Nidalee Build Guide by Lexosceles

Introduction

Hello! In this guide you will find:

• Build 1 - Starter Nid AP
• Build 2 - AP Poke with bursty cougar attacks
• Build 3 - AD Pusher with decent heals
• Build 4 - ARAM Nidalee
• Build 5 - *FUNSIES* Nid AP glass cannon
  

NOTE: This is just a guide that I made to show off the versatility of a Nidalee's playstyle. This is the way that I play her, and by offering it up to the Mobafire gods, I hope that I can give a good example for other Nidalees. Every game is different, so buy and play appropriately! Good luck! :D


Thanks for the love, everyone! <3 Unfortunately for this guide, work and personal life has taken over the last several months, and I'm not able to update this as much as I would like to. Good luck to all you Nidalees! May all your victories be glorious, and your defeats few and far between! :D

Pros / Cons

Pros + Powerful heals with attack speed buff + PRO SPEARS. + Nearly impossible to chase in brush + Great damage boost at 6 as cougar + Free mini wards! (Traps)

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Cons - Half a champion before 6... - Not a lot of damage in pre 6 ganks - Very mana hungry if not careful - No CC - Needs the right team composition!

The Pros, you say? This is all you need to know. (Comic by Makani)

Which Build Should You Follow?

I am in the process of making a quick cheat sheet. It will help you choose how you want to build Nidalee, based on both teams' composition.

I'm trying to make it beautiful, so it might be a few days! I was just really excited to get this build up. :D

Nidalee definitely needs a great team composition to be successful! For example, don't play full AP if you don't have champions on your team that can dash in after you have speared the team half to death. :P Once you net your team a couple kills like that, it boosts the morale for your team (those spears are hilarious). Otherwise, play hybrid or tanky if you need to be the champion to clean up after fights, or if their team will be pretty tanky. Don't underestimate her cougar form!

Here is the basic information:

AP
- VERY squishy team (3 or more, and you have players on your side that can take on the tanks)
- Accounts under level 30 (players don't know how to dodge yet)
- This rarely works in draft and ranked, because team compositions should be thought out. She would essentially be a full AP support at bot with a strong ADC that can solo if needed after 6 (I would take Athene's for the CDR, roam, and beat the **** out of everyone).

Hybrid
- The most balanced. Go this route if you are needed on your team for the poke and heals, but still don't have enough damage on your team.

AD
- Usually the preferred option in ranked, and can tear up normal queues if played properly! Read that as: know your map, know your enemies, and be defensive!
- She is awesome for pouncing in and securing kills, but remember that her only escape ability after blowing Pounce for the kill is her passive.


So why even pick Nidalee when other champs are better? She has one of the best sustains with actual damage in the game. Darius, Jayce, Yorick, Zed.... While each of these lanes would be hard, she is one of the best counters to some really cheap top laners if you are careful. :P

Masteries

AP Offense





AD Offense

Runes

See this guide for a great explanation on the rune ranks! This will help you decide which runes to take for which champion. If you play Nidalee with runes that I didn't explain here, it is most likely because they are low on the list of runes, but message me if you have a question.

Greater Mark of Magic Penetration will help get that *liiiittle* bit of health left on your enemies with your spear.
Grab Greater Mark of Armor Penetration for AD Nidalee or AP Nidalee. These are also great for helping your auto attacks pre 6 - both on minions and enemy champs!
Greater Mark of Attack Damage is necessary on AD Nidalee. This will help your last hits.


Greater Seal of Armor is pretty standard - I take these 95% of the time. This will help save you from any autoattacks or skills by AD champs early game. Great for solo top!
If you want mana seals, the flat mana regen of Greater Seal of Mana Regeneration will help you the most in early game, since the scaling ones don't catch up until about level 6. When you are 6, just switch to cougar. At that point, you should also be buying mana regen items. I suggest taking these or combining them with Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration if you don't take Clarity for middle lane or against a really pushy solo top.


