Bot is a 2v2 lane, not a solo one, so choosing your starting items accurately will bring you tons of advantages.
Starting items can counter your enemy laners and influence your build in the late game, so their importance is obviously considerable. You have to debate between a small amount of MS from Boots or HP + AD from Doran’s Blade/Shield to hold the laning in your hand. So, let’s take a look at this guide to improve your matches.
Contents
Doran’s Blade + 1 Health Potion
This is the “typical” starting build of ADC and we meet it in approximately 90% of matches. However, in high elo, this percentage decreases sharply as you will waste 180 golds (450 for purchasing – 270 for selling) when you buy your last item. In some cases, Long Sword is much more reasonable and it also contributes 350 golds to the higher-level item. Nevertheless, if you meet aggressive supports like Leona or Nautilus, 80 HP from Doran’s Blade will probably make sense.
Long Sword + 3 Health Potion
This build having more and more popularity due to its flexibility and 3 Health Potion is completely the best when facing poke champions like Varus, Karma, Ziggs, etc. 3 Health Potion provide you with regenerating 450 HP, but the enemies have nothing to regenerate their mana fast, so you will take the laning if they harass unproperly. The last thing you have to notice is that there are only some particular marksmen that can use this build. For example, Jinx has 610 base HP compared to 510 of Caitlyn, so Caitlyn needs 80 HP.
Variation: Long Sword + Refillable Potion
This build only provides you with 200 regenerating HP, but you will save 150 golds every recall, so it will fit with strong bot-lane duos.
Boots + 4 Health Potion
This build is regularly used for marksmen having to trade fast to take advantage or simply need to dodge skill shots. Some Jhin players choose Time Warp Tonic so as to make use of the additional MS to totally dominates their lane.
Cull + 2 Health Potion
In season 11, Long Sword can be upgraded into Serrated Dirk, Noonquiver, and then Mythic items. As a result, Cull seems to be forgotten as Long Sword is now spreadly used due to its flexibility. You should not buy this starting item unless you want to spend your laning with minions or you have a buffing support like Soraka or Yuumi.
Doran’s Shield + 1 Health Potion
This starter build has been staying at the bottom for a long time as it only can be used by late-game ADC like Vayne and Twitch, but they are not even in the meta. However, Long Sword is still the best when countering poke champions.