Good Junglers?

Nino Gang··1 votes·2,692 views

I'm Bronze, but I want to get out of elo hell. I main Vi and have about a 60% with her, however I find that she is not always useful, and I don't know who else to play. Any tips on what champs for jg I should play and how I should play them is greatly appreciated, as I find all the YouTube videos to be repetitive bs.

16 Comments

DRAVENMAIN69691 votes

If you are Bronze you are Bronze for a reason my friend. Solo Q is not a team game, screw your teammates, mute them and go for the kills, tax their lanes and get the gold. You will get big and be able to single-handedly Hard Carry your team, I used to be Bronze 4 and with this mindset I managed to escape. Once you hit Silver, don't tax their lanes, they will get tilted, just take the kills and type in something like "my bad didnt mean to ks" which will keep them from tilting and you still get the kills to hard carry. Once you get Gold the players usually think they are god tier, mute them all and then your first few games will be easy. They will be on-edge because they are Gold 5 players and are so close to de-ranking the enemy team will fall to toxicity and you'll be good. Once you hit Plat players usually think they can outplay and go for 1v2s when they can't.

Nino Gang1 votes

I completely agree with what you're saying, but its hard to carry, even when I'm the most fed. My teammates usually flame and int when I ks, and I try to give the kills to the adc or mid lane, because they usually output the damage. In most of my games, my supports play a huge role in losing us the game, and that is why supp is my secondary role. Every game, I usually have 1 teammate that is bad, very tilted, or does not know how to play their specific champion very well, and it causes my games to spiral out of control. There were many games, where my mid and top were fed, but we had to 3v5 because the adc and supp were near useless, and in the end, their tilt would cause them to ragequit. I don't feel like I belong in bronze, but at the same time, I do, because I can't carry my team. Your advice is duly noted, and I will take it into my next game, thank you.

Tormentula1 votes

60% is really good! At that rate you'll always be climbing.

I don't know what suits your playstyle but current really strong and reliable (not banned/rarely weak) junglers would look like: RekSai Elise Gragas Warwick Rammus Sejuani Khazix

Evelynn is also strong and fun to play but she's getting a rework so I see no sense in learning her now. Zac Zac has a really really high banrate for good reason, but then again, regardless of how strong when will you get a chance to play him? Nidalee LeeSin are good but they have a skillgate you may or may not like, if you want to climb faster I imagine you won't want to spend the time to master their kits rapidly.

You could also abuse a low elo stomper like MasterYi just to move forward in bronze, but keep in mind he's actually neutral or weak most of the time the higher you climb.

There is a patch coming soon with nerfs to some things (such as elise) but they're not huge and I doubt they will change much.

Nino Gang1 votes

The problem with me playing Vi is, whenever I ping to engage a fight or come to gank, my teammates fail to react. I recently started playing rammus, and I also have the same problem, as my teammates have little to no map awareness. How can I get my team to have better map awareness and play overall better, as one death causes them to tilt in a spiral and then they spam the early surrender, even though there is always a chance to come back? Also, thank you for your advice, it is greatly appreciated.

Tormentula1 votes

Even in diamond a team with good reactions is about as common as pax sivir. In Solo Q everybody is uncoordinated, just the nature of the format. The best way to work around what you described is to just not be the one that dies and tilts them, and try to preform your best each time, perhaps even getting fed or camping the lane you believe can carry the hardest. It may take a lot of games to leave bronze but as long as you're always moving forward (60% w/r says you are) you'll eventually climb out.

Mégalodon1 votes

Evelynn is rank 1 now :D So better learn her :D even if you wrote this comment 1 year ago :D

The Leo Cat1 votes

From what I've been hearing... bronze is that ELO where you need to just carry your ass out of it. And every position can carry, even support. It just depends on what you do, and how your team responds to it.

For jungling... you need to be giving your team an advantage when you can. Vi is really f*cking powerful. You shouldn't be scared of counter jungling the enemy jungler and setting him behind. Vi is one of those champions who you need to get the jump on to actually kill. Ganking is a good idea, but you should not be doing that 24/7 because it will set you behind if you don't get anything out of it or don't tax your laners.

The other thing is... if you're looking for more junglers... get some minimum effort ones. For some god damn reason, these guys are incredibly oppressive despite being stupidly easy to use.

