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Lulu Build Guide by Lulu Mushroom Teas

Jungle Lulu JG - "The (Now Not So) Versatile Hybrid Mixer"

Jungle Lulu JG - "The (Now Not So) Versatile Hybrid Mixer"

Updated on December 13, 2023
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Lulu Mushroom Teas Build Guide By Lulu Mushroom Teas 29 12 71,574 Views 19 Comments
29 12 71,574 Views 19 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Lulu Mushroom Teas Lulu Build Guide By Lulu Mushroom Teas Updated on December 13, 2023
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Choose Champion Build:

  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🔮 Presentation [ 1 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🔓 Basics [ 2 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    📩 Import Generic Item Set [ Build Index = 3 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📉 PTA-Oriented [ 4 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📉 DPS-Oriented [ 5 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📉 Tactic-Oriented [ 6 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📉 Plays-Oriented [ 7 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🔋📈 Witch-Oriented [ 8 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📉 Proc-Oriented [ 9 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🔋📈 Aery-Oriented [ 10 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🔋📈 Fay-Oriented [ 11 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📈 Tanky-Oriented [ 12 ]
  • LoL Champion: Lulu
    🪫📈 Magician-Oriented [ 13 ]

Recommended Items

Guardian's Hammer

Items

🌑 My Last Update (Part 1)
Guardian's Hammer
🌑 My Last Update (Part 2)
Guardian's Hammer
🦋 About
Guardian's Orb
📆 Status
Guardian's Horn
📚 Builds
Obsidian Edge
⚗️ Experimental
Minion Dematerializer
CounterStats LogoOpen In New Window

Lulu counters well

Swain
3.8 CR
Xerath
4 CR
Shaco
4 CR

Lulu gets countered

Taric
5.8 CR
Fiddlesticks
5.6 CR
Braum
5.4 CR
More Lulu Counters

Champion Build Guide

Lulu JG - "The (Now Not So) Versatile Hybrid Mixer"

By Lulu Mushroom Teas
📫 UPDATES

📬LATEST UPDATE


⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜

📦Patch 13.17


⤴️My Update: 2023-Aug-31
In each of the 📚Builds' Items section, added ✔️certification information for ranking of the 1º Item Choices Categories. It is an extra way for my slow analysis process to cope with LoL's updating dynamics.
Now, on every 📔Build, whenenever an Item appears ② doubled, that mean it is one of the last things I've reviewed there (✔️certified). Also, I've added there Poro-Snax with Notes, to ensure we'll get the correct idea.

⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜

📭PAST UPDATES


Spoiler: Click to view
📩 IMPORTING ITEM SETS
⤴️2023/Aug/22

You can actually 📩import my Item Sets to your LoL Client using this site: 🔗Binary Alien buildcopier tool. Just make sure, in the site, to set the correct number (Build Index) corresponding to the desired Build tab. For example, if you want to 📩import the "Aery-Oriented [ 10 ]" Item Set, then 10 would be its Build Index.

Although possible, I do not recommend 📩importing directly from the "🔓 Basics [ 2 ]" tab, since the content there is mainly organized for better presentation in MOBAFire, in detriment of gameplay. This is why I've made a simplified alternative: the "📩 Import Generic Item Set [ Build Index = 3 ]". This because, having theoretical understanding of which 1º Item Choices are usually better and worse, indifferently of Rune Page, contributes a lot to Lulu JG's potential.

Beware: currently, on Windows OS, the 😸emojis I use everywhere seem to be correctly 📩imported within the Item Sets to LoL Client; but I had an issue several months ago on Linux OS, where the 😸emojis turned into strange characters once in LoL Client —had to fix manually by renaming the titles on the Item Sets. Maybe the Client just got upgraded over time and it wasn't a Linux OS related issue?
🗓️ META CONSIDERATIONS
⤴️31/Aug/2023

🏖️Season 12 Split 2
Spoiler: Click to view
🀄 ALL RUNES [⚠️WIP]
⤴️30/Aug/2023

SHARDS


Currently, on most 📚Builds, my tendency is to follow this same pattern:

10% Attack Speed
9 Adaptive (5.4 AD Or 9 AP)
6 Armor / 8 Magic Resist

Spoiler: Click to view


RUNE PATHS


Primary Path, Secondary Path

Precision Path
Domination Path
Sorcery Path
Resolve Path
Inspiration Path

KEYSTONES


Press the Attack
Lethal Tempo
Fleet Footwork
Conqueror

Electrocute
Predator
Dark Harvest
Hail of Blades

Summon Aery
Arcane Comet
Phase Rush

Grasp of the Undying
Aftershock
Guardian

Glacial Augment
Unsealed Spellbook
First Strike

LESSER RUNES


Overheal
Triumph
Presence of Mind
Legend: Alacrity
Legend: Tenacity
Legend: Bloodline
Coup de Grace
Cut Down
Last Stand

Cheap Shot
Taste of Blood
Sudden Impact
Zombie Ward
Ghost Poro
Eyeball Collection
Treasure Hunter
Ingenious Hunter
Relentless Hunter
Ultimate Hunter

Nullifying Orb
Manaflow Band
Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence
Celerity
Absolute Focus
Scorch
Waterwalking
Gathering Storm

Demolish
Font of Life
Shield Bash
Conditioning
Second Wind
Bone Plating
Overgrowth
Revitalize
Unflinching

Hextech Flashtraption
Magical Footwear
Perfect Timing
Future's Market
Minion Dematerializer
Biscuit Delivery
Cosmic Insight
Approach Velocity
Time Warp Tonic
🍄 LULU JG — ¿FEASIBILITY?
[ Patch 12.22 — Preseason 2023 ]

That's the reason I love LoL: ¡There's a Lulu JG, and she is totally crushing the game!

Said suddenly one friendly allied Support player.

¿But, does it work? It depends. Lulu is that kind of Champion that can magically turn things around. And that tasted Purple. If we play on Team Compositions in which most Champions Synergize with Lulu, I can already tell we'd be structurally paving our way to pretty souding Victories. Still, we probably need to be able to cope with several frustrations and adversities, some of them deeply affecting Early Game, such as:
  • Being relatively dependent on our teammeates, in order to be able to score a Kill, having to avoid most Duels in the Jungle;
  • Being often lower on Farm and/or Kills/Assists than the enemy Jungler;
  • Having tactical difficulty at securing the River on our own for Neutral Objectives;
  • Having currently about 5 Match Ups which are really frustrating in my opinion and we can only Ban one of them.
Then, we should be able to play Lulu Jungler, have tons of fun with this Pick, eventually Wining mutliple games, and even, consistently, if we start to understand the amazing Versatility of this Champion, especially when put in the Role of the Jungler —which is considered to be a quite complex Role.

