Marksmen turn gold into sustained damage, so itemising them well is a big part of carrying from the bot lane. Different ADCs want different paths — critical strike, attack speed or lethality — and the right choice depends on your champion and the enemy team. This guide explains the logic and links to the live item database.
The Main ADC Build Paths
Most marksmen fall into one of three itemisation styles. Critical-strike builds scale into huge late-game auto-attack damage and suit hyper-carries. Attack-speed builds ramp quickly and suit champions that want to fight sooner. Lethality builds spike early and suit burst-oriented marksmen. Knowing which family your champion wants is the key decision.
The item database lists every marksman item with stats and build paths so you can compare options directly.
Core Stats Marksmen Want
Attack damage and critical strike raise your auto-attack output; attack speed lets you apply it faster; and penetration helps against resistant targets. Many ADCs also value a small amount of survivability or life-steal to stay in fights. Balancing damage with the ability to survive is what separates a strong ADC from a fed-but-dead one.
Defensive and Anti-Tank Items
Against heavy dive, a defensive item can be the difference between kiting a fight and dying instantly. Against tanky teams, an item that shreds resistances or deals percentage damage keeps you relevant. Read these situational options on the items page and buy them when the game asks for them.
Finding Current Builds
For a ready-made setup, open your ADC on the builds database, and see how professionals build the same champion in the ADC pro builds. Our ADC champions guide helps you choose who to play.
Practical Tips
- Identify whether your champion wants crit, attack speed or lethality.
- Add a defensive item when the enemy dives you.
- Buy anti-tank items against durable front lines.
- Compare stats and paths on the item database.
- Copy a current build from the builds database when unsure.