Not enough on Voli...

Volibear has been one of my favorite champs since he came out. He has sadly been nerfed one too many times and finds himself in need of a serious buff (despite what some might say) With that said he finds he only has one location left to play, and thats the jungle...

What can my guide add?

I've used this build a lot, it works. This is a build i have yet to see in any of the jungle guides for Volibear... Which means as soon as this guide gets posted other more popular builds will be "updated" with my build included...

Disclaimer

Are my masteries and runes right for everyone? Is this a fool proof build? No... But what i can promise you is that the build works and is viable... If you want to improve and change and adapt as you see fit, great! This is a great starting point from which you can then jungle with Volibear as you like. This guide provides a build that fits Volibear jungle into the team as a tank/dps/cc/killer.

Note: Someone asked me if I solo'd top with same build... The simple answer is yes, and so I've added a second build in which i've laid out how I have gone about doing just that. You will find however that sadly because of Volibears nerfs that he isn't the greatest solo top, being weaker in hp/def related issues which does make him an easy target for champs like Garen who can Ignite and ult around when you passive is kicking in...

Pros:
[*] His Sky Splitter followed by Thundering Smash with a Frenzy bite to finish makes him a heavy gank threat BY HIMSELF at lv 3
[*] Is one of the few off tanks that is actually a kill threat as well as just a meat shield.
[*] Sky Splitter works wonders in the jungle causing mass fear to all neutral monsters. This means Voli takes less damage in the jungle
[*] Volibear has very dangerous ganking power, with the ability to kill even without the aid of the people actually in lane.
[*] Can tank end game while still being able to deal damage. This means the other team can not just ignore you in a team fight as with other tanking champs.

Cons:
[*] With the nerf to Voli's health you will actually find he is lacking in the hp department until you can get him Warmog's Armor
[*] Very weak to slows, prisons, or any other form of cc that keeps his Thundering Smash from connecting
[*] Relies too much (with new kit nerf's) on his passive to be effective, and his passive has major weaknesses- one being Ignite which will half the healing effects of it.

For Jungle Voli

Max out in offense:
Brute Force
Alacrity
Weapon Expertise
Butcher 1 point

Max out in defense:
Summoner's Resolve
Resistance
Hardiness
Tough Skin
Bladed Armor
Durability
Veteran's Scars
Indomitable
Honor Guard
Juggernaut

9 points in offense and 21 points in defense

Note: Voli is weak in the hp department as well as defense vs other similar junglers/tanks so you really need the extra kick from the masteries to help beef him up.

Solo Top Voli:

Max out in offense:
Summoner's Wrath
Brute Force
Alacrity
Weapon Expertise

Max out in defense:
Resistance
Hardiness
Durability
Veteran's Scars
Indomitable
Evasion
Honor Guard
Juggernaut

9 points in offense and 21 points in defense

Note: Voli is weak in the hp department as well as defense vs other similar solo top's so you really need the extra kick from the masteries to help beef him up.

Voli CDR:

9- Greater Seal of Armor
9- Greater Glyph of Scaling Mana Regeneration
9- Greater Mark of Attack Speed
3- Greater Quintessence of Attack Speed

Note: This is a great set of runes for anyone trying jungle... Provides the attack speed for killing neutral monsters (as you dont wait to last hit like with laning), CDR stacking with levels, and flat defense runes so you take less damage at lv 1 in the jungle,... Use 9- Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist if you find that CDR isnt your thing. I find the CDR helpful on Voli in the jungle since there isn't much CDR in the build itself...


Voli Stacking Magic Resist/Armor:

9- Greater Seal of Defense
9- Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist
9- Greater Mark of Attack Speed
3- Greater Quintessence of Attack Speed

Note: This is a great set of runes for anyone trying Solo top... Provides the attack speed for murdering enemy champs in lane, with magic resists and armor stacking with levels to help keep you up in lane.

Smite is obviously a must if you are going to be jungle, it give you the extra 10 gold every use, might not seem like a lot but using it just 10 times gives you an extra sight ward, well worth it. Not to mention the much needed extra damage early game to neutral monsters as well as late game finishing touches on dragons and baraon...

