Should I Make the Switch from Top to Jungle?

You're right about it teaching map control awareness, which I feel is one of the things I still need to improve at. And since I already win more (in more limited opportunities) as a jungler despite my self-perceived deficiencies, I see no harm in upping my time in the jungle, at least for a "trial period" of sorts.

But, yeah, my first loss with Amumu was really a perfect example from the enemy team of map awareness and control done correctly and a perfect example of the opposite from us. Our vision was nonexistent and their map pressure was huge, making going into even my own jungle a worrying experience.

The guy I was in a duo with went top lane, which I allowed him to have since I knew he was a capable top laner and me also a capable jungler. Except he did what I practically never do as a top laner, which is feed double digit kills. Xin kept popping up and it kept working because he clearly lacked vision and awareness. The only reason his KDA turned out respectful is he went on a lucky killing streak. I say lucky because he was being risky about everything, running past two viable threats just to try and kill one and only escaping because of their failure to capitalize on his stupidity.

After the match he said "if only my team hadn't fed" and I unfriended him for it. He had 10 deaths. Two others had 13, and myself (9) and another teammate had fewer. He fed their top and jungler early on through his own stupidity and refusal to adjust, making me have to tip toe around them myself. I got off a few successful ganks for him, but it was forever before he stopped being a liability.

This is precisely what I need to avoid. Next time, I need to be better, and I need to urge my team to be better, to ward and watch the map, to group with me. We were all at fault, as I told him before unfriending him. They were just better in all phases of the game, and I think learning experiences like this will be what helps me improve the most as a jungler and as an overall player.

Top lane is certainly where I'm at my best, and the people who go there when I don't often make me feel dead inside they play so poorly, but trying to carry from top lane just often feels like a waste of time. Especially when two of my mains are tanks. There are tons of times when I'm forced to build AD Garen, for instance, just because I'm the only offensive threat, and it's still not enough, despite the crazy crit damage his E can have when you do that.

With support, it's up to you to get your ADC fed and to keep your team safe with wards. Plus most supports in low ELOs are forced into the role, meaning if you're good at it you can really take advantage. With ADC, if you get fed enough, nobody's stopping you from getting even more fed and taking out all their turrets. With mid lane, you can be like a second jungler since both lanes are easily reachable for ganks. With jungle, you're the leader, the one who has the most global impact. But with top lane, you just sort of duke it out in a 1v1 situation for a little while then go front line in team fights, and maybe split push a little. That's about it.

But I'm just going to give it a shot and see what happens, like you did. If top lane ends up being the best place for me after all, I'll go back. I mean, it's not like I'll forget how to top lane, heh. I've played 100+ matches with Garen this season and the mechanics of top lane are rather simple.

That doesn't bother me. I already blame every loss on myself anyway unless there were other factors that were clearly to blame, such as an AFK, troll, feeder, etc. Literally, post-match I'll just say the following: "I blame myself. Sorry, guys."

One match, though, I had a guy telling me it was my job to win his lane for him. He was top lane. As Gnar. Against Nautilus. As a jungler, I'm there to help out every lane, but not to single-handedly win lane for you, especially when you're last priority. Snowballing mid and bot, securing objectives. This all comes before top lane, especially when he was out CSing and out-leveling the guy and looked to be in decent position every time I peeked up there, and when our other lanes were in serious trouble.

We ended up winning, thanks in part to the help I gave mid and bot and the dragons I secured. He got his crap straight and went on a kill streak, too, showing he didn't really need my help as much as he said. It also helped that I ignored him after a point. I didn't say another thing to him until I helped him get 2-3 kills. Said "I'm helping you plenty now," and he was all smiles saying we were all helping one another. Winning shuts everyone up and I do that more often as a jungler.

Honestly, all that gets to me are AFKs and full on trolls. That Gnar giving me crap because he's losing lane? Meh. I knew I was in the right helping the struggling mid and bot lanes and trying to secure dragons. And I proved my worth to him by the end of the match. So it's whatever.