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I can't be the only one that feels under leveled in the jungle

DragonStryker··101 votes·10,186 views

Or am I just crazy?

89 Comments

Sohleks26 votes

Not crazy. This is very common now. Very often solo laners are 2 levels above the jungler mid game. Especially in competitive matches. It sucks because it is forcing the jungle meta into a support role more than ever. It is one reason Jarvan is so dominate. Jungles that need levels for their base damage are screwed.

It's probably why Rek'Sai got released so OP. Hard and new-ish jungle made it hard to gauge her properly.

Double smite charges might help somewhat but we'll see.

Lt Cuddles1 votes

Hecarim and Rengar need to get fed, due to their on level damage, but I just like to "cover" lanes to get a level advantage going, really sucks to get poached, but hey, at least I get to tax lanes.

OyddAWqJ5r2 votes

Which is why they aren't viable as junglers in this meta. The jungle is made to where no amount of farming jungle will allow you to surpass the lanes in levels. You can merely keep up with them by ganking and securing a kill.

Basically junglers are back to being half-whatever role they are and half-support, which is honestly how they should be. But now that it's been settled they need to even out the other level reliant junglers to make them a little less level reliant (Shyvanna, Hecarim, Rengar etc.).

CoolKnightST16 votes

What about giving the jungler 2-5 xp more for killing jungle monsters when they have item 1039.

LordOfTheLeague6 votes

Yes this is an obvious solution to me, they made so that hunter's machete give more gold from the jungle. Now they need to make it give more xp.

TonyTonyMordecai1 votes

I think they're trying to not have it be a repeat of when the jungle, way back in season 4, when the jungler would be tons of levels ahead of everyone else. But the underleveling is starting to become a problem again. So there can't really be a true balance of gaining too much XP, without balancing it and then not gaining enough XP. The double smite charges I think will help immensely, since EVERY camp has a buff/benefit to using smite on it, as oppose to the old jungle where it was only two camps and then dragon and baron where smite was truly worth having.

RogueWill2 votes

{quoted}

I think they're trying to not have it be a repeat of when the jungle, way back in season 4, when the jungler would be tons of levels ahead of everyone else. But the underleveling is starting to become a problem again. So there can't really be a true balance of gaining too much XP, without balancing it and then not gaining enough XP. The double smite charges I think will help immensely, since EVERY camp has a buff/benefit to using smite on it, as oppose to the old jungle where it was only two camps and then dragon and baron where smite was truly worth having.

That's not the point of the double smite thou. The point is that you don't have to decide between using the smite on monsters and on for counterplay (chilling on a gank or pouch on the enemy jungle). it is true that the monsters give you an extra buff when you smite them but its mostly to help you clear the jungle without dying as opposed to offer any kind of utility when ganking. As the jungle is now the only way to keep on terms of exp is either you tax lanes hard when you gank or you go heavy on counterjungling and stealing your enemy monsters, and still you probably will be a level behind.

LordOfTheLeague1 votes

Yes we need to see how the double smite will affect the jungle.

Alorasence11 votes

Well, this is a little complicated.

I think what happened is that Riot nerfed jungle xp because of the enormous amount of pressure early game junglers were putting on immobile laners in the early game. I think Jarvan, Lee Sin, and Khazix, skewed the reality of junglers.

It seemed that junglers were murdering immobile carries, mandating that champions with escapes be played, and making the meta pretty inflexible. (try playing a Miss fortune, brand, Veigar, or varus against Lee sin during his hay day).

In any case, the nerfs to jungling xp across the board has made it so that junglers can't gank as well as they could, and when they do, they are lower level than they were. So you aren't crazy, obviously...

I think Riot correctly identified a problem with early game pressure from junglers snowballing games...

I think they reacted incorrectly.

Jungling needs to be more focused on vision and control over dragon, buffs, baron, and objectives. Junglers should be mainly against other junglers, instead of being on a constant mission to murder laners on the other team. I'm tired of the Lee sin, Jarvan, Khazix, style of "murder the solo laners to snowball the game".

its made a lot of junglers unviable and made the game stale.

