Alright y'all, I'm Sauce and this is my Nidalee MOBAFIRE Guide that explains how to play her in 3 different roles. I started playing League somewhat competitively in Season 10, after quitting in Season 8 after because of unexpected event showing up. When I came back things had changed so much, like in S8 I was a Sivir one trick because her mana costs were a heck of a lot lower than they are now, and until recently in S11, she had pretty much been garbage.

S10 was fun because I decided to play different roles than ADCarry, which led me to Nidalee when I began jungling. I ended up playing Nidalee, Xin, and Lee Sin in Season 10 especially Nidalee and Xin, and peaked in the top 5% Xin Zhao players, with a 62% win rate over 52 games.

In Season 11, I chose to main Mid, and have Jungle as a backup role, but I can still play Nidalee at a high level. My pool is Viego, Yasuo, and Yone Mid and Nidalee, Viego, Xin Jungle.

I just started streaming/recording editing, so please support my channel by watching this video, and ideally subscribing and liking the video.

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PROS Great AoE abilities to clear quickly Massive burst damage Easy to get dark harvest stacks

INFO Got a championship skin for DAMWON 2020 Worlds Was played Mid Lane by Faker when she was released

Cons Squishy Takes Practice To Learn Key Fundamentals Lots of animation cancels necessary to learn Highest skill cap

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	Prowl
	Moving through brush increases Nidalee's movement speed by 10% for 2 seconds, increased to 30% toward visible enemy champions within a range of 1400. Damaging champions or neutral monsters with Javelin Toss or Bushwhack marks them as 'Hunted' for 4 seconds, granting Nidalee vision of them, 30% increased movement speed toward them (within a range of 1400) and enhancing her next Takedown, Pounce, and Swipe against them. Also grants 10% movement speed to other directions.

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	Javelin Toss / Takedown
	Range: 1500 Cooldown: 6 Cost: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 Human: Nidalee tosses her javelin forward in a line, dealing 70 / 90 / 110 / 130 / 150 (+50% of ability power) magic damage to the first enemy it hits, which is increased by 0−200% (depending on distance traveled) for a maximum of 210 / 270 / 330 / 390 / 450 (+150% of ability power) magic damage. Cougar: Nidalee's next attack deals a minimum of 4 / 20 / 50 / 90 (+36% of ability power) (+0.75 per attack damage) magic damage and she gains +75 range when using this attack. Takedown's damage to enemies is increased by 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75% for every 1% of the target's missing Health. If the enemy is Hunted, Takedown deals 33% increased damage.

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	Bushwhack / Pounce
	Range: 900 Cooldown: 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 Cost: 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 Human: Nidalee lays an invisible trap that deals 40 / 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 (+20% of ability power) over the duration of 4 seconds and marks the target as Hunted. The traps last 2 minutes and Nidalee can have a maximum of 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 traps active at once (at levels 1 / 6 / 11 / 16). Cougar: Nidalee lunges forward dealing 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 (+30% of ability power) magic damage. If the enemy that Nidalee is directly jumping towards to is Hunted, Pounce will have 750 range and the cooldown of the ability will be reduced by 40 / 50 / 60 / 70%. Killing a unit in cougar form will also reduce Pounce's cooldown by 40 / 50 / 60 / 70%.

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	Primal Surge / Swipe
	Range: 600 Cooldown: 12 Cost: 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 Human: Nidalee heals an allied champion for 35-70 / 55-110 / 75-150 / 95-190 / 115-230 (+32.5%- 65% of ability power) (based on target's missing health) and grants them 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 % bonus attack speed for 6 seconds. Cougar: Nidalee claws at enemies in a cone in the direction of mouse, dealing 80 / 140 / 200 / 260 (+45% of ability power) magic damage to the enemies.

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	Aspect Of The Cougar
	Cooldown: 3 Passive: Each additional rank increases the effectiveness of Nidalee's cougar abilities. Nidalee transforms into a vicious cougar, gaining a new set of abilities.

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SUMMONER SPELLS - FLASH: A must have summoner spell on Nidalee at when playing her in any role. Helps you escape and engage fights. CHALLENGING SMITE: This is the smite you want to take on Nidalee in almost every scenario. Nidalee is a champion that dives into the other team making red smite ideal for her, given that you take reduced damage from a specific target. CHILLING SMITE: Another option for the smite that you take with Nidalee. This version of smite is less effective because it doesn't help in skirmishes, it merely slows a champion down despite doing instant true damage.

RAVENOUS HUNTER ✦ Ignite This is the summoner spell you should take when playing Midalee 99% of the time. It gives significant early kill potential in the laning phase which you can use to snowball. This summoner spell allows you to cheese level 3 after poking the other lane down with spears.

