How to Itemize as an ADC

AD carries (ADC) are typically ranged AD damage dealers, for they mainly utilize their auto attacks to do damage, but sometimes also through spells scaling with AD and even crit.

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Aos Síth

Key Takeaways on ADC Itemization:

  • ADCs are long-range AD damage dealers
  • They can build on hit, crit or lethality depending on how they operate and what they want to do
  • ADCs build like glass cannons and need to rely on positioning and timing to survive while dealing damage
  • ADCs want to utilize positioning and timing to be able to do damage with their long-range but not take that much damage on their own.

The stats ADCs look for is AD, attack speed as well as crit or on-hit. Due to the auto-attack nature and long-range — they tend to build on-hit or crit glass cannons and focus either on auto-attack damage or mixed with some spell damage as well. ADCs with strong poke spells and AD scaling can build Assassin builds.

Crit GP and Master Yi are essentially melee ADCs — operating much in a similar way of having to find timings where they can do their damage without getting blown up. They also build largely the same as an ADC.

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Crit

ADC itemization is relatively simple and they usually just build their own items. The big choices for ADCs are as crit is which mythic you want. Immortal Shieldbow if you need sustain and a shield to survive some damage that is difficult to position against, Galeforce if you need a mobility spell defensively or offensively, and Kraken if you have an attack speed steroid or simply don’t need any of the actives/passives of the other ones.

The second choice is Infinity Edge (IE) or Navori’s Quickblades. IE is good on all characters and increases your pure auto attack damage and is very strong for characters that go for one auto attack trades/pokes. Navori is especially good on characters that rely on their spells for a large portion of their damage and can easily auto attack. It is also strong on characters that play around a certain spell’s cooldown to do their damage safely.

The Collector is a weird item – as it contains both lethality and crit, an item which fits better with burst crit ADCs like Gangplank. But on more sustained auto attacks ADCs lethality is only strong very early and the execute on The Collector is mainly good if you are looking to one-tap someone. Stormrazor, another niche crit item, is mainly useful for characters going for one auto attack pokes or picks with the slow

Typically Lord Dominiks Regard is built as a second/third item, but it can be delayed if opponents lack armor. The options you have then are quite extensive. Bloodthirster for sustain and a shield, Phantom Dancer for kiting and attack speed, Runaan’s Hurricane if you want more AoE damage, and/or apply On-Hit effects.

Rapid Fire Cannon is good for one auto-attack pokes or if you can’t get auto attacks in without it. Essence Reaver is a strong item for characters that don’t need that much attack speed and use spells to empower auto attacks.

You don’t want to have to build Mortal Reminder as an ADC, but you can replace LDR with it if none else is good at applying Grievous Wounds. 

On-Hit

On-Hit ADCs essentially build the same items. For the most part, Kraken is mythic, but sometimes Shieldbow, and then it comes down to which order you build your on-hit items. Blade of the Ruined King for tank shredding, Wit’s End versus AP damage, Rageblade if you don’t need the other ones or build a lot of crit, and Muramana if spell based. They also usually build Runaan’s Hurricane to apply on-hit and if they need additional survival Bloodthirster and if they need to further shred tanks Lord Dominik’s Regard. 

On-hit ADCs can even build Nashor’s tooth if they have strong AP scaling.

Lethality

Lethality ADCs essentially operate the same as an Assassin except that they don’t need to get close and escape but they build essentially the same way. Items like Prowler’s Claw can even be used by ADCs to dodge certain abilities and to reposition. 

General Options for ADCs

ADCs across the categories can mix items between themselves based on circumstances, on-hit can easily build crit due to Rageblade. Crit can build on-hit if the active/passive is strong in the circumstances. Lethality can mix in both of the other categories if they mix in auto attacks with their poke. 

Crit ADCs may also want to build certain non-crit items that empower spells like Syreldas which is very strong for characters that use damage spells consistently. Muramana and Ravenous Hydra are similarly so. Mixing in On-Hit items can also be good in certain circumstances. Serpent’s Fang against shields, Maw of Malmortius to survive AP burst, Black Cleaver if you need additional armor shred and can stack it quickly. You don’t have to have 100% crit, in certain circumstances other items will increase your overall damage more.

Some of the items that can be built by all three categories are Syreldas which is very strong for characters that use damage spells consistently, Muramana and Ravenous Hydra similarly so. Serpent’s Fang against shields, Black Cleaver if you need additional armor shred and can stack it quickly.

Mercurial Scimitar is a rare pick, as if you need cleanse you usually have the summoner spell or even Mikael’s on your support. But QSS is the only thing that can break suppression so may be a good buy if you can’t out-position it.

A crucial issue for all ADCs is when to build armor-shredding items. It is crucial to keep tabs on the armor of your opponents to see how early you need to build them. But for the most part they will be a part of the first 3 items, at worst 4th non-boots items, as at that point even base armor is high enough that it will generally out-dps most other options.

Defensive Options for ADCs

Stopwatch is a very strong item for ADCs as it can nullify certain engages like Vi ultimate, and if this is the only thing that can catch you it may even be good to complete a Zhonyas. Other defensive options are Maw of Malmortius against AP burst and Guardian Angel which is good if you can get dove.

ADCs with full-on tank items like Randiuns and Frozen Heart aren’t unheard of either. Especially if they tend to be close like Vayne or Kog’Maw.