If any of you still care, there are a couple things worth addressing if any of you still play this like I do.

Ruleset 1 becomes very boring very fast. It's so easy to have so many wards even at lvl 1 that you feel helpless without all your abilities since the response time of the enemy team is so quick.

Sightstone is really strong, 100% necessary on 2 people minimum.

I don't feel the need to update masteries or runes, that's obviously personal choice.

I haven't logged on in a while, and have some other Just For Fun guides lying dormant in my personal guides. Since you guys liked this, I might update this. Thanks for the 12k or so views.

Defense of the Jungle Buffs!

DOTJB (an acronym that doesn't lend itself to easy pronunciation) is a 3v3 custom game ruleset on summoner's rift. The first team to 3-5 points (you decide) wins the game. You acquire a point by taking the enemy jungle buff. You lose a point by doing a few things:

1. Running through mid lane to escape death. If you have not yet been hit, you have not "technically" escaped death by running through mid.
2. Getting aced. Rare occurrence.
3. Cheating, which means it technically IS allowed, in a weird sense.

But Why?

Because it's fun, of course! Because you only have three champs, that makes everything you do extremely risky and there is no "safe" way to play the game. Here are some strategy tips (assuming you are using the first ruleset (see below))!

Backing is allowed, but if more than one person leaves, it can be quite risky. I suggest either always having two Champs defending, or use have a champ like Teemo who can defend both buffs alone. Having a defensive playstyle is what I have the most success with. Trying to bait out an opponent, picking him off, and then having two champs try to take a buff before he spawns. If you want to be aggressive, have a champion like Heimerdinger or Teemo stay behind and defend both buffs. Then you can have two aggressive champs go to steal. Also, if you're very sure of yourself, try to bait their whole team to defend one buff and steal the other. But if they're smart, this doesn't often work as well as it sounds. I really suggest having a support that takes clairvoyance on your team. Janna's Tailwind is amazing, but doesn't Lulu's Help, Pix! provides great support utility that Janna can't offer in this gamemode. Cheating! God how I love cheating, and if you've ever played the card game Munchkin you'll understand. Because the penalty for cheating is only minus 1 point, this means that, if you feel it is worth the penalty, cheating is an option! Here is a list to clear up any ambiguities, but it's really up to your group to decide.

1. Each time you use an ability you are not allowed, it's minus one point.
2. Each minute you are in top or bot lane, it's minus one point. Passing through mid between your jungles while not being chased is ok. Simply entering the lanes is minus a point.
3. Each time you take baron, it's minus 1 point.
4. Taking your own buff is minus 1 point.
5. TAKING SMITE IS IMMEDIATE DEFEAT, AND (if using ruleset 1) TAKING AN UNAVAILABLE CHAMP IS ALSO IMMEDIATE DEFEAT. Smite is too hard to monitor usage by other members to properly penalize.

There are two rulesets for two game variations. The only difference is the champions that are available, just to make it a little more fun. Ruleset 1 is my favorite.

Ruleset 1: Champs with Pets/Traps Only. An unnecessary quirk that makes the game more fun!

1. 3v3 only, but on summoner's rift.
2. Only champions that have either a trap or a pet may be used. There are 13. Each team bans 1.
3. The champs may only use and rank the skill that is connected to the pet/trap. For malzahar, this means he chooses 1 spell. For Yorick, he chooses one ghost.
4. If the trap/pet is an ultimate (annie, fizz), the champ can choose ONE other spell to rank (except Teemo).
5. All summoners are ok EXCEPT SMITE.
6. All items are ok, wards are ok.
7. Jungle farming is ok.
8. You may never leave the jungle, and can only cross mid lane, but doing so has a penalty explained later.
9. Don't take own jungle buffs.
10. No baron, but dragon ok.

Ruleset 2: All Champs

1. 3v3 only, but on summoner's rift.
2. All summoners are ok EXCEPT SMITE.
3. All items are ok, wards are ok.
4. Jungle farming is ok.
5. You may never leave the jungle, and can only cross mid lane, but doing so has a penalty explained later.
6. Don't take own jungle buffs.
7. No baron, but dragon ok.

This only applies to Ruleset 1

Here is the list of champs available. I don't have Mordekaiser, I don't think he counts.

Caitlyn: Her only ability is the Yordle Snap Trap. This makes her a great defender, utilizing her great range and traps to keep most enemies away. Because she doesn't rely on her abilities too much, she is a great pick. Annie: Only uses Summon: Tibbers, as well as one other spell. Incinerate is the best choice to help conserve mana. She's got decent burst damage, but doesn't offer much. Fizz: Uses Chum the Waters and one other spell. Any of his abilities are decent choices, but I use Playful/Trickster to avoid traps and escape bad situations. Janna: Her pet ability is Zephyr, which also gives her passive movespeed. I suggest grabby boots of mobility and constantly applying pressure on buffs with Clairvoyance for protection. A fantastic pick. Heimerdinger: Only uses his H-28G Evolution Turret, which can help defend or attack buffs from across the map. Pretty much a perma-ban because of amazing map control. Malzahar: Can choose one spell to activate his Voidling. Any are good options, but Malzahar himself isn't a particularly good one. If you do choose him, build AD items for your Voidling. Lulu: Her pet ability is Help, Pix!, which provides a lot of utility while both assaulting and defending. A solid pick in most situations. Teemo: Is mostly useless until he gets Noxious Trap, but afterwards provides pretty nice map control and great buff protection. His passive is very nice for camping buffs and is generally a great defender. Yorick: All of his ghosts are useful, but Omen of Famine is the best for taking buffs. Omen of Pestilence is also alright. Omen of War provides nice damage, but I find to be the least useful. Yorick is a decent pick and good at taking the buffs. Fiddlesicks: Generally a bad pick. If you can't drain, you do nothing. Shaco: Camping bushes and buffs with Jack In The Box is good for defense and keeping enemies away while stealing buffs. I suggest going ability power because you get kited easily without Decieve. Maokai: Sapling Toss provides nice map control and saves money on wards. Pretty solid pick with nice sustain in the jungle. Swain: I won't pretend I know anything about Swain, but it seems with only Decrepify, he doesn't offer much to the team and won't survive the jungle very well. Though I don't know much about the champ, he seems like a bad pick. Nidalee: In here because she has a trap. Kinda pointless.

Optional/Questionable Champs

Nunu: May only use Consume because that's the move that Nunu uses his pet, Willump. Grab some speed items and take advantage of any time the team is out of position. Sejuani: May only use Arctic Assault, because it's the only ability that utilizes the boar. Her slows make her a decent defender, but she needs all of her abilities to really be of use. Not a great choice.

Because I've played it so little, this is 80% theory. DO NOT TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY YET

Tier 1: Teemo, Hiemerdinger, Lulu, Nunu & Willump, Janna,
Tier 2: Shaco, Fizz, Annie, Caitlyn, Yorick, Maokai
Tier 3: Malzahar, Fiddlesticks, Nidalee, Swain, Sejuani

Jun18,2012: Published
Jun19,2012: Added Swain, Shaco, and Maokai (thanks Anastasios), as well as many details in the "Goal" section.
Dec7,2012: Season 3 changes.


Whoever liked this guide on facebook is a champ. Wasn't me :P