CLEANSE ✦ Cleanse If you go into a heavy CC team, or the laner you are going against is heavy CC like Syndra, Neeko, or Lux, Cleanse is the summoner spell that you should go. It is worth staying alive over dying, which Cleanse over ignite would make sense.

TELEPORT ✦ Teleport Teleport is the main summoner spell you should go in the Top Lane. The reason why Teleport is better than Ignite in most situations is because Nidalee Top is either cheese and you hard win lane, or you lose hard and throw the game. If you win lane, TP is better mid to late game.

Kraken Slayer

Luden's Tempest

Night Harvester

Kraken Slayer is the main Mythic Item you should take on Nidalee Top, solely because the best Top Lane build for Nidalee is On-Hit, which Kraken Slayer is the ideal Mythic. Luden's Tempest is the best item for Midalee, because she needs mana to throw her spears, you can easily wait 10 seconds, then throw another spear to proc the burst damage that is perfect for one shotting enemies. Night Harvester is the Mythic you should go to when jungling because it's a multikill item that is great for ganks and teamfighting, you could go Night Harvester when playing Midalee, but the lack of mana increase is not very effective.

KRAKEN SLAYER

VS

DIVINE SUNDERER

Kraken Slayer is for the Season 11 On-Hit build that is as meta as you are going to get playing off-meta lol. You literally proc PTA and Kraken Slayer's true damage, and it does SO much damage.

Divine Sunderer is if you want to go more of a tanky Nidalee Top build. This build is good into tougher matchups like Irelia, or Garen but you DPS will not be as high so you have less hypercarry potential.

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Ionian Boots of Lucidity > ABILITY HASTE This is the cheapest ability haste item that is worth rushing because it give you summoner spell cooldown, movement speed, and ability haste in one item, at the small cost of 950 (11.8) gold. Sorcerer's Shoes > MAGIC PENETRATION There are games when the other team has tanks that will build magic resist in which you should use these boots instead of Ionian Boots of Lucidity. You can also use this into a team of squishes and deal massive amount of damage give they already don't have much magic resist.

-OR-

BERSERKER'S GREAVES > ATTACK SPEED By far the best boot in the game for On-Hit Nidalee Top. Wouldn't recommend you rush them (You're not Yasuo) build them after Kraken Slayer or Nashor's Tooth. Plated Steelcaps > REDUCE PHYSICAL DAMAGE These are pretty self-explanatory because you literally build them and get armor and take reduced damge from attacks.

Void Staff This item is great with Sorcerer's Shoes. It melts tanks because of the mass amount of magic penetration.

Horizon Focus This is item is good on any champion that immobilizes or has a massive ranged ability Nidalee. It got buffed to give the holder 115 AP, making it a great buy!

Rabadon's Deathcap This item tops your AP off. It gives sooooooo much extra AP, but I don't suggest rushing it unless meeded.

Seraph's Embrace You can build this item from Tear of the Goddess which you should buy as a first back or start with it. Is surprisingly strong on most AP champions including Nidalee.

Mejai's Soulstealer If you are snowballing in a game (10 stacks on Dark Seal) which you should of bought when you first backed, you should buy this, high risk high reward.

Morellonomicon This item is necessary in some games. Champions like Fiora, Garen, Yasuo, Samira, or Warwick heal insane amounts of health making this item a necessary purchase in certain games.

Lich Bane This is massive powerspike item on Nidalee because it empowers your attacks, including you Takedown which is one of you primary sources of damage.

Zhonya's Hourglass This is a part of Nidalee's Core Items because it gives you armor, and the status effect which comes in handy given that you dive in.

Nashor's Tooth This is the one AP you MUST take when playing On-Hit Nidalee Top, because it gives you attack speed and AP along with an On-Hit effect.

Horizon Focus A good item if you want extra AP, plus it gives you bonus damage potential if you land spears from a distance

Infinity Edge This item is one of the last items you want to build to complete the 60% crit chance and deal extra damage with your critical stikes.

Mortal Reminder This item is a great item in situational cases, it give you grievous wounds by hitting a champion 3 times, crit chance, movement speed, attack speed, and damage.

Blade of the Ruined King This is a MUST item for On-Hit Nidalee, like if you don't have BORK, nothing will work LMAO. Just build this after Nashor's Tooth and Kraken Slayer.

Mercurial Scimitar This is a great item to build into for extra magic resist, to remove CC, and for extra attack damage.

Phantom Dancer This is a great item when going On-Hit because it helps you chase the other champion down, plus it gives AD, attack speed, and critcal chance.

Death's Dance Great for fighting in the Top lane because most characters are AD, give you a bleed effect that you can heal if you kill the champ, and attack damage which is always nice.

Lord Dominik's Regards With the On-Hit crit build and the face that you are playing Nid Top, this item is ideal for shredding tanks.