Greater Glyph of Magic Resist is also standard! Obviously, it protects you from AP attacks. The scaling ones don't catch up until level 9, so take the flat ones! By that point, you should be able to buy magic resist items.
I only take Greater Glyph of Ability Power or Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power on glass cannon Nidalee. Watch out for skill shots, because you are losing magic resist by taking this!


15 bonus AP from Greater Quintessence of Ability Power at the start of a game is pretty nice! This is the go-to quint for AP casters. It still helps your heals if you go AD!
Take Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed and combine them with your passive Prowl, and you can literally run circles around the enemy team! Just don't get stunned! :D
If you are going AD, grab Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage. This will help with your auto attacks early game. Abuse your range!

Summoner Spells

The combination of summoner spells depends on your playstyle for the match, so plan accordingly! Other summoner spells aren't quite as viable on Nidalee as these are, and I've ordered them from best to worst in my playstyle preference.

One of my favorite summoner spells, Flash can be used to escape from or to chase down enemies. This spell literally has a million uses! See my Wall Pouncing section for tips. Aggressive or Defensive.

I rarely take Ignite with her, but it's a great spell if you play very aggressively. For my playstyle, my spear and run speed is usually enough when chasing down an enemy champ. Take Ignite if going hybrid/AD or you don't trust your spear! Aggressive.
Exhaust + your run speed = dead enemy champ. Take it if you are going very aggressive (especially AD. It's amazing for chasing down enemies, or even to run away from them! I take this nearly every time I go top. Aggressive.
While the distance on Ghost is definitely farther than flash, ghost doesn't have the "element of surprise" that flash does. Take this if you don't feel as comfortable with flash, or want to chase enemies with it. Aggressive or Defensive.
Clarity lets me stay in lane for extended periods of time. I am often level 8 or higher before I back, and the entire time I am able to keep poking and healing. This is also great for your team when camping an enemy tower. This lets your team keep poking and pushing while waiting for minions to get to that tower. Utility.
Yes. I know. Teleport. This spell only really shines when you know you will be stuck split pushing. Take this on a full AP + Lich Bane Nid, and go destroy their towers! I rarely take this, but it does have its moments! Utility.
I suppose you could take Clairvoyance with support Nid. Full support Nidalee should be chilling in the back of teamfights, healing and chucking spears, so she shouldn't be needing ignite to secure kills! Map awareness is always great for your team! Use it to see if their jungler is at their buff or on their way to gank you. Support.

Skill Set

Because Nidalee has 7 skills, I am separating her human and cougar skills for easier reference.

Prowl 15% increased movement speed for 2 seconds in brush.
This passive is what makes Nidalee such a great harasser. Poke, run through brush, escape.

Human Skills

Javelin Toss Throws a spear. At max range, it deals 250% damage.
Become a pro with this! It has a ridiculous range, so use it to your advantage!
Tip: If you run away from your enemy after throwing a spear, you will actually deal more damage. The distance measured is taken when the spear hits.
Tip: Try to aim a little ahead of a fleeing champion so that they run into your spear.
Bushwhack It's a trap!
Once an enemy walks over it, his armor and magic resistance is reduced by 20% for 12 seconds. He is also visible on the minimap to all friendly champions for 10 seconds.
Tip: When you drop a trap in brush, the entire brush is lit up for a split second, letting you see any players hiding in there.
Primal Surge Heal yourself or an ally, granting a 60% attack speed boost for 7 seconds (Rank 5).
If you think you won't need the heal for a few seconds, throw it on your AD carry when taking down important targets like dragon or a turret. The attack speed boost is perfect for it! When attacking minion waves, cast it on yourself before you switch to cougar.
Tip: Alt+E will automatically heal yourself.
Aspect of the Cougar Switch between cougar and human form.
There is a small cooldown, so make sure you're in the right form for teamfights - before the fight!
Tip: Try to stay in cougar form while traveling; you have 20 additional run speed in this form, and the pounce lets you travel a little faster, as well as hopping over walls. See Wall Pouncing.



