In League of Legends, the AD carry position is one of the most influential in the game, as players can easily take games over from there. The position has the word “carry” as part of its title, so you should expect AD carry players to take the game into their own hands every once in a while.
Beyond the traditional AD carry, though, there is an evolved version of the role: the “hyper carry.” You may have heard this term mentioned on official League esports broadcasts, especially in regard to certain champions who scale well into the later stages of a game.
In the late-game, AD carries are the focal point of their teams, as they can deal a high amount of damage in teamfights, occasionally winning games for their team completely by themselves. When a hyper carry is part of a team comp, teams are expecting that champion to take the game over and win it for them singlehandedly no matter what.
A hyper carry is a champion that can dominate a game of League during its latest stages, when each champion is at the peak of their scaling arcs. When all players in the game have fully completed their builds, the hyper carry should be the strongest damage-dealer among all of them.
A team composition that features a hyper carry will almost always revolve around that champion, as they place all of their chips onto that one particular champion in hopes that they’ll deliver them a win.
What is the difference between a carry and a hyper carry?
A traditional carry champion and a hyper carry are similar in the way they can both deliver teams to victory, but a hyper carry will almost always be a team’s sole win condition. While teams can sometimes find victory without their traditional carry being a part of late-game teamfights, teams that feature hyper carries will always need that champion present and dealing damage in order to win games.
Hyper carries are also unique in that their team compositions are usually built around them. While traditional carries can exist on their own, hyper carries will almost always have other champions in their pocket assisting them. Peel-heavy tanks and enchanter supports can usually be found around the Rift while the hyper carry occupies the ADC position.
Which champions are defined as hyper carries?
Hyper carries are almost always going to play the AD carry position. With that in mind, champions like Kog’Maw, Tristana, Aphelios, Twitch, and Jinx will most always fit the bill at that position.
Hyper carries don’t always have to play the ADC position, though. On occasion, they can be found in the jungle, mid lane, and top lane, although hyper carries at those positions are fewer and further between than the more traditional ADC hyper carries. Champions found outside of the bottom lane that also fill a hyper carry role include Kayle, Master Yi, and Ryze—all of whom scale incredibly well into the late-game, while serving as the primary damage option for their teams in potential last-minute teamfights.