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PRECISION

Recently, high elo Korean Nidalee players have been taking Conqueror on Nidalee more than Electrocute or Dark Harvest. There are several reasons, one being that Conqueror better late game in teamfights when you can stack it up extremely fast in cougar form, or if needed auto attacking or using Javelin Toss / Takedown in human form, two Electrocute and Dark Harvest both have cool downs, whereas conqueror is always active. Conqueror also gives you a significant amount of AP into the late game.

Triumph is great for Nidalee because she doesn't have mana issues when jungling. When ganking or in teamfights, the extra HP after you kill a champion is very useful.

Legend: Tenacity is very good because Nidalee main weakness is CC, like you need to be able to engage on the enemy champions, and CC stops you from doing that making your only damage spears, which are skill shots.

Coup de Grace should be taken in almost every game. It is good when dueling and in teamfights, Cut Down and Last Stand are alternative option. Person I almost never use Last Stand, but Cut Down is great going against tanky teams.

Taking Attack Speed is helpful for clearing. Taking Adaptive Force is great for the extra AP, which is helpful in general. Taking Shield gives you a slightly healthier clear.

Secondary Rune The CDR that this rune gives you is immense, plus the fact that basically resets your abilities on a kill makes this rune ideal for Nidalee. Secondary Rune Very important rune, it gives you extra movement speed and AP which is helpful when ganking, skirmishing, and getting objectives in the river. These are the other runes that most pro players are taking in solo queue right now. The burst damage that Electrocute gives you is very strong early which helps Nidalee snowball when she is strongest. These runes were take more in Season 10, but can still be effective against an all squishy team. I wouldn't recommend taking this into a tanky team given that it needs to stack up and scale, which will be harder against a team that isn't all squishy champions. - Table Of Contents - DOMINATION Dark Harvest is a great rune for Midalee because she will stack it easily going against squishy champions in the mid lane, or when roaming and attacking a low health champion another lane, or when helping the jungler in a skirmish. It doesn't work as well on non squishy comps, which is when you would use Electrocute. With Dark Harvest you can easily become dominant in the game by solely landing spears, and then ofc it helps when you dive into execute them with your cougar Q. Nidalee needs to take Sudden Impact to deal more damage when in cougar form and engaging with pounce. The extra penetration is very helpful in early fights when trying to get first blood. Ghost Poro and Zombie Ward are good runes if you want vision in the jungle. They tend to be taken on champions like Nidalee if taken at all in higher elo play. Eyeball Collection is a much more straight forward rune that is applicable in any game because it just gives you extra AP. This rune is better than Relentless Hunter because you gain omnivamp which works with AP, and AD and Nidalee is AP, it can be the difference of whether you win or lose a fight, which can be the difference whether you win or lose the game. Taking two Adaptive Force is good for extra AP damage, empowering all of your abilities and Tenacity and Slow Resist is good for magic resist against mages. Secondary Rune Kind of a must have given that Midalee is reliant on mana, and the precision tree is better for her then the sorcery tree (otherwise you would take Manaflow Band. Secondary Rune Extremely good rune with Dark Harvest because the two work off of each other. It helps you one shot people late game as your stacks increase. The second option for Midalee. This is against teams that you think burst would be better over scaling Dark Harvest Most of the time, you will want to take Dark Harvest because of how easy it is to stack the rune. - Table Of Contents - PRECISION Press the Attack is the most viable option for On-Hit Nidalee Top. Lethal Tempo isn't necessary since you build your core items, you have enough attack speed to melt the enemy team, plus Press the Attack works with Kraken Slayer. Conqueror is the only rune that I would take situationally. It is more to cheese the opponent early game, like once you have Nashor's Tooth and Berserker's Greaves. Presence of Mind is very important because Nidalee in lane is very mana hungry, meaning she uses a lot of it up with nothing in return. This rune gives you a slightly higher mana regen, and restores 15% on a takedown. Legend: Alacrity is the best rune out of these three runes because it scales your Attack Speed which is what you rely on mid to late game to hyper carry. Legend: Tenacity and Legend: Bloodline are both good and all, but they aren't as much of a use in the jungle. Cut Down is the best rune when building the On-Hit build, you want to be a tank shredder, which in this build you don't really build extra health, so naturally the other top laner is going to get bigger than you. This is why this rune is so strong. [/table] The Attack Speed is necessary when building On-Hit crit because 10% attack speed makes a HUGE difference, and the fact that you can get it for free is GREAT. The Adaptive Force and Shield are standard. Secondary Rune This is just a good rune on Nidalee which in this case can be used with in your cougar combo to finish a champion off, even though the human auto attack is what the build is based around. Secondary Rune Gives you omnivamp which is very strong when you hit the late game and you heal off of all the damage output with your On-Hit Crit build. Back to Season 10 we go lmao. Tank Nidalee Top was basically relying on stacking Grasp of the Undying with your ranged auto attacks. You would gain max health with Overgrowth and win lane with Demolish