How to Carry as ADC in League of Legends
By Roger on May 22nd, 2025, 04:28
Playing ADC (Attack Damage Carry) in League of Legends is often described as: one misstep and you're grey-screened, but nail the performance, and you can single-handedly destroy the enemy team. The fantasy is potent: kiting, melting tanks, securing pentakills. The reality? Sometimes frustrating. But becoming the ADC that carries the team and wins games is achievable. Let's break down how you can actually carry from the bot lane.
Not all ADCs are created equal. Picking an ADC champion that fits your playstyle, the team composition, and the current meta can significantly increase your chances of winning.
ADCs generally fall into a few categories:
Hypercarries: Scalers like Jinx, Smolder, or Aphelios who become monstrous in the late game but often have weaker laning phases.
Lane Bullies: Champions like Draven or Miss Fortune who excel in the early game, aiming to build a lead and snowball.
Utility/Safe ADCs: Picks like Ezreal or Sivir who offer safety, poke, or waveclear, often fitting well into various team comps.
Understanding matchups and counterpicks helps you choose appropriately.
The League of Legends meta is constantly shifting thanks to the patch notes. Champions rise and fall in power. Knowing which champion deals strong damage currently or which ADCs have high win rates helps in picking a champion likely to perform well, especially when climbing in League of Legends. This is particularly true in low ELO, where meta picks often have a higher impact, but understanding matchups is vital even in high ELO. If you one-trick a champion, at least stay updated on the items and builds meta.
The laning phase is where your journey as a carry truly begins. Forget about flashy outplays for now—this is where consistency really matters. Your main job? Get gold. And the best way to do that is by farming well.
If you're playing ADC, last-hitting minions is non-negotiable. Every CS (Creep Score) you get is gold and experience in your pocket. Miss one? That's like throwing gold away.
Practice makes perfect. Use the practice tool until you can consistently last-hit even when under pressure. An ideal target is around 8–10 CS per minute. Why does this matter? Because strong farming means faster items, and faster items mean you hit power spikes before your lane opponent.
Farming is important, but bot lane is also a 2v2 battle. Trading damage with the enemy bot lane is an essential part of controlling the lane.
Look for moments to punish the enemy ADC when they go for CS. Small, safe pokes can stack up and give you lane pressure. But don’t just auto-attack blindly—make sure your support is ready to follow up and that you’re not overstepping.
Where you stand in lane is just as important as how you trade. Are you standing close to the wall where Blitzcrank could hook you? Are you pushing too far up without vision?
Good positioning keeps you alive and gives you more freedom to farm or trade. Bad positioning gets you killed or burned by summoners, and that puts you behind fast.
Managing the minion wave properly can decide whether you win or lose your lane.
- Push the wave when you want to reset or roam.
- Freeze near your turret if you're ahead and want to deny CS.
- Slow push to set up a big wave crash for a dive or to force the enemy to miss farm under tower.
A good wave state can protect you from ganks, open up plays for your jungler, or help you get a clean recall without missing gold.
Your support isn’t just there to soak damage (or flame); actively work with your lane partner. Learn what they need from you. Are they looking for trades? Do they need help to proc their passive? Can they peel or poke? Are they not nearby so you need to play safe?
Communicate, ping your intentions, and place wards together. A bot lane on the same page can control the lane and set the pace for the whole game.
After the laning phase comes the tricky part: translating that lead into objectives and winning teamfights. This is where good ADCs shine.
When teamfighting as an ADC, your job is to deal tons of damage, but you're also a prime target. You need to stick to the edge of the fight, using your range to chip away at enemies while staying safe. Position behind your frontline, use terrain to your advantage, and watch out for anyone trying to dive or CC (crowd control) you.
Some champs like Ezreal or Vayne have tools to escape sticky situations, but most ADCs rely on smart movement and quick decision-making. Learning how to kite around fights, dodging threats while dishing out damage, is key to surviving and carrying.
So, who should you focus in a teamfight? The classic rule still holds: hit the closest enemy you can safely damage. Sure, going for that low-health enemy in the back is tempting, but diving in usually just gets you killed. Your job is to deal steady, reliable damage, whether that's into the tank in front of you or a squishy who steps out of position.
You’re a sustained damage dealer, built to melt targets over time with attack speed and crits. Leave the risky backline dives to your assassins and bruisers, unless you see a clear, safe window to follow up.
Being a great ADC requires a great mindset. Here’s what makes ADCs truly carry:
Consistency is key: Focus on the basics every game, such as good CS, smart positioning, and knowing when to go in or back off. One bad trade or death doesn’t define the match. Stay calm and play it out.
Patience pays off: If you’re playing a scaling ADC or hypercarry, your real power comes later. Don’t force early fights if they don’t favor you. Farm up, hit your item spikes, and be ready to take over in teamfights.
Calculated aggression: Playing safe doesn’t mean being passive. Know your champ’s strengths and take those 1v1 or 2v2 fights when the odds are in your favor. Smart aggression wins lanes and games.
Don’t rely solely on your team: This is solo queue. You can't always count on perfect peels or coordination. Position like you're alone, and make decisions that keep you alive and dangerously impactful.
Invest in consistent improvement: If you’re serious about climbing, consider working with a LoL coach. Good ADC coaching can fast-track your growth, help you fix bad habits, and improve your decision-making from game to game.
