Boards›Gameplay

Too many jungle items.

Bailed·11/22/2014, 4:04:31 AM·1 votes·942 views

As the item database accessible via the League of Legends website is not yet updated to include the items rolled-out during the update to SR, I have not taken a proper look at the items individually. But if I had, I wouldn't have written this yet, because I'd still be reading them. There seem to me to be too many jungle items. There are 16 different (fully built) items whose shared component is item 1039. That's:item 3713, with enchantments: item 3725, item 3724, item 3723, item 3726 and so on for the items:item 3706 item 3711 item 3715. I feel as if I've seen a move away from items by numbers, such as the changes made to item 3072 and item 3071 to make them more different from each other as well as from item 3031 .

However, with these jungle items, none of them seem particularly unique at all. I can see the reasoning behind something like this. It's meant to match the play styles of all junglers by creating an item that corresponds to that play style. Personally though, I feel that the store is just cluttered. The 4 main jungle items of the old SR seemed to work fine for all of the play styles that occupied the jungle. The same item format has been used for boots. The boots build into one of 7 different subsequent boots, and from there can be enchanted with one of 5 different enchantments. This is a total of 35 different items (much more than the number of items built off hunter's machete. Here's the difference: The enchantments to boots are simpler, and most every role/champ/play style uses boots while only one role/play style per team uses a jungle item.

I think it'd be better if Riot found a way to create a few very unique items (or even thematic like item 3209, item 3207 and item 3206) that supported the entirety of the jungle's needs.

3 Comments

ValyrianBlade11/22/2014, 4:10:36 AM2 votes

I like the variety. I mean, I build Rangers trailblazer with warrior enchantment on hecarim because that plus iceborn gauntlet is my damage and the rest of my build is tank (except possibly ghostblade if my team needs damage). If I was forced in to an archetype, hecarim is supposed to build the juggernaut enchantment. Imagine if Rangers trailblazer could only build juggernaut... It would be terrible to those junglers who need the aoe smite but also want offense early. I think the same applies everywhere. I like the customisability.

Sworn Anemone11/22/2014, 4:16:35 AM2 votes

There are more accurately 4 smites and 4 fully built jungle items. If you do find the chance to read up on them, the first upgrade adds no unique stats to the user, and only changes smite and its effects. The final upgrade choices that are the enchantments add the stats to the item, and are identical across all base items. So learn the stats from the 4 enchants, and which smite is which.

(This part is about the new smites, if you know em you don't have to read it) Chilling(blue) and Challenging(red) can harm you, the first applying a slow and the second damage on hit. Blasting(purple) and Scavenging(white) are still minion only. The first reduces cd of smite by 15 and adds 50% aoe to minions and monsters near the target and stuns them. Scavenging reduces the CD of smite and gives you movement speed if you smite something in your opponent's jungle.

4nth0l0gy11/22/2014, 4:21:30 AM1 votes

The old items did leave something to be desired. For example, three could be farmed for strength. However, two of them were intended more to be ganking items than farming items. Yet, if you didn't farm up with them, they didn't do as much damage.

The old items just kind of threw a slew of abilities that worked for that type of champion at you and said, "have fun!" These ones are a little more thorough with their consideration of jungler playstyle versus champion choice.