The Bot Lane meta has been all over the place in Season 26, and many champions have come and gone. This year, we have seen a massive increase in AP champions calling the bottom lane home. Riot has been struggling to balance the Bot Lane role lately: trying to make ADCs popular again without overbuffing them or letting them dominate. Whether you’re just getting into League, want to learn ADC, or are getting back into the ranked grind, this guide will help you understand the strongest Bot Laners to main for the rest of Season 26.
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. Jinx
Jinx is a fan favourite ADC in the bottom lane, and despite this season's meta changes, she remains a popular pick. She is pretty strong throughout all stages of the game, making her one of the most reliable ADCs to play. She is very straightforward for beginners, and with good micro, you can climb incredibly quickly on her.
She scales well, making it easy to transition into the mid and late game. If she gets early gold, gains a CS lead, and secures some tower plates, she can rapidly snowball into the mid-game. In team fights, her Passive lets her reposition and increase her damage output through the added attack speed and bonus movement speed, helping her clean up entire fights.
Jinx is fantastic in Solo Queue as she can work with a variety of different Supports. She pairs well with strong frontliners or enchanters who can protect and empower her. She stands to be one of the best hyper-carry ADCs in Solo Queue for the rest of this Season.
How to Play Jinx
2. Caitlyn
Caitlyn is one of the more dominant ADCs in the game, thanks to her unmatched base attack range. She can constantly poke out her lane opponents, deny enemy last hits and easily control he wave. Paired with an aggressive engage Support, it is go time in lane; with a poke Support, she can lock down the enemy laner.
Her superior laning pressure and priority make it easy for Caitlyn to gain a massive gold advantage, since she can pick up early tower plates. This allows her to get her core items faster than many other champions, giving her a faster power spike. At objectives like the Dragon, this can be the difference between a win or a loss!
If you’re not mechanically gifted in League of Legends, don’t worry. Caitlyn is relatively straightforward for players who understand basic trading patterns, bot lane wave management, and lane spacing. Her combos around her traps are the hardest part of her kit, but if you can understand them, then we recommend you play her for the rest of the Season!
How to Play Caitlyn
3. Viktor
Viktor has emerged as a very strong AP option in the bottom lane. While the previous 2 champions are traditional marksmen, AP champions have been doing well in the current meta. Viktor has strong wave clear with his E, plus strong AoE damage and zone control. His laning phase is straightforward as well: poing with E and last-hitting minions.
He is much safer in the bottom lane right now than mid, which lets him stack his Passive quickly, get his upgrades faster, and start pushing even faster after he upgrades his E. He can also transition to the Dragon easily and use his W at key choke points to force the enemy into terrible positioning or make them give up the Drake.
In Lower ELOs, you may find yourself in full AD team comps. Picking Viktor lets you have an AD Jungler and AD mid, so your team has mixed damage overall. In the late game, Viktor can be extremely strong because he scales incredibly well. If you’re looking for a flex pick, Viktor should be your champion.
How to Play Viktor
4. Xerath
Another strong AP Bot Laner in League of Legends right now is Xerath. Xerath is a strong artillery mage, as his Q outranges all marksmen, making it hard for the enemy Bot laner to trade with you. While running out of mana, poking is a problem for most mages; Xerath has his passive, which keeps him topped up in lane!
During the laning phase, he should prioritise farming and poking the enemy down. Chaining your W into Q can deal considerable damage when you get multiple points in both abilities. A significant health lead will force your opponent to recall or fall behind. If you pair him with another aggressive or poke champion like Lux or Vel’Koz, the enemy will have a really hard time in lane.
During the mid and late game, Xerath is a huge threat in team fights as he can snipe enemies from afar with his Ultimate. He can also delay team fights and objectives, forcing players to recall or leave objectives thanks to his oppressive Q and W poke. Xerath is hard, but if you understand how to play him mechanically, you can flex him in Mid and Support too.
How to Play Xerath
5. Kai'Sa
The final champion on our list is Kai’Sa, who is another fan-favourite ADC. She is unique compared to some other bot laners, but she can upgrade her abilities based on what items she buys. This lets her adapt her playstyle, and you can build her as AD or AP depending on your needs.
Kai’Sa excels in lane when paired with an aggressive engage Support like Nautilus or Leona, who can also apply stacks of her Passive, letting her deal even more damage in a trade and scary burst damage!
In the mid and late game, Kai’Sa can use her Ultimate to catch out enemies who may be picked off. She can use this ability to all-in or reposition away from enemies running toward you, letting you kite and get out of danger. Kai’Sa does have some tough matchups, but if you understand how to manage waves effectively, understand her mechanics and know when and when not to fight, you will climb with her for the remainder of the Season!
How to Play Kai'Sa
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 content, including the best champion picks for each of the other roles!