I'd say, Adaptivenss and Versatility, are what Lulu Jungle is really about. At least, from my perspective on this Guide, and I'll do my best in sharing these notions with you.
⚖️ LULU JG — PROS & CONS
[ Patch 12.23 — Preseason 2023 ]

🔼💟 Lulu Jungler may often excel in the following situations:


  • The allied Composition possesses multiple Hard Engage and/or Deep Dive tools. In principle, this tends to highly compensate for what I believe is the biggest Lulu's Kit limitation as a Jungler; besides, Lulu has great synergy on following up those tactis.
  • The allied Composition is a Counter-Engage one, and it is often more beneficial to play defensively. This tends to be really good, not only because it synergizes well with Lulu's Kit, but also because it should provide the Early Game stability which Lulu Jungler requires to better adapt to any particular game towards Mid Game, and possibly Late Game as well. Usually, this kind of Composition is very capabale of creating good tactical conditions in order to help securing Neutral Objectives on Early Game.
  • The allied Composition has at least one highly Damage dealing allied Champion (ideally with Burst and CC) which is often able to participate in Lulu Jungler's very dangerous Pick Offs.
  • The allied Composition has at least one champion which benefits the most from Lulu's Kit. To put it simple: Champions' Synergy. Commonly, most hypercarry Marksmen and Skirmishers work very well with Lulu and this remains entirely true for Lulu Jungler; aditionally, Divers (often) and Juggernaut (on occasions) may largely benefit from Lulu's Kit as well. Certain Catchers make great Pick Off pairs with Lulu Jungler, creating very nighmarish conditions for the opponent Team, while certain Enchanters are able to work very effectively side-by-side with Lulu Jungler; Slayers, both Assassins and Skirmishers can easily become overpowerful very soon if they receive proper attention from Lulu Jungler; several Mages especially of the Burst and the Battlemage types, may find great opportunities playing along a Lulu Jungler; finally, certain Specialists are particularly noteworthy and can wreak havoc games along with Lulu Jungler, but I'll only name two of them here: Zilean and, especially, Singed —even though I guess few people really know of this peculiar synergy.

🔽🆘 Lulu Jungler is usually not any good in situations such as:


  • The allied Composition doesn't have a good Damage potential on their Champions; and this can be for multiple reasons, for example: maybe there are too many Tanks but not a single hipercarry Marskman nor Fighter.
  • The entire allied Composition (or mostly so) is made out of very Late Game Champions, but then 2 to 3 of our Lanes are completely obliterated on Early Game already, and is probably unable to contest any Neutral Objectives anyways for a long time; mainly, due to this exaggeratedly Late Game Composition, but also by the fact Lulu Jungle is not Lee Sin. We are usually expected to take on some pressure on Early Game as Lulu Jungle, but this particular situation would be extremely dramatic. If we can resist on Mid Game, however, there are great chances things would naturally invert and we might end up Winning that game; but if the enemy Composition did adquire so much Map Control (especially regarding Baron and Ancient Dragon) and has plenty of Pick Off potential, no matter how powerful our Composition is on Late Game, it would be hardly feasible to regain all that lost territory, along with lost Neutral Objectives. So, it's usually great to have one or a couple of Late Game Picks when playing Lulu Jungle, but sound the alarm if this means every single Laner on our Team will be probably loosing —badly­— even if we'd be successful at Ganking one or a few times.
  • The allied Composition doesn't have good Hard Engage and/or Deep Dive tools, nor is great at Poke, at Medium to Long to 'Global' Range Zoning… while the enemy Composition has at least one of those features (maybe also Disengage tools included, or in exchange for Engage tools). This is probably the worst situation for Lulu Jungler on my opinion, as she can hardly compensate for this kind of strikingly severe Compositional unbalances; if at least the allied Composition is good at Counter-Engage, than at least this might not be all taht bad. But still, in principle, and to my experience, we should sound the alarm and avoid games in which we lack Poke, Longer Range tools or Hard Engage tools, on the allied Composition; as this tends to turn out extremely handicapping for Lulu Jungler.
  • The opponent Team was able to developed a very tanky and unstoppable Juggernaut , against which Lulu Jungler may have much difficulty to help against (usually due to lack of a stronger Burst Damage or the inability to be Sustainable enough for the duration of the Fight); very often, this happens because of an inadequate Build planning, that doesn't enhance Lulu Jungler's competences in dealing with this sort of Threat. Alternatively, but in the same idea, the enemy Composition may have multiple Tanks (Vanguards, Wardens), and Lulu Jungler on her own can't barely do anything because, again, lack of natural Damage —and improving Dmage would require very specialized Builds and/or to be on a more advanced state of Itemization; but this also needs to take in consideration the state of Itemization of the enemy target.
  • The enemy Composition disposes of multiple insane Pick Off tools, possibly creating all sorts of Zoning on the Map, disrupting Lulu Jungle abilities to be effective, while our Team doesn't actually have the tools —or just doesn't have in-game knowledge— to respond properly to this particular of Threat. In terms of Survivability, if properly played and Built adaptively, Lulu Jungle can often Survive ambushes or Encounters with one to even two enemy Champions simultaneously… but when this becomes mostly an entire Map Zoning, where the Jungler (no matter what Champion it is), becomes the main target of systematic Map Rotations for Pick Offs all the time, and there is little to be done about this for whatever reason, this whole kind of condition can sometimes easily be assessed already on the Chamption Selection screen. So, those usually are not very good games for Lulu Jungler; probably a Tanky-Oriented Build would be the best idea in frustrating such Pick Off Compositions —if we still decide we're gonna play such a game of course.
  • Enemy Compositon has got AP-based Assassin(s) and/or Skirmisher(s), especially bad if it's the case of particular, highly disadvantageous Match Ups in the Jungle. Because Lulu has natural weakness against AP Damage/Burst; her Base & Growth Stats relative to both Health and Magic Resistance aren't actually very helpful against AP Damage —although for Armor, the story is quite different— so Lulu Jungler tends to face graver challenges against most AP-based Assassins and Skirmishers especially as direct Match Ups. Although NOT ALL of them represent bigger Threats, it is still a fact that the worst Match Ups for Lulu Jungler that I've found to this day are AP-based coming from those 2 Champion Classes.
In conclusion, maybe it is not so difficult to design a favorable Composition for the Lulu Jungler Pick after all. Also, we should now be able to have a clearer vision of when it would be better to simply avoid this Pick, or, if we're gonna play Lulu Jungle anyways (like I do), then at least know in advance the degree of challenge or annoyance a game could represent —mainly by observing both Teams' Compositions.
🌷 LULU CHAMPION — OVERVIEW
[ Patch 12.23 — Preseason 2023 ]
  • Lulu, being an Enchanter Sub-Class from the Controller Class, I also understand her as a "Close-Range Controller" —can be very dangerous on short distances and on gap-closing events (which works two-ways).
  • Although many of Lulu's Base & Growth Stats (especially Attack Damage, Health, Health Regeneration and Magic Resistance), are awful to average if compared to other Champions, she has been regularly considered a "Power Pick". I guess, on one hand, because of her exceptional quality in making counter-plays, and, on another hand, because if combined with other peculiar Champions, (usually at least one hypercarry Marksman and/or Skirmisher), it tends to create a favorable, terrific Late Game.
  • Lulu's Kit is rich in both Buffing and Debuffing, Engage and perhaps even more Disengage, allowing for multiple options in micro-game which can often confuse the opponents, therefore easily ruining their Team Fights.
  • Lulu may also be considered a Hybrid Champion in the sense that her Passive, Pix, Faerie Companion, whenever on Lulu, grants Scalable AP, On-Attack Damage to her. This, on its own, is a factor which radically improves her Building potential, as well as makes her a bit more independent.
  • For many Seasons, Patches and Metas ago, Lulu used to be considered a Flex Pick. Besides, it is common knowledge that many players, not necessarily Main nor Mono Lulu, are familiar with certain Off-Meta Builds which may work regularly.
  • Overall, Lulu can be quite a Versatile Champion in LoL; if perhaps not so much nowadays in terms of Roles (?), then at least in terms of Builds or Itemizations. There are many Champions out there that aren't just quite effective if we try to Build on them widely different setups game after game; but, in the case of Lulu —and especially Lulu Jungler— more than not, it tends to compensate A LOT, making huge adaptations according to Compositions' analysis. Of course, this is my personal experiecence playing as a "Main Lulu Jungler", from Season after Season whenever possible.
🥇 1º ITEM CHOICE 'THEORY'
[ Patch 13.3 — Season 2023 ]

¿How can we know in advance a 1º Item would be good or bad on Lulu JG?

