In League of Legends there is currently an interesting phenomenon. The support farms the minions while the ADC just watches. This tactic has even been used by Cloud 9, the currently best team in NA.
Which champions are being used? The focus of the strategy is on the champion Senna, who was originally intended to be a supporter. However, due to her strong stats and special passive, she was played as an ADC for a long time.
This changed with patch 10.3 at the end of January when Senna’s passive was adjusted. However, players have now adapted to the change and created a new playstyle:
- Senna is played as an ADC but does not farm minions herself.
- She buys the support item Spectral Sickle, which brings damage and gold.
- The support, on the other hand, has to play more aggressively and farm the minions.
- Characters like Tahm Kench or Volibear are suitable for this, so supporters who would also function on a solo lane.
This playstyle bypasses the “nerf” from patch 10.3 and even creates an even stronger bot lane.
How does it work exactly? Senna’s passive grants her Mist, a buff that can be stacked. Each stack increases damage, and every 20 stacks increases the range and critical hit chance.
Senna receives Mist 100% when champions and large monsters are defeated. There is also a chance with minions. This is where the “nerf” occurred: The chance is now 25% when another champion kills minions and only 1.67% when Senna does it herself.
This change was supposed to make Senna stronger as a support. Instead, the support now farms, and Senna collects the Mist stacks even faster than before the patch. Players reach 100 stacks in about 25 minutes. Before the change, this was only at 40 minutes.
Although Senna lags slightly behind the opposing ADC in gold, the Mist stacks almost completely balance this out. A major advantage for the entire bot lane is that the support becomes significantly stronger.
Professionals are already using this tactic
Where has Senna been played like this? The new tactic has already made it into the highest leagues in LoL. The team Cloud 9, currently undefeated in 1st place in the LCS, played this strategy already at the end of February.
The ADC Zven played Senna while his support Vulcan chose Tahm Kench. The strategy worked and Cloud 9 secured the next victory. However, it’s not going as well for CLG, who have now brought back a new old player.
Another day, another #C9WIN! #LCS pic.twitter.com/fciEbQrESU
— LCS (@LCSOfficial) February 23, 2020
However, the combo has also been played in the highest Korean league, the LCK. There, the team KT also relied on Senna as an ADC.
The supporter TusiN, on the other hand, decided on Volibear and became a threat to every opponent in a one-on-one, as seen here in this clip against the mid-laner:
In the meantime, professionals from Misfits, Schalke 04, and Rogue have also commented on it. They all currently consider the strategy too strong.
How popular is Senna? Senna is considered one of the more popular champions, although she doesn’t quite match the strong stats of Aphelios or Gragas (both are banned or played almost 100% of the time):
- In the LCS, Senna has 24 picks and 13 bans in 58 games, placing her 12th among champions with the most picks or bans.
- In the European LEC, she has 19 picks and 16 bans in 60 games, placing her 14th.
Only in Korea is she currently used significantly less.
