Jungle Item progression and play style diversity issues.
TLDR; The reason Cinderhulk junglers farm so much is because the first item on their item path doesn't allow them to do anything (ruby crystal). All of the stats on their second and third item in the Cinderhulk path are too good at helping with farming, and not suitable enough for ganking or invading, which is why they tend to farm a lot. The Cinderhulk path would allow the freedom to play in a less farm-intensive way if the stats on it weren't aimed so much towards killing monsters. Less farming on Cinderhulk users=less boring early game since more styles of play become viable on Cinderhulk users.
Currently, certain Jungle item build progressions are encouraging certain play styles too much, due to the stats of the items and what these stats allow players to do. Current item progression is limiting item build/play style options too much because item alternatives are either unavailable or too weak.
Let's first look the Warrior path, which, IMO, is a great item progression model for a jungler for a few reasons:
- Every step taken towards the build path gives clear speed, which junglers require.
- Every step taken towards the build path helps with the jungler's ganking, dueling, or counter jungling, which warrior junglers tend to attempt when there's an opportunity to do so.
- Because both farming and ganking are supported by **each piece **of the item's progression, the jungler has no forced or highly incentivized play style when building the warrior path. Because the item's stats help in multiple scenarios, there is a lot of freedom, followed by a power spike when the item is complete.
- It just so happens that nearly every single champion who builds the warrior enchant makes use of the CDR/armor pen. The stats are overall desirable by most bruisers.
Now, let's examine the Cinderhulk path
- The item progression starts with tanking (
). - The next step,
, gives the immolation aura that grants a HUGE increase in jungling abilities. Junglers save hundreds of hp/mana in the jungle combined with faster clearing. It offers almost nothing towards ganking/dueling with its baby immolate aura vs players who stick around to fight. - The final step is another increase in jungle clear speed, and the relevant Immolation aura that incentivizes standing next to your targets to do damage. AKA, that item everyone knew would be very good on
before it was released.
Here are the issues I see with the Cinderhulk path:
- The clear speed increase from spending 1000/1400 gold on Bami's Cinder/Cinderhulk for the first immolation aura is such a huge increase in hp/mana sustain from its amazing clearing abilities that it strongly incentivizes farming until it is reached. This nearly required 1000/1400 gold of farming makes early game jungling MUCH more boring than before cinderhulk existed.
- Because of the farming incentive for this early game gold to get that ultra easy/fast jungle clear, another path is being hurt badly: ganking pressure, which from tanks is often in the form of
.. The Boots of Mobility are best bought early when they can be used to cause early pressure. The longer you wait on buying them, the less impact you can have. Funny thing though, the longer you wait on that big early game 1000/1400 gold for the Immolation aura, the more you'll suffer, too. There isn't a division at all between tank junglers deciding which is better, because rushing that immolation aura is the clear winner. Any early game impact items are almost non-existent on Cinderhulk users because the Bami's Cinder/Cinderhulk are too desireable, and require too much early game farming to obtain, which covers up much of the span of time where mobility boots would be desireable. - The Immolate aura itsself also doesn't promote any aggressive play, because its constant damage is almost entirely a farming tool, and offers very little outside that until the item is complete and the fights begin to last longer.
- The aura on cinderhulk caters towards a specific type of tanking style, leaving other styles in the dust. Cinderhulk promotes: diving and then right clicking a squishy to make use of the aura. By making this type of tanking style better, all other styles are worse because this item offers nothing for utility tanks, nothing for peeling tanks, etc. For example, CDR or movement speed would be some desireable stats for some tanks.
As a tank jungler/counter jungle enthusiast, I'm having far less enjoyment than ever since the Cinderhulk release, due to the increased incentive of farming for items that just help you farm even more. I would like tank junglers to have a more linear build path that allows for ganking, dueling, or farming, so that one path does not outshine the other so much.
What would make more sense is having more balanced stats in the items, and the progression, just like the Warrior and Magus enchants. Here is how it currently looks:
- Item 1 : Clear speed increase is from gromp buff only. Has no gank pressure increase, or counter jungle pressure increase.
- Item 2: : HUGE clear ease/speed increase, combined with extra HP/mana saving. Almost no gank pressure added or dueling added.
- Item 3
: More farming capabilities, with minor increase in ganking potential and a squishy diving aura.
This is how it should be: Item 1: Minor farming increase that isn't based off of gromp, with minor gank pressure increase and minor counter jungle pressure increase. Item 2: Another minor farm capability increase, with a minor gank pressure increase and minor tanking increase. Item 3: Another minor farm capability increase, with a minor gank pressure increase and tank increase.
What this means in terms of the item's stats:
- The first item should have a minor immolation aura. This will allow freedom to purchase early game pressure items like mobility boots or to continue to farm.
- Bami's Cinder should not be such a large increase in farm-ability. A slightly higher damage aura with the bonus to monsters removed would mean using it on players has more incentive.
- Cinderhulk should also not be such a large increase in farm-ability. The immolation Aura should be weaker compared to how it is now, and compensated with another stat, so that it offers more in-fight utility, and less free damage when farming or standing next to squishies. Weaker aura and added CDR seems to fit the bill.