Sohleks2 votes

{quoted}

Well, this is a little complicated...

Pretty much. The worse jungle EXP is the better it is Jarvan running around ganking not jungling gets.

Tabs1 votes

What about champions like Shaco, who heavily rely on ganking and objective control.

Alorasence1 votes

{quoted}

What about champions like Shaco, who heavily rely on ganking and objective control.

Its okay to be a jungler that ganks.

Its not okay to be a jungler that makes non-gank junglers unviable. A jungler that is so strong at dueling and killing that it enforces non-interaction with other junglers. IE: Lee Sin, Khazix, Jarvan, Rengar, et cetera.

Shaco is just fine. He can be dueled. He has deadly ganks, but he is as vulnerable as his opponents.

Lee Sin makes non-agro junglers a terrible pick because he'll snowball the game before they can do anything to help. This is why Naut and Sej are in such lousy positions. And why carry junglers like Yi and Diana are so risky. (Lee Sin or Jarvan will have won the game for their team long before you are strong enough to carry)

CIit Yeastwood1 votes

Hm. Part of me wants to agree, but the other half is completely disagreeing with you.

I have seen many Sej players completely wreck a Lee and a Jarvan. Do they just main Sej and know what they are doing? Sure, I guess.

I think it's more a factor of everyone is seeing Jarvan, Lee, Kha, Rengar, Vi, etc, (the gank heavy junglers) so often, that they automatically think "Well, if I'm going to jungle I HAVE to gank all the time!" Sej works because once you farm your 6, you are a ganking machine, hell, you can even get GREAT ganks before 6.

Naut hasn't seen much play anywhere unless you are a mega kill lane at bottom, but he works A LOT like Sej. Great ganks at 6, so just ask your team to play defensive.

I personally find this season to be one of the most fun for junglers. Sure, the EXP is low and needs some more tweaking, but the amount of junglers that you can actually get away with now is quite fun.

All you have to do is pull your head out of the "I need a champion that can constantly gank, and if that champion can't constantly gank then it's not a good champion this season," and actually experiment.

I mean, people are actually trying to make Nasus jungle a thing again. NASUS OF ALL CHAMPIONS.

tl;dr: Don't be afraid of straying from gank heavy junglers. A lot of the others work fantastically.

Big Bang Bob1 votes

But if I'm farming, the raptors kill me more ):

JJ H0G1 votes

Nasus jungle with skirmisher/sabre and devourer ftw.

Fluppets7 votes

Not crazy at all, Riot will make some half-assed attempt to fix this that will likely give more power to either Lee sin, jarvan, Rek'sai and Warwick or to other laners besides the Jungle.

Jungle is in a really, really bad spot right now. I dont feel impactful at all, I cant carry from the Jungle while I feel Jungle should be the one role where you can fix/alleviate your team or one lane's mistake I feel its the othe way around. The jungler seems to be only there to amplify the lead a team/lane already has.

prolly bad5 votes

Not crazy. New junglers are often underleveled I think. I'm fairly certain even TSM's TheOddOne has gone into detail about this topic.
It isn't that bad I guess. Just gotta really have good ganks and cannot waist time between farming.

ArkenStorm4 votes

experience needs to be buffed again. like buffs should still give enough experience for a level. the 2 smaller monsters around it give less than they do now. its the same total experience for the camp, but the exp per monster is adjusted. also wolves or at the very least raptors exp gain should be buffed, considering how much the raptors got buffed. crazy strong raptors man

Saint Millay3 votes

You may hit level 3 first but:

(1) you are usually half dead from the jungle camps at this point (2) you have to pay a 750 gold "Jungling Tax" before you can get any items that have stats on them. Unless you have high base damages, your gank is pretty weak at this point.

By the time you hit 4 and a half, the solo laners will be 6 and your window will be gone.

So unless you have high sustain and base damages, there is no window.

