“Bot” is the shorthand way to refer to the third lane in League of Legend’s classic 5 vs.5 mode “Summoner’s Rift.” It’s usually played 2 vs. 2, with an ADC (Attack Damage Carry) reinforced by a Support player. 

ADC is one of the most popular roles to play, and it’s usually filled by ranged marksman champions. In theory, any of League’s 140+ champions can be played as an ADC, but there are a variety of traits that make certain champions shine in the role. This can include excellent AD (physical) and/or AP (magic) damage stats, reliable ability to DPS (damage per second), and a solid balance of offensive and defensive capabilities.

Right now is the best time to start ranking up as Season 14 just started back in mid-January. The champions listed below have enjoyed a mix of popularity, high win rates, and respectable ban rates throughout the season.

As patches are released throughout the year, some of these statistics will change, but you’ll be able to enjoy a rewarding ranking experience with these champions all season-long. 

15. Caitlyn (Good)

Vapora Dark's guide on how to play Caitlyn in season 14

Caitlyn has some of the best poke and wave clear abilities in the game, as well as an uncomplicated kit that’s friendly to newcomers. She enjoys a stable early game and a fantastic late game, but her struggle mid-game holds her back from greatness. However, with proper itemization and positioning, she can dish out massive amounts of damage and serve as a reliable tank killer. 

Reasons to pick Caitlyn:

• Tank killer: Many ADCs can struggle with killing tanks, but Caitlyn’s passive, combined with proper items and kiting, can punch holes into even the tankiest champions. 
• Beginner bucks: Caitlyn can reliably generate an early gold lead since she can clear waves quickly with her Q (Piltover Peacemaker). Additionally, if she’s paired with a poke Support, she can possibly destroy enemy turret plating earlier than other champions, generating even more gold. 
• From afar: Caitlyn’s Ultimate (Ace in the Hole) is incredibly powerful and great for chunking down enemies. In some circumstances, it can even execute low health champions. It also has a pretty long range, so she can snipe an opponent from the safety of the backline.

Pick Caitlyn If:

• Your team needs presence in the early game.
• You need a safe ADC pick.
• Your Support has a strong crowd control (CC) kit.

Caitlyn is Strong Against:

• Aphelios
• Xayah
• Tristana
• Draven
• Varus

Caitlyn is Weak Against:

• Seraphine
• Senna
• Twisted Fate
• Twitch 
• Vayne

 

14. Seraphine (Good)

Seraphine one-trick Callamb shows off a powerful Seraphine Bot build.

While Seraphine is usually played as a Support character, Riot made changes to her kit this season to make her stronger in the Mid lane. This has the added benefit of making her stronger in the Bot lane as an APC (Ability Power Carry) if your team is lacking in magic damage. She has excellent minion wave clearing abilities, and she’s able to protect herself without having to over-rely on her Support.

Reasons to Pick Seraphine:

• Great magic damage: Choose Seraphine if your team lacks good magic damage. Depending on how you itemize her, she can function as both a magic damage dealer or a mixed magic and physical damage dealer. 
• Reliable DPS and follow-up damage: Her empowered Q (High Note) and auto-attacks keep her damage output per second high relative to other mage champions. This allows her to poke and bully the opposing laners.
• Utility: Seraphine is an excellent asset for her team. Her W can protect and empower both herself and nearby teammates, and her Ultimate can be devastating to the enemy team during a team fight. 

Pick Seraphine If:

• Your team lacks magic damage.
• Your team lacks reliable CC.
• The enemy team is mostly immobile.

Seraphine is Strong Against:

• Smolder
• Caitlyn
• Aphelios
• Nilah
• Ezreal

Seraphine is Weak Against:

• Draven
• Samira
• Zeri
• Sivir
• Senna

 

13. Draven (Good)

Professional Bot-player Jackspektra demonstrates how to play Draven in season 14. 

Draven has consistently been one of the strongest ADCs in the game since his release, but his unique kit makes him a more difficult champion to master. He’s sitting at a low pick rate and less-than-stellar win rate, but his high ban rate signals that most players recognize his strength. He’s worth picking up in Season 14, especially for more seasoned players looking for a challenging – but rewarding – new main.

Reasons to Pick Draven:

• Counters popular ADCs: Draven is a fantastic pick against many of this season’s most popular ADCs, including Smolder, Vayne, and Lucian.
• Great early game: Draven has one of the best early and mid-games. He can out-trade most bot laners with his Q (Spinning Axe), and his passive ability can lead to an early gold lead over the enemy team.
• Snowball potential: Due to his fantastic early game and passive ability, a decent Draven can quickly outpace the enemy Bot lane and become a force to reckon with. He enjoys a particularly devastating level 6 power spike when he unlocks his Ultimate (Whirling Death), which he can use to absolutely destroy the opposing team.