Cougar Skills

Takedown The less health your target has, the more damage Takedown will do.
Try to use this last in your combos. This can give you the kill and save yourself when both you and your enemy are extremely low!
Pounce Pounce forward. You do a small amount of damage upon landing.
You can dodge skill shots with this if timed correctly. There are also several walls that Nidalee can pounce over. See Wall Pouncing for examples.
Tip: Spam pounce when running to increase your speed a tiny bit. Do not pounce out of brush when trying to run away - this takes away from your 2 seconds of increased speed!
Swipe A small aoe in front of you.
This can easily take down entire minion waves. It covers everything in front of you in a small radius.

Cougar Skill Rotation:
Pounce (W), Swipe (E), Takedown (Q). This lets you catch up, deal damage, and deal even more based off of their remaining health!

Use Swipe (E) and then Takedown (Q) if you want to use Pounce (W) to get out of range after attacking.

Skilling Order Explained

Bushwhack - Traps are amazing! Got a jungler on your team? Protect him with traps! Does the enemy have a jungler? Trap the other buff! See my Trapping section below for more details.

Primal Surge - I take heal second for the sustain. There are only a few champs that have a heal and can deal great damage!

Javelin Toss - I take spear third, though I have been known to take a second point in heal before I take one in spear if I'm getting pushed pretty hard. I don't take spear first because the damage is not worth the mana - you could be healing!

From here, this is dependent on your playstyle and your opponents.

If playing defensively:

• Try to get at least 3 points in Primal Surge before putting some in Javelin Toss.

If playing aggressively AD:

• Max Primal Surge first. You won't be buying a lot of items that benefit your spear, and the attack speed boost is great for cougar form.

If playing Hybrid:

• Take Primal Surge at 4 and 5 to get it to rank 3. After taking Aspect Of The Cougar at 6, max spear, finish heal, and traps last. Try to find that perfect balance!

If playing aggressively AP:

• SPEARS. Kill everything!

Of course, max Aspect Of The Cougar when you can. I save Bushwhack for last because I use them as mini wards, not as a source of damage. However, killing a straggler by trap is ALWAYS funny (and humiliating for them).

Starting Items

Alright, you've got quite a few options here!

This is a typical starter item set. Grab whatever combination you feel most comfortable with. I tend to grab more mana than health potions, because you have your own heal!

I usually take Boots of Speed or Cloth Armor when I solo top. I tend to put the Sight Ward around 4 minutes in, before the jungler comes to gank.
Take Amplifying Tome if you want headstart to Sheen/ Tear of the Goddess or even Mejai's Soulstealer if you feel mean. Take care to stay away from ranged carries with skill shots like Ahri or Brand before buying boots!

Doran's Items

I am indifferent with stacking rings. I rarely take Doran's Ring first.... Although you still get great sustain without the health pots - with your Primal Surge of course - it doesn't give me money for early game wards. Start stacking if it matches your playstyle, but any money spent on more than two rings can usually be spent on better items. Let me know if it works for you!

Going double Doran's Blades on Nidalee is only really useful if you are falling behind, but I would never grab them first!

Build 1 - AP Poke Nidalee

Alrighty, I tend to stack as much AP as I can on this build, like a typical AP carry. I also tend to play full AP Nidalee quite aggressively! This is my "safer" AP build - if you want to go all out, scroll down to the Glass Cannon Nidalee. Take Tear of the Goddess early to work on the stacks in cougar form. An early Blasting Wand and Sheen will give you AP with some nice on hit effects. I generally try to finish Rabadon's Deathcap before I grab the boots 2 upgrade because your passive is usually enough. Take Sorcerer's Shoes or Boots of Mobility, and follow up with Lich Bane. Take Mercury's Treads if you are having trouble in the lane against their AP carry.

