These are League of Legends’ top-tier ADCs for this season’s solo queue.
For the marksmen and markswomen of League, or the ADCs, there are several types of champions to play. There are attack-speed-focused hyper carries like Jinx and Tristana, and then there are the face-melting high early damage carries like Draven and Jhin. Fortunately, the current ADC meta allows players to choose whichever one suits their tastes because they’re all mostly viable right now.
This list of top-tier champions can be affected depending on a number of things. Sometimes the meta shifts for no apparent reason other than players’ tastes, but usually there’s some kind of balance change behind it. It can be difficult to keep up on the flavor-of-the-month champs, so let us do that for you.
Here are our top five ADC for League’s Patch 10.15.
Caitlyn
Pros
- One of the highest ADC ranges in the game
- Crowd control
- Dash which goes over walls
Cons
- Item dependant
- Gets outscalled by other meta ADCs
Caitlyn’s enormous range and headshots with a guaranteed critical strike always keep her in the meta as one of the best ADCs. It’s easy to last-hit minions with Cait while constantly poking enemies from a range that they can’t respond to. Her traps even provide zoning potential. She also makes positioning in teamfights simple since hitting enemies from the backline isn’t a problem. And in case one of them tries to escape, Ace in the Hole will get them. Caitlyn is simply one of the safest bot lane picks because she’s easy to play and rewarding.
Item build
As with most ADCs, the Precision tree is essential for Caitlyn. It grants you access to a mini-heal and movement speed buff via the Fleet Footwork keystone, which is severely underrated on most ADCs. The tree also gives you the lifesteal you need so that you can focus on other core items alongside Legend: Triumph to save you from low-health situations, both during the laning phase and in the mid game.
Sorcery should be your secondary tree. It grants you access to Nimbus Cloak to make you mobile after using a summoner spell and Gathering Storm to increase your scaling potential.
Ability priority
Caitlyn’s skill priority is: R>Q>W>E. Her Q is her bread and butter ability, allowing you to easily clear waves or unleash devastating amounts of damage on enemy champs. It’s best to sync it up with your trap from W, which is why W is maxed second to lower the cooldown and allow you to combo Q with W as often as possible. While E is the only mobility ability in your kit, it’s maxed last since the utility from W outweighs the cooldown reduction from E.
Game plan
Your general goal as Caitlyn is to make the laning phase hell for your opposing bottom lane. Use your high range to harass your opponent on a consistent basis. Put traps down to stop them in their tracks and unleash devastating amounts of damage when they try to run away. If a jungler comes, you have both your trap and dash on E to deal with them. Your base damage is so high that you can easily turn on them with your support and kill them before they even reach you.
As the game goes by, keep farming well and get your core items to be the carry your team needs. In teamfights, don’t use your dash aggressively and use your traps wisely around neutral objectives or during a siege to stop the enemy from engaging.
Kalista
Pros
- Strong laner
- Strong objective control via her E
Cons
- Slows cripple her
- Needs excellent orb walking
Kalista became more popular after recent buffs to her base stats. She suddenly started being picked in the top lane but has slowly transitioned to her traditional ADC role as well. She’s one of the best marksmen to secure objectives, which makes her a high priority in competitive play. In solo queue, and she’s picked for her strong laning phase when coupled with a support who can peel for her.
Item build
While the Domination primary tree is preferred for top lane Kalista, bot lane Kalista utilizes the Precision primary tree with access to Lethal Tempo.
The Precision primary page gives you access to two attack speed enhancing runes, Lethal Tempo and Legend: Alacrity, which allow you to stack your spears easier and do more damage in a shorter period of time. Overheal makes you tankier and less susceptible to dying before a fight starts. Coup de Grace is taken as a finisher to help you out during the laning phase to deal unexpected amounts of damage to lower health targets.
The most-picked secondary page right now is Sorcery to access Nimbus Cloak and the stacking AD from Gathering Storm.
Ability priority
Kalista’s ability priority depends on matchups. We recommend R>Q>E>W against squishier matchups and R>E>Q>W against tankier matchups. Both E and Q have their upsides. Q deals more upfront damage, while E deals more damage if you have the time to stack the spears on the enemy. Max W last since the bonus damage and lower cooldown are much less impactful compared to the other two.
Game plan
Try to go for trades often to proc Lethal Tempo and the bonus damage from W. If enemies engage on you during the laning phase, don’t panic. Just start kiting and stacking spears. They do a lot of damage, so you shouldn’t waste the cooldown if you have only one or two stacks unless it’s a guaranteed kill. Try to stack some spears early on a minion then hit a few autos on the enemy champions and use your E. This will deal some poke damage while also resetting the cooldown on your E, allowing you to do the same combo again.
In teamfights, take care of your support with your ultimate, pay attention to your positioning, and play fights back to front. Don’t dive in on enemy champions. You want to be the reliable damage your team needs.
Aphelios
Pros
- Flexible playstyle
- Strong kit
- Fits most compositions without problems
Cons
- Immobile
- Requires weapon management
Aphelios is a one-of-a-kind champion. He was marketed as the most unique AD to enter the Rift and the community thought he’d be the Invoker of League. Instead, he became one of the most powerful ADCs with barely any downsides. While his kit is strong overall regardless of weapon combination, there’s still some expression of skill. Master Aphelios players can be easily distinguished from first-time Aphelios users. If you want to experience what it’s like to play one of the strongest ADCs in the game, then Aphelios is for you.