Well, there are actually many factors involved in this estimation. I'll try to list all of them that I know about.
  • 🪙 Price: Lulu JG's first Power Spike relative to the 1º Item can be extremely impactful, hence cheaper Items are often an attractive idea. If the 1º Item is too expensive, it usually signifies a drawback. Any Item costing 3,000 Gold or above usually requires a conscious justification, because, unfortunately, several of these expensive Items won't compensate as a 1º Item Choice.
  • ⭐ Mythic Item: Currently, all the Mythic Items in LoL are regularly beneficial 1º Items on Lulu JG; in the worst case scenario, they would stand as Mediocre 1º Item Choices, but the vast majority of the Mythic Items are actually good and pretty feasible on Lulu JG. So, this immediately leads to the following conclusion: Mythic Items, expensive or not, are usually a very positive indicator of a good 1º Item Choice.
  • 💠 Legendary Item: As the 1º Item Choice, Legendary Items are quite tricky to analyse. Many of the cheaper ones just aren't worth it, while several of the costlier ones grant impressive Power Spikes, sometimes even competing with Mythic Items. As expected, the biggest share of the Legendary Items falls into less interesting 1º Item Choices' Categories: 4️⃣ 🐿️🐿️🐿️ Circumstantial 1º Item Choices (19 Legendary Items), 5️⃣ 🍃🍃 Mediocre 1º Item Choices (18 Legendary Items), and the whole 🚫 Regularly Poor 1º Item Choices (22 Legendary Items; of course in this case there are redundant Items, since this is not a main Category). Therefore, as a 1º Item Choice, only a small amount of Legendary Items are actually decent or good on a regular basis, while some are just Circumstantially interesting although still Risky, and only a few exceptions are actually optimal.
  • Bonus Stats: This is really a tough question for me. Because I'm a Main Lulu Jungler and I deeply rely on an adaptation strategy, I cannot simply state that, as Lulu JG, if we just get AP+AH or AP+AH+Health+Mana.Reg Bonus Stats from the 1º Item Choice only, we'd be ok on every single game —this is simply not true. Nonetheless, such combination of Stats are definitively good on Lulu Champion because of her Kit as we know it; thus, they tend to positively affect Lulu JG as well. But, if you ask me, what I really want (even if I don't get it on every game) is more AS with a bunch of other Bonus Stats —please, refer to this Chapter: 🎨 UNDERSTANDING THE "MIXER LULU" ARCHETYPE.
  • 🔔 Actives & Passives: I believe these are as important as the Bonus Stats themselves regarding our 1º Item Choice. Actives & Passives are the 'real' game-changers and Lulu Jungler can get wondrous results thanks to a good 1º Item Choice regarding them. Since we cannot just 'purchase' the fancy Actives & Passives separetely from an Item, sometimes we need to 'endure' for a while whichever hindrances the complete purchase of the 1º Item contains (e.g., nonoptimal Bonus Stats, higher Price) regarding Lulu Jungler interest. Regularly to my experience, this 'enduring' episode pays off; this is how powerful properly Chosen Actives & Passives can be on this Off-Meta Pick.
  • Mythic Passives: On most cases, a Mythic Passive is more about Bonus Stats than concrete Passives I guess; moreoever, it should enter in a longer-term planning of Build calculation. Since it is not expected that Mythic Passives will directly affect Early Game anyways, we can choose to delay our Mythic Item as our 2º Item (Upgraded Boots do not count, but usually it's good to have them before the 2º Item), or even beyond more rarely. Delaying the Mythic Item can be odd, but still a valuable strategy if we know what we are doing; and in the case of Lulu JG, this can help in re-generating Build Versatility around Mid Game —concretely taking into account the Mythic Passive Stacking effect. ¿Can you now take a fresh look at my best 1º Item Choices' Categories propositions, with a lens on those Item's Actives & Passives aspect? Maybe you may realize there is one or more patterns emerging for Lulu Jungler.
  • [ WIP ]Team Compositions:
  • [ WIP ]Synergies & Threats:
  • [ WIP ]Match Ups:
  • [ WIP ]Strategy/Role as Lulu Jungler:
  • [ WIP ]🪕 Playstyle:
    Yes, all these "[ WIP ]" aspects in my opinion should also affect our 1º Item Choice decision-making. So, this decision-making is indeed a complex skill, but it's not really difficult to understand the basics —it's just a massive amount of information to absorb and take into account. At some point our analysis should become second nature, more intuitive; which doesn't mean we've stopped learning.
👿 THE WORST MATCH UPS — JUST A REMINDER
[ Patch 12.23 — Preseason 2023 ]

As Lulu Jungler, some particular Match Ups are so extremely frustrating, it is better to have at least one of these Champions Banned or, alternatively, Picked on our Team. Sometimes, we may have one or more friends that can, for example, make an extra Ban in our favor. We can always just DODGE a few games if we feel unconfortable for whatever reason, because LoL's logic is meant to be unbalanced in specific ways. All we want —or at least I do— is a challenging, yet realistically feasible game.

But, first, let me tell you often I'd prefer to Ban a KEYSTONE instead of a Champion: Dark Harvest. In the hands of certain specialized Jungler Champions, it is completely broken in my humble opinion, and I've been a witness it seems to have become EVEN WORSE now in the Preseason 2023. Dark Harvest tends to make certain highly Threatening Match Ups, which are already virtually impossible to win as Lulu Jungler, nearly senseless to be played. It is likely the power of that Keystone would be relative to the dynamics found on certain Elos; but the fact is that it can be very broken.

VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN (A REASON TO DODGE/BAN/PICK ON OUR TEAM):
Gragas Jungler

POSSIBLE TO WIN, BUT EXTREMELY COMPLICATED:
Ekko Jungler
Lillia Jungler

UNLIKELY TO WIN (AND PLAUSIBLE REASON TO DODGE):
Yuumi, usually as Support, if helping nearly any specialized enemy Jungler Champion that can benefit the most from the Magical Cat. We may conceive many nasty combinations, such as Yuumi with… Evelynn Jungler / Kayn Jungler / Shaco Jungler / Twitch Jungler… and let's not even mention the previous Match Ups, because those do not even require the help of Yuumi.

VERY CHALLENGING:
Twitch Jungler (if reaches Late Game)
Volibear Jungler (I'm not quite sure about the Victory Conditions)

EXTREMELY OVERWHELMING, BUT PRETTY FEASIBLE TO WIN:
Diana Jungler

OFTEN ANNOYING BUT PRETTY FEASIBLE TO WIN IF WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TEAM (WITH EXCEPTIONS):
Kayn; Dark Harvest doesn't necessarily make it more or less difficult to win, but it's a sounding alarm —I bet this has something to do about the Blue or Red Kayn transformation choice anyways. However, if there is a Yuumi supporting him, this is a reason to DODGE or QUIT, because then it becomes virtually impossible to win; if there is Yuumi AND Dark Harvest on Kayn Jungle, also DODGE or QUIT —and might as well report Riot.

