Attack Damage Carries (AD Carries) scale their damage through basic attacks and spells that scale with physical power. In TFT Set 17, AD carries are highly flexible, split between fast-attacking ranged marksmen and heavy-hitting melee fighters. Because physical damage scales multiplicatively—combining Attack Speed, Attack Damage, and Critical Strike Chance—building the correct combination of items is vital to secure Top 4 finishes. Here is our comprehensive AD carry itemization guide.

The Pillars of AD Itemization

To optimize an AD carry's physical output, you must build toward three fundamental components: **Attack Speed/Multiplier**, **Armor Penetration**, and **Sustain/Survivability**.

1. Attack Speed vs. Raw Attack Damage

The first decision depends on your champion's combat role. Ranged carries who rely on auto-attacks require attack speed, while spellcasters require raw attack damage scaling.

• Guinsoo's Rageblade: Generates infinite stacking attack speed. Essential for ranged carries (like Jinx) who scale with attack frequency. Stacking two Guinsoo's is a common strategy to hit the attack speed cap (5.0).
• Deathblade: Grants the highest amount of flat Attack Damage. Ideal for physical spellcasters (like Samira or Jhin) whose abilities deal massive percent-AD damage.
• Infinity Edge: Enables physical spells to Critically Strike and grants Critical Strike Chance. A core damage multiplier for almost all physical damage carries.

2. Armor Penetration (Sunder)

Just as AP carries require magic shred, AD carries must bypass enemy armor. Without armor penetration, your physical damage will bounce off Vanguard or Bastion frontlines in the late game.

• Last Whisper: Built using a Recurve Bow and Sparring Gloves. Deals physical damage and reduces the target's armor by a significant percentage for a few seconds. This is a mandatory item on your main AD carry if you do not have armor sunder from an Augment or another champion's ability.

3. Sustain & Survivability (Melee AD Carries)

Melee AD carries (often called "bruisers" or "fighters," like Fiora or Rhaast) fight in close combat. Because they take damage alongside your tanks, they must have items that restore HP and prevent one-shot bursts.

• Bloodthirster: Grants physical life steal and generates a temporary shield when the holder's HP drops below a specific threshold. This is the gold standard defensive item for melee carries.
• Sterak's Gage: Increases max HP and grants a massive Attack Damage boost when the holder's health drops. Excellent when paired with Bloodthirster to create an unkillable fighter.
• Edge of Night: Grants a brief period of stealth and untargetability when dropping below 60% HP, dropping aggro from enemy carries. Mandatory for squishy melee assassins to survive.

Standard 3-Item AD Carry Formulas

Depending on your carry's position, prioritize these formulas:

Ranged Auto-Attack Carry (e.g. Jinx):
Guinsoo's Rageblade + Last Whisper + Infinity Edge

Melee Bruiser Carry (e.g. Fiora):
Bloodthirster + Sterak's Gage + Infinity Edge / Titan's Resolve

Conclusion

Physical carries require balanced scaling. Do not stack three flat AD items without attack speed or armor penetration, and always secure a Bloodthirster for your melee fighters. Check live statistics on our [Meta Items](/items) page to discover the highest win-rate items for your active carries and secure your LP gains.