In the newest season of League of Legends, the ADC role has seen several direct changes to improve it for players. Some of the changes include direct buffs to some champions, nerfs to your lane opponents, and quests to make you even stronger. Every season, it seems like the top AD Carries change, and this season is no different.
In this article, we are going to discuss the five strongest AD Carries you should be playing if you want to climb quickly in the new season. These champions are really strong, and we recommend that you pick them if you are struggling to find a champion to play.
Before we begin, the data in this article is from our Mobalytics tier list. It is also using Platinum+, global and mid-patch data. While some of these champions might not be statistically the best, they’re very strong overall, and our list is in no order...
1. Sivir
Sivir is our first recommendation, and one of the best ADCs to be playing in the new Season of League of Legends. On the first patch on 16.1, Sivir had a 52.9% win rate, making her one of the strongest ADCs in the current meta.
She is one of the easiest ADCs to play, making her a great pick for players of all skill levels. Her Spell Shield is extremely valuable against all-ins and burst damage, allowing her to survive situations and poke damage from enemy Supports or ADCs. This defensive tool gives her a lot of safety and security in the lane.
While Sivir isn’t great at level 6 compared to many other champions, she has great utility that will come in handy in team fights. Her Ultimate and her key abilities provide a lot of utility and damage in team fights, helping her win them for her team!
How to Play Sivir
2. Jinx
Jinx is a fan favourite ADC for most AD Carry players. For a few seasons now, Jinx has been a very strong ADC throughout all stages of the game, which has contributed to her 52.6% win rate on patch 16.1
Jinx is pretty straightforward and simple to understand and play, which makes her a good option for basically all players of varying skill. She scales incredibly well and is a late-game monster. If she is able to get an early lead, she can snowball this and become a real threat in the late game.
In team fights, she deals a lot of damage with her basic attacks and Q, and with the recent quest changes, Jinx is even stronger thanks to her having more damage items. She has also benefited from the recent item changes, which allow her to thrive in those late-game fights.
How to Play Jinx
3. Smolder
The third champion on our list is Smolder, who has a 53.8% win rate on patch 16.1. With champions actually being able to hit the late game now, Smolder is able to scale effectively and able to execute his enemies.
He has excellent synergy with utility and tank supports, who can help him either survive the lane, get kills early, or just help him scale. Smolder is also a snowball-heavy champion, meaning early advantages can quickly translate into strong mid-game pressure.
His Passive is extremely strong in the late game, allowing him to deal significant damage in extended fights. Smolder truly shines in team fights, where he can consistently apply damage and chase down the enemy and execute them.
How to Play Smolder
4. Aphelios
While Aphelios’ win rate isn’t the best at 50.1% on patch 16.1, he has a very good win rate when in the right hands. Unfortunately, Aphelios is quite complex to understand as he has a lot of weapons, and you need to understand the perfect weapon combos in order to deal the most damage.
He is hard to play, but many players do not fully understand his kit or how to play against him, which allows experienced Aphelios players to capitalise on enemy mistakes. His complexity often works in his favour, especially in Low ELO or in a good matchup.
Aphelios is very strong in the late game, especially after completing 6 offensive items. With the reintroduction of Stormrazor, he has even more utility, more build options and lots of extra damage! The final good thing about Aphelios is that he synergises well with many of the top-tier Supports in the current meta, allowing basically anyone to be picked with him.
How to Play Aphelios
5. Caitlyn
Caitlyn is the final recommendation we have for you today! Caitlyn can be one of the strongest, lane-dominant ADCs in the game, and when paired with another lane-dominant Support, the enemy has no chance in lane. Her long range allows her to constantly apply pressure in the lane and poke the enemy down.
She has excellent pushing power, making it easy for her to secure turret plates early and gain a huge gold lead over the enemy, allowing her to complete her first item quicker than her opponents. This has contributed to her 50.2% win rate on patch 16.1.
Fundamentally, Caitlyn is quite easy to play, especially for players who understand trading patterns, wave management and when and when not to trade. Even if you’re not mechanically gifted, Caitlyn is a great option for newbies and veterans of League of Legends, and I recommend that you pick her if you’re struggling to find an ADC that suits your playstyle!
How to Play Caitlyn
Final Thoughts
That about concludes this article. We hope it helps you climb the ranks quickly! Be sure to check out our guides page for more new-season content, including the best champion picks for each of the other roles!