One more point about Archangel's... After you reach the mana cap, it transforms into Seraph's Embrace. You can easily get 120 AP from Seraph's Embrace with no other mana items (and don't underestimate that shield)!

However, I would finish building Rabadon's Deathcap and Lich Bane before upgrading Tear of the Goddess. You need mana to play properly, but you don't want to waste too much money early game on just mana or you will fall behind.

If you are not a fan of Archangel's Staff, take Athene's Unholy Grail. Along with the 90 AP, CDR, and mana regen, it has awesome passives! I definitely prefer Athene's for games where there are more skirmishes than usual (group wandering, ganking, etc).

• Unique: Restores 12% of your max mana on kill or assist.
• Unique: Increases your mana regeneration by 1% per 1% mana you are missing.

If you take Athene's, make sure you are building Chalice of Harmony and Fiendish Codex instead of Tear of the Goddess.

More detail on items can be found under the Situational Items Section.


Pre 6: Heal, last hit minions, and auto attack your enemy. Your level 1 and 2 spears don't do very much damage with your starting AP, which is why I take traps and heals first. Your traps at level 1 actually do more damage than your javelin! Don't be afraid to be autoattacking every chance you get, as you can usually get yourself a kill at 6 with your burst from cougar form!

Teamfights: AP Nidalee is best in a "poke" team composition, meaning that she must poke and deal a lot of damage with her spears BEFORE the actual teamfight starts. Your pokes and heals before anyone initiates is crucial to winning a fight! Aim for the squishy champs on their team, like the AP carry. Nid works best with champions that are able to dash in, grab that last couple hits on a champ, and dash out (think Talon). This can easily make a standoff in mid a 4v5! Because you are building AP and Nidalee isn't naturally tanky, stay on the edges of teamfights to deny the enemy team an easy kill. Don't forget to throw your traps down before the fights! *Your AD carry or anti carry has first heal priority because of the attack speed buff and because they are targeted first.*

Ganking Mid: Mid lane usually gets the first gank, depending on the jungler. Until you are level 6, focus more on just getting your enemy to back, rather than diving for the kill. Even going as AP, you have a ridiculous burst at 6 with your Cougar form. If your jungler is ganking from the bottom river, try to circle around to the top while pretending to last hit minions. The enemy champ will usually retreat to the bottom and under the minion wave because they think you are trying to aim a spear around minions, placing them only a few inches away from your jungler!

Build 2 - Balanced Nidalee

On your first trip back, grab Sheen or Phage if you can afford it.

• Sheen - Push early heals and spears
• Phage - If you are getting harassed and need the health, or if you can burst a champ down as a cougar. Your burst at 6 is ridiculous. I might have mentioned that before. :P

If you can't afford it: Grab an Amplifying Tome, Ruby Crystal, or a Long Sword, depending on your needs. Buy Boots of Speed if you haven't gotten them yet, and WARDS WARDS WARDS.

I generally finish Trinity Force first, even before my boots upgrade if I am being greedy! I've played many games without it, and many, MANY games with it. For a balanced Nidalee, this item is perfect to push every aspect of her abilities! This also lets you see which of your attacks are tearing up your opponents better, and you can then begin to build upon that aspect of her abilities.

Although I love Archangel's Staff on full AP Nidalee, I prefer Athene's Unholy Grail on hybrid Nid for the 15% cooldown reduction and the passive which restores 12% mana on a kill or assist.

Ideally, you want:

• Enough Ability Power to heal your team (1 AP item + 1 hybrid item)
• Just enough Attack Damage and Attack Speed to be viable in a teamfight (1 AD/AS item + the same hybrid item)
• A healthy amount of Defensive items so you aren't feeding the team (2 items)

Remember, don't jump into the fights first if you haven't bought defensive items yet!

With this build there are just SO many items to choose from. See the Situational Items Section for details.