Aarekk2 votes

No, people have noticed that too. Stonewall has also said that the new jungle leaves him around two levels behind solo laners even if he participates more than in S4.

kirbyzama2 votes

Just played a game in top lane our jungler was level 7 when I hit 10 or 11, can't remember which, and she was ahead of the enemy jungler too, even had kills. In my opinion experience ought to be buffed but only as the game goes on that way teammates who poach don't get too much of an advantage. Also since tank junglers scale better with levels than gold it would be good for them too. That's just my two cents.

warpenguin5552 votes

it happens to me alot too, jungle falls behind too easy now adays

Ace Access 2 votes

giving the jungler bonus xp would help when I try jungling I notice that I gain less gold and xp in the jungle than if I just fought in one of the lanes

Jesus is Savior2 votes

The funny thing is they nerfed exp for monsters that are a lower level than you to "prevent AFK farming".

But it actually does the opposite - if you AFK farm, you level up faster. If you gank and leech lane exp, you get almost zero exp when you return to your jungle level 3 or level 4 and clear out your level 2 monsters.

Hizsoo2 votes

Every jungle camp overall gives the same amount of xp and if you do something else than non-stop farming the jungle, as a jungler, you will fall behind in levels. The best way to catch up, is taking the lane xp. The xp gain in the season 5 jungle is really messed up and there is no good way to catch up inside of it. Supports are usually way better leveled, just by staying in lane.

Third Reign2 votes

I think it would be beneficial to change the jungle items to increase exp gained from jungle monsters. This has the added benefit that Riot can keep early full jungle spawn times and make taking jungle camps unattractive for laners at lvl1.

I also dislike that jungle monsters don't level automatically and need to be killed to level up. It only snowballs the disadvantage once you get behind and can't kill a camp for any reason.

Myles JT2 votes

I'm also having this problem, and its really annoying cause my first ganks usually tend to be against a lvl 6 while I'm still lvl 4.

JoveGaming2 votes

The problem I feel is how jungle camps level up. Most junglers skip the Raptor camp(Why does this camp hit like a truck in comparison to every other non-buff camp?). They usually get around to clearing it when they get level 3 or 4. Problem is camps don't level up while they are active. That Raptor camp is still level 1 and giving level 1 experience.

It's what makes invading/counter jungling not worth it anymore. Sure, you denied the enemy a camp, but yours aren't getting cleared either. Your camps aren't leveling up. It's also why if you play a gank heavy jungler if your ganks aren't successful you fall behind. Your camps aren't being cleared so they can level up.

Endarius2 votes

I find that in the first 8 minutes or so I am usually about 1 level below the solo lanes. Sometimes 2 although not for long. Not sure it's a bad thing since if you have your buffs and gank it's pretty one-sided unless the other jungler counters. I imagine it's also why I am still seeing Warwick picked/banned even though I went from maining tankwick to utterly abandoning him after the ridiculous nerf-fest. The way that was addressed, the offending build was heavily nerfed, but also became the only viable one. Reminds me of the s3 bullshit with Zac and Hecarim. Utter panic response.

BasicExp1 votes

Points to Ponder

The big thing you need to consider here is that the new jungle gives diminished experience to you relative to all other players in the game. This is to say, you hit level three explosively fast in the jungle, usually in three camps but this usually means that you are one of the highest level players on your team for a very short stint. This makes getting level four take three camps which is a giant spike. It is clear that it is in this time frame the game lends its self to wanting you to do something besides farm camps.

Dragon has taken a lot of there interest of junglers and games in general so this is a good time to figure out whether the junglers you are playing can in fact solo dragon at this point. A lot can, at least most that you want to be playing currently.

Ganking becomes something junglers really must do if they want to get truly ahead of the opposing jungler. Counter jungling in the current meta does feel pretty weak. In theory it should be really strong given that camps take longer to spawn and are therefore worth a lot more to the jungler. That being said I do no find that I am spending a great deal og time fast the seven minute mark focusing on clearing camps. Of course I still do, but there seems to be a busy map that requires constant movement and support of the team to capture relevant objectives.

