Hey Everyone this is just a personal build that will keep on changing as I play more games. i am new too this game and very unskilled, but I am getting the hang of it. I have loved Nidalee ever since I bought her, and I strongly encourage any of you who haven't bought her to go do so right now. She is, in my opinion, one of the most fun champions in the entire game. Her versatility and mobility give you so many options, and you can play her however you want to, at any time. I hope you all enjoy reading my guide to Nidalee, have fun taking down your opponents.

Pros/Cons

AP Nidalee Pros:
-Amazing Poke
-Great at Finishing Enemies Off
-She can Turn into a Cougar
-Good Map Awareness with Bushwhack
-Can Thrive in Any and Every Lane
-Tons of Mobility with Prowl and Pounce
-Good Escapes
-Can Pull Off Some Really Nice Plays

Cons:
-Squishy
-Has no Innate Crowd Control
-Mana Hungry if You Aren't Careful
-Enemy Crowd Control is a Huge Problem for her
-Very Hard to Master

Abilities

Prowl: A fantastic away to escape and chase enemies. It's useful for ganking other lanes, chasing through the jungle, etc... When you see a bush as Nidalee it's usually a good thing to pass through it on your way to your destination. Caution though, don't facecheck bushes like this if there is an enemy Teemo on the enemy side, you might get hit by one of his Noxious Traps that he loves to hide in bushes so much. Use common sense, if you aren't sure about a bush, Bushwhack it (see what Riot did there? Whack-a-bush? Bushwhack? Lol~)

Javelin Toss: The reason why I like to refer to Nidalee as the poking queen. If you are poking, and not going in for the kill, make sure that the Javelin Toss exceeds your basic attack range in distance to deal maximum damage. Late game, you'll be hiting squishies for around 1,200-1,600 damage per spear. It's honestly hilarious. On a perfect day, things go like this:
-A late game teamfight breaks out.
-You are sitting away from your team, spear ready.
-You throw Javelin Toss.
-It hits their AD carry (or AP carry, whichever is pretty good).
-The carry is instantly killed, or is left with less then optimal health (if you're fed, maybe 1/8 or 1/6 of their health is left.
-The enemy team is already initiated, but has no carry damage.
-Your team wins the fight (hopefully; you do have a major advantage).

Takedown: A great finisher move, and the only one of Nidalee's skills to scale with attack damage, making it very unique. Always use it after all your other moves for maximum damage output. Don't forget that Takedown resets your attack counter, meaning you should almost always use it right after an auto attack, for maximum damage output.

Bushwhack: Your bushchecking, armor/magic resist reducting, damage (while minor) inflicting sidekick. Bushwhack will reveal small areas around them when they are placed down, so you never have to fear bushes again. Make sure to place them around side entry points to the lane that you are in, so that you can detect the enemy jungler if they are coming in for a gank. With good coordination with your jungler, you could turn a prospective kill for the enemy into a double kill for your team. Lastly, the armor and magic resistance reduction for eight whole seconds is really nice. Try to harass your enemy if they step on one.

Pounce: Your all in one everything utility skill. Use it to run away, to chase, to deal damage, to farm minion waves, to get back to your lane faster, jump over (certain) walls.

Primal Surge: Healing and attack speed? What more could your team want? (Yes, I realize that a spamable Karthus ultimate would be a nice replacement for Primal Surge, but who are you kidding, that's never going to happen *ahem* Riot *ahem*). Use this on yourself when taking turrets, in lane to sustain yourself or your lane partner, and in teamfights on your ad carry. This is a huge mana drain though, so use is wisely. Try not to use this if you are Ignited, since the heal is halved, but if it might save you, go for it. Remember, pressing ALT + E (generally. It depends on your hotkeys) will instantly target yourself.

Swipe: Amazing for extra damage and clearing minion waves. It scales with ability power, remember that. Not to much to say for this skill, except that you should generally use it in your combo right after Pounce.

Aspect of the Cougar: Nidalee's rare gimmick ability (similar to Elise and Jayce). Because you have so many more skills than other champions, you will have to learn to combo better, and how to position yourself for both ranged and melee abilities/attacks. This is why Nidalee's skill cap is so high. All I can say is that you have to practice. A lot. It really helps, trust me. Another reminder, this does have a cooldown (albeit a short one), so be careful. Don't change forms to often, you might need the other side of Nidalee at a moments notice and not be able to change.