Udyr is, and always has been one of my favorite champions. He can fulfill a variety of roles that your team may need. He can be built AP, through Wingborne Storm; DPS, through Wilding Claw; Tank, through Iron Mantle; and is very valuable in team fights thanks to his stun from Blazing Stampede. He can be built very differently depending on what your team needs, or your playing style. However, he is the number one tanky DPS, so many people play him that way, via Iron Mantle and tiger.

If you're looking for a champion that can lane, jungle, or be an all-around good choice on your team composition, do not hesitate on picking Udyr. Udyr is in my opinion one of the strongest junglers and tanky DPS in the game. He can deal just as much damage as he can take.

In this guide, I will teach you all you need to know to be successful as Udyr.

Pros:
Tanky
Ability to jungle
Crowd Control (via Blazing Stampede)
Can be build AP hybrid or AD
Strong laner

Cons:
Ability to be kited (no form of range)

The lack of range is Udyr's only true solid con. If your team has no range, you might not want to consider playing Udyr, because he has none as well and is prone to being kited by very good ranged champions with a slow such as Ashe

I would also take in consideration the fact that you are very prone to crowd control yourself, because you need to get those stuns off to be able to initiate. But, same could be said for any champion in the League. So I remain only listing the solid con.

Bridge Between (Innate): Udyr's attack speed is increased by 10% and dodge chance by 3% for 5 seconds each time he switches stances. This effect can stack up to 3 times. Switching stances sets off a 1.5 second global cooldown.

~This spell is great for not only spell spam, but it helps in jungling, and raising your dodge chance to make you stronger in 1v1. When used with dodge runes, this spell is amazing. One of my more favored passives in the game. Dodge can also help you move around the jungle faster, from dodging jungle creep's hits.

Wilding Claw (Stance) - Activation: Udyr's next attack will deal magic damage over 2 seconds. In addition, Udyr gains an attack speed buff for 5 seconds. This stacks additively with his persistent attack speed bonus.
Persistent effect: Udyr's attack speed is increased.
Cooldown: 6 seconds.

Level Progression:

Cost: 55 / 50 / 45 / 40 / 35 Mana
Magic Damage: 30 / 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 (+1.5 per attack damage)
Persistent Attack Speed Bonus: 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 %

Activation Attack Speed Bonus: 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 %

~This makes Udyr able to do massive DPS damage. It's what makes him very scary in 1v1. When people jungle as Udyr, they take either this, or phoenix stance. Phoenix stance is slightly faster in the jungle, but out of the jungle, tiger is arguably more useful in ganks, etc.

Iron Mantle (Stance) - Activation: Udyr gains a shield that absorbs damage for 5 seconds or until it has absorbed enough damage.
Persistent effect: Udyr's attacks cannot crit, but they restore a percentage of his damage as health and mana.
Cooldown: 6 seconds

Level Progression:

Cost: 55 / 50 / 45 / 40 / 35 Mana
Shield Strength: 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 / 220 (+0.5 per ability power)
Damage to Health Restored Ratio: 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 %

Damage to Mana Restored Ratio: 9 / 10.5 / 12 / 13.5 / 15 %

~ This is what gives him the ability to not only jungle, but makes him very strong in the laning phase due to the massive lifesteal based on damage as well as the shield active. Generally, when 1v1'ing an opponent, you will switch from your primary damage stance you've chosen (either phoenix or tiger) back to turtle to absorb damage and deal it, as well as increasing attack speed and dodge thanks to your passive. This is why spellspam is key on Udyr.

Blazing Stampede (Stance) - Activation: Udyr gains increased movement speed for a few seconds.
Persistent effect: Udyr mauls his target with such force that they are stunned for 1 second. This effect can only occur once every 6 seconds on the same target.
Cooldown: 6 seconds

Level Progression:

Cost: 55 / 50 / 45 / 40 / 35 Mana
Movement Speed Bonus: 15 / 18 / 21 / 24 / 27 %
Movement Speed Duration: 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 3.5 / 4 seconds

~ This is what gives you your ability to stun people all around you in a teamfight, you are also able to stun the same target once every 6 seconds. This can stop people from chasing you, or people from running from you. Spamming this stance makes you one of the more faster champions in the game.

Wingborne Storm (Stance) - Activation: Udyr sends out pulsing waves of fire dealing magic damage each second to nearby enemies for 5 seconds. During this time Udyr's ability power and attack damage are increased.
Persistent effect: Every third attack, Udyr engulfs the enemies in front of him in flames, dealing magic damage.
Cooldown: 6 seconds

Level Progression:

Cost: 55 / 50 / 45 / 40 / 35 Mana
Activation's Magic Damage Per Wave: 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 (+0.25 per ability power)
Bonus Ability Power: 16 / 24 / 32 / 40 / 48

Bonus Attack Damage: 8 / 12 / 16 / 20 / 24

Magic Damage Per Third Attack: 40 / 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 (+0.25 per ability power)

~This is what simply makes Udyr the fastest jungler in the game, if not one the fastest. It also makes you able to become a hybrid by building AP items such as Hextech Gunblade or Guinsoo's Rageblade. Although I favor tiger more, phoenix is no doubt the best and fastest way to jungle as Udyr. It makes you kill minions in no time at all if you get attack speed.

Masteries are very subject to player preference, but many people do some form of the Utility mastery tree to be able to keep up the spell spam and mana that Udyr needs so greatly.

I'll list some of the popular ones that many players do on Udyr.

(Will update with pictures soon)

0/14/16 (laning + defense and utility)
1/14/15 (smite mastery + defense and utility)

Generally, in any mastery setup for udyr, you will want 9 in the defense tree down to the nimbleness point, due to his natural ability to dodge whenever spamming a spell.

Smite If you are jungling, this is a no brainer. Don't be one of those baddies who thinks just because you CAN jungle without smite, that you will. Smite increases jungle speed no matter who you are, and gives you the ability to steal buffs from the enemy team, given that you're in range.

Flash I always get this, jungle or lane. Also, if you're 3v3, this is also a no brainer due to the walls everywhere in the map. You could have 1 hp and still live due to flashing through a wall. Although it is not generally used for initiation, more so running or escaping, you can also use flash to initiate your stun from Blazing Stampede

Ghost Always useful for getting away, however since Udyr is naturally one of the faster champions in the League, I would get flash over ghost.

Cleanse Due to you always needing to cosntantly be on the move, a little bit of crowd control could throw you off of a chase, or from running. Cleanse can save you just like flash can. I prefer flash, but higher ELO players tend to use cleanse quite a bit. It also removes exhaust, even more 1v1 capability, go figure.

Ignite If you think you'll SOMEHOW need more burst than you already have, take this. But remember it's always good to have an escape mechanism like ghost, flash, or cleanse.

Exhaust If you're laning, rather than jungling, you should take this instead of smite.


Any other spells I honestly would not recommend.

I will be updating this soon, however, you should never go by a 'cookie cutter' build and just build something because someone says so. Build your items according to the enemy team, to counter them.

Until I completely finish revamping, I will add two setups for udyr.

The build on the left, is for Wilding Claw jungle udyr.
The build on the right, is for laning udyr.

Yet I stress again, this guide is nowhere near completion, I will be working on it daily until it is finished.

(Will add jungle routes, and jungle tips soon)

Until I add some, Use one of the top rated guides to see jungle routes and methods of jungling via phoenix stance and tiger stance.