In regards to carrying from this position, I agree it has become difficult to just win the game as a jungler on pure skill. I think the meta now lends it self to junglers who provide their team with golden opportunities that are nearly impossible to screw up. This means a lot of tankier junglers with a lot of CC.

I have been having a lot of success with Skarner, Malphite, Warwick and Nautilus.

Regards,

Basic

Angry Monster5 votes

This is to say, you hit level three explosively fast in the jungle

you hit 3 and have to base cause you are to beaten up to gank. The level 3 power spike is rarely abused (unless lee sin)

BasicExp1 votes

With my current Runes and Mastery setups and the champions I am choosing to play in the jungle, I am always healthy enough to gank at level three if I so choose. That being said I often feel it beneficial to alter my route and hit four before I first back to get boots, machete upgrade, wards and pots.

Machete upgrade makes ganking exceptionally effective these days and I find I prefer a strong level four gank with red buff, boots and blue smite to the earlier level three gank with red and blue buff.

This is just my experience thus far.

Regards,

Basic

Angry Monster3 votes

i just looked at your runes and masteries. Sub optimal is the word i would use.

BasicExp2 votes

Arguable. I am always happy to hear how I might improve a jungle clear in some fashion on any champion. My current sets are just what I am having success with this season thus far in the jungle.

This season the jungle feels a lot different I am only really comfortable jungling a few champions.

I am not sure where your unprovoked animosity resides in.

Regards,

Basic

Duke Anax1 votes

I generally have the most problems with early clear.

Scaling runes don't really help with that.

BasicExp1 votes

I only take scaling MR on junglers because they do not need MR early. I take a couple armor glyphs because this new jungle beats your ass too hard for just nine armor. Ten makes just enough of a difference to keep you healthy with out sacrificing mid game team fight durability.

Regards,

Basic

Angry Monster1 votes

Blu AR runes are not efficient. Scaling reds are not efficient.

Your taking bad choices in runes to force certain play patterns.

I am not sure where your unprovoked animosity resides in.

you made a comment, i checked you out and then commented in return. this is not animosity.

BasicExp1 votes

Scaling runes are on MR only on jungle pages, so I am not sure what you are referring to, and your choice of diction was abrasive. Everything else is for top or support pages which suit my play style in season five currently and it is working great for me.

Regards,

Basic.

Awe5omeMan1 votes

Most of my junglers are 2/3 - 100% hp when I finish clearing gromp blue than red, or enemy red blue my red my mains are cho ww and fiddle with some amumu and plenty of others including yi. It's now all about choosing where you start and making sure you smite the right camps for ur champ. tanks like cho benefit from gromp the most making you an aoe tornado with bladed armor, gromp poisen, and 3 aoe abilities. Yi wants max attack speed and the golem camps stun which works great with his passive (yi might start golem than clear raptor and red. Fid and ww obviously lifesteal and yi had meditate for (sustain and tank as well as carry/ farm jungler like ww and yi are strong right now). Which camp you smite and your path make a huge difference now, I rarely find myself more than 1 level behind solo laners ( but often neglect shopping) Over all I feel like more champs can jungle right now you just have to figure out how and adapt really well to the situation. I wish raptor gaze didnt phase out after finding one ward that makes it kinda shitty

Angry Monster1 votes

IF this pattern works for you, it works for you. I would argue that this delay in shopping is sub optimal. Your losing out on upgraded smite and extra gold.

After you get red and gank on the gromp blu red pattern. In theory(i dont know) you would have to back burring the rest of the red.

Yi and WW are very farm intensive junglers pre 6. So i am not sure they are good metrics of the overall jungle.

Awe5omeMan1 votes

The delay in shopping is not a bad thing. I usually only will get over 1k on ww, fiddle, cho etc. People who have a huge impact at level 6. you miss out on a bit of gold, but if you get first blood or a kill and an assist just one time you've more than made up for it. Plus you can expect to pile a tower and some serious XP on there too. Generally if I get red level1 and gank (mid) I'm basically starting my jungle at level 2 -2.5 with half hp. Just smiting red can almost full heal you. If you are going with mao, panth, fid, mumu, cho, ww, etc you can actually manage to do a full clear after stealing red and taking light damage while ganking. Several times I've gotten the enemy red killed their top or mid done a full clear and gotten both beetles. Basically wins the game if people don't throw too hard. You don't recall and burn the rest of the red- you go farm your jungle!