Teamfights: Hybrid Nidalee does great with the pre-fight poking and healing as well. After your enemies are at a lower health and the fight has been initiated, it's safe to Pounce (W) in, Swipe (E), and Takedown (Q) an enemy champ. Try to focus on the AP/AD carries or the squishiest on their team first! You are not the one who is going to kill the tank! Also, don't forget to trap! *Heal your AD carry or anti carry before switching forms and joining a fight.*

Soloing top: You are pretty weak early game for damage, so turret hug, heal, and focus on last hitting! Don't be too worried if you don't have a high CS before level 6 - Cougar form can massacre waves of minions! Let your jungler know that you have weak damage pre 6. Most junglers will not gank for me before level 6 unless they are very bursty like Lee Sin - then I just heal, autoattack, and maybe get a spear in.

For a gank after level 6, I tend to sneak up and around to the top brushes so that they are attacked from above and below. Running straight towards an enemy lets them know they are in trouble before the gank happens, so don't do it!

Build 3 - Tanky AD Nidalee

I rarely go full AD Nidalee, but the key to her is building very defensively. She is not as naturally tanky as some other champs, and you really need the health and armor before you start diving into teamfights!

I am not a big fan of the Atmog's builds ( Warmog's Armor + Atma's Impaler) because with the amount of money spent on Atma's, you could get better items that suit her playstyle. Of course, everybody plays the game differently! :)

I only recommend the Doran's Blade if you are struggling early game.

Now that we can add situational items to the cheat sheet, there's not much to explain here!

Note: The "Kill Everything Build" has been donated by Angeu Grimnir. It's awesome. If you are doing really good early game, or you are very good at escaping early game, do it. It's fantastic! :D

Ninja Tabi -OR- Mercury's Treads = Take Ninja if AD top has a potential to eat you and carry the enemy team (think Fiora, Darius). Merc's will generally last you better throughout the game, but remember who you are laning and jungling against early game!

The Black Cleaver -OR- Youmuu's Ghostblade = Youmuu's if they have little armor, Cleaver if they have some, Last Whisper for a lot!

Hexdrinker -OR- Frozen Heart/ Iceborn Gauntlet = Who is murdering your team? The AP or AD carry? Make sure you survive long enough to actually do damage!

Trinity Force -OR- Frozen Mallet = Triforce boosts ALL of Nidalee's stats, and it's a great item. Why take a hybrid item when playing AD? Don't forget that Nid still needs to heal! Her W and E in cougar form also scales off some AP. But if you're getting murdered by the other team, Mallet will help boost your health and it's got a great slow. **Don't take Mallet and Gauntlet in the same game!

Randuin's Omen *AND* Guardian Angel = This will make you tanky enough to survive pretty much anything that comes at you! Because of Nidalee's mobility, you can usually escape into brush with that 650 health, unless the enemy team is crowding around you.


See the Situational Items Section for more details.



Teamfights: Again, it's safest to wait until the fight has been initiated before jumping in as AD Nidalee. Trapping is really important here too, because that is going to really help your autoattack and ability damage! Pounce out and heal if you need to - better to stay safe! *Heal your AD carry or anti carry before switching forms and joining a fight.*

Soloing top: You are pretty weak early game for damage, so turret hug, heal, and focus on last hitting! Don't be too worried if you don't have a high CS before level 6 - Cougar form can massacre waves of minions! Let your jungler know that you have weak damage pre 6. Most junglers will not gank for me before level 6 unless they are very bursty like Lee Sin - then I just heal, autoattack, and maybe get a spear in.

For a gank after level 6, I tend to sneak up and around to the top brushes so that they are attacked from above and below. Running straight towards an enemy lets them know they are in trouble before the gank happens, so don't do it!



