I don't understand squishy supports - how do you lane with them as ADC?

Ezcru·6/1/2015, 2:18:47 AM·2 votes·2,164 views

With the exception of Sona who simply wins lane by level two by chunking the enemy adc to <50% health, everyone else seems to blow.

Just played with a Janna as my support. Leona E goes off quicker than the tornado to be honest, you need some fast reactions. And that only knocks up Leona, what about the enemy ADC?

Need guidance. Simply last hitting means I take too much poke, I lose my turret too fast, etc. There are ADCs like Sivir or Cait that make last hitting safely impossible.

16 Comments

KR LEE S1N6/1/2015, 8:58:02 PM5 votes

"""Edit: I just realized you were asking about this from the adc's perspective lol. Well at least you know now what goes through my mind on how to win the lane when I play a squishy support."""

Plat 5 Support main here. I just literally finished a game playing janna with my teammate cait vs a leona and ashe bot lane. We won the game and got a double kill in lane around 12 minutes into the game.

Here's how you lane with janna vs a leona. So as I went into this game I told cait to play very aggressive lvl 1 because leona's usually start q (although they don't always). However, leona is not very strong lvl 1 and you can out trade them at lvl 1 with your janna shield as long as you don't use it unnecessarily. Then leona has to burn through some pots. Go into the enemy bush and start autoing them then going back into the bush. Force them to use their trinket to ward the bush. (btw you should have ad reds imo which help a lot with this).

With janna you won't always win your lane, but you sure as hell shouldn't lose it very much. If you get ganked post lvl 6 and leona e's in and ults don't flash away like a bitch and run. Don't run but instead Ult her into your tower so your adc gets a free kill, or at least blow her flash. If the leona ever hops on your adc in lane shield your adc and use your tornado to knock up the enemy adc. Most of the time you won't have fast enough reactions to outplay the enemy leona's e.

In the mid to late game where you group up etc. Always sit in the back. Shield the tank if he is initiating or shield your adc if he gets jumped on.

IMPORTANT: if your adc gets jumped on rapidly and you or him are about to get instakilled butt fk'd. ULT ULT ULT ULT ULT.

Janna is very good at resetting fights. If you see you are gonna lose a fight cuz your only dmg dealer is gonna die. Use you ult to say nope enemy team not today. Don't feel like you need to ult randomly in a fight if you are winning the fight. Lots of times that leads to letting enemies get away. Lastly, janna is a really good peeler so shield your dmg dealer and w whoever jumps on your adc. Then tornado them etc. Sometimes you should buy mikaels crucible because the active is really helpful. You just gotta learn to use the active well.

Lastly janna is pretty op at the moment and a great pick. Just learn to play her disengage peel play style. sorry for the bad grammar and spelling but the knowledge and info is there. If you have any questions let me know. Peace

Deep Terror Nami6/1/2015, 2:30:09 AM3 votes

To learn how a Support acts for poking, zoning, engaging, or disengaging for the ADC, you have to play as one. Spend some time in their shoes and you'll learn how to work with them far better, whether they are a passive or aggressive type of person.

dinkaroo6/1/2015, 6:26:43 PM1 votes

Janna is just difficult against mobile supports (at least from my experience).

The most important part of being ADC is having a compatible playstyle with that of your support. Your support is aggressive? Now you are, too. Support just likes to poke? Take advantage of that. The support you're playing with should be winning your lane in terms of mechanics (unless if you're playing an ADC like TF or something with not bad cc/utility) and you should be allowing them to do that with your damage (to an extent).

As ADC, you should be poking pretty hard and playing somewhat aggressively, but make sure your support isn't randomly changing tactics (safe at full HP/MP, aggressive when you're about to die, close-range poking when you'll probably die if you go in, etc.); i.e. make sure you're not playing with a bad support. I've seen supports that do things like that and make absolutely no sense, but they usually play more sensibly if you communicate to them that they're legitimately not fulfilling their role as support (make sure you tell them what they're doing wrong).

I hope this helped a little bit.

IcyPepper6/1/2015, 6:28:26 PM1 votes

Try playing as a support sometime, especially if you're an adc main.

If you don't like supporting, or just can't handle duo laning, try other roles.

EK Kimozzi6/1/2015, 6:30:35 PM1 votes

Go play adc role several times and think about how you want your support to help you from adc's point of view.

SnugglePuggle946/1/2015, 8:23:44 PM1 votes

Squishy supports bring more utility and also damage, but have to stay safe too (Karma, Janna, Annie, etc). I say first try to play them, fill their shoes, and see how it is. Maybe then you will see.

Linthe6/1/2015, 8:26:36 PM1 votes

Janna seems to blow?? LOL.. ok. Her E is stupid good. You do know when you are shielded you can trade "for free"?

TouchpadExpert6/1/2015, 8:58:53 PM1 votes

Usually the squishy supports hit pretty dang hard and when they don't they have enough CC and utility in their kit that damage no longer matters. Janna? Shield that gives +45 AD which is as much as a B.F. sword which can be used every 8 seconds. Nami? Every single one of her abilities has CC involved in it due to her passive. Lulu? Has Sona-like poke and much better CC. Karma has an incredibly strong early game and can be oppressive early on. Soraka is the only one who isn't a good one right now. You mentioned Sona. Annie has retarded damage output and once she hits 6 all she has to do is flash + Ult and someone us guaranteed to be dead. Zyra is capable of the same thing but she can hit multiple people with hers. So, am I missing anyone?

AWK Fattie6/1/2015, 2:21:41 AM1 votes

some squishy supports don't know how to play them so be sure to let them know that they must trade only if ur able to trade with them. if your against a heave lane like leo- graves you just cant trade there is some situations were u have to just farm under tower but you have to be on the same page as ur support

Lv16 Flaaffy6/1/2015, 9:23:52 PM1 votes

As a support main this is easy. The support has to know how to poke and harass. I main Nami (very squishy) and I have learned through many games and mistakes when to poke and how to poke. There really needs to be synergy between the support and the adc- if the support is too aggressive and the adc is a bit passive, the support with either be forced to recall or die, or they will get the adc since the support will be out of position and the adc wide open.

The role of support is to zone enemy adc so your adc can farm freely (early game that is- and WARD). Communication is key, tell the adc if you'll be playing aggressive or as the adc ask the support "are you aggressive or passive or will you go in when I do?".

FooDang6/1/2015, 2:26:59 AM1 votes

It depends on the skill level of the summoner. I can knockup Leona from her zenith blade with Janna. Some people can't...