Post-patch LoL: What are the top 3 ADC meta builds for competitive play?

Navigating the Evolving ADC Landscape Post-Patch

The bottom lane in League of Legends is a constantly shifting battleground, with AD Carries dictating the pace of late-game team fights and objective control. Following recent patches, the meta has solidified around a few dominant build paths that offer unparalleled power for competitive play. Understanding these builds, their optimal champions, and their strategic implications is crucial for any aspiring pro or high-elo player.

Here, we break down the top three ADC meta builds currently dictating competitive play, providing insights into their core items, strengths, and ideal scenarios.

1. The Critical Strike Powerhouse: Infinite Damage Scaling

The classic crit build remains a staple, but its execution and preferred items have been refined. This build focuses on maximizing raw damage output through critical strikes, offering immense scaling and the ability to shred through enemy teams in the late game. Champions like Jinx, Caitlyn, Xayah, and Tristana excel with this path due to their strong auto-attack scaling and critical strike synergies.

Core Items:

• First Item (Situational): Kraken Slayer (for burst and on-hit damage), Stormrazor (for early poke and move speed), or even sometimes Bloodthirster (for sustain if needed).
• Second Item: Infinity Edge (massive damage amplification) or Navori Quickblades (for ability-heavy crit ADCs like Xayah or Zeri, enabling rapid ability rotations).
• Subsequent Items: Rapid Firecannon (poke, range, and move speed), Lord Dominik’s Regards (armor penetration against tanks), Guardian Angel (survivability), or Phantom Dancer (more move speed and attack speed).

This build thrives in compositions that can protect the ADC, allowing them to scale safely into the mid and late game where their damage becomes overwhelming. Positioning is key, as these ADCs are often immobile and vulnerable.

2. The On-Hit DPS Engine: Tank Shredding & Sustained Damage

When facing tank-heavy compositions or needing reliable sustained damage, the on-hit build emerges as the superior choice. This build focuses on applying damage effects with every auto-attack, melting even the most resilient frontlines. Champions like Varus, Vayne, Kog’Maw, and sometimes Ashe or Kalista are prime candidates for this playstyle.

Core Items:

• First Item: Guinsoo’s Rageblade (transforms crit into on-hit damage, a core component).
• Second Item: Terminus (armor and magic penetration with stacking on-hit effects).
• Subsequent Items: Wit’s End (magic resistance and magic damage on-hit, especially good against AP threats), Kraken Slayer (more true damage burst), Blade of the Ruined King (lifesteal and %HP damage), or even Phantom Dancer for attack speed and utility.

The on-hit build provides incredible sustained damage against high-health targets and can turn fights by quickly eliminating enemy tanks and bruisers. Its power curve is often smoother than pure crit, coming online earlier and remaining potent throughout the game.

3. The Spell-Slinger & Utility Master: Poke, Burst & Safety

Some ADCs prioritize ability usage, poke, and utility over raw auto-attack scaling. This build path often involves a mix of ability haste, mana, and AD to maximize spell rotations and provide unique contributions to team fights. Ezreal, Miss Fortune, and Jhin are prime examples of champions that leverage this style.

Core Items (Ezreal Example):

• First Item: Manamune (transforms into Muramana for massive AD and on-hit damage from mana).
• Second Item: Essence Reaver (AD, Crit, and mana restoration on hit for sustained spell casting).
• Subsequent Items: Serylda’s Grudge (armor penetration and slow for enhanced poke and utility), Navori Quickblades (if crit is desired and for high ability uptime), or defensive options like Frozen Heart against AD threats.

Core Items (Miss Fortune/Jhin Example – Lethality/Burst):

• First Item: Youmuu’s Ghostblade (lethality, mobility).
• Second Item: The Collector (lethality, crit, execute passive for burst).
• Subsequent Items: Serylda’s Grudge (armor pen and slow), Edge of Night (spell shield for safety), or defensive boots.

This build shines in compositions that value long-range poke, burst initiation, or specific crowd control. It often provides safer gameplay due to ability range and potential for disengage, making it excellent for competitive environments where safety and consistent pressure are paramount.

Adapting to the Competitive Landscape

While these three builds represent the most dominant meta strategies, competitive League of Legends is also about adaptability. Factors such as team composition, enemy threats, and individual player strengths always influence the optimal build path. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each build, along with the champions that best utilize them, is key to climbing the ranks.

Remember to always consider the in-game situation, your team’s win condition, and the threats posed by the opposing team when finalizing your item choices. A seemingly off-meta item can sometimes be the perfect counter to a specific enemy champion.

Conclusion: Mastering the ADC Role

The post-patch ADC meta offers diverse ways to achieve victory, whether through the sustained power of critical strikes, the tank-shredding capability of on-hit effects, or the versatile utility of spell-based builds. Mastering these builds, along with intelligent positioning and map awareness, will undoubtedly elevate your competitive play and help you dominate the Summoner’s Rift.