Marksman · ADC · Mid

Smolder counters, build & runes

Smolder, the Fiery Fledgling, is a marksman mostly played in ADC and Mid. In ADC it has a 49.5% win rate in patch 16.20 and sits in tier B. It excels at sustained damage and is strongest in the late game.

Patch 16.20 · SoloQ

ADC89%

Mid11%

BTier

49.5%Win rate

5.4%Pick rate

1.8%Ban rate

#21Rank · ADC

98,120Games

Smolder ADC most played build

Runes83% of games · 49.9% WR

Deathfire Touch · Nimbus Cloak · Celerity · Gathering Storm
Magical Footwear · Jack Of All Trades

Summoner spells49.8% WR

Flash

Barrier

Skill order76% of games · 59.3% WR

QWE

Levels 1 to 3: Q · W · E

Starting items63% of games · 49.8% WR

Doran's Blade

Health Potion

Core build22% of games · 54.3% WR

Essence Reaver

Black Cleaver

Spear of Shojin

Boots46% of games · 51.9% WR

Gluttonous Greaves

Smolder ADC counters

Smolder's win rate in the lane matchup

Struggles against

Viktor45.5%947
Jinx46.7%7,207
Aphelios47.1%2,924
Sivir47.3%1,576
Tristana47.5%4,237
Kog'Maw47.6%828

Beats

Varus55.7%969
Ezreal53.6%3,603
Kalista52.4%1,329
Vayne52.3%1,608
Lucian52.3%3,006
Corki52.1%614

DTier

44.0%Win rate

0.7%Pick rate

1.7%Ban rate

#55Rank · Mid

11,905Games

Smolder Mid most played build

Runes70% of games · 44.2% WR

Deathfire Touch · Nimbus Cloak · Celerity · Gathering Storm
Magical Footwear · Jack Of All Trades

Summoner spells43.3% WR

Flash

Teleport

Skill order71% of games · 51.8% WR

QWE

Levels 1 to 3: Q · W · E

Starting items54% of games · 44.1% WR

Doran's Blade

Health Potion

Core build16% of games · 52.6% WR

Essence Reaver

Black Cleaver

Spear of Shojin

Boots45% of games · 43.8% WR

Ionian Boots of Lucidity

Smolder Mid counters

Smolder's win rate in the lane matchup

Struggles against

Qiyana30.4%92
Hwei33.0%106
Nasus33.9%62
Diana34.3%108
Aurelion Sol34.8%92
Akali34.9%129

Beats

Anivia52.4%82

Champion profile

Burst damage2
Sustained damage4
Durability0
Crowd control1
Mobility2
Engage0
Peel1
Poke2

0 to 5 attributes from HeroCoach's Fuente 1 profile, rated from the champion kit and Emerald+ stats.

Power curve

Early

Mid

Late

Game plan

Protecting the carry

Struggles against

hard crowd control
poke
burst damage
early pressure

Frequently asked questions

Who counters Smolder in ADC?

In patch 16.20, the hardest lane opponents for Smolder in ADC are Viktor (45.5%), Jinx (46.7%) and Aphelios (47.1%). In brackets, Smolder's win rate in that matchup.

Who is Smolder strong against?

In ADC, Smolder wins most often against Varus (55.7%), Ezreal (53.6%) and Kalista (52.4%).

What is the best Smolder build in ADC?

The core Smolder build in ADC is Essence Reaver, Black Cleaver and Spear of Shojin. Keystone: Deathfire Touch, with Inspiration as the secondary tree. Skill order: Q > W > E.

Is Smolder good in patch 16.20?

It is tier B in ADC (rank 21), with a 49.5% win rate, 5.4% pick rate and 1.8% ban rate in SoloQ.

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Global SoloQ stats for patch 16.20. Updated October 17, 2026.