League of Legends Patch 14.18 is here and it brings so many changes to the game. You might be wondering what's the best champion pick for LoL Ranked. The new patch shakes up the meta, and brings a lot of buffs and nerfs to champs. In this article, we are taking a look at the best ADC champions so you can start climbing up the ranked ladder.
We will give several examples of champions per tier, so you can decide for yourself which pick fits your play style and which ADC will give you the best chances of carrying your team to victory.
Given how much the meta can shake things up, you should pay attention to each patch as your favorite champion might be hit with the nerf hammer, as Riot unleashes a new broken champion in the bot lane.
Table of Contents
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Tier List Explanation
This tier list will examine some of the most-played League of Legends ADC champions.
- S-Tier: The best champions you can use to ensure you are always victorious.
- A-Tier: Great options but lacking just slightly either in terms of damage or utility.
- B-Tier: Viable and reliable in most situations, you can manage rather decently.
- C-Tier: Although they can be somewhat decent, you are better off with other picks.
- D-Tier: You should avoid playing these champions as much as possible.
NOTE: Although this tier list strives to be as objective as possible in terms of viability, you should not limit yourself to strictly adhere to this list, but rather experiment and see which champion feels fun to play with.
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S-Tier ADC Champions
Kai'Sa
Kai'Sa, as a hybrid between a marksman and an assassin, is absolutely dominating patch 14.18. She's absolutely insane in the bot lane thanks to her high burst and mobility. Just make sure you ban ADC champs who out-range her, such as Caitlyn.
PROS:
- High burst and DPS
- Great scaling
CONS:
- Reliant on items
- Not easy to play (but not super hard either)
Jinx
Jinx is back in the S tier after a short stay in the A tier in patch 14.17. The slight buff to her attack speed per level was exactly what she needed.
PROS:
- Easy to play and master
- Huge range
- Global ULT
CONS:
- Squishy
- Reliant on items
- High pick and ban rate
Jhin
The Fleet Footwork changes don't bother Jhin so he's still as solid, versatile, and reliable as ever.
PROS:
- Great scaling
- Versatile kit
- Amazing range and AD
CONS:
- Difficult to master
- Low attack speed
Miss Fortune
Miss Fortune's base attack damage got reduced but this was only to end her OP status. She's still insanely powerful and definitely deserving of being in the S-tier.
PROS:
- Great poke
- Lane bully
- Strong burst
CONS:
- Squishy
Caitlyn
Caitlyn got buffed in the previous patch and she's still going strong in this one. Her long-range and burst definitely need to be feared.
PROS:
- Huge range
- Great poke
CONS:
- Difficult early game
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A-Tier ADC Champions
Lucian
Being a mobile ADC with stable damage, Lucian is getting better and better with each patch.
PROS:
- Amazing duelist
- Very mobile
CONS:
- Short range
Ziggs
Ziggs got a small nerf to his passive in patch 14.18. Fortunately for Ziggs mains, this didn't do much to his overall performance and he's keeping his spot from the last ADC tier list.
PROS:
- Great late game
- Amazing zoning
CONS:
- Squishy
- Mana hungry
Ashe
The Bloodthirster nerf doesn't bother Ashe too much and she's keeping her A-Tier ADC status, being a decent Ranked-choice.
PROS:
- Strong crowd control and vision
- Global Ult
CONS:
- Low Burst
Samira
Samira got a buff to her Q's damage, landing her in A-tier. She's doing way better but keep in mind that she's not that easy to play.
PROS:
- Great in team fights
- Huge snowball potential
- Mobile
CONS:
- Difficult to pick up and master
- Weaker late game
- You need to hit combos
- Highest ADC ban rate
Seraphine
Guess who's still in the ADC A-tier and going strong? Seraphine has been a surprisingly good ADC for a while now and her win rate is getting better and better. She has everything you need - charm, stun, shield, and heal!
PROS:
- Versatile kit
- Strong Utility
- Heal and shield
- Low pick and ban rate
CONS:
- Squishy
Kog'Maw
Kog'Maw is still having his very strong moments, because of his mixed damage and long range. He seems to be a reliable ADC choice in the current meta, just not as OP as the other S-tier champs.
PROS:
- Hypercarry potential
- Strong late game
- Good range
CONS:
- Weak early game
- No mobility
- Relies on the team
Nilah
Nilah shines the brightest while in team fights but she's pretty strong in her landing phase too, thanks to her decent damage. She can heal and shield herself and her teammates, which makes her way more sustainable.
