A lot is involved in being a good AD carry in League of Legends, and it’s arguably the most mechanically skilled role. The best ADC for each patch changes by the minute, with the meta and item adjustments constantly adding variance to the bot lane.
ADCs come in all shapes and sizes, and you must pick the correct one to match the composition your team is looking to play. If you are looking for a long-range poke, choose Caitlyn, and if you want a lategame hyper-carry, Vayne. It also depends on personal preference. Here are the five best League ADCs in Patch 14.21.
Best League ADC champions in Patch 14.21
The current best bottom laners on Patch 14.21 are:
- Draven
- Jinx
- Kog’Maw
- Corki
- Ashe
Draven
We begin our list with arguably one of the most iconic AD carries in the game—Draven. The champion’s eccentric voice lines and bloodthirsty playstyle cemented him in League‘s books forever. But he doesn’t belong purely to the history books, since his prowess on the Summoner’s Rift in the current meta is one of a kind.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Rewarding gameplay – Immense damage – Can singlehandedly snowball the game | – Lack of proper mobility makes him susceptible to crowd control – Requires mechanical prowess |
Draven’s a high risk, high reward type of champion. With his League of Draven (passive), players try to earn as many stacks to then earn tons of gold after slaying enemy champions. If successful, Draven can easily and quickly get a massive lead, and with his mid and late-game scaling, having such an upper hand will often lead to winning the game.
On the other hand, this will often mark Draven as the biggest threat, and with no sensible mobility tools at his disposal, he can get easily taken down and put in the backseat. With that in mind, it’s worth playing the game safe as Draven, at least in the first couple of minutes.
| Areas of Interest | Best options for Draven |
|---|---|
| Best runes | Rune tree one: Precision – Lethal Tempo – Presence of Mind – Legend: Alacrity – Cut Down Rune tree two: Domination – Eyeball Collection – Treasure Hunter Offense: Attack speed Flex: Adaptive force Defense: Health |
| Best items | – Berserker’s Greaves – Bloodthirster – Infinity Edge When it comes to AD carries, many of them have similar building paths, and that’s the case with Draven. The Noxian champion should stack attack damage, lifesteal, and attack speed while acquiring some armor penetration along the way. With that in mind, don’t mind finishing the build with The Collector, Lord Dominik’s Regards, Rapid Firecannon, or Immortal Shieldbow. |
| Best summoner spells | – Flash – Barrier/Heal |
| Best skill order | – Spinning Axe (Q) – Blood Rush (W) – Stand Aside (E) After getting these three under your belt, maximize Q first, followed by W and E, respectively. |
| Best Supports to pair with Draven | – Renata Glasc – Karma – Lulu – Thresh – Poppy – Rell |
| Toughest matchups for Draven | – Corki – Kog’Maw – Lux – Ziggs – Caitlyn |
Jinx
Jinx is one of the better lategame hyper-carries in League. She’s deadly in multiple ways, whether up close with her minigun or from range with her rockets. Jinx has many ways to inflict a lot of damage on her opponents. With her Super Mega Death Rocket! (R.), she always has great comeback mechanics if you do find yourself in a losing position. One execution can change the game for Jinx.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Very good scaling – Aggressive kit – Ultimate provides great comeback mechanics on executable targets | – Weaker laning phase – Burns through mana – Most of her abilities are skill shots |
Like most hyper-carries in League, Jinx’s plan is simple. Step one is to make it to the late game, or at least to a point where she has three or four items in her inventory. That’s when she starts to deal some serious damage, even to tanks. Step two is to, you guessed it, deal that damage and win the game as a result. From our experience, the second one is easier to execute.