USUALLY MORE ANNOYING THAN DIFFICULT
Shaco Jungler; Dark Harvest can make it quite complicated if reaches Late Game.

HISTORICALLY NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE (FROM SEASON 2022); NOT SURE NOWADAYS:
Taliyah Jungler

I'm probably forgetting some other quite tricky, complicated or even virtually impossible Match Ups here for Lulu Jungler —this Chapter will probably require some updates in the near future anyways. What I present here are, mostly, just the common choices to keep an eye onto.
⚔️ RUNE PAGE × MATCH UP [⚠️WIP]
[ Patch 12.23 — Preseason 2023 ]

Please, associate the Keystones I present here with the "Build" type on my Guide. So, for example, if I mention here Fleet Footwork against a certain Match Up, I'm actually refering to my Tactic-Oriented "Build", which is actually just a Rune Page, not a Build in the strict sense; a real Build, as I understand, is the combination of a Rune Page with an Itemization, allowing for slight variations; but the majority of of my Rune Pages (so called "Builds" on MOBAFire's interface) allow for tons of variations on Itemizations as you may be familiar with, so I guess they do not represent Builds in the strict sense —just strategic Rune Pages.

Although the choice of the Rune Page for me as Lulu Jungler has frequently a global strategy aspect, on many cases it is the direct Jungler Match Up that might command my decision; here are some positive results I may offer, taken empirically from my background:

ALL THE JUNGLER MATCH UPS:
Spoiler: Click to view


Oracle Lens RECOMMENDED WHENEVER AGAINST THESE CHAMPIONS (REGARDLESS OF ROLE):
Spoiler: Click to view


FOCUSING ON ENEMY CHAMPIONS FROM OTHER ROLES THAN THE JUNGLER'S:
Spoiler: Click to view
🐉 LULU ARCHETYPES
[ Patch 12.23 — Preseason 2023 ]

Lulu can do many things.
Pix can help her remembering the natural and magical Way of the Jungle.
…
¿Actually, did you know Lulu can have TWO Pets?


A FEW BASIC CONCEPTS USEFUL FOR THIS GUIDE


THE VERSATILE LULU JUNGLER: It's actually the 'blank page' which represents Lulu's inherent Versatility, which is especially rich in the case of Lulu Jungler from the Picks & Bans stage, but then it drops down a little because of the chosen Rune Page, even though it still remains relatively 'open' as the game develops usually between Early Game and Mid Game. Even for Teammates, when they do express some thought concerning my Build or Itemization as the game starts, it becomes clear they have difficulty assessing what I'm truly planning —and sometimes I just tell them: "I'm not sure yet… I'm still thinking." (which sometimes it's absolutely true). In order to play as Lulu Jungler according to the main theme of this Guide, we need to develop a keen sense of Composition × Composition, and what a Versatile Lulu can do in order to solve the whole, complex equation.

THE HYBRID LULU JUNGLER AND THE MIXER LULU JUNGLER: For me, the first archetype is just a Lulu which usually develops AP & AD (preferentially along with AS) to some measurable extend. Although not required, such pattern may be one involving additional On-Hit/On-Attack elements on the Build, which in this case could lead sometimes towards a Machine-Gun Lulu archetype. However, the Hybrid Lulu archetype pattern may be 'halted', in order improve other potentials on Lulu Jungler: and that would lead us to what I call the Mixer Lulu archetype. The goal in this strategy is the following: we develop the Hybrid Lulu archetype just to become DPS-dangerous enough, so that we are 'freer' to Itemize other useful Items for different purposes according to circumstances. The term 'hybrid' may be confusing here of course; this is why I'm sustaining the traditional notion of "Hybrid Build" (AP+AD) as a separate concept than the notion of "Mixed Build". The Mixed Builds, in my personal understanding, are what make the ideal solutions for Lulu Jungler in the majority of games; and this is nothing more, nothing less, than the Mixer Lulu archetype. We can try to mix up features from the list that grows below… and this often WORKS on Lulu Jungler if properly done; especially, when we nurture (even if just a bit of) the original Hybrid Lulu archetype —with some dedication to AS, even if slightly. This is one main reason why most of my Rune Pages insist on Legend: Alacrity and some other AS or AA features by the way.

THE MACHINE-GUN LULU JUNGLER: The demonic DPS Lulu carry archetype; yet another funny glass cannon to play with, but with crazy CC powers. I'm not such a good player on this particular approach, but occasionally I do Build that way and I know it is feasible as Lulu Jungler as well. I just don't think this is very often the best approach, because there are just too many drawbacks on the Role of the Jungler in the case of Lulu; thus, for the real Machine-Gun Lulu, I see it as a more circumstantial approach.

THE MAGE LULU JUNGLER: WIP

THE TANK LULU JUNGLER: WIP

THE ENCHANTER LULU JUNGLER: WIP

THE BRUISER LULU JUNGLER: WIP

THE LETHALITY LULU JUNGLER: WIP

THE ENGAGE LULU JUNGLER: WIP
🎨 UNDERSTANDING THE "MIXER LULU" ARCHETYPE [⚠️WIP]
WIP:

INSIDE THE JUNGLE WITH HYBRID LULU: SOMETHING BETWEEN A CARRY AND A SUPPORT


In the current LoL phase, I think I've discovered some interesting ways to build effectively for Lulu JG. It all starts with the proposed Rune Pages, as they favor offensive/defensive Lulu tactics ( Fleet Footwork; Last Stand, Ghost Poro, Magic Resist, Armor), Vision control ( Ghost Poro/ Zombie Ward, Ingenious Hunter), Utility ( Presence of Mind, Ghost Poro/ Zombie Ward, Ingenious Hunter) and ASPD ( Legend: Alacrity, 10% Attack Speed). Tactical mobility and improved Vision are both crucial elements for playing a squishy and nearly immobile champion as Lulu in the jungle; I just can't see any other better way around it on the current state of the game. So, essentially, I'm exchanging optimized DPS and a bit better jungle clearing for revamped survivability (which is a key factor to a good Lulu JG player especially from early to mid game), as well as a more strategic, supportive and utility-oriented approach, yet still counting on the possibility of developing a relatively good DPS if required (usually it is an adequate thing for most Jungler champions), which usually can relate to the Hybrid Lulu concept.