Note: I believe that I rarely go full AD because it just doesn't seem as fun as AP Nid. Of course, I could just be pining over Season 1 AP Nidalee still! C: You need to keep your creep score very high, which shouldn't become an issue once you hit 6. You have to play carefully because you need to build defensively before you can start the serious up close damage! There are other champions that are made tankier, but Nidalee is one of the game's best counters against champs like Jayce and Yorick. Once you get your damage up, you'll be surprised at what Nidalee can do!

Don't forget that in cougar form, only her Q scales off of AD! Her W and E are AP! This is why some games I have actually taken Rabadon's Deathcap or Athene's Unholy Grail as a tanky Nid when I have been fed. This is also why I take Trinity Force!

Build 4 - Pure Glass Cannon Nidalee

Note: I recommend this for experienced League/ Nidalee players. It's a high risk build that I usually play, but MOBAFire is more focused towards the newer players, which is why I have the other AP build up. :P

I am also making this section separate because I have had questions like "I am owning in lane, what do?" If I'm doing really good mid lane, or I just feel like being really mean, this is the build that I take.

I only take Doran's Ring + Nuke AP runes + Clarity when I know the champion I am laning against has low mobility (not Ahri or Fizz!) and that I will be *relatively* safe without boots. It's also a great start for a bot support/laner, because you will have easy brush control. Doran's and clarity will keep you healing and pushing.

Summoner spells: I know, I took Clarity. But Nidalee's sustain is already so ridiculous, I can save up that 1950 ( Boots of Speed + Needlessly Large Rod) in no time. I can generally get both items by the 10 minute mark - even without a kill (solo lane). It's much easier to push an enemy out of their lane with endless mana and health! Remember, Clarity is just an option! Take Flash or Ghost for escape. You will be very squishy! Players will cry for their jungler to save them, so make sure you are trapping often!

There's really not much else to explain here - learning to lead with Nidalee's spears and knowing where you can Pounce away takes a lot of practice!

Situational Items

I will divide this by type for easier reading, and I will mark which items are pertinent to each particular build. If not specified, it will work with any build.

Manamune got a nice update! That passive is really nice, so I'll be sure to try in a couple games soon. Keep in mind that is based on *current* mana, so you can do a lot of extra damage with full mana, but not so much when you are low.
SO nice in Dominion and TT!

Trap and Ward Placement

Trapping

Green: For your jungler, on either side of the map, either buff. I suggest trapping both bushes to protect your red from the enemy jungler while yours takes blue, and vice versa. You can also trap the golem and autoattack to leash - the debuffs will help! Regardless of my lane, I trap those bushes. Your run speed will get you back to your lane with plenty of time. Be sure to stay in your jungle!

Blue and Purple: Basic defense for the respective teams. Notice how it pretty much covers every entry point into your team's jungle. As your turrets get pushed, trap your jungle at those spots. As you push their turrets, trap their bushes as you go.

Red: Both teams should keep these trapped! The vision on an enemy will actually enable you to steal the target, whether it's a buff or Baron, with a well timed Javelin Toss. This will also alert you to any counter jungling or the location of enemies in their own jungle.

Remember, these are just basic spots, and I even skipped a few that I normally use for the sake of a clean map. Try to plan where the enemy will be heading, and don't forget to throw these down before teamfights!

Tip: If you are unsure about the contents of a suspicious bush: TRAP it. Preferably from as far away as you can. Is it on cooldown? WAIT. I can't tell you how many times that I have seen other Nidalees get impatient and just facecheck a bush with 4 of the enemy team hiding in it. And die. Instantly. I have been one of them!

Warding

Green: Protection for middle lane.

Blue and Purple: Basic defense for the respective teams. NOTE: Do you see how these wards are not in the same place? If you are top on the blue team, the closest path in river is on your side. Take advantage! Place your ward closer towards Baron and their path to blue buff. If you are bottom on the purple team, again, place your ward higher up the river. This gives you more space than just warding the closest bush - you will see ganks from a much farther distance and you can see when Baron or Dragon is getting attacked from ONE ward. If the enemy is counterjungle happy, blue should ward the top triangle bush and purple should grab the bottom triangle bush. It will save lives!!