Pick Draven If:

• You can play aggressive in the early game.
• The enemy team is squishy.
• You are laning with an aggressive engage Support.

Draven is Strong Against:

• Smolder
• Vayne
• Seraphine
• Aphelios
• Sivir

Draven is Weak Against:

• Nilah
• Senna
• Samira
• Kog’Maw
• Caitlyn

 

12. Kai'Sa (Good)

Learn how to be the best Kai'Sa player from the #1 Kai'Sa in the Europe-West (EUW) server.

Kai’Sa is one of the most popular ADCs – and for good reason. She can be built as either an AD or an AP carry, and she can also be a decent mixed damage dealer as well. However, she’s also more reliant on her Support and items than some other champions, and a Kai’Sa that’s behind has a far harder time getting online than other Bot laners. 

Reasons to Pick Kai’Sa

• Versatility: Kai’Sa has unmatched flexibility when it comes to builds. She can be built differently depending on who she’s going against and what her team needs. This also makes it harder for the enemy team to counter and itemize against her.
• Reliability: Unlike some champions, Kai’Sa’s damage never really falls off during the course of a game. Unless she’s behind in gold and kills, she enjoys a stable early and mid-game and an excellent late game. 
• Teamfight capabilities: Kai’Sa is fantastic in a teamfight. Her abilities can dish out tons of damage to multiple targets at once while also providing sufficient self-peel (self-defense). She doesn’t need to be babysat during a teamfight, freeing up her Support and allowing them to focus on helping the rest of the team. 

Pick Kai’Sa If:

• Your team has lots of CC.
• Your team has a solid frontline.
• Your team heavily favors one type of damage. 

Kai’Sa is Strong Against:

• Ezreal
• Seraphine
• Sivir
• Aphelios
• Vayne

Kai’Sa is Weak Against:

• Draven
• Kalista
• Samira
• Nilah 
• Lucian

 

11. Ezreal (Good)

Dragdar, #1 Ezreal in EUW, shows off his favorite build for Ezreal.

Ezreal consistently tops the charts as the most popular ADC, and he’s definitely one of the most iconic champions in the game. He has a good amount of mobility with his E (Arcane Shift) blink, and he’s able to manage his resources well thanks to the mana refund if he hits his Q (Mystic Shot). However, he’s susceptible to crowd control, and his damaging abilities are skill shots that can be difficult to land for new players. 

Reasons to pick Ezreal:

• Resource management: Ezreal will still need to build a mana item over the course of the game, but if you’re able to consistently land Mystic Shot against targets, you can kiss mana problems goodbye. 
• Good mobility: Arcane Shift is great for chasing down targets as well as moving away from danger. 
• Strong Ultimate: Ezreal’s Ultimate (Trueshot Barrage) travels across the map in a wide sweep, allowing him to make a difference no matter where he is on the Rift. It has the potential to snipe enemies and Epic jungle camps (such as dragons and Baron Nashor), as well as provide some vision as it passes through fog of war. 

Pick Ezreal If:

• You can reliably hit skillshots.
• Your team lacks mobility.
• Your team lacks late-game power.

Ezreal is Strong Against:

• Varus
• Caitlyn
• Aphelios
• Xayah
• Tristana

Ezreal is Weak Against:

• Senna
• Vayne
• Twisted Fate
• Twitch
• Ashe

 

10. Lucian (Great)

Gumayusi, Bot-laner for Worlds 2023 champions T1, takes Lucian out for a spin with new season 14 items.

Few champions in the game have a power spike as early as Lucian does. At level 2, Lucian has access to a powerful all-in combo with his Q (Piercing Light) and E (Relentless Pursuit) abilities. His kit is also super mobile for an ADC, meaning he can dodge attacks and weave in and out between the enemy laners. 

Lucian’s biggest weakness is his end game. He falls off the longer the game goes, so it’s best to snowball early and end the game as fast as possible. 

Reasons to Pick Lucian:

• Early all-ins: Lucian players should take Piercing Light and Relentless Pursuit right at the beginning of the game for a devastating early combo. Very few opponents are able to counter at that stage of the game.
• Snowball potential: Lucian’s early power spike means he can snowball super early and quickly. 
• Hyper-mobility: Relentless Pursuit and his ability to move during his Ultimate (The Culling) makes him hard to catch and difficult to dodge. 