THE HYBRID LULU: FAY MAGIC IS MORE VERSATILELY DANGEROUS THAN WE THINK


I believe Lulu's versatility is a bit more trickier, as there exist certain builds which can make her something like a jack of all trades. In builds like that, Lulu not only has good stats affecting all of her supportive Abilities, but also becomes particularly menacing because of a higher DPS with hybrid damage (with decent focus on AA and on-hit effects) as well as some sort of resilience to be taken down easily due to off-tank and/or utility itemizations; sometimes, all of this can be produced with an pretty nice MS as well. So, basically, in order to reach this condition of a Hybrid Lulu, we would need to gather an average value on certain stats (or get certain features), as indicated below:
  • AP (roughly, between 100 and 300+);
  • AD (roughly, between 100 and 200+);
  • ASPD (not completely sure yet; but, roughly, between 1.20 and 1.50+; with the 2 APSD runes on my Rune Page, usually by having just 2 [TWO] synergetic ASPD items for Lulu JG would be good enough (e.g., Nashor's Tooth, Wit's End or Guinsoo's Rageblade);
  • MS (still on investigation);
  • extra Health (probably, from 300 to 600+);
  • extra resistances (depends on the game context; but usually it's quite relevant to have from 1 to 3 defensive item; defensive Boots may or may not be included in this count;
  • Mana & Mana Regeneration (since we're playing as Lulu JG and usually taking Presence of Mind rune, in many games these stats might not require any further investment from itemization... ¡which is a fantasy thing for a Lulu player!);
  • Sheen itemization (it is not an essential thing; however, in my experience, this synergizes extremely well with Lulu champion, including DPS Lulu, being an invaluable source of burst damage against all sorts of things; it's a shame not being able to have it on a Lulu JG's build;
  • Other stats, such as % Magic/Physical Penetrations, plain Magic Penetration and Lethality, Universal Vampirism, Life Stealing, Critical Strike, etc., as well as other items' special effects, can be circumstancial additions, as the main "focus" or priority is usually building a Hybrid Lulu.
🌰 JUNGLE-CLEAR
[Patch 12.22 — Preseason 2023]

Although Lulu Jungler certainly doesn't possess an ideal Kit as the conventional Junglers do, differently from most Enchanters on the Jungler Role, she has a fairly and remarkable easy time at Jungle-Clearing, both in terms of timing and Health Sustain; of course this isn't enough to match the Jungle-Clear of specialized Power Farming Junglers, but against many of these Champions, Lulu Jungler can often compensate a Farm gap with her natural quality of being highly effective even being lower on resources, which is typical to most Champions (re-)designed to play on the Support Role.
🔮 SCOUTING
[Patch 12.22 — Preseason 2023]

Lulu Jungler has relatively safe and reliable scouting mechanisms in the Jungle, in spite of the fact she doesn't get any natural Dash, Invisibility or Camouflage, nor any Longer Range Ability (well, maybe occasionally, with Help, Pix! and Glitterlance combo). If we play smart enough and are aware of our Role as Lulu Jungler, I find it is actually very difficult to die on Early Game by attempts of Pick Off, Invasion or Encounter with the enemy Jungler. As I matured my mindset and playstyle, most of my Deads on Early Game towards Mid Game are usually caused by a suffered Counter-Gank, and very often Skirmishes or Team Fights involving desperate control of Neutral Objectives that I probably wasn't making good planning since the beginning. On Late Game, however, depending to some extend on our current Build and Itemization, Lulu Jungler's Scouting capabilities on her own might become quite limited. So, for Late Game, usually Builds which favor AP (especially because of Whimsy's AP Scaling for Auto-Buffing MS), MS, Tankiness, and/or that contain a multidirectional Mobility Active, whether a Dash ( Galeforce, Hextech Rocketbelt) or a MS Buff Shurelya's Battlesong, or a Mobility Passive such as a MS Buff which Procs with Ability Damage ( Night Harvester, Luden's Tempest), should be nice Scouting tricks especially relevant from Mid Game to Late Game, especially for complicated games —but can be taken as an advice for virtually any game. I almost forgot, but the Pet choice may also play an important role in this matter; I'm not sure, but perhaps Gustwalker Smite might have found a new niche role here: improving Mid Game and Late Game Scouting on Lulu Jungler, taking into account the Pick Off level of Threat of the enemy Composition.
🐏 HARD ENGAGE & DEEP DIVE
[Patch 12.22 — Preseason 2023]

Personally, this for me is the MOST FRUSTRATING limitation playing as Lulu Jungler. I understand Lulu is a Champion which synergizes EXTREMELY well with Divers for instance, but this doesn't mean Lulu can easily or effectively mimic their Deep Diving feature on her own and stay alive —she often requires some sort of gap-closing mechanic such as the famous Flash → Wild Growth (Knock Up) combo, but then, ¿how does she get out and Survive, if she is not a Tank nor a Fighter? There should be, of course, many interesting answers to that question; but, whatever it is, it would probably mean some sort of very specialized Build and/or Itemization, and/or some peculiar Compositional plays. Let's just remember some typical Jungler Champions in the Diver Sub-Class: Elise, Diana, Hecarim, Jarvan IV, Lee Sin, Vi, Volibear; ans some others in the Vanguard Sub-Class: Amumu, Malphite, Nunu & Willump, Rammus, Sejuani, Zac. It's usually must, more simple to make an effective play: many of these Champions have tons of Resistances, Sustain or Tankiness, their Ultimate are at the same time a combination of valuable Burst Damage and Hard CC, sometimes even including an automatic gap-closing. On her side, in order to try to mimic such Deep Diving qualities, Lulu ideally would have to develop, from Build/Itemization/Composition, up to 3 of the following domains: I) improved means of gap-closing or at least radical means of Charging, with MS Boost/Buff; II) improved means of Tankiness, III) improved means of Damage. Having all of those domains secured on Lulu Jungler would be a dream come true; but it's hardly feasible if not impossible. It doesn't mean I gave up though; after all, there is a reason in this Guide I keep this Plays-Oriented Build which has got Predator as the Keystone (although its main use is not on Deep Dive), but now I've been also thinking about Aftershock (for Deep Diving and Hard Engage), and on any case, Ultimate Hunter should come more in handy than I even considered on the past. Anyways, this is indeed a 'hard problem' of Lulu Jungler.
The real strategic problem is the following: on the Lane Phase usually, when willing to secure a Neutral Objective (an Epic Monster such as a Dragon or a Herald), we sometimes want to completely obliterate a Lane by Ganking it at all costs, so, like, making a decisive move to guaranty that Neutral Objective. Usually, specialized Jungler Champions such as Divers and Vanguards have in their Kit the potential to do those kind of forced, Hard Engage or Deep Diving no matter what; Lulu Jungle in principle has very difficult time doing the same, because of the 3 domains which I've mentioned before. In my opinion, this may cause our game to 'lag' and loose momentum, perhaps giving the enemy Team an opportunity to set back.
🦌 CHASING & DUELING
[Patch 12.22 — Preseason 2023]

Lulu is actually a pretty good Chaser if you ask me. If Built properly, Lulu Jungler can become a pretty diabolic Chaser on her own way —most notably against squishies —yes this often may include Skirmishers as well. Of course, Chasing and Dueling are quite different specializations when playing Lulu Jungle. I often like to refer to Lulu Jungler as a potential 'Pseudo-Duelist', as on most Encounters anywhere on the Map we make, seldom are we expected to go All-In on a Duel, unless we are certain of our advantage. Thus, with a proper Dueling Build on Lulu Jungle, there are advantageous situations in which we can easily Win specific 1×2 trades (seldom 1×3 trades), especially if we add a Surprise effect and the enemy Team doesn't really know what to expect: allowing Lulu Jungle to gap-close and All-In, distributing CC, Burst and AA, timing for the ideal targets, sometimes not allowing one to help each other in time. If that worked to some extend, the next time they'll probably behave EXTREMELY more cautious towards the Lulu Jungler —as we should be expecting anyways… so we better also try to adapt and start playing more mind games than actually repeating exactly the same thing at every single opportunity.
Plainly speaking, if compared to most specialized Junglers, Lulu Jungle can't really Duel on plenty of circumstances. On Early Game, it's funny, because she can proove sometimes highly handicapping or even deadly to most enemy Junglers, although often it's on the details. In principle, we should avoid overcompromising on random, useless Duels, since we might be way better off playing more defensively anyways and even on smaller resources —instead, let the enemy Jungler being the one to overcompromise if he/she dares to: baiting (especially for our allies), this is usually a good strategy in generating solid advantages on our side. Lulu Jungler can often specialize as a baiter —this is one of the main reasons I value a ton of Utility on the Builds from this Guide.
🐍 SOLO ASSASSINATION BURST & DEADLY PICK OFF
[Patch 12.22 — Preseason 2023]

