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The Climb: ADC Teamfight Positioning 101 | Phylol

RiotStayAwhileNlistn·9/30/2015, 5:29:11 PM·139 votes·231,464 views

AD carries are true glass cannons in League of Legends. While having a ranged attack helps keep them safe, their low base health and lack of defensive items make their positioning crucial for survival in teamfights. In this video, Diamond ADC Phylol demonstrates the decision-making and mechanics it takes to deal the maximum damage possible in a teamfight while minimizing the risk to your squishy little life.

When has your positioning won or lost a team fight? Let us know in the comments below, and please recommend your favorite community guides or videos!

Creator Background

EU West ADC main Phylol has been making educational League of Legends videos since 2013. While much of his content deep dives into the ADC role, his videos also go over top solo queue picks, team compositions, and methods for climbing the ranked ladder.

Special art credit to Sizow for his work: "Blitzupdate"

Learn more about Phylol via the links below!

295 Comments

allblacks9/30/2015, 6:05:32 PM115 votes

This is super important because YOUR TEAM WILL NOT PEEL FOR YOU. As an ADC main I know this. It's your responsibility to stay out of danger which is something I struggle with.

Deep Terror Nami9/30/2015, 6:11:52 PM88 votes

My ADC always has great positioning...to get hooked by Thresh/Blitz.

"My support sucks why don't you save me?" "I'm not going to stand between you and Blitz like a minion..."

Edit: Just want to say that if my ADC is trying to escape, I will take a hook for him. Just not all laning phase.

Barnicus9/30/2015, 11:55:47 PM37 votes

I'm seeing a lot of arguments between ADC's and Supports here:

ADCs:

  • Your support is not solely your lifeline, especially once the laning phase has ended. They aren't there to stop you from dying. Learn to check your mini maps, keep an eye on the nearby fog of war (you can see some abilities and ward placements even in the fog)

  • Your support may have this thing called a "role". Got Brand support? Don't act like he has Thresh level peel. Got a Thresh support? Don't act like he can do Brand-level damage.

  • You can help ward too. Buy a pink (100g) or green (75g) ward on your 1st or 2nd back, especially if you're blue side (pink that tri, brotha!)

Supports:

  • Is your adc not following up your engages? Maybe you need to stop engaging and focusing on zoning the enemy ADC out of farm. Is your ADC going ham on engages and not listening to you to play safer? Maybe you need to work on your peeling ability.

  • Is your ADC beyond help? Other lanes would love to have you, even your jungler. Roam, deep ward in the enemy jungle, ward objectives, help your jungle gank.

  • Just because you're support doesn't mean you can make no mistakes. Every time anything negative happens to your team, you need to analyze what could've been done better by you, just like any other role.

TL;DR:

All support and ADC players need to learn to analyze their own actions in solo queue, just like any other role. Supports don't exist to solely serve the ADC, and ADC's don't exist to simply cash in on the huge support plays we all want to make. Just like any solo lane, we all need to learn to analyze our own mistakes and what we could've done better, because at the end of the day that's literally all you can control in solo queue: yourself.

Master yourself...Master the bot lane

/endrant

RiotStayAwhileNlistn9/30/2015, 9:10:43 PM20 votes

Oh btw, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHYLOL!

Blue Rupee9/30/2015, 6:15:44 PM17 votes

"so I looked like a muppet" Lmao!!

MXNOIR9/30/2015, 6:47:14 PM16 votes

One time I was fed, I don't remember if I was Jinx or Vayne, I was using my team as meatshield since they were not keeping people away from me.

My team had no wards so I bought the improved ward. We had won a battle. I KNEW they had a blitzcrank, but maybe I got overconfident on their fear of 5 v 5 my team with me there, so I went to ward the Dragon's River bush before it spawned...

I was going to place my ward and then "PpfffffffffT" Blitzcrank arm pulls me, I managed to see the Arrow from Ashe pass, trying to get the kill, but their whole team killed me in a split second. As soon as I was dead, they engaged my team hard for the first time in all match, they killed them all, without me to do the damage, and they won the game.

Even though, in the after match screen people were writing "Your only good player was your ADC" I could not feel good, knowing my mistake cost us the game :( I knew all I needed was to ace them one more time.

I'm still trying to remember if I was Vayne or Jinx, with Jinx I usually throw a Zap! before putting a ward in a bush, but maybe I started doing that after that game... Still. That's a silly epic FAIL.

Now I'm more careful.

TheBestAsbestos9/30/2015, 6:38:59 PM14 votes

This entire video should be a mandatory "tip" in intro bots. Mandatory.

