It’s no secret that Riot placed a pretty heavy emphasis on the bot lane this past offseason. With new champions like Senna and Aphelios in mind, it’s clear that the AD Carry role was revitalized heading into 2020. However, it’s important to remember that AP bot lane carries are still relevant as we progress our way into the next decade. If you’re looking to climb in Season 10, don’t be afraid to try these potential off-brand bot lane champions for an extra boost of magic damage.

Ziggs

When Riot changed the bot lane to welcome in more AP champions during the middle of 2018, Ziggs was one of the catalysts who sparked a revolution in the way the bot lane meta was approached. He was utilized in a surplus of compositions focused on pushing towers and poking down enemies in lane, and even today, Ziggs’ strengths still come in the form of sieging and oppressing from long range.

With the combination of his passive - which empowers his basic attacks - and Lich Bane, he’s able to deal massive damage to structures and champions with just his autos. Additionally, his W, Satchel Charge, instantly kills turrets below 25% HP at Rank 1. When you factor in the downright oppressive abilities that he has in his kit, such as Bouncing Bomb and Hexplosive Minefield, Ziggs is able to keep enemies pressured, easily pushing the lane and getting free damage on turrets.

With how valuable turret gold is this season, Ziggs seems like an obvious choice if you want to acquire gold leads early and keep your opponents struggling to get ahead.

Cassiopeia

Another seriously challenging champion to deal with, Cassiopeia has the potential to be a true menace in the bot lane this year. Even when she’s on her own in solo lanes, her consistent poisonous presence through zoning tools is a nuisance, but with a support by her side to offer up security and increased throughput, there’s reason to believe that Cassiopeia is a sleeper threat in the bot lane.

According to OP.gg, Cassiopeia already has the 8th highest win-rate among bot lane champions (51.5%), outranking longtime mainstays of the position such as Vayne, Jinx, and Lucian.

It’s clear that AP bot lane carries are becoming strong alternative options to traditional AD carries in 2020, and if any champion is helping to lead the pack, it’s Cassiopeia. Her abilities are incredibly potent in any 2v2, and her consistent damage output allows the champion to pair well with almost any team composition.

Neeko

A more obscure pick for the bot lane, Neeko would be more useful for the utility that she brings to the table more so than her damage output. Although you most definitely shouldn’t count out her ability to deal out consistent DPS, there’s probably a better reasons to pick Neeko - like for her supreme crowd control and lockdown game. There’s a ton of potential that the champion has in terms of her snare and stun, as she can easily root her enemies in place with the incredible range attached to Tangle-Barbs.

And although there’s still reason to believe that Neeko could act as an AP Carry on her own, you should probably be picking this champion in situations where she would fit nicely with complementary damage in the bot lane. If you pick Neeko alongside a passive support such as Nami or Karma, your team most likely won’t have the necessary damage or presence in lane. However, when combined with someone like Brand or Lux, Neeko becomes a seriously potent pick.

If more supportive and utility-focused characters are your speed, Neeko could be the champ that pulls you up the ranked ladder.

Xerath

In a similar manner to Ziggs, Xerath is a seriously poke-heavy character that has the potential to do an impactful amount of damage not only in the laning phase, but throughout the entirety of any given game. His Q, Arcanopulse, is one of the longest-reaching basic abilities in the game, and if used correctly, can continuously damage enemy champions from nearly a screen away. Hypothetically, skilled Xerath players can target their opponents from half a lane back and still land their abilities. There’s no champion in the game who can snipe their opponents quite as effectively as Xerath can, especially when you factor in his Ultimate, Rite of the Arcane, which boasts a target range of exactly 5,000.

Another thing Xerath excels at is clearing waves and pushing lanes extremely quickly. Since most of his abilities are AOE, he can kill a bulk of minions at a time and knock out waves faster than most champions in all of League. Whether you’re pushing through the enemy’s lane trying to reach a tower or just playing defense trying to ward off the next assault, Xerath’s ability to clean up waves is practically unparalleled.

If fast-paced, skillshot-focused gameplay is something that you excel at, Xerath could be your champion - especially if you enjoy hanging back and doing damage from far away.

Heimerdinger

There once was a time in history when Heimerdinger was the laughing stock of League. However, those days are long gone and the Revered Inventor holds a place atop the game’s meta - especially in the bot lane. With an arsenal of weapons and different tools that all put out a massive amount of damage, Heimerdinger is a constant force in any stage of the game. Between his incredibly powerful AOE stun, high-intensity and high damage rockets, and consistent DPS threats in his multitude of turrets, Heimerdinger has the potential to dominate and control any lane with a vice grip during the course of any game.

The weapons at his disposal make him one of the most prominent AP Carries in the bot lane for a reason. As of right now, Heimerdinger holds the #4 spot in terms of bot lane winrate, only behind Miss Fortune, Kalista, and Twitch. If there’s any champion who you should consider adding to your arsenal as a bottom lane player, it’s Heimerdinger. You never know when your team might need the perfect mix of utility and damage - he certainly brings both to the table.