Really, nice detailed guide, and definately a different nidalee gameplay style.

Pointers:
- You should expand maybe on Athen's and Tear being optional depending on enemy mid laner? as in additional MR or perhaps if jungler needs blue also? or even if the shield from seraths embrace, will be useful?
- I rekon, your getting seraths embrace a bit late, maybe consider getting it before zhonya? you should be aiming to upgrade tear, as soon as you reach sufficient stacks.
- Your style it seems is a really safe nidalee style, playing from the back a lot, perhaps your defensive masteries aren't needed, and go for utility masteries? mana regen would be good, and "runic affinity" should solve a lot of your mana problems.
- I think you should just get Morellonomicon, depending on the ap mid lane opponent, which you mentioned, but maybe instead of core, make it situational? when agsinst spell vamp ap mids?

But overall, really nice details and good info on matchups. (y) BTW, i didn't have time to read everything super details, so if i said stuff, that you wrote down, my bad, ignore it.

Clarity only does one thing, and that's restore mana. You can address your mana problems with literally your first two items, if that. It has less effect in a fight than, say, Barrier or even Ignite/ Exhaust.

Learn to manage your mana and you won't ever need Clarity. But there's no replacement for having Barrier or Ignite.

Side note: Riot has officially said that Clarity is a summoner spell intended for pre-level 30s who don't have access to all the mastery points or runes or the in-game know-how to help them manage mana.

Sorry, but Clarity is a downvote for me too.

I appreciate your description of my reasoning as faulty, and I would be even happier if you expanded on why it is so.

As for your reasoning on why Clarity should not be used, simply calling it as 'trash whatever way you look at it' is both insufficient and inconsiderate.

I don't use Barrier because my game play doesn't generally allow the enemy players to get near me, therefore I would not be using Barrier as often as I would use Clarity.

Again, I've explained why I do not choose Athene's Unholy Grail but rather Morellonomicon. I won't go into that again.

Furthermore, I do actually agree with your opinion that starting out with Stealth Ward can has its benefits, as explained in both my Spells section and my Items section. I even added it to my Example Build no. 2.

Lastly, I'll just stress that this guide suits my game play, which isn't necessarily the same as everyone else. One may argue that, since I'm only in the Gold Tier, this method would not work against experienced opponents, or what so ever. Be that as it may, this method is what's working for me, which is why I made a guide for it.

I read your reasoning but its faulty: Clarity is trash whatever way you look at it. Faulty reasonings won't make a wrong right. Fix any mana problems you might have with the Athene's Unholy Grail and grab a blue buff occasionally, and save up that slot for a much more useful summoner in fights: Barrier

Also, Scrying Orb isn't flat out terrible but you really want to start with Stealth Ward for early game safety from ganks.

I have already mentioned Athene's Unholy Grail in the items list. I find the 1'000 mana from Seraph's Embrace more useful than Athene's Unholy Grail, and Morellonomicon, although generates less mana for me, is sufficient, especially since I have clarity.

I've had so many people flaming me for choosing clarity over other spells. I explained my reasons and, if you have actually read them, you'd understand my thinking.

As for Bushwhack traps for vision on enemy jungler counter jungling... that event generally happens in laning phase, in which you should stay focus in your lane and farm, rather than to walk around to blue or red buff in order to trap the bushes and in the mean time lose exp, farm and allowing the enemy midlaner to both push and roam. When you reach level 6 and roaming, I have already suggested that you should place traps around bushes to help other lanes or in the ally jungle. Plus, in the map I've shown on the trap positioning, I've suggested to place a trap on all entrances of the jungle, although this should primarily happen after level 6 and the majority of laning phase.

Clarity...? There are so many people on this site that would flame you just for that.

As for the build itself, Athene's Unholy Grail should be the core item, and Seraph's Embrace should be the situational. Why? It provides mana regen, AP, and MR to counter the enemy APC. In lane, Chalice of Harmony provides some much needed survivability against poke and all-in trades.

For traps, you might want to make a point of placing Bushwhack in the bushes around your jungler's camps. This will alert you to any counter jungling, since your own team can't trigger them.