Caitlyn, one of League’s oldest and most beloved champions, has risen up the solo queue rankings in the last patch and claimed the No. 1 spot in the ADC position.
In Patch 10.15, Caitlyn received buffs to her attack damage and movement speed. At first glance, a few extra damage here and there and a couple of points of speed looked unremarkable. But together, they’ve contributed to a massive 52-percent win rate, an increase of two percent.
Caitlyn has also cropped up in pro play, featuring in North America’s LCS and Europe’s LEC to varying degrees of success. She’s yet to make a name for herself and stand out as a dominant pick, but with Worlds 2020 drawing closer by the day, she could be in it for the long haul.
To put her into perspective, Caitlyn has jumped to a 90-percent pick or ban rate in the LCS since Patch 10.15, equal only to champions like Karma, Sett, Volibear, and Olaf.
In Patch 10.15, Riot increased Caityln’s attack damage from 62 to 64 and her movement speed from 325 to 330. The attack damage isn’t anything to write home about, but those five extra points of movement add up to a great deal.
Caitlyn is the longest ranged ADC in League. Her job is to deal damage, kite, and harass from the safety of her backline. The longer she lives, the better. But with the increased movement speed, she’s now untouchable. In a skirmish, a one-vs-one, or a long and drawn out teamfight, she has the tools to escape, reposition, or chase down an opponent.
It’s unclear if Riot will step in and slam down the nerf hammer on Caitlyn, but for now, players will have to make do.
The ADC position has plagued League of Legends this year. Aphelios, the latest released ADC shaped the meta around him and multiple ADCs were zoned out for good. The ADC became a major issue in both solo queue and competitive play following his release in December 2019 and popularized the “200 years” meme, which originated from Riot Games champion designer Nathan “Lutzburg” Lutz’s response to a Wukong main.
Aphelios is a one-of-a-kind champion and will be remembered on the Rift forever. While he didn’t deliver the expectations players had when they first heard of him, he did overdeliver by popularizing the 200 years meme. Going forward, Riot should tone down such unique aspects and allow for more counterplay. They could either buff the old-guard champions or undertune new champs so that they don’t influence the meta too heavily.