ran dry and i was able to spam skills for days without dying for the rest of the game.

This guy was acting like a **** and he wasn't even my adc and didn't even roam to help out other lanes himself so our top ended up feeding after one guy went afk. wtf supports can't even help other lanes? stuck with my adc till death do us part???. -_-