PROS:
- Hypercarry
- Strong in team fights
- A lot of players in Low Elo don't know how to counter her
CONS:
- Squishy
- Vulnerable to CC
- Hard to master
Swain
Similar to Seraphine, Swain is a mage who's doing surprisingly well as an ADC. He offers good sustain and crowd control, combined with being an annoying lane bully. However, keep in mind that it's not easy to 1v5 with him.
PROS:
- Lane bully
- Versatile
- Insane AoE
CONS:
- Mana issues
- Squishy
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B-Tier ADC Champions
Varus
Varus is being demoted to the B-tier due to a serious nerf to his Q and E AD ratio.
PROS:
- Adequate damage and tower pushing
- Good tank killer
CONS:
- Very squishy
- Can struggle against heavy engage comps
Zeri
Similar to Varus, Zeri got hit by a small nerf to her passive. She's still in the B-tier but performing slightly worse on the Summoner's Rift.
PROS:
- Easily dodges abilities
- AoE damage
CONS:
- Very hard to pick up and master
- Squishy
- Weak early game
Ezreal
Ezreal might have pretty good popularity and pick-rate but he's not shining through when it comes to his performance in Ranked.
PROS:
- Long range
- Hybrid damage
CONS:
- Weak AAs
- Takes too much time to scale
Draven
Draven is dropping to the B-tier. Although he has pretty good damage, he's simply lacking compared to other ADCs.
PROS:
- Snowball potential
- Aggressive and fun
CONS:
- Difficult to have a comeback if you're behind
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Yasuo
ADC Yasuo is still a decent pick for Ranked if you really wanna play this champion. However, playing him in mid-lane is always the optimal choice. You'll definitely perform better there.
PROS:
- Huge carry potential in low elo
- Annoying lane bully
- Dominates team fights
CONS:
- High ban and pick rate
- Low elo players don't play him well (huge feed potential)
Vayne
Vayne is doing better in the most recent League of Legends patch, so she's going up a tier. This champion offers great mobility and damage and we hope she manages to get even better as we're coming closer to the end of the season.
PROS:
- Great carry potential
- Spykes after just one item
- Scales very well
CONS:
- Bad wave clear
- Very dependent on the support early on
Sivir
Similar to Vayne, Sivir is a better choice in patch 14.18 than in 14.17. However, as usual, Sivir is 'just okay'. There's a lot of room for improvement with her. The great thing bout Sivir is that she's possibly one of the best pushers in LoL.
PROS:
- Shield
- Good wave clear
CONS:
- Squishy
- Short range
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C-Tier ADC Champions
Hwei
You might have heard about Hwei's buff. However, it considers his shield strength for allies. This means this buff is only relevant to Hwei supports.
Aphelios
Aphelios is stuck in the C-Tier for now. He's not offering anything special in the current patch, so keep him on the back burner.
PROS:
- AoE damage
- Great duelist
CONS:
- Difficult to play
- No mobility
Xayah
Xayah is out of the D-tier but she doesn't manage to escape the list of the weakest ADCs. She has been in a rough place for a while now and we wonder if Riot will help her perform better soon.
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D-Tier ADC Champions
Smolder
Just when we thought things were going well for Smolder, he got hit by a heavy nerf in 14.18. His Q and W deal less damage and his base health is reduced.
PROS:
- AoE Damage
CONS:
- Squishy
- Dependent on gold and stacks
Tristana
Trsitana is struggling to find her place in the LoL meta. Look for more reliable options elsewhere.
Kalista
Kalista is difficult to play and doesn't offer anything. She's definitely a champion which you need to avoid playing in Ranked.
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Summary of Best Bot Lane Champions in League of Legends Patch 14.18
All in all, this list is surely to change based on balance changes the devs implement but it should give you a general idea of which champions are strong and which might need some additional tuning to become more viable.
Tier | Bot Lane Champions |
S-Tier | Caitlyn, Jinx, Miss Fortune, Kai'Sa, Jhin |
A-Tier | Lucian, Ashe, Samira, Serpahine, Kog'Maw, Nilah, Swain |
B-Tier | Varus, Zeri, Ezreal, Draven, Yasuo, Vayne, Sivir |
C-Tier | Hwei, Aphelios, Xayah, |
D-Tier | Smolder, Tristana, Kalista |
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