Heal is a solid second choice, and here are my "noob" reasons.
1. Voli is squishy early game
2. CC kills Voli, heal allows for extra precious time to use abilities and escape as Voli lacks a solid method of closing gaps fast, and Flash has such a long CD.
3. Support, you would be amazed at the effect a small heal spell can have end game team fights.
4. Perfect for baiting into a tower trap or into a fight they think they can win.
5. Gives you passive enough time to do its magic. Heal+passive means Voli goes from almost no health to an impressive amount of health very fast.

Exhaust is for the gank kill. Sky Splitter followed by Thundering Smash with a Frenzy bite to finish, and an Exhaust for good measure means secured kill. Also a must if you are solo top, allowing the jungler time to come in and help you finish off kills.

Ignite if you are finding you are having trouble finishing them off, you can try Ignite. Havent had much need or use for it using Voli Jungle though, much more useful solo top...

Ghost seemed to work better than Flash for those new to Voli and find they cant excape, or need to run someone down. Also was more effective in ganks than Flash as you could dive using Ghost, get the kill and then Thundering Smash to safety with no issues from minions with added speed, vs the one time extra movement burst... Your call!

Flash works well to close gap fast or as a good escape tool. Has the long CD which makes it not as effective on Voli as on other champions in my opinion and experience.

Items to Start: Cloth Armor, 5 Health Potion

Early Jungle and Skills:
Start by taking a point in Sky Splitter, and take on the wolves as soon as they spawn. Getting a leash isn't needed, but help taking them down would be nice (they can even kill the weaker pups with no real ill effect, just not the main wolf). Getting a leash is a mistake on wolves as they will run very far away very fast (they have extreme speed). Next kill blue buff, using Smite when applicable. Remember to use Sky Splitter whenever possible as it is going to keep you safe. When you level from killing blue take a point in Frenzy as this will help you with speed of attacks as well as a good finishing blow on the bigger neutral monsters. Next kill the wraiths, attacking main wraith and as soon as he is about to land his first attack use Sky Splitter. When his hp is low enough finish with Frenzy for fast clearance. Next take on red, using same strategy. Remember to be using your Health Potions when you need them. Smite should be ready for use to finish off mr red. On level take a point in Thundering Smash. This is when your ganking threat becomes an issue so take a gank now if something is available. Don't start with Thundering Smash, insted get beside them and try to get a few attack in while using Sky Splitter, trying to force them to use their Flash or other excape tools, while at the same time building up your Frenzy . When they use their Flash use your Thundering Smash immediately, IF this is timed right you will pull them right from their Flash and toss them behind you, if not you will most likely still be able to catch up and toss them. Once tossed and they look low on health use Frenzy to finish them off.

Skill Sequence
Start by maxing out your Frenzy and then your Thundering Smash. I finish up with maxing out Sky Splitter, taking my points in his ult Stormbringer at 6, 11, and 16.

Note: Against the popular opinion I have often maxed out Thundering Smash first. Below i have gone through and done a comparison of what you gain and lose at that stage in the game (lv's 1-10) and I will let you decide for yourself. Very smary, very wise, very intellegent individuals (who will someday be paying for someone elses medical bills because they ARE such...) will downvote based soley off of these facts, but I just dont care. So HERE IT IS, the break down/comparision! If you actually can read English AND the WHOLE guide (not just the build/runes/masteries) AND have a brain- THEN this will actually make sense...

