What is a Jungling and Junglers goals
Hi Guys this is a beginning of set of tutorials that will teach you though jangling role. I must say that I am not a pro jungler and most of the main details are written with few of my friends that are experienced in jungling. Even though all roles are equally important, jungler role seem to affect the early game dominance heavily. Few successful ganks can change the game upside down. However, we must always remember that it is only a part of the job, there are set of equally important other tasks too.
A jungler has multiple purposes. The exact purpose depends on the champion. A jungler can achieve the following goals:
- Earn gold and experience for the team by farming neutral creep camps
- Cover lanes when teammate needs to back. (Make sure you do not push a lane by auto-attacking minions unless the enemy misses minions)
- Gank lanes for kills and burn summoner spells and ultimate, make the teammates life easy in laning (Relieve lane pressure).
- Minimize enemy gold by counter-jungling or pushing a lane with an ally
- Help mid with blue buff and if possible steel enemy blue with the help of your mid.
- Helping the weaker lanes to sustain the lane and make sure that lane opponent does not get too fed.
All Junglers must do the first 3 points and good jungler must make sure all 6 points are covered.
Selecting the champion
Champion that you choose should have few major characteristics that will make him suitable for the role of jungling.
- How fast it can clear the jungle
- Abilities that will allow you to successfully gank a lane (crowd control abilities and gap closers)
- Mobility
- Sustainability
Get ready with summoner spells, Masteries and Runes
Take Smite and another Summoner’s Spell, typically Flash or Ghost. Smite will help you kill large monsters quickly, and secure the team objectives of “Dragon” and “Baron”. I have seen players try to do smite less jungling (especially with Fiddle and Shaco). I strongly disagree with that decision. Smite not only help you to clear the jungle quickly but will help you to secure the objectives without the fear of being stolen.
I will not go through how to create the mastery or rue page for jungler as it will depend on the champion and your level. However, that information can be easily found if you search for the jungling build under specific champion.
Itemization
The stock starting build for junglers is a Hunter’s Machete and five health pots. High sustain junglers like Fiddlesticks can sacrifice a few pots for a ward. After that, itemization greatly depends on the champion. Nevertheless, there are some general facts that all junglers should know.
- On your first return, always buy Boots. Mobility is most important for the jungler if you compare with any other role. Boots make you swiftly move camp-to-camp and chase down enemies on ganks.
- Keep a ward and potion on you at all times because you never know what enemies you come across in the jungles of Summoner’s Rift.
Warding
Warding can be highly effective in all games, especially if your opponents forget to ward. Typically, river, and team objectives (Dragon/Baron) should be warded, or can even be used to “Counter-Jungle”. Talk with your support to make sure that you have a good warding strategy.
Your primary warding responsibility is one-side of mid while the mid lane wards his other side. If a teammate is vulnerable, ward for him, if he loses the lane it does affect the whole game. And warding near your weak players might get you few kills too.
In the part 2 of this tutorial, we will talk about…
- Right Jungle Route and tactics
- Timing
- Counter-Jungling