Properly Backing as an ADC

Hey guys, Hanapaa Okole here. I just wanted to give some insight for newer players on backing mechanics, and yes it is a mechanic.

The most ideal time for your first back as an ADC is when you have enough money to purhcase a BF sword, which is at 1550g. However, in solo q most bot lanes are not as CS reliant where beating your opponent to that point and coming back is the most popular way to win as an adc. The fact that there are two other players in lane trying to either kill, harass, out trade, or allow their adc to CS properly; you add a lot of different backing mechanics compared to other lanes. Here are some situations in which it is best to back.

1. Your opponent backs/is killed: This is probably the most underrated time to back as an ADC in lower elos. The problem if you don't back at a correct time while your opponent is also backed is they will most likely come to lane stronger than you. Sure you're up on CS and you just killed them so you got extra gold, but the issue is that you have unspent gold and they have spent gold. If you back too late and they come to lane while you are backing, your tower is going to take a lot of damage or your support will have to stay in lane to hold. The CS advantage will be lost, your support won't have a solid time to get items and come back to help you safely lane, and you end up losing your advantage pretty quickly because now you're fighting a 2v1 battle under turret waiting for your support to come back.

2. You are being harassed very hard: Generally, the early backers are usually ADCs in lane that don't fare very well against other ADCs. Example is Vayne v. Cait. As vayne, you have to understand that what you want most is to stay in lane as long as possible, get your cs, and get your core items to be able to fight. If you get low health and you decide to stay in lane, you will get less CS, less ability of fighting the Cait, and Cait will just abuse you early game. Simply put, its better to surrender a CS advantage to an early game ADC than to give them a CS advantage and a kill advantage. Be smart, take your beating, and lick your lamb chops when the late game comes.

3. You have the gold: Ideally, you want to push the lane all the way to the tower and then back. Reason is you want your minion wave to beat against their tower so that they lose all that pretty CS while you back, come to lane, and waves are reset.

All in all, the thing you don't want to do is to overstay your time in lane. Be smart about your backs and don't get greedy about getting your BF sword. There has been games where i lost the first fight, but my opponent decided to stay in lane to try and get a BF. When I got back I killed them, pushed towers hard into turret, backed, and came to lane even or ahead. Thanks guys and I hope this is helpful for you all!