Thundering Smash

Cooldown: 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 seconds
Bonus Physical Damage: 30 / 60 / 90 / 120 / 150

Frenzy

Cooldown: 18
Passive Attack Speed: 8 / 11 / 14 / 17 / 20 % per stack
Base Physical Damage: 80 / 125 / 170 / 215 / 260 (+15% of bonus health)+1% for each 1% missing of enemy

Bonus Hp is all that effects Frenzy not total, so assuming you have at BEST a Giant's Belt by this stage in the game, that puts a bonus cap of around 100 on your Frenzy . This makes a maxed out Frenzy then being 360 without any extra major boosts to hp (which would most likely come from lv's 10-16, not from 1-10) And the added 1% of damage per 1% missing means that even if the champ is down to 30% health you will do 612 damage (and thats 30%...). Now at lv 1 of Frenzy you do 80 damage vs 260 base (the CDR doesnt change, as well as the added 15% from health and 1% for each 1% missing...) which puts damage output at 180 with added hp bonus and 306 if the enemy champ is 30% or less again... So by leveling up Frenzy first you gain an extra one time hit of 306 damage (Note that this gap between lv 1 Frenzy and 5 will always remain 306 damage because no matter how much more hp you get, the attack damage will increase the same for both lv's, making you only ever gain 306 more damage output on leveling your Frenzy vs leaving it lv 1...)

Now lets talk about Thundering Smash...Lets assume Voli has a base attack of 100 at lv 10, giving him the Madred's Razors and nothing more... A maxed out Thundering Smash can be used 2.25 times for every one time use of a maxed Frenzy (CDR Does not decrease with level on Frenzy ) and 2.25x(150+100)=562.5 And we have already said that we gain 306 damage leveling Frenzy up vs leaving it lv 1. So how much damage do we gain from maxing Thundering Smash? Thundering Smash lv 1 has cd of 12 and extra dam of 30... Lets keep it the same and say you can do Thundering Smash 1.5 times for every Frenzy , that puts total damage output at 195 damage for using Thundering Smash lv 1 vs the 562.5 damage of a maxed out Thundering Smash over Frenzy cooldown. This means you gain 367.5 damage output across Frenzy s CD on a leveled Thundering Smash vs a lv 1 Thundering Smash


So to compair thus far...If you maxed out you would gain:

Frenzy
So by leveling up Frenzy first you gain an extra one time hit of 306 damage (if the person is 30% health or less) and no extra CDR...
Thundering Smash
This means you gain 367.5 damage output across Frenzy s CD on a leveled Thundering Smash vs a lv 1 Thundering Smash


So I'm sure by now you are screaming- "BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE EXTRA ATTACK SPEED FROM Frenzy , YOU DIDNT ADD THAT INTO DAMAGE ADDED WITH Stormbringer!"

Level 1 Frenzy has at maxed stacks an increase to attack speed of 24% and maxed 60%. For a difference at max stacks of an extra 36% attack speed. So how many EXTRA attacks will 36% extra attack speed yield on a GANK taking into account that THAT number is MAXED stacks, not including the 3 attacks it took to generate the max stacks... Voli's base attack speed at level 10 puts him at .80 attacks per second, with the runes and masteries it puts it at 1.0 so lets use that and add in the extra 36% attack speed you will have when you max out stacks...1.36! Now lets use the same time frame used before of Frenzy cooldown which is 18 seconds and see how many EXTRA attacks you can get in 18 seconds at maxed stacks (if the enemy was just standing there letting you hit him of course since that happens all the time right?) So you gain .36 of an attack every second and you have 18 seconds that means .36x18= you gain 6.5 EXTRA ATTACKS every 18 seconds! Sounds awesome right? Yeah, if you EVER GOT 18 SECONDS ON A GANK TO JUST ATTACK, and those 18 seconds came AFTER your first 3 attacks to stack! Not going to happen... But to be fair lets go with 8 seconds because we are comparing it and say that you gain 2.88 attacks every 8 seconds. (Assuming you got the first 3 attacks to max out your stacks for free...)

Thundering Smash is easier with this since all i need to say to compair is that you gain one more use of the skill in that time frame... That means one time use to increase your speed by 45% chasing down an enemy or 15% speed running away... It means you have one more time you can pull someone back, toss them behind you, and then hit them a few more extra times that you wouldnt have gotten had you not been able to use the skill...


So to add it together and compair AGAIN... A maxed out will give you...

