Introduction

One of the most difficult parts about playing ADC is being relatively squishy and immobile. While they have the damage to compensate, getting jumped by the enemy Vi or Maokai can be devastating in a teamfight. For champions like Caitlyn and Jinx, knowing how to use their trap abilities correctly is crucial for success. They can be used both offensively and defensively and knowing which way to use them at specific times can be difficult. While their versatility can be incredibly useful, it can also lead to your downfall if used incorrectly or ineffectively.

Caitlyn

While Caitlyn’s 90 Caliber Net (E) is a useful escape, her Yordle Snap Trap (W), is what enables her to kite so effectively. A combination of placing traps preemptively and in the moment turns her into a kiting machine that pumps out massive DPS if she can stay alive. A good Caitlyn player can efficiently use four traps in a teamfight, three placed preemptively and one used to kite back during the fight.

1. Utility

Traps provide vision in addition to rooting enemies. Similar to wards, you can use them to gain vision in bushes when fighting. You can also place them in various bushes on the map to obtain vision in blind areas when an enemy unassumingly walks over them. For example, you can place traps in bushes that the enemy jungler is likely to walk through (red buff, tri bush, etc), giving your team information about their map movement. This is especially helpful against stealth champions such as Evelynn, since wards won’t be able to spot them out. Just be careful that you don’t lead yourself into a false sense of security since traps can be avoided.

Traps can also be used to discourage the enemy from taking objectives. If an allied turret is under siege, you can place three traps in front to keep them from safely auto-attacking or even diving. If your team is killing Baron, trap off the entrance to keep the enemy from entering the pit.

2. Lane pressure

During laning phase Caitlyn’s traps are good for applying pressure in multiple ways. They can help take and maintain bush control or zone certain parts of the lane. Instead of trapping arbitrarily, place them where they can be the most useful at the moment. Don’t simply refresh your traps when they’re stepped on or expire. Actively change their placement as the minion wave moves forward or backward. When a cannon minion is low enough and you know the enemy ADC will try to get the kill, you can place traps to inconvenience them, possibly intimidating them out of getting the cannon minion or forcing them into predictable movement to avoid the trap, which may allow your support to land crowd control (CC) or let you freely harass with autos or an easy Piltover Peacemaker (Q). You can also help set up ganks, by using traps to control enemy movement, pushing them toward or away from the river or bot lane bushes.

3. Stacking CC

Using traps in coordination with your support’s CC is key to winning 2v2 skirmishes. As shown in the example video below, when Thresh lands a Death Sentence (Q), trap where they can Flay (E) the enemy into it. Also be sure to use traps to layer CC with abilities such as Morgana’s Dark Binding (Q), Braum’s Concussive Blows (P), and underneath Blitzcrank when he uses his Rocket Grab (Q) plus Power Fist (E) combo. Because of the activation delay, it is crucial to correctly time when you place traps. Often it’s even necessary to predict when CC will land.

4. Before teamfights

Caitlyn’s traps have the benefit of not activating immediately, thus allowing them to be placed preemptively before major teamfights. For example, before dragon fights, trapping the little mid bush (shown below) or sectioning off the blue side entrances can help slow down the enemy team’s engage or simply be used as CC for the upcoming teamfight. Entrances to chokepoints in general tend to be good places to trap before teamfights. Try to predict the enemy’s pathing ahead of time.

5. During teamfights

Teamfights are the most difficult when it comes to trap placement because of the time it takes to actually put them down. Always remember that the time you take to place traps, is also time you could be auto-attacking (AAing) and doing damage. Most of the time, it’s actually better to AA and kite without placing traps. If you aren’t being focused by the enemy team or need a trap to stop a suppression like Warwick’s Infinite Duress (R), you should be AAing and not worrying about traps. However, as an ADC there are often times when you need to prioritize escaping or living over pumping out DPS.

In that case, the most efficient way to kite backwards is to use your EQ combo to gain distance while dealing damage and then placing a trap in the enemy’s path. This will give you room to breath as well as give you time to AA the enemy. Also use bushes to your advantage; kiting them through them, placing traps in them, and using the vision that you have secured while they might not have any.