Warwick Shyvana RekSai MasterYi Jax Vi

These champions are also good... but they require good mechanical skill and map knowledge to get the most out of them. Khazix LeeSin Nidalee Graves Kindred

I'd recommend avoiding Kindred till Riot does something to fix her current state however, as much as it hurts me to say it ( I main her). Her rework screwed her over hard. She's barely a threat in the early game. Requires you to clear your jungle in a different manner (which keeps her incredibly health when mastered). She has a hard time dueling other champions after her rework without having a few items under her belt, or being ahead. And her ganks are weak, and would rather counter gank. And while she is strong in the late game... you're most likely going to be outran by standard ADCs if you did not get ahead. You don't have to get kills to get ahead. You can counter jungle, but again... that comes with the risk of having to duel the enemy jungler... and as said before without certain items or getting the jump on someone, you will be crushed. There's little competitive reason to take her right now. However if you get good with her, you can be as much of a bastard as Lee Sin is. It just takes much more effort. Literally every other jungler, except for kayn before he transforms, is stronger than her until you hit the 30 minute mark (assuming you got fed). Then you just start shutting squishies down with high burst rotations when you come out of bone fuck no where.

Of all the Junglers though... she does offer the best utility when you master her ult. Which will basically win you a team fight when you use it correctly. Using incorrectly though... can just throw the fight.

Nino Gang1 votes

I completely agree with what your saying, but it's my teammates that are screwing everything up. There are games where I have a fed bot lane/top lane, but we still lose because they get too cocky. I try pinging them and their lack of common sense always manages to throw our lead. When you were climbing, how did you manage to communicate with the not-so-stellar teammates? I am very vocal, I have good map awareness, but my team does not follow up on anything I say and they refuse to learn from their mistakes. Maybe its just because this is bronze, and I shouldn't expect all my teammates to be at a certain caliber. Thank you for your comment though, it is greatly appreciated.

The Leo Cat1 votes

I'm not actually ranked. I came from some years of experience with Dota 2 :P, which is similar... a little more complicated... and very frag heavy.

But honestly, at that point it just becomes all about you. And you got to drag yourself out, and leave them behind.

DRAVENMAIN69691 votes

{quoted}

I completely agree with what your saying, but it's my teammates that are screwing everything up. There are games where I have a fed bot lane/top lane, but we still lose because they get too cocky. I try pinging them and their lack of common sense always manages to throw our lead. When you were climbing, how did you manage to communicate with the not-so-stellar teammates? I am very vocal, I have good map awareness, but my team does not follow up on anything I say and they refuse to learn from their mistakes. Maybe its just because this is bronze, and I shouldn't expect all my teammates to be at a certain caliber. Thank you for your comment though, it is greatly appreciated.

My BOTLANE always feeds, go aggro on your team and aggressively tell them what to do. Spam ping them when they are doing stupid shit. One time I got a triple and 2 were top and there was a free infernal and they didn't come. I spam pinged danger and they sure as hell listened. If they dont listen feed 1 kill or two and they will listen to you.

Cremepie1 votes

Easier to pick up and good junglers right now: Warwick Zac Gragas Always potentially useful: Elise LeeSin Ivern Similar to Vi: JarvanIV

Nino Gang1 votes

The only champions that you listed that are available for me to play are Jarvan and Ivern, even though this is Bronze, the enemy team usually bans all those champs that you have listed. Are there any more picks that you think are viable? Thank you for your time :)

Cremepie1 votes

hmm Well there are other champions that can jungle and are easier to pick up, here are a few but I'll tell you right now they are not as straightforward in what you should do with them.

Amumu Fairly good jungler but will get out performed by other engage type tanks. Chogath Insanely strong right now with correct builds and excellent skill shot accuracy. Jax/MasterYi Awesome carry potential, what you should do and build depends on every game, not the best ganker. Kayn Fairly new but has the potential to be an assassin or bruiser, this flexibility combined with his interesting kit makes him worth trying at least. Nautilus Great Tank if you want to be tanky with lots of CC and dont really care about mobility or damage. Has mana and clear issues which holds him back. Nocturne This is a really easy to learn assassin imo, but has issues with staying on his target at times. Requires lots of practice but can quickly take control of a game.