Red: Keep these warded!! These are very important targets!
1) Dragon: Spawn time - 2:30 || Respawn time - 6:00
2) Baron: Spawn time - 15:00 || Respawn time - 7:00

Yellow: If you have the extra money, ward the buff camps. It is generally cheaper and easier just to keep track of when the buffs were taken. For example, add timestamps to your chat (in the settings) and just say "Enemy red taken" or say the time as well, like "Our blue taken at 7:55."
1) Blue Golem: Spawn time - 1:55 || Respawn time - 5:00
2) Red Lizard: Spawn time - 1:55 || Respawn time - 5:00

Wall Pouncing and Flashing

Alrighty, my favorite section! Any of these jumps can be done from either side of the wall or obstacle. Keep in mind that your mouse clicks need to stay on your side of the wall! If you click too far, or on the wall itself, you give yourself a new path to walk around the wall.

Instead, get Nidalee as close to the wall as you can. You don't even have to be moving for Pounce to work, you just need to face the right direction. You should be perpendicular to the wall. Then, hit W. It's really that easy! Just remember that positioning before the jump is the key.

Note: The lines marked in green are great escape jumps, but if you miss, you are dead! The lines marked in red are right next to a path, so you MIGHT survive. Remember that the jungle is two nearly identical halves, which means the jumps can be done on both sides. Each jump can also be done from both sides of the wall.

There are other spots where the jumps work, but they're so close to brush that you're better off not risking the missed jump and just taking the speed buff from your passive.

Create a bot game and PRACTICE them! Rule the jungle!!

Oh, and by "dragon" on number 5, I meant the big dragon, Baron. Derp.

The arrows in blue indicate that the entire ledge can be jumped, so as long as you are facing the wall dead on, you should be able to jump across at any point on the ledge. This applies for all of the the little raised sections on the paths leading to river ( all of the red lines).

Remember, any of the walls that you can Pounce over can also be crossed using Flash!

Sneaky Spear Spots

Any intelligent player that sees a giant spear coming their way will dodge it. You want to hope that they are stupid enough to run away from it, but instead, they simply sidestep.

If you are laning against a player like this, try sniping from the brush. The pictures I took at top lane also work for bot lane in the same areas. You can snipe from the side brush at middle, but it's a little trickier because of the angles and minions are usually in the way.



As you can see, she has a ridiculous range!

Because of the odd picture sizes, I'm putting the others in a spoiler box to keep the guide looking nice!

Champion Guide

I will update this with more detail when I have some extra time, such as a section that lists which champions lane well with her at bot.

Nidalee is countered by anyone with good crowd control, a very high attack speed, tankiness, or healing debuffs ( Executioner's Calling or Morello's Evil Tome).

HARD - Nearly all tanks, like Dr. Mundo, Singed, Shen, and melee AD carries like Tyrndamere, Jax, and Fiora. Your poke as AP Nidalee won't do very much damage to them mid to late game (it's depressing), and you need to be pretty tanky yourself to pounce in and do some damage as hybrid or AD Nidalee.

Alistar Cho'Gath Dr. Mundo Draven Fiora A PAIN solo top Galio Garen Hecarim Irelia A PAIN solo top Jarvan IV (Pounce out of his ult!) Jax A PAIN solo top Lee Sin

Leona (Stay away from stuns!) Master Yi Nautilus Nunu Olaf Pantheon Rammus Renekton Rengar Riven Sejuani Shen Shyvana

Singed Sion Talon A PAIN solo top Tryndamere (So, so, SO cheap.) Udyr Urgot Vladimir Volibear Wukong (He's just annoying!) Xin Zhao Yorick (You can surprise him at 6, but don't forget about his ult!)