My educated guess is that Lulu's Assassination Burst potential all by herself is extremely restricted. So we probably shouldn't be trying too hard on this domain. However, I know very well that Lulu's Solo Pick Off against many Champions used to be deadly, either on Builds for "Pseudo-Duelist" or "Machine-Gun Lulu". Please, check this link for a sample.

Though it still suggests a more progressive Burst than an instant, explosive Burst, I've learn from other Lulu Guides that Press the Attack is an incredible Burst Damaging source, although usually employed on AD and AS Builds on Lulu. After lots of iterations, my own experience suggests this Keystone can be turned quite effective on many more types of Builds (e.g., AP, Hybrid, Off-Tank) on Lulu Jungler. It may be a bit tricky to Proc it with good results, so that certain random Itemizations can ruin the experience very easily if we do not have a clear idea of what we are doing.

There would be, naturally, other Burst options for Lulu Jungler. For example, although I have already been occasionally successful at employing Dark Harvest on Lulu Jungle and even Electrocute (which I tend to find slightly less effective), I still could not find a proper niche for those Keystones. Still, I've heard about rumors of certain successful AP Builds on Lulu Mid Laner using Electrocute, so maybe there is something else I should be exploring here on the Bursting domain. I'm currently intrigued, for instance, on testing Electrocute with Prowler's Claw on Lulu Jungler
🍞 ENEMY JUNGLER IS FED ON EARLY GAME [⚠️WIP]
[Patch 12.23 — Preseason 2023]

Many of the conventional Junglers which are fierce combatants on Early Game already, but this may include the Tank ones as well, if they just get something like 2 Kills on Early Game, they can frequently reach a ridiculous Power a Spike; if, along with this kind of event, Lulu Jungle Died a couple of times without any advantages (lagging even more behind because of the loss of valuable time), the Power Spike gap between the Junglers tends to becomes overwhelming until something serious can be done about such disgrace —usually, this involves a very well-placed Lulu's Wild Growth during a crucial Fight. So, we should be patient and courageous, obtainining our fundamental Level 6, trying to complete at least our 1º Item and perhaps Upgraded Boots if possible, reaching one of our solid Power Spikes (provide we are Building correctly), hence waiting for the proper opportunity, in where the enemy Jungler might well be overcompromising —and this when Lulu can shine: on Counter-Engage; in the case of Lulu Jungle, this can also mean Counter-Gank.

On the matter of a Power Spiked enemy Jungler becoming sort of invincible by obtaining lots of advantages, usually the Tank (or Tankier) enemy Junglers are the ones which pose the largest Threat to Lulu Jungle especially on inept allied Compositions, because as Lulu Jungler it can be quite tricky to be able to inflict any serious Damage on Tankier Champions without seriously overcompromising.

Sure, another nearly nearly certain 'Way of Invincibility' is Yuumi on the enemy
Composition, Buffing the enemy Jungler for example. I love the Magical Cat and I'm even a Main Yuumi, but when playing as Lulu Jungler, I've just had enough samples of what should be happening next if I let this Pick go free: it's mostly unplayable. So, currently this is my Perma-Ban; unless a teammate wants to play it, I would take the risk.
⌛ TOO LONG WITHOUT ABILITY HASTE [⚠️WIP]
We should avoid Itemizations which delay too much our AH Stats, because Lulu JG without AH can be very ineffective especially around mid-game and beyond. This does not mean we should totally avoid 1st item choices which don't grant AH (but it is a good thing if it does), instead, it does mean that, in the case our 1st item doesn't grant AH, we should be careful that at least our 2nd item (or our upgraded Boots: Ionian Boots of Lucidity) would grant AH. Special careful planning regarding AH is required when we decide to itemize, for example, some On-Hit builds; a simple example would be a combination of Immortal Shieldbow with Blade of the Ruined King or Nashor's Tooth... we get no AH from these items only, plausibly compromising our Utitity by mid-game —especially on team fights in which Lulu should excel at.
⛔ UNWISE SACRIFICE [⚠️WIP]
Sacrificing everything to save a lost cause (even if it's just time spent crossing the Map). As a Main Support and especially as a Main Lulu, I understand that peculiar life-savior heartly intention when an allied Champion (or even more than one allied Champions) is about to die and we know, or at least feel like, our duty is to save him/her; it's so intuitive that we sometimes forget that, if we take the risk and Die (sometimes having to even waste Wild Growth and Flash), this could be disastrous especially because we are playing as the Jungler. Sometimes, just an evolving bad positioning in the Map, as our intention is to help, may be enough to to ruin an entire game.

So, if we Die in a failed attempt of directly helping Teammates, there can be terrible consequences on the following events, granting the opponnent Team even more advantage than it would be otherwise. Sometimes, this more mature approach means, unfortunately, just abandoning Dying allied Champions —but for a greater cause: we should remember that the Jungler is also a very busy role: there are other tasks we can try to accomplish instead; and our Teammates bad positioning in the Map is, in a great deal, their responsibility.

In conclusion, we should learn to make better calculations on when it is advantageous to risk sacrifice (or even our mostly certain death) for a good cause. We should do our best to anticipate tragedy; so, for example, instead of just waiting for a critical, suprising situation to happen and that we have to rush to a rather unwise decision, let's just try to foresee what might happen to our teammates and be working our way around allied champions (like, farming closer to the Lane they're at) if we want to increases the chances of being present and secure better, game-changer plays.
💤 BEING LOST IN THE JUNGLE [⚠️WIP]
As I learn different strategies as the Jungler, sometimes I can still find myself wandering anywhere in the Map not knowing what to do, because I probably suffered a strategic outplay in the jungle or am just unable to switch plans. If we realise we're in this kind of situation, let's immediatly adapt and change our behavior: let's go back to Base if we can itemize something new, let's rush for the nearest Camp available to Farm, let's just pick a Lane to get closer so that we might have a better chance of Ganking/Counter-Ganking, turning it perhaps in a favorable 2×1 or 3×2 in order to force a Lane push or secure its protection —provide we don't stay there forever, irritating our Teammates, mostly because we'd be sharing Experience but also because we could attract the enemy Jungler for an unfavorable 2×2 or 3x3 for example.
🌳 MAIN PART - ¿What to do in the jungle? [⚠️WIP]
In each of the following Chapters (except for the last one, an Ending Chapter), I summarize a different aspect of playing as Lulu JG. I hope, in that fashion, being able to provide organized, interesting and contextualized snapshots of content that should be relevant for anyone who plays or intends to play as Lulu JG.

