Akali as most people know, usually plays mid and top, but most mids destroy her horribly early, and most tops laugh at her in mid game.... However, she doesn't have the problem of getting shot down early on as a jungler, and she slaughters the mids and ADCs by mid game... She doesn't have a bad clear rate, on par with Diana, and has better ganks than Diana.... So why doesn't Akali get picked as a jungle but Diana does?
MilfHuntUnitXJ93 votesMy theory - Because she provides no gank advantage pre-6, or post 6 at that, and any of the champions on the jungle roster will countergank you and shit on you.
Diana has that annoying knockback slow shit which is staple in her jungle build.
Your best bet as Akali is camping the lane that has the best engage and CC, and that typically isn't a good thing if your other lanes aren't doing well.
Elindiir1 votesDiana's isn't a knockback but a weak pull, but any Lee Sin, Tryndamere, and Master YI still eats her alive until lv 6.... Actually, the pull is detrimental to Diana against most of the junglers in the current meta pre-6 because they all have their own movement boosts to counteract the slowing and most are melee. Post-6, it fits well into her combo when ganking casters and ADCs when she Q-R-W-E-R...
For the most part, with either champion, I powerfarm to 6 hoping to god that I never get invaded and make sure to ban Tryndamere when I play Akali.... Undying Rage just screws with my ult so badly and jungle Tryndamere invades sooo hard without consequence.
However the pre-6 gank issue with Akali is still a huge point, since Diana isn't exactly a common pick either. I don't actually put a point in Akali's W till lv5 because I'm dead if I get invaded if my flash isn't enough anyway. Having 2 points in my Q and E allow my clears to be fast enough to be between the ADC and the mid in XP (and surpass the mid if mid is losing)
PDE5 Inhib2 votesWhy not? Because she is booty.
Leeerzeichen1 votesI'm a diana jungle main and I tired akali jungle, because I wanted to have a "diana banned" pick. Her early clear is horrible compared to diana, a lot slower and a lot less healthy, she is just to squishy. Her level 6 ganking is ok, but it feels like she has not enough cc and her combo is to easy to interrupt.
Elindiir1 votesWhat were you starting with, and what masteries, because I usually am able to clear enough to get chilling smite before backing and at that point, I have kept past the ADC on XP.
I usually find that Diana's combo is more difficult to actually pull off as it falls apart if you miss your Q. As for CC, it is only a big deal if your lane already pushed the enemy in and with Akali, I usually just dive the tower and bounce off the incoming minion wave if my flash is down. Akali has more sticking power if they flash, but it is true that Akali can't 'fight it out' with tankier types like Diana can. I don't quite see where you are coming from with interrupting Akali's combo as she doesn't lose her opponent with a flash, or get punished nearly as much if fizz or yi become unhittable with their abilities, since her Q is on a really short CD and it is point-and-click. If you are referring to the double-q-auto thing, I just don't bother with that as it doesn't have much benefit over Q-R-AA-E-Q-AA(R when they are getting away at any point)
EDIT: I actually have to wait longer after I clear the first 2 camps to get red just because I clear them far faster than smite's CD can keep up at that point, often by a margin of 20 seconds.
EDIT2: I run 8.5AD, 18HP/5@lv18, 15AP, 28AP@lv18 for runes
Leeerzeichen1 votesI used a usual Diana runes: attacks speed in red flat armor in yellow, flat ap in blue and the big ones.
I tried it again in a custom game (no help): I could clear my krugs, red buff, raptors, wolves and executed at my blue buff with no potion left. With Diana I can clear my 2xkrugs, 2xraptors, red, blue, gromp, wolves with 3 potions (2, if I messed something up) left
Lets say you want to gank a tristana leona botlane, with Diana I can press all of my buttons before I reach tristana, so even if leona instantly stuns me, tris will still get my full q, r, w damage. If I try the same thing with akali I won't be able to get my q proc and e off, because I have to use then after my ult.
Akali is more of a follow up champ than an engage champ, but being able to engage is pretty important for a jungler in my opinion.
Elindiir1 votesHowever, Tristana can very easily jump away from Diana's Q and then she can't get hit with a double ult. If Leona stuns Diana, then Tristana will certainly get away, whereas Akali can very easily minion-hop, and possibly even dive Tristana before flashing out. However, Akali shines better ganking mages, assassins, and skirmishers, who all are more vulnerable to the high burst, and the duel could be going on and she would just clean up. Also, the problem you had was that you ran attack speed which has less of a benefit for Akali, whereas flat AD makes her better at clearing. Also, with Akali, you HAVE to kill the rift scuttlers so that your lifesteal with the machete give health back, which is also what the health regen runes are for too.