League of Legends has turned the jungle meta upside down with the latest updates. Currently, an unassuming champion dominates the dense forest among many pros: Rumble. You can easily use the dangerous Yordle in the jungle yourself – but only for a short time.
Who is the champion? Rumble is a Yordle, a small, furry creature resembling a hamster that pilots a huge mech. The tinkerer fights with flamethrowers, rockets, and various tech gadgets to defeat his opponents.
Rumble is one of the oldest champions in the game and was traditionally played in the top lane. While he still has a place there, he has been seen more frequently in the jungle since some patches.
Junglers get their farm from neutral enemies in the forest and fight their own battle there for a long time. Their task is to ambush (“gank”) the lanes to secure kills on opponents or important buffs for the team in the form of dragons or the Baron.
What makes Rumble so strong? In one of the recent patches, Rumble received a significant buff. He now deals percentage damage when overheated, and some of his abilities lower the magic resistance of affected enemies. This allows him to traverse the jungle faster than most other champions.
In addition, in patch 11.9, the strongest jungler Hecarim along with the item that made him so strong was nerfed – along with other meta junglers. This made room for newcomers like Rumble.
The well-known analyst Nick “LS” de Cesare even believes that Rumble is currently “broken” in the jungle. In his tier list, he ranks him at the very top, alongside Kindred.
However, Rumble’s surge seems to be limited to professional matches, where he is currently seen in over 83% of games (via LoL Fandom). In solo queue, he struggles a bit with a win rate of just under 47% in the jungle (via U.gg). This could also be due to lack of practice. Or because communication in solo queue is often not as good as in professional matches.
How to play Rumble in the jungle correctly – Here’s how
What you need to keep in mind: Your strength lies in being able to quickly and efficiently clear camps in the jungle with your flamethrower (Q). The scrap shield (W) absorbs damage from you.
During ganks, your most important tools are the electro harpoon (E) and later the equalizer (R; ultimate). Both abilities slow down your opponents and help you execute a successful ambush. Q and E are the spells you want to focus on at the start. To prepare, keep the following in mind:
- Dark Harvest, Sudden Impact, Ultimate Hunter, Argus’ Legacy, and Superiority are your runes of choice
- Use the Hextech Rocketbelt when you need more mobility or the Night Harvester when you take an early lead
- Definitely build Zhonya’s Hourglass and the Void Staff
Be careful during your ganks, as opposing junglers with high magic resistance can counter you. So be cautious when facing a jungle Morgana, for example.
Always keep in mind that your primary task is not to secure the kills yourself. You should primarily ensure that your carries can do their job. However, if you can secure a kill that the carry would not have gotten, there’s nothing wrong with that.
How long will this continue? Rumble will be nerfed again with the upcoming patch 11.11. Specific numbers on the Yordle are not yet known, but his jungle strength will likely not be “broken” for much longer.
The patch is set to be released on May 26. So you have a few days left to try out Rumble in the jungle. Have fun!