Frenzy
[*] So by leveling up Frenzy first you gain an extra one time hit of 306 damage (if the person is 30% health or less) and no extra CDR...
[*] But to be fair lets go with 8 seconds because we are comparing it and say that you gain 2.88 attacks every 8 seconds. (Assuming you got the first 3 attacks to max out your stacks for free AND you can keep him there for ANOTHER 8 seconds)
[*] Now if you kicked in your Stormbringer (if it wasn't on CD) at just the right time and managed to get every single one of those 2.88 EXTRA attacks in, AFTER the 3 free stacks attacks AND after your normal attacks that you would have gotten anyways, you gain 216 bonus damage/per person as Stormbringer would only be lv 1 ... Yikes! That's a lot of if/and's (and it's your BEST CASE SCENARIO) so much for "TOTALLLLY INCREASING YOUR DAMAGE OUTPUT"!...

Thundering Smash

[*] This means you gain 367.5 damage output across Frenzy s CD on a leveled Thundering Smash vs a lv 1 Thundering Smash
[*] You can use the skill one whole more time vs the added 2.88 extra attacks would be getting on target OVER 8 seconds (vs a one time burst) had you leveled Frenzy first. That means one time use to increase your speed by 45% chasing down an enemy or 15% speed running away... It means you have one more time you can pull someone back, toss them behind you, and then hit them a few more extra times that you wouldnt have gotten had you not been able to use the skill... Also worthy to note that Thundering Smash also hits towers while his others skills can't...

Hopefully this break down of the two skills EARLY GAME (levels 1-10) will help you better choose between which two skills to take at WHICH stage in the game...

Note: Voli's Frenzy been nerfed overtime from 20% to 15% bonus damage from you bonus HP.

Note: This was a comparision of the two skills levels 1-10 (start-mid) and does not include lvs 10-18 (mid-end). So taking that into account and knowing that you will not have a second lv in your Stormbringer by this point (which having more and more attack speed and the more Stormbringer gets upgraded, the more damage output...)

Note: Even if you managed to get a Warmog's Armor by this stage in the game, how much more damage will you honestly do at this point than if you didnt max it out?
(80+150)= 230
(260+150)= 410
A difference of just 180? But what if they were at 30% health!
230x 1.7= 391
410x 1.7= 697
A difference of 306 damage... Hmmmm?
BUT WHAT IF YOU HAD SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GET Warmog's Armor AND Frozen Mallet AT LV 10!?! HUH!?!
(80+300)x 1.7= 646
(260+300)x 1.7= 952
But thats only a difference of... 306? IT DOESNT CHANGE THE MORE HP YOU GET BECAUSE THE % STAYS THE SAME!

Note: You will notice I do not mention anymore potions, wards, Oracles, or elixars in the items... Does this mean dont buy them? No... Get wards, potions, and such when you feel you need them and can afford them. Putting them in the build as if you buy them at the same time every game would be outright stupid and ignorant on my part. (Unless they happen to be STARTING items...) If you want detailed explanations on how to and where to place wards, there are amazing guides right here at MOBAfire that specifically go over just that. I will say this though, if you watch the pro's play, and I mean pro's, not just "ranked matches", you will notice that EVERYONE WARDS, not "just support"...

To say that support wards everything is outright... silly... To expect someone from bot to go all the way to top to ward baron for you? GG, that's all forks you've already lost... Now you have a totally worthless support who has spent most of his money on wards, and has fallen behind on lv's because he is wandering the map aimlessly placing wards. Because of all that they can no longer really help in team fights at ALL, (and go 0-8 and rage) and all you have gained from it is possibly a few extra items for your carries who are picked apart easily and early in teamfights because support can't keep them alive... No, everyone wards... That includes the jungle...

Jungle's most common ward placements include Baron, Dragon, and Blue/Red buffs (for both your buff and the enemies buffs), support wards bot, solo top wards his river bush, and mid wards his area as he desires. If you honestly don't know where those locations are and need a picture... Ummm... There, a picture... That's where jungle should be warding with Baron and Dragon being the two most important...