TheRainInSpain1 votes

If I'm doing great and hyperfarming or getting several kills through ganks, I'm usually one level behind my mid and top lane.

If I'm doing decent, I'm usually two levels behind mid and top.

And if I'm doing horrible, I'm am four to five levels behind (three levels behind the support).

This seems to be an attempt at making support/tank junglers more useful over regular junglers and farming junglers, as the latter two rely on ganks and farm to work, while the support and tank jungles do not as much when you're bring the hard CC to the fight by simply existing.

deadlychuck1 votes

There is a reason that item 3713 is considered the best option. It turns smite into an AOE, which is a massive boost to clear speed.

Yakas1 votes

When I jungle, I make sure I get red, blue, then do nothing but gank. If I don't get fed, im useless

Giovarco1 votes

With the new jungle, Riot wanted to solve the pressure that the some junglers had in the early game... and did well. However, the new jungle hinder tank junglers, because they are item-dependent and have no enough gold to buy, and junglers that have no gank potential pre-6, because they need too much time to get level 6 and so fall behind very easily. I think that recalling at level 3 is ok, but neutral monster should give more exp after level 5, so you don't fall behind.

Champion Skin1 votes

Tank Junglers are by their very nature not very reliant on items But they are reliant on getting to level 6 and not ending up in duels as most tanks have mostly AoE and such and bad single target damage and dueling potential

Tank junglers generally: Rely on their base damages and CC Need some durability to be able to get of their CC before dying And some CDR or utility items would be useful but are not necessary

Giovarco1 votes

I disagree. Tanks are item reliant by definition. You can't be tanky without items. On the contrary, It's largely true that they haven't to have dueling potential. However, as you said, you can't buff their base damage because they would have dueling potential early game (and I assure you that Nautilus has crazy damage at level 1-4). The real problem is getting level 6.

Yesterday I was playing WW. When I was level 5, but the laners were level 7. At level 6, I was oneshotted by the enemy mid-laner and falled behind because I couldn't gank without dying because I had no enough items. However, I think that WW is a special case because I tend to do pretty well with Nautilus.

Champion Skin1 votes

Warwick is more of a bruiser then a tank in that he doesn't really have any CC except for his ult (and even then his ult is single target) Tanks are like Sejuani, Amumu , Malphite they mostly have quite a bit of CC so even if they have no items as long as they get of a good ult and use their CC Like if Malphite gets a good ult + E then he has done his job... if he dies... then so what... he's the tank... For Sejuani she doesn't even have to get in melee range to use her ult as it is ranged and so is her E which she can follow up with Though yes for Amumu it does matter a bit since he can struggle a bit getting into a good position to ult if he misses or hits the wrong target with his Q and well then he might be forced to use his ult badly before he dies

N3mO061 votes

yes man, it's true! The new jungle is created just for ganks( in fact all the jungler with a strong early are gold tier) not for farming. If you want an advice try to tax every time you can a lane, try to cover when your laner go back, invade for counterjungling. This is the only way to have the same lv of a non fed midder. So many time it happen to me that even if I had a great score, the enamy topper, who was wining the lane, had 1-2 lv more then me, it's normal in this season. The only problem is that if one of my solo lane is losing and I try to gank, with the possibility of 80% the enamy will take a double.....so don't gank the lane that are losing hard except if you have a jax or other laner which never fall behind or a laner with hard cc Like Lissandra and you have enough damage to take the enamy. that's all!

j j1 votes

I feel like every time they redo the jungle they fk it up harder for the jungler. Actually most people won't even attempt to jungle now lmao. The monster individual buffs are cool and neat but junglers get their ass kicked left n right now, so what was the point? 1 counter jungle that is successful ruins the game for that player where as before they could come back.

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