Please, feel free to comment, criticize or suggest anything if you find that improvements can be made; I will be grateful to read anything that can ameliorate this Guide and, most of all, the Lulu JG playing experience.

It is a work-in-progress; so I'll probably be making new Chapters and editing as the time goes. Just remember to use the Chapters' navigator panel to the right side of the site. ¡Thank you, and Enjoy!
★ The Question of the 1st Item choice [⚠️WIP]
Lulu as a Jungler has specific requirements she might not usually have, especially in the early game, on other roles. I have extensively experimented with different choices of a 1st item for Lulu JG in order to know within certain degree of precision (despite of the limitations of my usual playing style, strategy and build approach), what can be considered good or bad, and why. So, the following list summarizes which are the either ***mulative or alternative features we should be looking for, when picking a 1st item for Lulu JG; we want from our 1st item something which...:


SCORING SYSTEM

From this point, I could make a mini arbitrary "scoring system", about those desirable features of a Lulu JG's 1st item. An item scores +1 point each time it appears on the list of a desirable feature; exceptionally, "Power Farming" feature makes an item scores twice; also, in case you're checking by yourself, just beware the last working feature (which is about "engage") is not currently showing, in its list, certain items who offer MS and/or tactical mobility, but I scored them there as +1 noneletheless. Indeed, the results are actually intriguing. I might start to guide my in-game 1st item choices by these results for a while, just to see if this has any positive impact on my Lulu JG games. Here we go:
Spoiler: Click to view


I hope this Chapter's theoretical investigation helps explaining to you (when observing the ITEMS section of this Guide) why I do propose such a diversity of 1st item choices for [Lulu] JG, and which features they may have in common with themselves. Maybe you can come up with new discoveries on the matter, or you do already have your own itemization/building schemes; in either case, I'd be glad to hear from you.
★ Lulu JG at Level 1 on this Build [⚠️WIP]
Just "don't mess with the Yordles". That's why I often start with Glitterlance. Lulu champion at Level 1 is just too powerful and oppressive to be confronted unreasonably; with Lulu's passive Pix, Faerie Companion, Fleet Footwork main rune and Glitterlance ability, we should be actually wishing for a fight: our kiting and chasing potentials are insane, and if the opponents disregard this, they might very well be taxed on their valuable mobility/defensive spells... or even lives. Thus, we usually are in a good position either to start an invasion or to defend against one. Naturally, we don't want to commit on any disadvantageous Level 1 fights; for instance, if we are locally outnumbered, or if the enemy team composition is overwhelmingly more dangerous than ours at Level 1, we should avoid conflict.

I usually don't call out invasions as Lulu JG myself; I expect my team to decide that if they feel confident. The reason for this is that early fights can be chaotic, thus likely to ruin my calculated jungle sustain as well as routes (even when our team scores invaluable starting advantages). Additionally, we should be somehow conservative about our Flash spell on the early game, as the lack of it can place us in a very disconfortable and vulnerable situation, with respect to plausible pick offs when we are doing our first to second jungle clear. We know we did a good team work when our team is the one that scores (more) advantages and there could have existed one moment we had the option to use or not to use our Flash, and even if we decided to preserve it, things would still be fine.

Lulu JG at Level 1, having learned Glitterlance or Help, Pix!, with Smite spell ready and at full Health and Mana, can fittinly solo a Red Brambleback and easily solo a Blue Sentinel. If possible, we should get leash, especially for Red Brambleback; it's still relatively ok if not. A pretty bad situation would be that we're relatively low on Heatlh (it could be anything below 75% or much worse: below 50%) and even Mana after an early team fight, we also won't receive any leash and, maybe, even Smite is on cooldown. In such not optimal or even desperate conditions, we might just delay the hardest camps (especially, we might have to avoid starting with soloing Red Branmbleback]]) and get our Level 2 on something easier (e.g., Murk Wolf camp, Raptor camp, Krug camp; Gromp is cool because it heals the champion after clearing it, but it's a bit tough if we are below half Health, especially without Smite ready; Blue Sentinel is also quite tough, although easier to kite: it's better to have Smite and enough Health at Level 1, about 60% maybe). But let's suppose we're weak we have to start with the easier camps: at some point we might be able to use Smite on its larger monster, so to recover a good amount of Health and accelerate our Level 2. We might still be low Health though, and the more this critical situation extends in the jungle, the more dangerous it tends to get; so, even when we could stay farming and rotating on relatively low Health a bit longer, if we have no proper Vision on the map, sometimes it is just safer or even optimal to just Recall for a full recovery.

¿Did I mention already how hard it can be at Level 1 for Lulu JG to farm a first camp with only Whimsy? Please, don't upgrade Lulu's W ability at Level 1 for no reason; it may rapidly derives into low Health, especially wihtout a proper leash.
★ The Jungle Domain: Rotations & Camps [⚠️WIP]
Actually, there is little I can teach in this Chapter, that isn't already mentioned on actualized guides (you can check on Youtube videos as well) presenting the best Pathings for Junglers in general.

So, this topic would be pointless repetition and I hope you understand. The good news is that I can confirm the common best Pathings for specialized Jungler champions tend to work naturally for Lulu JG as well.

In spite of all that. There are somethings that should be noted and which are peculiar to Lulu JG:

I) Although not often a good idea, it is perfectly true that a Lulu JG gank already at Level 2 (with E→Q combo) is often deadly, especially if we can find the enemy champion(s) a bit advanced, or we are able to come from behind the lane (Mid Lane, Top Red Side, Bot Blue Side); whether or not doing the longer detour —which is a bit risky and might not worth the time spent— Relentless Hunter is the best rune for early ganks. The Mid Lane is often the easiest lane to do a Level 2 gank, because we can immediately rotate in the process (whether the gank fails or succeeds), going to the other side of the jungle. Also, even if the enemy Mid Laner survives, by taking off a bunch of his/her resources (including a lot of Health) that early, might be a decisive Victory factor, because that champions early game might have been completely ruined. Lulu JG can do this pretty well. Of course, the gank at Level 3 is also very powerful, but might not be so unexpected.
★ Basic Jungle-Clearing TIPS [⚠️WIP]
¿Do you know some of the basic, yet a bit tricky, techniques to optimize farming the Neutral Monsters in their camps?

¡For a long time, I had no idea about such things! Once I've started to learn them, I started to generate way better results as Jungler player, especially on Lulu JG. Here, I'll just tell some of the basics, in case you are not aware of them:

Because of the jungle starting item passive, it applies On-Hit, ticking damaging effect on Neutral Monsters; therefore, we should try to cyclicly alternate our AAs on each Neutral Monster in a single camp if it is a composed camp; so that we may start burning (an re-burning) them as soon as possible.

Because of this ticking burning effect, we might often start to leave the camp before the Neutral Monster is dead and about to die; if we calculate well, we don't need to place a last-hit AA on it, because it should die off of burning anyways, and we gain time on our map rotation.

When fighting off Neutral Monsters, we should have them selected, so that their stats (numerical Health points) will show in a menu on the top-left corner of the interface; this will help our timing and calculation of our damage against them: Smite spell, remaining Health for our last attacks (if we have an idea of the damage of our abilities, AAs, etc.), burning ticking of the jungle item passive, etc.

