Instead of getting ganked by the jungler, why not gank the jungler instead?

Commando Yi·Jul 4, 2017·21 votes·1,520 views

I started playing top lane to diamond on one of my accounts a while ago and a common problem I have is getting ganked or camped by the enemy jungler since I'm one of those people who likes to push my lane hard.

Luckily as an experienced jungler I have a fairly good idea of when I'm about to get ganked so I decided to go mess with the enemy jungler as he's doing his top side buff instead of waiting for him to get it and gank me.

Clip from live stream with some subtitles added. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdQzbncHfxY

While I played this poorly I'm certain many of you could get much better results on much stronger champions. Just something to consider the next time you're lamenting the impending gank by the enemy jungler.

23 Comments

l Helios lJul 4, 20174 votes

If I ever get an advantage in lane as Darius , your top jg belongs to me.

WeatheredJul 4, 20173 votes

This is useful, but it's risky in some situations. You normally only do this when your jungler is top side and can reach you in a short amount of time if needed and the enemy mid backed or is showed in lane. The lane froze right outside Garen's tower because he left mid push to help Lee Sin, so you both missed CS and it wasn't much of a problem there.

But in all honesty, even harassing Lee into backing and then quickly returning to lane would've been a pretty hard hit for him since he revolves around the early level ganks.

DeathBurstJul 4, 20172 votes

Oh I didn't know you posted on the boards. Your vid's are great, keep up the good work :)

Commando YiJul 4, 20171 votes

i've been posting on here for a while but the mods keep deleting half my threads :/

DeathBurstJul 4, 20172 votes

Oh? Like, your youtube video threads? That's strange...

Commando YiJul 4, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Oh? Like, your youtube video threads? That's strange...

yep, i usually make threads in general discussion as i've posted there for several years now and the old gd forums is where my youtube channel started. I also share every video I make under gameplay as I've done here for the non-gd crowd. Every now and then I get a moderator coming by telling me I'm spamming the forums and they delete one of the two threads I've made for two different audiences.

Sun Wu RyuumokuJul 4, 20172 votes

[slayer-jinx-unamused] but ur content is more interesting than constant complains

AeszarckJul 4, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Commando Yi,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=LHvsAY5z,comment-id=0002000000000000,timestamp=2017-07-04T15:25:37.922+0000)

yep, i usually make threads in general discussion as i've posted there for several years now and the old gd forums is where my youtube channel started. I also share every video I make under gameplay as I've done here for the non-gd crowd. Every now and then I get a moderator coming by telling me I'm spamming the forums and they delete one of the two threads I've made for two different audiences.

Our moderators are now volunteer mods who are veteran Boards members, so hopefully they'll sympathize more with you than ModSquad has done in the past.

Sun Wu RyuumokuJul 4, 20172 votes

Morality : learn how to use ur summoner 4 [slayer-jinx-wink]

Need Gold 4 TentJul 4, 20171 votes

interesting concept, but if you didn't get the kill, wouldn't you have lost some cs/exp from that side trip?

Commando YiJul 4, 201710 votes

despite falling behind the lee sin went legendary and crushed our jungler, our mid lane and our bottom lane so there was great value in delaying him here

additionally i would not recommend attempting this in a lane where you are struggling, if you are doing well in lane but are overextended as i was the alternative to not making the trip into the enemy jungle is getting ganked by the jungler for being overextended and you'll lose a lot more cs and exp that wya

Need Gold 4 TentJul 4, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Commando Yi,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=LHvsAY5z,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2017-07-04T14:49:28.842+0000)

despite falling behind the lee sin went legendary and crushed our jungler, our mid lane and our bottom lane so there was great value in delaying him here

additionally i would not recommend attempting this in a lane where you are struggling, if you are doing well in lane but are overextended as i was the alternative to not making the trip into the enemy jungle is getting ganked by the jungler for being overextended and you'll lose a lot more cs and exp that wya

Isn't that more a problem with lee sin then? :3

Got your point though, thanks for the explanation. I wonder if it'll work in (bronze?) level normal games

Sun Wu RyuumokuJul 4, 20173 votes

if it work at high elo, there no reason at lower... forget it at low elo they don't have normal pathing, and in his video commando has his jungler comming to him. When u invade (as jungler or laner) take in account ur laner, ennemy laner & jng & and excape capability

SpoofghoulJul 4, 20172 votes

Not sure why someone downvoted you, but have my upvote since you are correct.