and stay in lane for extended periods of time with Second Wind. This is more of a bruiser build, which works in more situations than the On-Hit build would. - Table Of Contents - Play Video If you can memorize the following information and use it effectively every game you jungle, you will have an easy time climbing to D4 at least and higher if you are able to adapt to changing your playstyle as you climb elo's. Always prioritize scuttle ; They spawn at 3:20 the 1st time. Try to get double scuttle if your teams laners have prio and can rotate to you and help if you get in a skirmish with the other jungler. Bronze - Plat 2: Aim for 7 CS a minute. Neeko is reliant on items, meaning you should always be farming if there are camps available, and shouldn't be engaging in unnecessary fights. Hitting 7 CS a minute isn't hard if you path correctly, and counter-jungle when you are able to safely. Prioritize objectives, but only start them if you know where the other teams jungler is, if your laners have prio and are able to rotate to help you with the objective, and if you have vision around the objective you want to start. Grab Oracle Lens and Control Ward during your first back, and continue to grab Control Ward. One major difference between lower and higher elo's is amount of vision in the jungle. Vision in the jungle is key because having vision over the other teams red and blue buffs allow your team to rotate up to their jungler and get a free kill when they're trying to clear their buffs. Camps respawn at 3:45 - 4:30 the 1st time (depending on when each jungler clears them). Knowing this will help you invade the other junglers camps and help you alter your pathing for each game state. Learn how to count the other junglers CS, and use that information to predict the camps they've clear, what side of the map they're currently on, and if you can counter-jungle based on their location. This is a KEY-FUNDAMENTAL you will need to of mastered when jungling in D2+, but if you can learn how to do this before you are in D2, you will climb fast. - Table Of Contents - Nidalee's Mid game is still very strong. When saying Mid Game, think of it from 15 - 25 minutes. Nidalee is very hard to play from behind, so the strength of her Mid Game is dependent on how you played the early game. If you played the early game correctly, this is when you want to begin to counterjungle to deny gold and XP from the other jungler. You want to make sure that you continue to clear your camps as well, plus prioritize objectives. Nidalee has great mobility as she is able to hop over thin walls with her Bushwhack / Pounce. However, you need to learn how to ward correctly in their jungle (Figure Shown Below). This allows you to counterjungle most effectively to stay ahead. The following below are things you need to know when playing Nidalee's Mid Game. Make sure you have an Oracle Lens, this is because you will be invading their jungle frequently during this period of the game. This will also mean buying Control Ward every back so you continue to keep vision in your side of the jungle or at objectives such as baron nashor. Don't gank lanes unless you know that you can secure a kill with your teamate(s). This is because a wasted gank is time that you could of been farming and having control over the jungle. If you have pressure over the enemy jungler, they have to REACT to everything YOU do whereas if they have control over the jungle, YOU have to REACT to the decisions they make. This is what makes low elo and high jungling different. Pathing is key as in you need to time your ganks and when you recall when there aren't camps that you could clear in MOST cases. Obviously there will be cases when you need to recall during the game because of a skirmish or a teamfight. Make sure your CS is around 7/min. This should be easy to do if you time your ganks correctly. Something to notice is that the laning phase is over around mid game, which makes it more of a challenge to make the decision of when to fight, farm, and set up for a fight at an objective. By doing this you should have control over the jungle making it easier to keep the lead you go from the Early Game, and set yourself up if you end up having to go into the Late Game. - Table Of Contents - Nidalee's Late Game isn't the strongest. You can can somewhat solve this issue by taking Dark Harvest to one shot people late game, but in general other jungler's scale significantly more than Nidalee late game. Focus on these things if your game lasts from 30+ minutes. Focus on bursting the enemy's ADC and squishy champions to get them out of the fight. If you bring Conqueror on Nidalee you can fight the tanks and bruisers more effectively, but still prioritize the enemy's squishy's. Make SURE you get baron nashor and elder dragon as this will make a massive difference in whether your team wins or loses. If this game goes this late, your CS might fall lower than 7/min, given all of the fights that will be happening, but you should try to keep over 6/min. Take advantage of Nidalee damage to turrets when she has most of her items. Like your human auto attacks and you Javelin Toss / Takedown do massive damage to turrets. When you have Baron focus on destroying turrets. Don't make the mistake of always buying Elixir of Sorcery always, while it is good Elixir of Iron is better in most cases if their team as forms off CC, because when everyone is scaled up, if you try to dive someone you will die. Keeping these tips in mind will help you win games that go later than ideal. Most of the time games in D2+ won't go this long as players don't throw, but remember these just in case and for every player in low elo. Thanks For Reading My Guide :) If you have an comments, questions or concerns feel free to comment in the comments section and I will respond when possible. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel for more Nidalee and other League of Legends content.