Caitlyn ult: Best time to use?

Nybx4life·6/1/2015, 9:23:44 PM·1 votes·2,262 views

Hey, I had a bad game recently where I got chewed out by my support ( ) mostly for not initiating fights with ult. This unfortunately wouldn't have mattered as every fight in lane we got demolished and lost due to our feeding.

Story aside, I now ask this: When is it such a good time to initiate fights with Caitlyn's ult? I'm really used to holding ults as the killshot against running enemies, or someone that is low and doesn't notice me approach. I feel it's a waste to throw out her ult in team fights especially if it'll get bodyblocked by the tank or fully denied by shields like , or .

Any tips?

25 Comments

Drunk Rummate6/2/2015, 1:45:24 AM3 votes

Use it to poke a squishy champion who has no sustain before a fight.

(EX: Ult Leblanc before you teamfight so that when she goes in it only takes a crit or two to finish her off, possibly ending her before she can burst you out).

Alternatively use it as an execute from a team that's running away.

TehNACHO6/1/2015, 9:30:39 PM3 votes

Picking off squishies who are separated from their team.

To contextualize: Caitlyn's ult, by its nature, is a straightforward burst ability. Its best targets are squishies, and it's so slow that you can only really use it at the very beginning or end of a fight. Luckily though, a decently fed Caitlyn ulting a squishy is more than capable chunking at least a quarter of their HP. If you can catch somebody out, it can quickly turn a potential 5v5 to a one sided 4v5, or 5v5 with one of their carries extremely more easy to kill.

It's not an "initiation" for the same reason why you don't initiate team fights with, say, Katarina. Caitlyn's ult relies on opportunity and good timing, not trying to bust down tanks and shake up an entire team fight. That's what Cait's autos are for.

50000000000000006/1/2015, 9:25:14 PM3 votes

It should never be an initiation?

dinkaroo6/1/2015, 9:42:07 PM2 votes

Using Cait's ult to initiate is a waste. What even was your support.

Sojuorn6/2/2015, 9:48:17 PM2 votes

And you don't have to "initiate" after you use it. You just chunked someone for a decent bit of damage and you did it SAFELY. You just put yourself in a more beneficial position for a fight/or trade/ or to bully them off of CS.

Again, I don't shoot it whenever it is up, but there are (in my opinion) many more reasons to use it prior to at some point fight than after.

Sojuorn6/2/2015, 9:45:08 PM1 votes

Yes, you have to look for the right window. But you have to consider what you want out of it. Do you want it to do damage to someone that will have an effect on the outcome of a trade/fight. Or do you want to wait and HOPE you can win and if you win HOPE you can finish someone off with it without it being blocked or something.

I mean I am not saying pop it off right when you get in lane, but for instance if you are going against sivir/braum (per your example) and the sivir spell shields something from you or your support (thresh hook) and the braum walks to river to ward. I would fire that thing off. That is damage she just ate that puts things in your favor (hopefully). But that assumes she doesn't have pots or something to easily replace the damage, etc.. (although even with pots you forced her to use one for free and again, the Ult wouldn't help you win a fight anyway if used after they are running away).

Ace Access 6/22/2015, 1:16:54 PM1 votes

cait's ult is meant to be used as a killing move on very low health targets that are running away

don't use it to initiate fights, you'll just be wasting your time and not helping anyone but your opponents

wwwdots6/22/2015, 2:36:24 PM1 votes

ur support shouldn't have to initiate with ult, nor should u be dependent on ur support to pressure. u don't have to always save ur ult for last health. just using it early is still good chunk of dmg.

Aeolian Melodies6/1/2015, 11:37:52 PM1 votes

It's never good to use it to initiate unless you're very far, someone is getting caught off and there is no way some yolo tank is going to show up and block the shot.

You want to use Ace in the Hole when it won't get blocked by the wrong target, plain and simple.

Gym Leader Yaki6/2/2015, 3:44:52 PM1 votes

Initiating with ult? Say what? You keep your ult to kill any low health targets that are out of your auto attack range. I mean if you can just walk up and kill him/her, then do that. If you can't use your ult to finish 'em off.

Truely Fabulous6/2/2015, 7:46:59 PM1 votes

I play very little adc so take it with a grain of salt, but if the point of an adc is to get fed and carry it seems counter-productive to initiate a fight with your strongest ability instead of saving it for a kill. I'de probably extend that to quite a few ults, now that I think of it

Sojuorn6/2/2015, 9:21:14 PM1 votes

I am going to disagree a bit and say it completely depends on the situation. However, I am more of a use Cait ult whenever it is up on the ADC (if in lane) or other squishy if grouping up for siege or defense.

The reason is that Cait gets much more auto attack dependent as the game goes on. So much so that eventually you would do more damage just auto attacking than waiting for your ult to go off in a fight. So then, if you hold your ult you can ONLY use it "IF" your team wins and 1 or 2 guys are running away. In that case it is ONLY helping get a kill in a fight you already won.

If you were to use it in the middle of a fight it is wasted because you can do more damage simply auto attacking and that can cause you to lose the fight. Thus it is only 100% beneficial if used prior to the fight.

In lane (even in early levels) the same principal applies. If you use it BEFORE the fight starts you get to use the damage in that fight. As in, the adc (hopefully) that you hit is now lower HP than you to start and you can win with Auto's and Q's. However, if you were to try and use it mid fight, the fact that you have to sit there and line it up for a few seconds just leaves you open to get killed. And if they are running away and you use it, then you won the fight without it (but you may secure a kill). But it had no effect on you winning or losing the fight.

So if you are strong enough to win without it and just want to secure kills, save it. If you are close in lvl/items/damage then I would use it to start the trade so You begin ahead. Otherwise it is wasted.

My thoughts.

edit: I mean use when you can hit the adc or squishy for sure and it cannot be blocked prior to fight. So if I see a open window to get the damage in.