In League of Legends, each position has its specific tasks. One of the less popular roles is the Jungle – especially among newcomers. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has learned an important lesson about jungling that will surely help you.
What are Junglers anyway? A Jungler is the position that does not travel on any of the so-called “Lanes” – namely Top, Mid, and Bot. Instead of engaging in combat against enemy NPCs and players on these fixed paths, the Jungler is moving in the jungle.
There, he defeats monsters in so-called “Camps” and manages important buffs. He is responsible for ensuring that his team receives important power-ups from defeating dragons or the Rift Herald. These provide additional gold, advantages on the lanes, and later powerful, permanent buffs.
Moreover, the Jungler ensures that the other players win against their opponents. This works through so-called “Ganks,” which are unexpected attacks from ambush. This is meant to take down an enemy and allow a teammate to secure a kill.
The role is so important, that Riot had to nerf Junglers because they had too much influence.
What is this tip? The tip itself is simple: Learn all the other lanes. Since I started playing LoL again after a long break, I noticed this right away, especially as a returning player.
Since I stopped playing, a lot has changed. Almost every champion can now be played in any position. This changes the dynamics of the team, but not necessarily how the lanes function.
After a lot of experimenting, I’ve found myself back in one of my old positions, the Jungle. And while going through various guides, I noticed that this very tip is hardly mentioned.
Note that this tip is really only useful for new players and returnees. Those who already know LoL well will hardly benefit from it. But even here, it’s worth expanding your horizons and not getting fixated on one thing:
Learn all lanes, then you can jungle more easily
That’s why knowing the lanes helps: As a Jungler, it’s crucial to understand what your teammates are currently doing. Often, you have only a brief moment to assess the situation. In a few moments, you must decide:
- Is my teammate ready for a gank?
- Does he need a buff right now?
- Do I need to save him because the enemy Jungler is ganking?
- Where was the enemy Jungler, and can I steal his camps right now?
However, if you only play Jungler yourselves, you can hardly make such assessments. Because you only know your perspective. If you think a kill is definitely possible, your teammate might come to a completely different conclusion.
What do I learn from this? If you know how the other lanes work, you can better and faster assess which strategy will lead you to victory. Some examples:
- If the enemy Jungler is extremely aggressive, punish him by stealing his camps or taking important objectives like the dragon.
- If one or more lanes fail completely, let them play defensively and focus only on the one that can still win. Better a late comeback than a total loss.
- If your teammates are dominant, help them and gather supports. But let the other lanes have the kills.
- If your teammates are too passive or you lack a strong player, take the kills yourself and become the “Carry”.
A good tip for beginners is to first focus on 2 lanes. However, one lane must play very cautiously or dominate by itself. Over time, it will become easier for you to find the right timing.
Learning all lanes – an effort that pays off
You’ll need quite a while to get to know all the lanes. This will be accompanied by effort and surely some defeats. The reward is that you will later be a much better Jungler.
In doing so, you should really look at every lane and every role, preferably even with different “classes”:
- Play mages and assassins in the mid lane
- Try bruisers and tanks on the top lane
- Try your hand as ADC and as support
Whether you support your team or act as a carry yourself: If you are good in the jungle, your chances of winning are significantly higher. A good Jungler can turn a game on its own. By the way, the heroes from the LoL series Arcane are a great way to facilitate the entry: How to play the 4 most important characters from Arcane correctly in LoL
One tip does not make you a pro!
What else should you pay attention to: Knowing all lanes is not enough to become a truly good Jungler. Consider the tip more as a foundation to build upon or as an extension of your knowledge. You should definitely also look at:
- which champions are currently strong
- which items and runes can make you better
- which champions you are countered by and how to behave then
- how to best choose your route through the jungle
The jungle is considered a thankless job. If a lane loses, the Jungler is blamed for not ganking. If a lane wins, the help of the Jungler is not appreciated. If you dominate, you only “stole” the kills.
With the right approach, however, you can still secure victories and enjoy them even if you aren’t literally praised for it. Now and then, however, you might receive some praise from your teammates. It always plays best with friends anyway:
LoL pro warns against playing solo queue as a Jungler: “It’s bad for you”
