The bot lane is one of the positions with the most known players. Ahead of the 2021 Summer Split, we are ranking the top 10 western AD carries, looking at the LCS and LEC regions combined. Of course, keep in mind that cross-region comparison is always tricky, given the region-locked nature of League of Legends and the different metas and skill levels of each region. Even then, there are criteria one can use to rank the best players in a position given the recent Spring Split and MSI results.

S Tier

1. Martin "Rekkles" Larsson — G2

Rekkles stands alone at the top as the most experienced AD carry across both regions. His macro, map awareness, and positioning are second to none and he will be looking forward to winning his first split since 2018. Rekkles is the type of player who rarely disappoints on the Rift, not to mention he was the best performing player on the G2 side in Spring. Player statistics can sometimes provide confounding information and false impressions, but the fact that he managed to rack up a 393 XPD@15 during Spring is rather astonishing.

A Tier

2. Elias "Upset" Lipp — Fnatic

3. Matyáš "Carzzy" Orság — MAD LIONS

4. Steven "Hans sama" Liv — Rogue

In A Tier, we have players who have been around for quite a while and who've shown great talent and mechanics. Upset was the most consistent player from Fnatic in Spring. He finished outside of the top 4 for the first time since 2016 but his performance met expectations nevertheless. Upset made Fnatic's bot lane the one with the most 2v2 kills in the league, and on many occasions was the difference maker and saving grace for the team.

Carzzy didn't have the perfect split as he was often accused of being the weak link of MAD Lions but was an absolute monster at MSI. He was playing with a lot of aggression, often being the deciding factor in MAD's matches. By comparison, Carzzy’s early games stats were looking awful in the LEC, averaging -427 GD@15. During MSI, all his early game stats were improved, making a 180-degree turn to boast +374 GD@15.

Hans Sama came close to winning LEC a couple of times, but could never triumph. He has been around since 2016 and has definitely proven himself as one of the best AD carries in the region. The aggressive playstyle and the synergy between him and Adrian "Trymbi" Trybus were a deciding factor in some of the Rogue’s games. He averaged a + 778 GD@15, top 1 among AD carries in the LEC. Rogue almost won the Spring Split and their bot lane was what pushed the team to excellence.

B Tier

5. Juš "Crownshot" Marušič — Vitality

6.  Ian Victor "FBI" Huang — 100 Thieves

7. Jean "Jezu" Massol — SK Gaming

8. Edward "Tactical"  Ra — Team Liquid

In the B tier we have players who have the necessary experience so far, but they will need a little something to prove themselves further.

Crownshot is often referred to as a safe and scaling AD carry with good shotcalling abilities. His understanding of the game is unique and he rarely takes unnecessary risks. As the main carry for SK, he carried the team to playoffs but now joins Vitality to play alongside Selfmade and Lider, so a lot of those heavy responsibilities will fall off, easing his time in the LEC.

FBI’s development has been great ever since he came up from Academy. Even though his last split wasn't something to be proud of due to the rotation within 100 Thieves, FBI demonstrated the potential be the best in his role. And what better chance to prove it than now, when the LCS' best AD Carry Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen has been demoted.

Jezu took his sweet time to adapt (normal for a rookie) but eventually he transformed into another promising European carry. His synergy with Erik "Treatz" Wessén has been paying off and this was a duo many were looking to see again in Summer. However, SK had different plans. Now that Treatz has roleswapped to the jungle, Jezu's new partner will be his coach, Jesiz. Individually Jezu has shown great promise, but a lot will depend on whether he would be able to create the right partnership with his former coach and now partner on bot lane.

Tactical had big shoes to fill after he replaced Doublelift on Team Liquid, but with Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in's guidance, he has grown a lot. Tactical's Spring Split didn't match the leftover hype from 202, but he's been steadily improving. Next time, the rematch between Team Liquid and Cloud9 might just go the other way.

C Tier

9. Matúš "Neon"Jakubčík — Schalke 04

10. Kasper "Kobbe" Kobberup — Misfits

Neon might not be the best laner in the LEC but he is compensating with other qualities. He is not a risk-taker and he knows his limits. He takes a more supportive role in the S04 lineup, which helped them to a top 4 finish in Spring.

Kobbe’s experience is one of the main factors to be featured in the top 10. Kobbe’s playstyle is similar to his Splyce days, where that team was all about scaling to the late game. His laning was on point during the last split, however Misfits misfits had a hard time figuring out their playstyle which eventually cost them the playoffs spot.