Probably someone who felt rank shamed although, let's be honest here, that wasn't rank shaming at all

It's just a different level of play so yea normal pathing doesn't really exist in bronze i can remember going all kinds of way when i jungled back when i was bronze

Sometimes my second buff at like 10th minute just because i was ''camping'' a lane haha

Looking back i really had no clue what i was doing tbh

I knew i sucked so improved and got to gold and then kinda quit ranked play since though so i don't know what my current level would be but you know what it doesn't matter

I do my best and i have fun and that is really all that matters

Sun Wu RyuumokuJul 4, 20171 votes

yeah its wasn't rankshaming ^^ Just something logic... I mean jungler is the harder job to learn (to learn, the harder to master is support IMO).

Even at my level plat (still low if u want my thought) there some moment where i hesitate for my pathing (no for the first clear, cause i think to it during loading screen).

SohleksJul 4, 20171 votes

Depends what state you leave your wave

If you go for a first level 2 for example and randomly leave with your side bigger it'll slowly "win" itself costing you a lot of enemy minion farm. Plus your enemy can trim and freeze it indefinitely

You get level 3 off the third wave in a solo lane. So if I was playing Gnar in like a matchup I can't get an early kill I might just semi quickly push the first 3 minion waves at a pace I get it into the tower clear at the earliest time possible. With my enemy content to catch his farm I go "casually ward" for an extended peroid of time but in actuality I'm looking for a lower hp jungler doing one of his camps in a longer route. At the least I place a deep ward by a camp.

Think the level 3 timing works less in this season though because junglers are ready to gank your butt quicker than before though...

About the wave thing what tends to happen after that is their fourth wave fights yours under tower and after that they meet at even terms on the enemies' side of the lane. With the enemy cs'ing and the effect from earlier reinforcements (since it's closer to his nexus) it'll push out your way in case you randomly died leaving your lane. This also has the effect of forcing your lane opponent to stay in lane or lose a lot more farm than you making your roam play a lot more successful no matter your enemies' decision

AeszarckJul 4, 20171 votes

I like your content, it's really helpful. Keep up the good work Commando Yi!

Riven MainJul 4, 20171 votes

If your playing Top your supposed to take advantage of their jungle. [slayer-pantheon-popcorn] More importantly was the fact that the enemy mid laner was a akali. Who was being pushed heavily as well. Even so it wasn't necessary for the garen to roam, he had plenty of farm to take advantage of, and could farm back well being able to fight you with your 0 fury bar when walking back to lane. Sure miss those green wards. xD

NoblewindJul 4, 20171 votes

I think it's one of the reasons why Jungle tends to have so much agency over the game. Every lane is gankable, but JG roams the map while also being the safest position overall, during the early game. No laner really roams into the JG looking for a kill. I would love to see your strat become more of a thing, but you tend to give up far too much in terms of tradeoff for leaving lane.

SlashStrikerJul 4, 20171 votes

When there was AP Yi I was ganking enemy jungler. Pretty much the entire map belonged to me :D

Tobias BracknerJul 5, 20171 votes

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

Especially with good warding, don't be afraid to jump on the jungler.

MunchCrunchLunchJul 5, 20171 votes

it could work. I do it sometimes. however it could be a waste of time or an opportunity to get collapsed on

not many champions can do this. many junglers are fantastic at 1v1s even when behind a level or two. because of jungle item that rushes early. smite upgrade. mana regen in jungle. and also buffs.

TheDonarJul 5, 20171 votes

Totally agree with the spirit of this. If there is an opportunity and it will help to get the enemy jungler to fall behind, go for it.

As other's have said, it is highly situational. I'd probably mostly hold off on doing it unless you have a jungler you really feel like you can trust to help.

Even if you only get one kill, you put the fear of it happening to him again in his mind which could induce some more cautious than usual gameplay from the enemy.