He refuses to die and fade away in the meta and keeps staying afloat even after multiple nerfs since his release.
Item build
There have been a couple of viable talent trees for Aphelios, but most players use the Precision primary tree due to Conqueror. This keystone is broken in the right hands and allows you to outheal most teamfight damage if you fully stack it. Overheal alongside Legend: Bloodline act as defensive options, while Cut Down is taken to deal with pesky tanks.
The most-picked secondary rune page is Sorcery due to Nimbus Cloak. Without any mobility spells in Aphelios’s kit, he’s at the mercy of the movement speed buffs that he can get through Nimbus Cloak or ally buffs. Gathering Storm is taken to improve his scaling throughout the game.
Ability priority
Aphelios doesn’t have any abilities to max. He automatically gets access to his Q at level two and his ultimate at level six, 11, and 16. Instead, he gets access to level up stats: attack damage, attack speed, and armor penetration. The priority for him is attack damage > attack speed > armor penetration.
Game plan
Aphelios is one of the strongest ADCs in the game, but he needs items to excel. His core build is Essence Reaver into Runaan’s Hurricane. This combination will allow him to melt enemy players in teamfights. Therefore, you should play as safe as possible during the laning phase. Don’t take unfavorable trades. Try to learn what your combination of weapons does to use it as efficiently as possible.
In teamfights, your goal is to stick around your team, try to land a good ultimate, and then follow up with autos from a safe distance. Always keep track of what weapons you have in the queue and learn the best combinations for different situations.
Ezreal
Pros
- Rewarding gameplay
- Strong zone control via Iceborn Gauntlet
- Fluid, synergizing kit
Cons
- Skillshot reliant
- Needs time to scale
Ezreal is one of the best ADCs for newbies to the role to pick. He teaches you how to land skillshots, how to maximize damage output via auto attacking between abilities, and how to zone off enemies from an objective with your Iceborn Gauntlet. While he isn’t as strong as Senna or Aphelios, who are the two best ADCs in the game right now, he’s a strong contender, especially after recent buffs.
Item build
Ezreal used to run with Kleptomancy before it was reworked into Omnistone. The Inspiration tree was core on him since it granted him sustain, boots, and additional CDR. With the removal of Kleptomancy, most Ezreal players transitioned to the Precision primary tree, which is used by most meta ADCs. Lethal Tempo allows you to unleash fast auto attacks, especially when stacked with attack speed. Presence of Mind grants you additional damage via Muramana, Legend: Bloodline is for sustain to keep you healthy before you get your lifesteal items, and Coup de Grace will help you finish off low health opponents. The secondary Sorcery tree grants you additional CDR and Manaflow Band gives you additional AD via Muramana and makes sure you never run out of mana.
Ability priority
Ezreal’s skill priority is: R>Q>E>W. His Q needs to be maxed first regardless of AD/AP build since it reduces his other cooldowns if a target is hit. It’s the bread and butter ability for farming, poking, and helping you proc your Sheen item. E is maxed second after Q since mobility is much more important than the additional damage scaling from W.
Game plan
Ezreal is one of the strongest mid-game ADCs. To reach the mid-game, you have a simple game plan. Farm efficiently during the laning phase to purchase Manamurne and a Sheen Item (Trinity Force or Iceborn Gauntlet). With Manamurne converted to Muramana at around 20 minutes and the Sheen item completed, you’re at your strongest point in the game. At this stage of the game, your goal is to group with your teammates and push for objectives. You’ll fall off compared to other ADCs, but you’ll still be a reliable damage dealer even in the later stages of the game. Remember to weave auto attacks between your abilities to maximize damage output.
Ashe
Pros
- Global ultimate
- Easy to play
- AoE CC
Cons
- No dash
Ashe has risen from the ashes and has returned to the meta after a long absence. Her simple kit combined with the latest reworked item, Death’s Dance, makes her a good pick into most meta bottom lane compositions.
She can withstand Syndra and Aphelios with ease and that makes her a great pick in today’s bot meta that’s infested with these two champions.
Item build
While there are a couple of viable builds, this is one of the most efficient ones with Precision as the primary tree. Lethal Tempo allows you to do insane amounts of damage when combined with your Q. Presence of Mind helps you keep your mana in check to spam those W’s all game long. Legend: Alacrity will grant you the needed attack speed to do damage as often as possible and Coup de Grace is taken to help you land that killing blow on the low health opponent.
The secondary tree is Inspiration with Biscuits and Approach Velocity, which will be easily proced by you with your W. It helps you stick onto targets once you have them locked down.
Ability priority
Ashe’s skill priority is R>W>Q>E. You want to max W as soon as possible to be able to waveclear easily and also poke your enemies down. In some rare circumstances you might want to max Q first—for example if you’re facing two tanks in the bottom lane. This is a rare occurrence but might be possible in today’s meta and so the poke from W will be useless.
If you max Q first then remember to max W second, the utility from E is negligible since it is useless in teamfights, where your team needs you to do as much damage as possible.
Game plan
Ashe is a stable ADC which excels in all stages of the game. While she might get beaten during the laning phase or outscalled in the later stages of the game by other ADCs, her team can always count on her being useful.
Adapt your build based on what the enemy team composition is. If they’re running a lot of tanks, then rush Blade of the Ruined King. If they’re filled with squishy champions then rush Essence Reaver or Infinity Edge instead. Regardless of your starting items, always remember to get Ruunan’s Hurricane and Death’s Dance. These two items amplify your power more than any other item in the game.