MEDIUM - These guys can be kited and killed, but just watch out for the CC, skill shots, or passives (depends on champion)!

Ahri (She will dodge your spear) Amumu Anivia Blitzcrank Cassiopeia Evelynn Ezreal Fizz (He will dodge your spear)

Gangplank (crit+orange) Jayce Kassadin LeBlanc Use your spears!! Lulu Malzahar Mordekaiser Morgana Nocturne

AD/AP Orianna Poppy Rumble Skarner Swain Taric (easy if he doesn't build MR) Tristana Zed (Go AD!) Zyra

MEDIUM - You'll have trouble with them pre 6, but you might have a chance to burst them down with cougar form or a few good spears when you have harassed a bit.

Akali Darius Play cautiously! Fiddlesticks He's sneaky. Spears! Graves

Katarina Play cautiously! Malphite Miss Fortune Nasus

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Shaco Trundle (go AP) Xerath (watch his range)

MEDIUM - Easy/medium early/mid game, but if not burst down quick enough later, can kill you (hard).
AKA DO NOT FEED THESE GUYS.

Ashe Caitlyn Corki Gragas Heimerdinger AD Kayle

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Xerath AD Kog'Maw Sivir Teemo (His shrooms severely limit your mobility and his AS will kick your butt. A couple spears will kill him.)

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Twisted Fate Varus Vayne (She will dodge spears) Warwick spacespace spacespace

EASY - Your enemy team's AP carries or supports. Poke poke poke poke poke! Your range with spears will keep them back! Remember, watch for skill shots!

Annie Brand Janna Karthus Lux

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Nami Ryze Sona Soraka space

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Veigar Viktor Ziggs Zilean space

QUESTIONABLE - These are champs that I haven't played against recently, or they are alternately terrible and good. I will move these to their proper section once I figure out what that section is!

Elise Karma

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Kha'Zix Maokai

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Syndra Zac

Screenshots and Videos

I've removed my videos for now because LoLReplays has been acting up lately. My apologies. :c

Click the spoiler box below for some screenshots with the item details!

Here are some really great scores from other Mobafire members!

FAQ

This is so I can easily address any questions in the discussion thread. I will respond in the thread, and if it is a reasonable question that others might ask, I will post it here! :D

Ew, Athene's Unholy Grail / Archangel's Staff?
Yes. Like every other item in the game, they are SITUATIONAL. There is nothing more fun than spamming spears all over the place, but if you are learning Nid, taking Tear of the Goddess or Chalice of Harmony will help you learn her spells without having to tell your team "OOM, gotta B" every 5 minutes. If you are hitting those skill shots every time, skip to Rabadon's Deathcap! I frequently take Needlessly Large Rod on my first trip back. :P

Your guide is lame because your AP Nidalee guide is too squishy.
I'm sorry, but please point out an AP carry that is built like a tank that still does a lot of damage (and I'm not talking about that Teemo and Malzahar your team fed last game!). XD Really though, a true AP carry Nidalee is essentially a sniper. Snipers aren't meant to take damage - they are meant to dish out as much as they can in one hit! :D

Your photos have Liebe21 on them, not Lexosceles.
I am Liebe21! When I made my league account in 2009, I didn't know the summoner and login names could be different. Derp. I changed it recently to match with all of my other games/accounts. :D

Thanks for reading!

I would like to thank the following players for their input:
Nit*****87
Pug******of

These guys play Nidalee quite frequently in the higher ELOs, and I've had the honor of spectating their games to see how they play her, and talking to them to ask why they buy particular items (Their names are now hidden due to the high number of views from this guide).

Also, props to jhoijhoi for her "How To Make A Guide." I laughed the whole way through - it was beautiful and terrible, all at the same time. Check it out if you would like to make your own build!

The original picture for my header can be found here. Header and spear divider done by me! Message me if you would like to use them for your own Nidalee build - I don't mind!

Change Log