Pick Lucian If:

• The enemy Bot and Support are less mobile.
• Your team lacks early game presence
• Your team lacks burst damage.

Lucian is Strong Against:

• Kalista
• Aphelios
• Sivir
• Samira
• Ezreal

Lucian is Weak Against:

• Draven
• Senna
• Twisted Fate
• Ashe
• Twitch

 

9. Ashe (Great)

ADC main MissFortuneDaBes offers an educational guide on how to rank with Ashe.

Ashe’s greatest strength is her utility. She has excellent poke damage and inflicts slowness with every auto-attack. Her long range R (Enchanted Crystal Arrow) is a devastating crowd control tool, and her E (Hawkshot) provides much-needed vision through the fog of war. Her biggest weakness is her immobility, and without proper disengage tactics from her teammates, she can find herself overpowered by enemy assassin-type champions and crowd control mages.

Reasons to Pick Ashe:

• Utility: Ashe can make up for a lack of crowd control on her team. Her auto-attacks and W (Volley) slow champions they hit, and her Ultimate stuns its targets. This also allows her to stay relevant throughout the game, even if she’s behind.
• Area of Effect (AoE) damage: Hawkshot and Enchanted Crystal Arrow can hit multiple targets at once. Their CC effects can enable her teammates to chain CC, effectively paralyzing opponents.
• Range: Ashe is good in both long range and close combat. While her immobility and squishy defenses discourage her from being at the center of teamfights at all times, she can still provide reliable damage and CC with proper positioning. 

Pick Ashe If:

• Your team lacks CC.
• Your team already has high damage output and needs utility.
• The enemy team is more mobile.

Ashe is Strong Against:

• Smolder
• Kai’Sa
• Ezreal
• Caitlyn
• Lucian

Ashe is Weak Against:

• Seraphine
• Senna
• Twitch
• Draven
• Kog’Maw

 

8. Twitch (Great)

Mid/Bot expert Eternal Hero is back with a guide on how to reach Diamond as Twitch ADC.

Twitch is typically built as an AD carry, but he has been gaining some popularity as an AP carry as well. He has excellent early poke potential, thanks to his E (Contaminate), but he will need a few levels to fully come online. Kiting is key for Twitch, as well as an ability to cooperate and communicate with his Support and Jungler. 

Reasons to Pick Twitch:

• Sneaky, sneaky!: His Q (Ambush) enables him to go invisible and grants him attack speed. He can use this ability to catch opponents off-guard, especially in the jungle. He can also use it to scout the rest of the map for his teammates and provide vision.
• Teamfighting: Twitch loves long teamfights. His Ultimate (Spray and Pray) can shred through enemies, especially if they’re clumped together. His W (Venom Cask) inflicts a slow on opponents who walk through it, which can help Twitch’s teammates CC them.
• Late game champion: Twitch only gets stronger as the game goes on and doesn’t experience stagnation or drop-off like many ADCs. 

Pick Twitch If:

• Your team lacks late game damage.
• The enemy team is mostly immobile.
• Your team has strong engage potential.

Twitch is Strong Against:

• Ezreal
• Ashe
• Sivir
• Tristana
• Jhin

Twitch is Weak Against:

• Senna
• Twisted Fate
• Seraphine
• Nilah
• Miss Fortune

 

7. Jinx (Great)

Jinx one-trick Tonirel faces off against multiple pro-players and dominates.

Jinx is a terrifying force to behold on the Rift. Her kit features crowd control, a long-range Ultimate, and increased movement and attack speed after takedowns. She’s held back by a lackluster early game and lack of mobility, but her weaknesses can be easily fixed by being paired with an engage Support like Leona or Thresh. 

Reasons to Pick Jinx:

• Clean-up potential: Her passive grants her movement and attack speed after a takedown, meaning she can chase down low health enemies fleeing from a failed fight. Her Ultimate (Super Mega Death Rocket!) can travel across the map and hit multiple targets, so she can snipe stragglers from relative safety. 
• Crowd control: Her W (Zap!) slows and grants vision, and her E (Flame Chompers!) immobilizes those who step on them. That makes for a devastating combo, especially if her Support can follow up with more CC of their own.
• Excellent sieging: With her Q (Switcheroo!), Jinx can rapidly take down towers and objectives. Her minigun form offers one of the fastest attack speeds for an ADC, while her rocket form provides splash damage to clear minion waves quickly.

Pick Jinx If:

• The enemy team lacks hard engage.
• Your team lacks objective control.
• The enemy team is squishy and/or immobile.