6. 1v1s

Caitlyn’s 1v1 pathing is unique because while many ADCs kite in a circular motion, Caitlyn is always moving linearly, most often backwards. This is due to the nature of her 90 Caliber Net (E) which always moves her away from the direction it’s pointing in and her Ace in the Hole (R), which can be used as a finisher from a great distance. Additionally, because of her long AA range, it makes sense to always be moving away from your enemy. Unlike Graves or Lucian who have lower attack ranges and escapes that are generally used to dodge sideways, Caitlyn is always moving backwards and away so that she can safely AA the enemy without being in range for them to hit her back. For this reason, 1v1ing with Caitlyn should be thought of as a backwards, linear path. Bait them into bushes that you have set traps in beforehand and auto them down until an EQ combo will put them in range for her ultimate to kill them.

Jinx

Unlike Caitlyn, Jinx’s traps can’t be placed preemptively, which means their uses are less numerous. However, because of her lack of escape, Flame Chompers (E) are even more essential to her survivability. Poorly or well placed chompers can decide the outcome of a fight. They are also an exceptional ability for an ADC because they have the potential to CC multiple targets on a relatively short cooldown.

1. Stacking CC

Similar to Caitlyn, layering Jinx’s traps with your support’s own CC is important to win a 2v2 skirmish. However, Jinx’s traps are slightly more forgiving since the width is larger. More importantly, chompers consist of three separate traps, allowing you to CC both the ADC and the support. Ideally you should place chompers slightly behind your target, though too far off and it’s easy for the enemy to avoid them altogether.

2. To initiate fights

If you feel like you can win trades in lane and your support isn’t being proactive enough, you can start fights yourself using Chompers. Since Chompers has a delayed activation time, it can be useful to first slow your target with Zap (W), allowing you to land Chompers on them more easily.

3. Self-peel

Many people have the misconception that Jinx is helpless without being babysat by a support, however, even though peel is helpful Jinx isn’t entirely reliant on it. While she doesn’t have an escape, Jinx is able to peel for herself using Chompers. When being focused by single target abilities, such as Zed’s Death Mark (R), placing Chompers on top of yourself will ensure that they get CC’d and buy you time to gain some distance. It’s important to be conscious of the activation delay. If you’re being chased down by the enemy, place your Chompers in the direction that you’re moving, ahead of you. If you do mess up the placement of Chompers, try to kite them into it.

4. Controlling teamfights

While it’s generally necessary to use Chompers for self-peel as described above, sometimes there are other uses in teamfights. Often, enemies will go out of their way to avoid stepping onto Chompers, even if the effort isn’t actually worth dodging the CC. You can take advantage of this by using Chompers to direct their movement and zone them from certain paths. Additionally, you can use Chompers to split up the enemy team, similar to Anivia’s Crystallize (W).

5. Utility

Outside of teamfights, Chompers don’t provide much utility, however, you can use them to zone the enemy. For example, placing them at entrances to Dragon and Baron pit can help delay the enemy long enough for your team to secure the objective. When sieging turrets, place Chompers in front to discourage them from either wave clearing or engaging.

6. 1v1s

Dueling with Jinx revolves around correctly kiting with Chompers and using Pow-Pow for attack speed DPS. Place your Chompers strategically in the path of where you plan on kiting them. Again, if you mess up and miss them, make sure that you change your pathing to kite them into it. Chompers are especially useful in a duel because they ensure that you hit Super Mega Death Rocket (R), which is a huge chunk of damage. Also try to kite them around Chompers until they deactivate because although you can’t CC them more than once, they still take damage when they explode.

Conclusion

As an ADC, surviving is the key to winning. After all, you can’t deal damage when you’re dead! As long as you use their traps effectively, Caitlyn and Jinx can be powerful ADCs that dish out a ton of damage despite being squishy and less mobile. Hopefully this guide will help you understand traps and all the different ways that you can use them.