Blog

The AD Carry (ADC) role in League of Legends is one of the most exciting yet most punishing positions to play. As the main source of consistent damage in a team, the ADC’s performance can single-handedly win or lose games. But for beginners, the hardest part isn’t farming or itemizing—it’s how to position in teamfights.

Poor positioning leads to instant death, while smart positioning allows you to shred the enemy frontline, secure objectives, and carry your team. Let’s break down the fundamentals of ADC positioning so new players can survive longer and deal maximum damage.

Understanding Your Role in Teamfights

As an ADC, your role in a fight is not to dive, engage, or make flashy plays—it’s to:

• Stay alive long enough to deal sustained damage.
• Target whoever is safe to hit, usually the closest threat.
• Avoid unnecessary risks, since your death removes your team’s main source of DPS.

In short: you are the team’s damage machine, but you’re also fragile. Proper positioning is the key to balancing these two realities.

Step 1: Position Behind Your Frontline

Your tanks and bruisers exist for a reason—they create space.

• Always stand behind your frontline, never in front.
• If your team lacks tanks, position near supports or mid laners with peel.
• Think of yourself as the last line of defense—your safety is the highest priority.

A common beginner mistake is standing too close to the fight, making you an easy target for assassins or divers. Maintain a safe buffer zone between you and the enemy frontline.

Step 2: Use Attack-Move and Kite Properly

Good positioning isn’t only about where you stand, but also how you move during fights.

• Attack-move (A + click) to keep auto-attacking while repositioning.
• Always kite backwards toward safety, not forward into danger.
• Practice “orb-walking” so you never waste time between autos.

This ensures you’re always dealing damage while retreating from threats.

Step 3: Target Selection – Hit the Closest Enemy

Beginners often try to tunnel vision onto enemy carries, but that’s risky. Instead:

• Attack the closest threat in range.
• If the frontline tank is in front of you, focus them until it’s safe to switch targets.
• Don’t risk your life chasing the enemy ADC if it means diving too deep.

The golden rule: it’s better to DPS safely than to die trying to reach the backline.

Step 4: Position Near Peel and Utility

Supports are your best friends. Champions like Lulu, Janna, Thresh, or Braum exist to keep you alive.

• Stay within range of your support so they can shield, heal, or peel.
• Avoid splitting too far from your team, unless you’re certain it’s safe.
• If your support has disengage tools, position where they can protect you.

Remember: ADC + Support synergy continues even in teamfights.

Step 5: Respect Enemy Threats

Knowing which champions can kill you instantly is crucial.

• Against assassins like Zed, Talon, or Rengar → stay near peel and avoid isolated areas.
• Against divers like Malphite, Hecarim, or Zac → maintain max range from their engage angles.
• Against poke like Xerath or Ziggs → use terrain for cover and don’t stand still.

Positioning isn’t static; it changes depending on enemy threats.

Step 6: Use Terrain to Your Advantage

Map geography can make or break your positioning.

• Fight near walls and towers so you can kite into safety.
• Don’t stand in the middle of choke points—one engage spell could wipe you.
• Use terrain to funnel enemies into your team’s frontline, giving you space to DPS.

A good ADC always thinks: “If the enemy dives me right now, where do I escape?”

Step 7: Late Game Positioning – Patience Wins Games

In the late game, one teamfight decides everything. As an ADC:

• Be patient. Don’t auto-attack until it’s safe.
• Trust your team to engage first before stepping forward.
• Even one wrong step in the late game can throw the match.

Many pro players emphasize: it’s better to deal less damage and survive than to risk everything for one kill.

Common Beginner Mistakes in Teamfights

1. Overextending – stepping too far forward to hit carries.
2. Standing alone – separating from the team and getting picked.
3. Ignoring peel – not staying near supports who can save you.
4. Chasing kills – diving past frontline instead of DPSing safely.
5. Panicking under pressure – forgetting to kite or flash at the right time.

Avoiding these mistakes will immediately boost your survival rate in fights.

Example of Good ADC Positioning

Imagine a late-game fight:

• Your frontline (Malphite + Sejuani) engages.
• You stand safely behind them, targeting the enemy Renekton who dived first.
• When the enemy Zed ults onto you, your Lulu uses Wild Growth to save you.
• You kite backward, still dealing damage, and then turn to finish off the enemy carries.

This is the ideal ADC scenario: safe, consistent, and decisive damage output.

Conclusion

Positioning as an ADC is about survival first, damage second. Without proper positioning, your champion’s scaling and items mean nothing. By standing behind your team, kiting properly, focusing the nearest target, and respecting enemy threats, you’ll instantly improve your performance in teamfights.

For beginners, mastering positioning may feel difficult, but it’s the skill that separates casual ADCs from true carries. Remember: if you stay alive, you always give your team a chance to win.