Help with jungling

[4KhazModan]

Hey guys, so seeing Lee Sin free this week, I decided it would be the perfect time to learn how to jungle. I went into a beginner bot game to practice after looking at some videos on youtube, but had some...trouble to say the least. The first game I started machete and pots and went to blue. The mid lane helped me get it without smite, but she ended up taking to two little lizards first, leaving me at level 1 to try to get wolves. Upon attempting to get wolves, I found myself near death and almost executed before I was able to escape them. After a few more fruitless attempts to get them without smite, I was eventually executed and left the game in embarrassment. When should I have used smite? My plan was to go Blue-wolves-wraiths- then get red with smite before checking out bot lane. Should I have used smite that early? The next game I also got help from the mid with blue, but they went back to lane when the golem was at over half and again, I was executed. This time, knowing I had to start small, I went wraiths after respawning and killed them, heading for red next. But just like before, I found the camp too powerful and died yet again, and also like before, left the game embarrassed. So what am I doing wrong? At this point, I've all but given up jungling XD

[Raleik]

They've changed smite to have a lower cooldown, so you no longer need a smiteless leash. If you do blue, smite it, then do either wolves or small wraiths without smite, your smite will be back up for red. I typically go Blue->Wolves->Red. Then, once I have double buff, if I see a good ganking opportunity I take it. Otherwise do small wraiths and/or mini golems. Also, runes and masteries help a lot with early jungling I've found. With some armor quints and defense masteries you can withstand a lot more damage from the camps early in the game, which allows you to stay in the jungle longer and not waste as much time going back and forth to base.

Edit: Btw, this is by no means the best post to listen to! I just started playing over the summer, and more recently have begun to focus on jungling, so I definitely don't know everything there is to know. Lately I've been watching a lot of TheOddOne and SaintVicious's streams on twitch. They both main jungle, and it can be really helpful to watch them just to pick up different tips and tricks to help you out. TheOddOne is a bit better for newer players I'd say, he tends to talk out what he's doing a bit more. But, Saint is also a really good jungler, so I'd say check out both.

[Revolutions]

Lee Sin is a very high skill capped jungler. If you're looking to get into jungling I would use Udyr or Voli

[Axethor]

Lee Sin is not the best jungler to begin with. Someone like Udyr or Jarvan would be much better.

Now, since the pre-season patch smite is now on a low enough cool down that it will be up by the time you get to the second buff camp, since you need to clear a small camp to hit level three now instead of just going buff to buff. Usually it's Blue > wolves > Red > Gank. If there are no gank/counter-gank opportunities, continue to farm your jungle or counter-jungle.

One of the new things I've been seeing junglers do it start their red, then head straight to the enemy red to kill them and take the buff. This is only advised to be done if you know you can beat the other jungler and get out. You also have to be on someone who clears really fast and can beat them to the buff camp.

[4KhazModan]

Taking everyone's advice, I tried jungling on Shyvana, a champ I have considerably more exp with. I also went and changed some masteries around. I was going to start at blue, but my team advised me red buff is better for Shyvana so I headed down and got it with smite aided by the bottom lane. Then I went wraiths to wolves before getting blue and ganking mid which netted me a kill. After that I went back to the small camps when they were back up and successfully ganked mid again. From there I went back and forth between camps and couldn't gank much as it was just a bot game, so all the lanes were pushed. Went a lot better than my first two games to be sure.

[Solmyr13]

Just to piggy back a bit:

Whenever smite is up in the first... 20-25 minutes of a game you should use it. As you develop as a jungler you'll learn things like when Dragon and Baron are about to spawn you want to keep your smite handy. While you're learning it's important to note that you don't always have to get a kill in the lanes you gank; sometimes blowing a flash/barrier from the enemy ADC means your bot lane can now bully and net a big CS gain and take control. Diving a turret is never really advisable unless you are 100% sure you'll get the kill AND get out; nothing worse than having a commanding lead in a lane to see a jungler dive and give up a kill which helps get the other guy back in the game.

[Duilliath]

Simple question: What level are you?

[4KhazModan]

Just to piggy back a bit:

Whenever smite is up in the first... 20-25 minutes of a game you should use it. As you develop as a jungler you'll learn things like when Dragon and Baron are about to spawn you want to keep your smite handy. While you're learning it's important to note that you don't always have to get a kill in the lanes you gank; sometimes blowing a flash/barrier from the enemy ADC means your bot lane can now bully and net a big CS gain and take control. Diving a turret is never really advisable unless you are 100% sure you'll get the kill AND get out; nothing worse than having a commanding lead in a lane to see a jungler dive and give up a kill which helps get the other guy back in the game.

Well ya, that last part goes for any role, not just a jungler.

- - - Updated - - -

Simple question: What level are you?

I am level 21.

[Duilliath]

There ya go. Not a full rune page (probably what you have not even tailored towards jungling), not a full mastery page.

For the vast majority of junglers, that makes a huge difference.

[Hateful]

As already mentioned, jungling without a full set of runes and 30 levels worth of masteries is really tough. Some champs can jungle without these (Warwick is a perfect example), but many like Lee are really dependent on them.

Remember also to use your pots EARLY - usually as soon as you lose some health at blue/red. So many people wait until the buff is dead and they're at half hp before using pots, and this opens you up to dying at the next camp (and being counterjungled).

Just some general Lee advice, make sure you're using an ability --> AA twice --> use second half of ability to maximise his DPS. Not doing this makes him really weak. Generally I will start Q on Lee - others start E.

[4KhazModan]

Hm, didn't know it was so reliant on runes. For the Shyvana game, I did get as many flat armor runes as I could.

[Axethor]

Hm, didn't know it was so reliant on runes. For the Shyvana game, I did get as many flat armor runes as I could.

Depends on the jungler. Udyr, Warwick, and Fiddlesticks can go without runes and masteries, though it would be better with them obviously. Shyvana is iffy. She murders the jungle, but it you get slowed down your gonna notice the lack of runes/masteries.