First recall: Get your Madred's Razors and Boots
Next Major Buy: Rush your Warmog's Armor next
Next Major Buy: Build your Mercury's Treads
Next Major Buy: Build your Atma's Impaler
Next Major Buy: Build your Madred's Bloodrazor starting with the Recurve Bow
Note: If the team you are playing against has no hp (weaker hp champs/build) and your team doesnt seem to have any issues dealing damage, then don't build Madred's Bloodrazor, insted go with a Wriggle's Lantern. By the time you build your Atma's Impaler you should know how they are building overall and if Madred's Bloodrazor should be your next call... Wriggle's Lantern is cheaper and will allow you to build the rest of items faster. If you find the game isnt over by the time you finish your last two items you can always sell your Wriggle's Lantern for a better item then...


These items should basically take you to the end of the game... once again with the understanding that most games don't actually get into the "end game" as people wish to surrender, the game is actually over, etc etc... If the game isn't over this is what I would recommend building next when and why...

If you find things are going well, meaning:

1. Your ad/ap carries are dealing damage like they are supposed to
2. The enemies are not targeting you and/or killing you very easily

Then build:

Next Major Buy: Build your Force of Nature starting with the Negatron Cloak
Last Major Buy: Build your Frozen Mallet starting with the Giant's Belt

This will round out your def build, allowing you to still tank well but still keep enemies in place and finish them off as needed...

I would go with this option if these two things where happening.

[*] Their AD carry was fed, was causing issues, and/or is targeting you in fights...
[*] Your AD carry and/or AP carry are dealing massive damage and doing their job well and you don't need more damage output...

Then you build...

Next Major Buy: Heart of Gold
Next Major Buy: Frozen Heart
Last Major buy: Randuin's Omen

This will give you the defense you need to keep on tanking while still providing the damage your team needs in the team fights... If their AD carry is totally out of control, Thornmail is always a cheap quasi fix that can worked into the build at anytime.

I would go with this option if these two things where happening.

[*] Their AP was fed, was causing issues, and/or is targeting you in fights...
[*] Your AD carry and/or AP carry are dealing massive damage and doing their job well and you don't need more damage output...

Then you build...

Next Major Buy: Force of Nature
Last Major Buy: Guardian Angel

This will allow you to hold your own agaisnt the burst AP that is causing you issues, allowing you to still provide the CC your team needs and the second chance of Guardian Angel

I would go with this option if these two things where happening.

[*] Their AP/AD carries are not targeting you, you are frequently the last person left alive, they are having a hard time bringing you down as it is...
[*] Your team needs a little more damage output as your AD/AP carries are not finishing people off fast enough

Then Build:

Next Major Buy: Avarice Blade
Next Major Buy: Wit's End or Ionic Spark starting with Recurve Bow
Last Major Buy: Youmuu's Ghostblade

This will give you that extra kick Voli needs to really start taking people down. You will not be able to tank as much damage but your damage output will see a nice increase and the enemies will not be able to ignore you any longer...

[*] Spirit Visage- Cheap... It provides cooldown reduction and added healing on your Heal spell and passive... It is built off the Kindlegem which makes it an easy add in if you feel like you need it... Loses late game appeal in my book as Voli's Passive and your heal are not enough to make it really viable.
[*] Banshee's Veil- Hp, mana, magic resist all good... Most important would be your blocked spell... Very useful tool like Thornmail is for AD carries, Banshee's Veil is for CC champs...
[*] Quicksilver Sash same reasons as Banshee's Veil
[*] Sunfire Aegis- It will help with jungling and give you more hp. Loses late game appeal as you will deal more magic dam/ second with Wit's End and other items like the Frozen Mallet add more hp and adds slow...
[*] Shurelya's Battlesong Has great utility and helps with sustain. Better in my opinion for lane use not for bursting/ganking. I find Youmuu's Ghostblade to be a better fit for Voli...
[*] Ionic Spark is an item you will see used on Voli a lot, works well with his thunder paws and is a good way to increase damage output versus minions. Dont find it as useful for taking down enemy champs as an item like Wit's End but worth a shot if you really are having trouble with you cs count.