However, there are 2 types of level 2 invades based on the goal of the invade: to steal a camp or 2, or to kill the enemy. I often invade to steal a camp at level 2, usually the enemy buff that I know that they shouldn't be at. If I find them, I assess my chances of killing them and taking the buff, but I'll usually just leave rather than try to take it. Taking enemy buffs when you know that they can't stop you is a great way to snowball yourself and tilt the enemy. Every camp grants 300 exp, and they'll grant varying amounts of early gold based on the camp. However, the exp advantage is the big one. Taking a camp from the enemy puts you at a 600 experience lead on them, because that's 300 of their potential experience gone and you gaining 300 more than your potential experience from your own camps. This is a huge lead. Let's say I'm playing Hecarim and my opponent is starting blue side. I start blue side, take my gromp, then blue, then go and take their red, putting me at level 3, and then their krugs, putting me 1/3 of the way to level 4. On my way back to my wolves, I also take the scuttle crab. I then clear my wolves, then my entire red side, then the other scuttle. I'm now level 5 at my first back, fairly healthy, and with a lot of mana. I gank top lane, we net a kill, I'm now level 6. I back, pick up some items (with a now huge gold and experience lead on my opponent), and buy a pink ward as well. I know I'm much stronger than the enemy jungler because, with how much of his potential experience I took, he's probably only level 3-4 while I'm level 6. I invade their wolves, knowing that I can kill the opponent if I'm discovered and I have my E to get out if I need it, and I smite their wolves to execute it for the ghost (which is HUGE vision control). The ghost reveals that the enemy jungler is almost finished taking gromp, and will probably be on their way to me, and they're still only level 3 because gromp->blue->wolves->raptors gets you to level 3, 1/3 of the way to level 4. I'm now double their level, I have a Stalker's Blade (blue smite) and a long sword, and I still have my red buff while he only has the Hunter's Talisman and Knife and a few potions. He isn't particularly low, but with all the advantages I have over him, I can kill him easily if his laners don't come. Seeing that my ghost is about to come back from when I used it in top lane, I go and fight him. I E at him and he flashes away over the wall the instant he sees me, leaving his gromp to me for nothing. I can then walk out, head to his red side jungle, ward it up, and take his camps before heading back to take mine.
I turn this early lead onto the enemy laners, ganking every time I have an opening and getting multiple more kills for my team. As you can see, this is a huge lead that should snowball the game to be basically a guaranteed win. What you're talking about, saying that it's not worth anything to invade, is the level 2 invade to kill, which also could certainly be worth it, snowballing the game even harder than this, however it also has a LOT more risk associated with it. Taking my blue first means that any wards that would be there should be cleared out by the time I go in, while taking the 2 camps he's least likely to find me at (he'd be at about his wolves when I take his red, then at his raptors when I take his krugs) means that I shouldn't be found. Leaving immediately if I guessed wrong about where he would start also significantly reduces risk. Level 2 invades are very powerful tools that you can use to snowball a game within the first 5 minutes, but they have to be done properly. If you just do it like most bronze people do it, running headfirst into the enemy jungle and then getting killed, it's not gonna be worth anything at all, and in fact will give the enemy an early lead instead of you. You should also take enemy jungle camps and objectives when you see the enemy jungler on the opposite side as you. Gank bot when the enemy jungler is top, then use that gank to get dragon, then go from there into the enemy jungle and take some of their camps. They were last seen on the other side of the map, and are probably clearing on that side before coming to you, but just to be safe, take the camps you're least likely to be found at. Keep your brain in your head when you invade and you become able to do whatever you want with very little risk to yourself.