Jinx is Strong Against:

• Caitlyn
• Samira
• Varus
• Kai’Sa
• Jhin

Jinx is Weak Against:

• Seraphine
• Senna
• Twisted Fate
• Twitch
• Yasuo

 

6. Miss Fortune (Great)

Tyler1 played Miss Fortune Bot during his "Autofill to Challenger" run.

Miss Fortune enjoyed brief success as an AP carry and Support in Season 13, but make no mistake: she is solidly an ADC in Season 14. Her Ultimate is, well, the ultimate teamfight tool with its large hitbox and massive amounts of damage. Her other damage abilities are excellent for poking, although she is hindered by her lack of mobility. 

Reasons to Pick Miss Fortune:

• Lane bully: Both of Miss Fortune’s damaging abilities, Q (Double Up) and E (Make It Rain), are great for poking down her enemies. Due to this, she has a very comfortable early game, which can enable her to snowball out of control.
• Devastating Ultimate: Miss Fortune’s Ultimate (Bullet Time) can either chunk down enemies during a teamfight or clean up low-health survivors. Its large spread makes it difficult to avoid.
• Multi-hit: Double Up is able to bounce off its first target and hit a second target behind it. Make It Rain is an AoE ability that slows those caught within it. While neither deal very much damage on their own at first, with proper itemization and combo execution, she can rack up a respectable amount of damage.

Pick Miss Fortune If:

• Your team has reliable CC and/or AoE damage.
• Your team revolves around burst or poke damage.
• Your team lacks early game presence.

Miss Fortune is Strong Against:

• Caitlyn
• Varus
• Kai’Sa
• Aphelios
• Draven

Miss Fortune is Weak Against:

• Senna
• Yasuo
• Ziggs
• Smolder
• Twisted Fate

 

5. Samira (Best)

Grandmaster rank Samira one-trick V1gorous1 steam-rolls his opponents with this OP Samira build

The Desert Rose is a Bot player’s dream: great mobility, a powerful Ultimate, and relevancy throughout the entire game. However, she can be reliant on her Support and items, especially in the mid-game, and players must be able to hit her combos in order to fire off her Ultimate.

Reasons to Pick Samira: 

• Mobility with a side of damage: Samira’s E (Wild Rush) is a dash that allows her to pass through an enemy while also dealing damage to them. 
• Defense – also with a side of damage: Her W (Blade Whirl) is both a defensive and offensive tool. It can block incoming attacks while also dealing damage to surrounding enemies. It’s also an effective disengage if opponents get too close.
• High DPS: Samira is all about damage, all the time. Her Ultimate (Inferno Trigger) is particularly devastating during a teamfight, and her kit allows her to go in, Ult, secure kills, and dash out before the enemy can catch and kill her.

Pick Samira If:

• The enemy team is squishy and/or immobile.
• The enemy team relies on auto-attacks or other projectiles for damage.
• Your team has reliable engage and/or crowd control.

Samira is Strong Against:

• Kai’Sa
• Ezreal
• Caitlyn
• Twisted Fate
• Draven

Samira is Weak Against:

• Nilah
• Senna
• Jinx
• Ashe
• Vayne

 

4. Vayne (Best)

"The Last Vayne Guide You'll Ever Need" from Quachdaddy - an all-in-one guide to this oldie-but-a-goodie champ

Vayne has a deceptively simple kit that can be both extremely rewarding and crushingly punishing. She’s hyper-mobile and enjoys extended trades, and she can be a monstrous presence in the late game. This is balanced by the fact a single misstep can spell doom, and she has no innate defenses against crowd control (other than just dodging it). 

Reasons to Pick Vayne:

• Hyper-mobility: Her Q (Tumble) allows her to both advance onto her targets and avoid their attacks. Her Ultimate (Final Hour) tacks on invisibility onto her Q, a deadly combo. 
• Independence: Unlike many Bot laners, Vayne doesn’t need her Support to babysit her once she’s hit her stride. Tumble can keep her out of trouble while boosting her damage, freeing her Support to roam and aid other lanes.
• True damage: Vayne’s W (Silver Bolts) allows her to deal a percentage of the target's maximum health as true damage every third consecutive hit. This makes her one of the best tank shredders in the game, as she can bypass armor and health stacking, which are common late-game defenses.

Pick Vayne If:

• Your team needs a split-pusher.
• The enemy team is tanky.
• The enemy team is mostly short-ranged/melee-focused.