Due to lack of mobility, Jinx will also often be a primary target for the enemy team, so be sure to always have a support or other champion by your side. That’s why picks like Taric, Tahm Kench, and Poppy work best with Jinx.
| Areas of Interest | Best options for Jinx |
|---|---|
| Best runes | Rune tree one: Precision – Lethal Tempo – Presence of Mind – Legend: Bloodline – Cut Down Rune tree two: – Absolute Focus – Gathering Storm Offense: Attack speed Flex: Adaptive force Defense: Health |
| Best items | – The Collector – Infinity Edge – Berserker’s Greaves – Opportunity The combo outlined above is enough to make any Jinx a perilous champion in every game. You should round up your build with something like Lord Dominik’s Regards, which will boost your armor penetration, and something like Guardian Angel or Bloodthirster, depending on your needs. |
| Best summoner spells | – Flash – Barrier/Heal |
| Best skill order | – Switcheroo! (Q) – Zap! (W) – Flame Chompers! (E) Initially, you should max out your Switcheroo to increase the damage dealt with both of your types of auto attacks. After that, put points in W and E, respectively. |
| Best Supports to pair with Jinx | – Poppy – Tahm Kench – Taric – Maokai – Rell – Lulu |
| Toughest matchups for Jinx | – Draven – Kalista – Corki – Tristana – Lucian – Seraphine |
Jhin
Numerous AD carries rise and fall in the rankings with each patch, but a few of them are always close to the top. This includes Jhin, who’s been one of the most versatile and powerful marksmen in the game for years.
With his unique kit, Jhin is a great option for many combinations. Due to long range and poke, he allows you to go for a safe scaling route. But, if you’d like, there’s a number of ways to utilize his abilities in an aggressive way.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Very good scaling – Aggressive kit – Provides consistent poke | – Not the strongest in the early game – Requires mechanical prowess – Is reliant on his odd auto attack mechanic |
With Jhin’s unique passive, making every fourth shot stronger, and his limited auto attacks, there is simply no better option than Fleet Footwork. It not only enhances Jhin’s attacks and heals him, but also gives him a movement speed boost. For an ADC that’s so immobile, it’s more than helpful in numerous situations.
Other than that, it’s best to pick runes like Presence of Mind to keep your mana replenished, Legend: Bloodline to provide yourself with some life steal, and Coup de Grace to simply finish off enemies faster.
| Areas of Interest | Best options for Jhin |
|---|---|
| Best runes | Rune tree one: Domination – Dark Harvest – Taste of Blood – Eyeball Collection – Treasure Hunter Rune tree two: Precision – Presence of Mind – Coup de Grace Offense: Adaptive force Flex: Adaptive force Defense: Health |
| Best items | – Boots of Swiftness – The Collector – Youmuu’s Ghostblade Thanks to Jhin’s unique gameplay, his build path significantly changes when compared to the other AD carries. The finishing picks should still be items like Infinity Edge, Lord Dominik’s Regards, or Bloodthirster. |
| Best summoner spells | – Flash – Barrier/Heal |
| Best skill order | – Dancing Grenade (Q) – Deadly Flourish (W) – Captive Audience (E) Once you pass the third level, max Q, W, and E, respectively. |
| Best Supports to pair with Jhin | – Tahm Kench – Zyra – Bard – Poppy – Senna |
| Toughest matchups for Jhin | – Draven – Kalista – Seraphine – Lucian – Sivir |
Corki
Well, would you look at that. The prodigal son is back. After years spent dominating the mid lane, Corki returns to the bot lane meta. He was nerfed to oblivion in the after flooding the mid lane position. The nerfs made him unplayable, which prompted Riot to aid Corki with his latest buffs. As a result, these have transformed him into a bottom lane menace.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Fun and strong – Quite mobile, especially with the Package – Easy to learn, but hard to master | – Dependent on skill shots and abilities – Low range – Falls off a bit in the late game |
Corki brings a much-needed breath of fresh air to the bot lane. The position has always been revolving primarily around AD champions who prioritize auto attacks, but Corki’s kit is different. While his default attacks are still quite strong, his abilities are his main damage source.