SlicedMilk9/30/2015, 10:21:40 PM10 votes

Something that ADCS are notorious to being is really big flamers, and there is some merit behind it, ADCS is the role that can carry a game, and it is the role designed to carry a game. (There is mid lane, but when it comes down to basics a lot of people agree the ADCS carry games) So if people play it they play it for a reason. They want to do well, they want to be that person who carries games. They want to be Hi Im Gosu, Piglet, Doublelift, Wildturtle, you get the picture. So when they don't do well they want to blame it on somebody.

As an ADC main from Season 3, I can say that without a doubt that is what you don't want to do at all.

  1. It will keep you from getting better, you are putting the blame on someone else (Most likely the support) and not recognizing your mistakes, and if you never recognize your mistakes you will never become better.

  2. YOU ARE FLAMING. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS. First whoever you are flaming, you are putting them down, and since they are most likely the support that is the exact opposite you want to do. THE ROLE IS CALLED SUPPORT, THEY ARE THERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR TEAM. So if you rage enough at them so they start trolling or even go afk, you probably just lost the laning phase and most likely the game.

I have had moments in which I was basically screaming at my screen because of a bad support, and all I wanted to do is tell them how bad they were. And it wasn't helping that they were blaming me also. That is when I decide to put on music, mute anyone that might be blaming me and try to play the game out. You are fighting fire with fire if you just attack them back.

So yeah, that is what mainly comes to mind when I think of raging as an ADC. So whenever I am in a game I always try to be kind and congratulate the support and even the team if they are doing well. It will do loads to make them feel better, especially since the support tends not to get a lot or recognition. And even then a lot more times they would respond with something nice. And that makes you feel better which in turn will cause you to probably do better, which in turn will make you more likely to win the game.

Moral of the story, DON'T RAGE, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T AN ADC.

Tahm Sawyer9/30/2015, 6:26:12 PM8 votes

༼ つ ◕◕ ༽つ C9 take my energy༼ つ ◕◕ ༽つ

Zamadomix9/30/2015, 6:16:44 PM8 votes

I love it when Rito features videos like these :P

Breadboxx9/30/2015, 8:00:19 PM7 votes

RITO plz. i would love to position correctly if i didnt have Rengars instantly killing me regardless of how i position.

Vincent Lucius9/30/2015, 7:50:33 PM7 votes

Once had a Jinx on the enemy team. She got regular double and triple kills in team fights because her front line occupied us and she could just rain rockets down upon us. Excellent positioning. Max auto range and too far for any of us to get at her even with some of our ranged abilities.

steroid Puma10/1/2015, 12:06:48 AM6 votes

Couple things here. I scanned the comments and didn't see it mentioned too extensively. When it comes down to it, you are responsible for your own positioning. More often than not, a death can be blamed on where you decided to be, unless your team does that thing where they leave the ADC stranded by themselves with 5 people closing in (also why warding is so important- looking at you, support without any wards). Your team shouldn't have to blow everything to save you from your own impending demise. As someone who plays support pretty regularly, understand that I'm not saying I won't come blow everything to save you, helpless little ADC. You're no good to me dead. But be aware that I can't always flash-lantern-ult-hook to save you. Cooldowns and whatnot. So PLEASE PLZ PLOX PLEASORS pay attention. MAP AWARENESS SAVES LIVES, LITTLE ADC

EddieServin9/30/2015, 6:19:20 PM6 votes

I main support and I find alot of Adcs blame there mistakes on the support why didn't you help me :/ Why didn't you do this or whatever. Adcs never say is was there fault 10/10 all adcs should watch this video xD Ezreal Draven Corki Caitlyn Graves KogMaw Kalista Jinx Lucian MissFortune Quinn Sivir Tristana Vayne Ashe And most important Urgod Urgot Twitch

Ignis09/30/2015, 6:21:14 PM6 votes

I suffer from being completely dominate in lane when playing adc and then falling off mid to late with positioning. This video should help me a bit and I'll keep learning. Thanks random internet guy!

EddieServin9/30/2015, 6:27:42 PM6 votes

But a Question for C9 Phylol Any chance y'all got a video for dealing with the bronze trolls and afkers? It seem near impossible to get outta bronze anymore

Reaperz9/30/2015, 7:06:04 PM5 votes

You guys should subscribe to Phy's channel. I've been subscribed for awhile now and his channel is really informative and he makes vids based on viewer suggestions :p. Glad Rito is giving him some recognition.

Waffle Housen9/30/2015, 6:18:09 PM5 votes

adderall

Tiggy Ra9/30/2015, 6:24:42 PM4 votes

so that Blitzcrank skin huh?