Here are a few more champions that require more attention than the rest, but are equally good if not better. Hecarim Graves Evelynn Rengar Khazix Nidalee Shyvana Sejuani Udyr XinZhao Volibear Etc.

PhearBunny1 votes

Honestly, just find a champion whos gameplay you really enjoy and just play the sht out of it. Hell, I randomly fell in love with playing off meta Leona, have gotten to plat3 from Bronze1 playing exclusively Jungle Leona.

LeDjent1 votes

Just play Shyvana and farm/split push youruself to victory (of course playing around Drag [for passive] and Baron when necessary). She can easily solo rift herald and can counter jungle very well. Also, she can duel if you get caught by the enemy jungler.

EndlessSorcerer1 votes

Personally, I'd recommend trying: Maokai Zac Gragas Sejuani Skarner Hecarim Warwick

For general jungling tips:

I would suggest watching videos by high-ELO and/or professional junglers (i.e. Valkrin, Meteos, Stonewall008, and FoxdropLOL). They will typically provide a lot of useful tips while playing and you can often see or hear their decision process and some optimizations throughout the game.

Off the top of my head, some basic optimizations may be:

  • Use hard-CC when the monster camps are about to attack you to cancel that attack and delay their next.
  • Attack Speed is extremely efficient at clearing on most junglers. I'd recommend using about 15% on champions when you need to speed up their clear even if they don't use the stat much later (with a few exceptions, such as Nidalee and Evelynn).
  • Keep a control ward out (or in your inventory) whenever possible. This is important for every champion, but I thought I should emphasis it. There isn't really a good reason not to.

As far as ganking is concerned:

  • When possible, conserve your gap-closer while ganking. If you can get to the enemy champion without using your mobility spell(s), then you can save it to catch them after they try to escape (Flash, dash, blink, etc).
  • You should should try to stay between the enemy and their escape route. You should be trying to move backwards (towards their escape) in-between attacks so that you can body-block them and slow their escape. This also leaves you closer to them if they try to dash or blink past you.
  • It can be risky to gank top-lane while Dragon is up since the enemy team can just group and take it 4v3. I'd recommend ganking top-lane early if possible (after your initial clear) and when Dragon is down; that lane can be quite snowbally due to isolation, so you want to get your ally ahead.
  • Learn to recognize the general times when buff camps spawn during games. If you see the enemy gank bottom lane while their top-side buff is up, you can go steal it from them.
  • Watch when top and bottom lane initially go into lane. If that lane has leashed for their jungler (missing health, mana, or showed up to lane a bit late), then you know where the enemy jungler has likely started and where they will end their clear (where is closest for them to gank).
  • If you have killed the enemy laner, you can either allow your laner to freeze or shove the lane into the enemy tower. If you shove the wave under tower and the next minion wave is coming up, it can be helpful to proxy it to ensure that the wave fully resets and the enemy laner misses as much as possible. This is very situational though and you will have to learn when through experience.

Other tips:

  • Whenever possible, walk up to the enemy champion during a gank and save your gap-closer for after they use their escape abilities.
  • Watch the enemy laners when they go into lane. Whichever lane shows up later and/or missing mana will likely indicate which side of the jungle the enemy jungler started on (which is useful for predicting gank paths and for counter-jungling).
  • Watch the minimap to see when and where the enemy goes to ward, which laners are pushing, which laners are vulnerable
  • Know, roughly, how most laning matchups go so that you can prioritize which lanes are the easiest to gank or require an early gank to decide the matchup.
  • If you have blown an enemy's Flash during a gank but haven't killed them, swing back around immediately after an gank them again. Many people don't expect it
  • If you've killed an enemy during a previous gank in top lane, kill them again immediately after they return to lane. They likely won't have wards up yet and a second back-to-back death can be enough to completely crush any chance that opponent has to recover the lane.
  • Top laners rarely bother warding the lane bushes. As such, lane ganks can be quite surprising and effective.
  • When you kill an enemy laner, shove the minion wave into the tower so they miss gold and experience and so that the minion wave will reset to the middle of the lane. If you can get away with it, clear the upcoming minion wave as well to ensure the reset and maximum missed minions.

You will learn a lot through experience, but these tips should help you at the start.

More from Gameplay

More by Nino Gang