On top of that, he’s presented with the Package every few minutes, which prompt him to split or dive into the enemy team. It can be a perilous, even game-ending play, but it’s also a risky one that may lead you to your demise, so be careful when and how you use it.
| Areas of Interest | Best options for Corki |
|---|---|
| Best runes | Rune tree one: Conqueror – Presence of Mind – Legend: Alacrity – Cut Down Rune tree two: Inspiration – Biscuit Delivery – Jack of All Trades Offense: Attack speed Flex: Adaptive force Defense: Health |
| Best items | – Berserker’s Greaves – The Collector – Infinity Edge Once again, there isn’t much to say about Corki’s build. After rounding up these core three items which will suffice you with damage, continue stacking things like lifesteal and armor penetration. This means acquiring Lord Dominik’s Regard, Bloodthirster, Rapid Firecannoon, and so on. |
| Best summoner spells | – Flash – Heal/Barrier |
| Best skill order | – Gattling Gun (E) – Valkyrie (W) – Phosphorus Bomb (Q) Once you pass the level three threshold, put points in Q, E, and W, respectively. |
| Best Supports to pair with Corki | – Poppy – Maokai – Milio – Morgana – Taric – Rell |
| Toughest matchups for Corki | – Draven – Kog’Maw – Varus – Ashe – Lux |
Ashe
Last but not least, we have Ashe. Like Kai’sa or Jhin, she’s always been one of the better ADCs in the meta, and that’s still the case in Patch 14.21.
Ashe doesn’t have the greatest laning phase, nor is her damage the best when compared with other marksmen. However, her abilities are excellent, with her ultimate often giving her the upper hand. Enchanted Crystal Arrow is a crowd control tool that can stun enemies for up to 3.5 seconds, which is one of the longest stuns in the entire game. Thanks to that, Ashe often forces other champions to take Cleanse or build items that can take a stun off them.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Best ADC crowd control in the game – Massive damage – Easy and fun to play | – Reliant on skill shots – Can be bullied in the laning phase |
After landing a stun or two, it’s best to unleash your potential onto enemy champions. Precision tree is almost always the best rune for ADCs, and for Ashe specifically, there is no main rune more suitable than Press the Attack.
The only exception when compared to Jhin or Miss Fortune is taking Absorb Life over Presence of Mind. Ashe won’t be wasting as much mana, and having some additional sustain is always helpful. Therefore, you may also switch Legend: Bloodline to Legend: Alacrity and secure yourself additional attack speed.
| Areas of Interest | Best options for Ashe |
|---|---|
| Best runes | Rune tree one: Precision – Lethal Tempo – Presence of Mind – Legend: Alacrity – Cut Down Rune tree two: Inspiration – BIscuit Delivery – Approach Velocity Offense: Attack speed Flex: Adaptive force Defense: Health |
| Best items | – Berserker’s Greaves – Kraken Slayer – Phantom Dancer Bloodthirster, Infinity Edge, and Lord Dominik’s Regards are terrific for Ashe, as they are for most ADCs in the game. |
| Best summoner spells | – Flash – Barrier/Heal |
| Best skill order | – Volley (W) – Ranger’s Focus (Q) – Hawkshot (E) Your skill order should be W, Q, E, respectively. |
| Best Supports to pair with Ashe | – Soraka – Karma – Lulu – Poppy – Nami |
| Toughest matchups for Ashe | – Varus – Caitlyn – Samira – Tristana – Hwei |
Tier list of best League of Legends ADCs in Patch 14.21
Naturally, we couldn’t include each AD carry in our detailed selection of the best ones in the current meta. However, if you’re looking for a complete tier list, you can find one below.
| Tier | Champions |
| S | Draven, Ashe, Jinx, Jhin, Corki |
| A | Kog’Maw, Nilah, Sivir, Xayah, Ziggs, Tristana, Lucian, Caitlyn |
| B | Brand, Yasuo, Seraphine, Aphelios, Miss Fortune, Varus, Hwei |
| C | Kalista, Ezreal, Zeri, Smolder, Twitch |
| D | Kai’Sa, Samira, Vayne |
