Overview
ADC itemization revolves around maximizing sustained damage output through critical strike chance, attack speed, and on-hit effects. As the primary damage source in the mid-to-late game, your item choices determine how quickly you can shred through tanks and melt squishies alike.
Modern ADC builds typically start with a Mythic item, followed by boots, then a mix of critical strike, attack speed, and penetration items. The order and selection depend on which champion you are playing and what threats the enemy team presents.
ADC Mythic Options
Kraken Slayer is the go-to Mythic for attack speed carries like Jinx, Kai'Sa, and Ashe. Its true damage passive shreds through tanks and provides excellent sustained DPS. Learn more about the item on the LoL Fandom Kraken Slayer page. Galeforce offers a dash active that gives immobile ADCs like Jhin and Aphelios a crucial repositioning tool. Immortal Shieldbow is the survival choice against burst-heavy comps, granting a lifeline shield when you take lethal damage.
Each Mythic changes how you position and trade. Kraken encourages aggressive DPS uptime, Galeforce rewards reactive positioning, and Shieldbow lets you absorb an assassin's rotation. Choose based on the enemy team's threat pattern.
Core Build
After your Mythic, Infinity Edge is the standard second item for crit-based ADCs. It amplifies critical strike damage from 175% to 215%, dramatically increasing your damage output once you have enough crit chance. For more on critical strike mechanics, visit the Wikipedia article on critical strikes. Phantom Dancer or Rapid Firecannon follow as third items, providing attack speed and movement speed for better kiting.
On-hit carries like Vayne and Kog'Maw skip Infinity Edge in favor of Guinsoo's Rageblade, which converts crit chance into on-hit damage. Blade of the Ruined King is a strong first or second item for its percent-health damage and sustain.
Attack Speed Items
Attack speed items are essential for maximizing DPS. Phantom Dancer grants ghosting and bonus movement speed when attacking, making it excellent for kiting. Rapid Firecannon extends your auto-attack range periodically, useful for poking towers and champions safely. Runaan's Hurricane fires bolts at two additional targets near your primary target, ideal for teamfights and waveclear.
Statikk Shiv offers waveclear and burst magic damage. For on-hit builds, Wit's End provides magic resist and on-hit magic damage, while Guinsoo's Rageblade doubles down on on-hit effects.
Armor Penetration
Lord Dominik's Regards is the standard armor penetration item for ADCs, providing bonus armor penetration against champions with higher max health than you — which is almost always the case against tanks. Mortal Reminder applies Grievous Wounds on physical damage, essential against healing champions like Soraka, Sylas, or Vladamir.
You generally want your armor pen item as your third or fourth slot. Buying penetration too early gives less value since base armor is still low, but waiting too long means tanks become unkillable.
Defensive Options
Guardian Angel is the staple defensive ADC item, reviving you after a brief delay if taken down. It's invaluable against assassins and divers who sacrifice cooldowns to kill you. Mercurial Scimitar removes crowd control effects and provides movement speed, a must-have against Malzahar, Ashe, or Mordekaiser. Bloodthirster offers massive lifesteal and an overheal shield for sustained fights.
Maw of Malmortius is an alternative to Guardian Angel against heavy AP burst, providing a magic damage shield and lifesteal when triggered. Edge of Night grants a spell shield that blocks one ability, useful against hook champions or point-and-click CC.
As an ADC, your survival is your damage. If you die before dealing damage, your expensive build is worthless. Consider a defensive item (GA, Mercurial, or Maw) as your fourth or fifth item if the enemy team has dive threats.
