League of Legeds is not a solved game, but after a few years since the release, Riot Games began balancing and optimizing the game in accordance with the meta. This means that there are certain ideas incorporated into the game, and ignoring them is like swimming against the current. Not advised and certainly not as enjoyable as going downstream.
Theoretically, the map is mirrored, and Bot Lane is the same as Top Lane, but it really isn’t for two main reasons:
One of the earliest established lanes is Bot Lane, where certain design choices were made to make it a default home for ADCs (Attack Damage Carries).
The Bot Lane is primarily home to Marksman champions, also known as ADCs. These champions focus on dealing sustained damage over time through basic attacks. Sometimes in very aggressive matchups mid lane is played instead of an ADC however that’s rare
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Alongside the ADC, the Bot Lane also features a Support champion. Supports provide utility, vision control, and protection for the ADC.
Several reasons contribute to the bottom lane being the meta choice for a duo lane in League of Legends. One of the primary reasons is that Riot Games intentionally made the bottom tower weaker than the others. This design choice encourages teams to place two champions in the bot lane, making it easier to secure turret plates and eventually the turret itself. By making the bottom tower less fortified, Riot discourages lane swaps and solidifies the meta of having a duo lane in the bottom. This strategic positioning allows teams to gain an early advantage by focusing their efforts on a lane with a more vulnerable turret.
The distribution of gold and power spikes is crucial in determining lane assignments. Marksmen, or ADCs, benefit more from gold than levels, unlike mid-lane champions who scale with levels. Placing a marksman in the mid-lane could theoretically make sense due to the lane's safety and multiple escape routes. However, marksmen typically lack the mobility and wave clear that mid-lane champions possess, making them reliant on a support for protection. Supports excel in providing utility through engage and disengage abilities and do not require as much gold to be effective. This dynamic makes the bot lane the ideal place for an ADC and support duo, allowing the marksman to farm safely and scale through gold acquisition.
The meta has evolved organically over several seasons. Initially, ADCs were placed in the mid-lane, but the need for safety, mobility, and wave clear shifted them to the bot lane. Meanwhile, mages and other mid-lane champions thrived on solo experience and the ability to impact the map with their mobility and level-based power spikes. The bottom lane's longer length makes it more dangerous for a single champion to survive alone. Duo lanes in the bot lane provide safety through numbers, reducing the risk of being zoned out and starved of experience and gold. This dynamic is less effective in the mid-lane due to its shorter length and easier access to safety.
Mid-lane champions, such as Yone, Ahri, Talon, and Fizz, have high mobility, strong wave clear, and benefit significantly from levels. These champions can quickly move around the map, applying pressure and securing objectives. The mid-lane's shorter length and multiple escape routes make it a safer environment for these champions, allowing them to roam effectively. By placing these champions in the mid-lane, teams can control the central part of the map, opening up numerous strategic opportunities. Mid-lane champions can impact both top and bottom lanes and contest important objectives like Dragon and Rift Herald. Their ability to clear waves quickly and move across the map provides significant map control. These advantages slowly pushed out bottom champions from mid lane to bottom.
Riot has made various adjustments to enforce this meta, such as increasing only the tankiness of Top and Mid, but not Bottom tower before five minutes to prevent early lane swaps and dives. These changes ensure that the bot lane remains the optimal choice for a duo lane, maintaining stability in the game's meta for both professional play and casual players. By understanding the historical context and strategic adjustments, players can appreciate why the bottom lane has become the standard for duo lanes in League of Legends.
In the bot lane, experience (XP) is shared between two champions, which results in both being under-leveled compared to solo laners. This XP sharing significantly impacts the type of champions that are prevalent in the bot lane. Champions that do not heavily rely on levels to scale but instead benefit more from gold are more common. Marksmen (ADCs) fit this description perfectly, as they primarily scale through items purchased with gold rather than through gaining levels. Their abilities and auto-attacks become stronger with better equipment, making them ideal candidates for the bot lane where they can farm gold efficiently.
The second champion in the bot lane, typically a support, also does not scale significantly with levels. Supports are generally chosen for their ability to provide utility, engage, or protect the ADC rather than for their damage output. These champions are used as setup tools to enable the ADC to maximize their damage potential. Examples of such supports include Thresh with his hook and crowd control, Janna with her shields and disengage, and Leona with her heavy crowd control and tankiness. By focusing on utility and protection, supports help maintain the ADC's safety and allow them to farm gold effectively, compensating for the shared XP and resulting lower levels.
The bot lane typically features a duo of an ADC and a Support. The playstyle in the bot lane often revolves around gaining an early advantage, securing the weaker turret, and taking early drakes. This focus on early objectives and turret pressure is crucial for setting the pace of the game and establishing map control. The bot lane duo works together to dominate their lane, with the ADC dealing sustained damage and the Support providing utility, protection, and crowd control.
The meta in the bot lane revolves around a strategic triangle of playstyles: Poke, Engage, and Sustain. Each of these playstyles counters another, creating a dynamic and ever-changing meta.
Most bot lane strategies involve playing around the ADC to gain a lead, secure the weaker turret, and take early drakes. Successful bot lane duos coordinate well, balancing aggressive engagements with cautious play to avoid ganks and maintain control over their lane. This strategic approach is essential for leveraging the advantages provided by the bot lane's dynamics and securing key objectives that can influence the outcome of the game.