Vayne is Strong Against:

• Jhin
• Yasuo
• Kog’Maw
• Ezreal
• Caitlyn

Vayne is Weak Against:

• Senna
• Twisted Fate
• Miss Fortune
• Jinx
• Ashe

 

3. Senna (Best)

Grandmaster rank Support main i0ki proves that Senna can pull excellent double-duty as both a Support and a Bot-lane ADC.

Senna has the powerful ability to scale infinitely due to her passive ability, which will grant her AD, attack range, critical strike chance, and life-steal over the course of the game. She has the potential to spiral out of control, putting out ridiculous amounts of damage while also providing utility to her teammates. However, her strengths come with the trade-off of relatively low mobility and the need for good positioning to make the most of her abilities.

Reasons to Pick Senna:

• Simultaneous utility and damage: Her Q (Piercing Darkness) deals damage to enemies and heals herself and teammates. Her E (Curse of the Black Mist) can be used by her whole time as ambush setup or as a method of escape out of a bad teamfight. 
• Strong Ultimate: Senna’s R (Dawning Shadow) can both shield her teammates and damage foes in its path. It also has incredible range and can impact fights happening at the other end of the map from her. 
• Infinite power: There is no limit to how much Mist Senna can farm from her passive. She can and will grow more powerful as the game goes on, even if she's behind on gold and kills.

Pick Senna If:

• Your team lacks global (map-wide) presence.
• The enemy team is tanky.
• Your team needs a source of sustained healing. 

Senna is Strong Against:

• Aphelios
• Draven
• Ashe
• Ezreal
• Kalista

Senna is Weak Against:

• Twisted Fate
• Zeri
• Samira
• Seraphine
• Smolder

 

2. Twisted Fate (Best)

Gumayusi takes this Mid-lane staple to the Bot-lane with surprising success.

The teleporting gambler is a popular Mid-lane pick, but he’s been seeing growing popularity as an ADC. Many of his weaknesses in the Mid-lane do not apply in the Bot-lane due to the added presence of a Support character, who can peel (defend) for him and provide set-up for his combos. He can be difficult to learn for new players, but longtime players might enjoy taking him for a spin in the Bot-lane. 

Reasons to Pick Twisted Fate:

• Global presence: Twisted Fate’s Ultimate (Destiny) grants him and his teammates vision of all champions on the map and allows him to teleport anywhere on the map. 
• Poke damage: His Q can be annoying for the enemy laners as it can poke them down while also clearing the minion wave. Proper itemization can turn him into a machine gun, dishing out rapid damage that can add up over time.
• Back-dooring potential: Get your mind out of the gutter! His global Ultimate also means he can sneak around the map and secure objectives, including stealing Epic jungle camps and destroying structures in the enemy’s base.

Pick Twisted Fate If:

• The enemy ADC is immobile and/or squishy.
• Your team doesn’t have a reliable split-pusher.
• You’re playing with an engage or poke Support.

Twisted Fate is Strong Against:

• Ziggs
• Ezreal
• Kog’Maw
• Aphelios
• Kai’Sa

Twisted Fate is Weak Against:

• Nilah
• Ashe
• Yasuo
• Sivir
• Smolder

 

1. Smolder (Best)

Challenger ADC ShogoLoL pops off as Smolder.

The game’s newest champion (at the time of writing) has been enjoying great popularity and success since his release. While his win, ban, and pick rates will probably level out as the season goes on, there’s no better time than now to pick up and learn how to play the Fiery Fledgling. It won’t just be a learning experience for you, but everyone else in the player base as well.

Reasons to Pick Smolder:

• Infinite scaling: Smolder’s passive ability allows him to stack “Dragon Practice,” which grants bonus magic damage on his non-Ultimate abilities. He can stack this infinitely through the game, mitigating the power drop-off issues many Bot-laners face in the late game.
• Mobility: His E (Flap, Flap, Flap) is an excellent mobility tool. It grants him a greater field of vision, doubled movement speed, and the ability to pass through terrain such as walls. He can be vulnerable, however, if he is caught when the ability is on cooldown.
• Early power spike: Smolder enjoys multiple early power spikes, even before he unlocks his Ultimate (MMOOOMMMM!). If he can stack his passive early, he can snowball and become a force to be reckoned with.

Pick Smolder If:

• The enemy team is immobile.
• The enemy team comp has a weak early game.
• The enemy team also has an infinite scaler. 

Smolder is Strong Against:

• Xayah
• Kalista
• Twisted Fate
• Senna
• Tristana

Smolder is Weak Against:

• Seraphine
• Twitch
• Sivir
• Ashe
• Vayne

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