It may be advantageous to try to make two camps at the same time (because if we damage Neutral Monsters from both camps, we already start to apply burning effects on everything). Even Lulu JG can do this, circumstancially. Maybe the most famous tactic involves the Blue Sentinel and Gromp camps. Because of jungle-clearing issues as Lulu JG (like Sustain, Health and Damage) it might be beneficial to reunite two camp Neutral Monsters when one of them is already getting low on Health. Because I don't buy starting potion(s) anymore (I usually buy 2 Control Wards instead), I might be sacrificing some jungle-clearing ability, especially regarding this particular technique which might benefit from extra Sustain... But for me, it feels like that, even with potion(s), it wouldn't compensate the damage I would take (maybe it's time for a revision).
★ Vision: Runes & Trinkets [⚠️WIP]
STEALTH WARD TRINKET, GHOST PORO AND INGENIOUS HUNTER RUNES
I usually find a bit difficult to incorporate those timings, but what we should know is that Totem Wards both duration (90-120s) and cooldown (240-120s) scale with teammates' Level average while its its cooldown is affected by Ingenious Hunter (which also scales), thus aquiring a better, new range of cooldown (200-80s), according to the Item Haste formula (which I guess is equivalent to Ability Haste formula). Ghost Poro is incredible, as it will provide expired wards up to an extra 90s Vision (could be said it can double the original duration; so it's like if an invisible ally has placed a second ward at the same spot when the first ward duration expired). This allows for an interesting conlusion: by the time our first Totem Ward expires as well as its Ghost Poro (if both were able to expire naturally), we would already be able to place a new Totem Ward, even if everyone on our team would still be at Level 1; and it only gets better with the scaling factors. In some game situations it means having constant Vision on relevant spots. We might be able to imagine very creative ways we can use this in our favor in order to track, especially, the enemy Jungler's rotations on the map. One big issue with this strategy is that, without the Oracle Lens trinket, lots of Control Wards and/or Umbral Glaive, we're most likely being seen in some of our own rotations on the map. Yes, we are able to secure a good Vision for our team; but the enemy team may also have good Vision on Lulu JG and we might not even know; so we should be also concerned about the way we're rotating the map.
★ Often check bushes with Q [⚠️WIP]
In theory, we should always cast a Q ( Glitterlance) on bushes from a larger distance distance (sometimes, at maximum distance), while still trying to Q-cover some or most of the bush area with the shot, or at least the closest portion of it. As a rule of thumb, we should never forget to do that, especially when we intend to place a Totem Ward (from the Sthealth Ward trinket) or a Control Ward in a bush; basically because Glitterlance's ranger is higher, and we should remember we're not playing as Lulu SUP, which should possess the Gold/Support warding item which increased range.

Although in practice we can't usually afford this extra waste of time and Mana for every single bush, we can certainly do it more often, especially when we're working our way on Vision or that we suspect there could be at least one enemy champion attempting an ambush on a peculiar bush. You'll be shocked to learn how many times we are be able to frustrate enemy plays by taking this more careful approach as Lulu JG. Technically, it can still be dangerous to check bushes on maximum (or so) Glitterlance range; but it's usually smarter than a direct face-check or even getting close in order to place a Totem Ward or Control Ward.

Good Jungler players usually need to develop patience; those few extra seconds of cooldown we might take to cast a Q on the next bush can save us from critical, unnecessary trouble. We should always take into account the enemy champions on a game: ¿which ones would be the best ambusher champions?, ¿what can they actually do with their kits?, ¿is one ore more enemy champions fed up, posing particular ambushing threat?, ¿are we properly built against it?, ¿can we even take the risk to bait the ambusher(s)?, ¿how many enemy champions might be there? and ¿is there any combination of ambushing enemy champions that would make such an ambush particularly deadly?. In certain circumstances, we might not even try to Q-check, just making a detour or totally avoiding the area might be wiser.
★ Starting Vision control [⚠️WIP]
Since we can ward twice (1 Totem Ward + 1 Control Ward), and that our Totem Wards benefits from the Ghost Poro rune, it is pretty safe if we want to protect our other side of the Jungle; it is usually my main strategy, because frequently enemy Junglers might try to make a pick off on our own Jungle especially when we first rotate, and if we didn't anticipate that with good Vision control, we might not be able to give our team a free kill when we summon our teammate(s) to immediately surround the spotted invader usually with our help. Instead, if we didn't anticipate and the enemy Jungler invaded that way, there are big risks we might be: losing at least one early camp, burning a Flash and/or even giving a kill (if we play really bad in relation the to enemy Jungler). This is why I must emphazise we should be EXTREMLY careful not to use/waste our Flash spell before our first rotation or even before our first recall.
★ Burning Flash at Starting/Early game [⚠️WIP]
If we use our Flash very early and the enemy team is aware of it, we should expect a good enemy Jungler to play aggressively on our own Jungle. He/she might intercept us on our next rotation for a pick off from a bush or wall, or just wait for the right moment near one of the camps we intend to farm. We are low Level still; so, if we don't have Flash, don't have good Vision control nor tracking of the enemy Jungler's position (sometimes other enemy champions besides the Jungler) and, even worse, we are low life (but low mana could also be pretty bad), it's a pretty alarming situation; depending on the champion the enemy Jungler is playing, even farming our own Murk Wolf camp pretty close to the Mid Lane could turn into a tragedy against a good Jungler player, especially if he/she knows or suspects of our current location. Therefore, we should know better when it is time to Recall, even if that means delaying our farm. We shouldn't trade our Flash unwisely at Starting nor at early game; if we do, though, we should be prepared to have at least one side of our team Jungle strongly zoned for a while; if not, we're just being lucky. There are many ways we could respond to that. One way is to constantly go to the opposite side where the enemy Jungler currently is; this sometimes even reveal opportunities to steal enemy camps. Another solution is to compensate by ganking or preparing a counter-gank; we should try to do this carefully, doing proper detours in order to avoid being seen, or even any nasty suprise. Also, we (or some teammate) could try to bait the enemy Jungler that think is owning the whole Jungle; as Lulu's kit is often very disruptive on skirmishes, we should often work close to at least one Lane or ally champion and know they are skilled with their champion and somehow aware of our plan. Finally, sometimes the best thing to do is just to delay stuff and 'being around'; with extra time, our Stealth Ward trinket's cooldown will eventually complete. We may Recall to restore Health/Mana or to buy some extra item, even if it's only 1 (or maybe 2) Control Ward. Also, the passage of time will tend to force the enemy Jungler to leave at some point, and maybe he/she just wasted time trying to find a pick off that never was, with not a single stolen camp even, while we were already preparing for something new. Additionally, if we think we can help one of our Lanes in some fashion by just being present or by lurking around and offering them safety just in case, this sometimes can be very valuable, even if we're not particularly planning a gank or counter-gank; we can also be there so that our teammate(s) may do a good Recall, while we protect the Turret in their place, gaining some Experience and Gold from occasional Lane farming. Not a very creative solution, but relay can be substiantially good for the whole team in many occasions and I guess this can be understood as a common Jungler's job.
★ Encounters with the enemy Jungler [⚠️WIP]
If we find the enemy Jungler alone with 50% or lower Health while we're good, we probably can score a Kill if he/she believes it is a good idea to take chances against a Lulu JG; a simple combo might be enough to make him/her flee, but then there are good chances it might be too late already for them. Otherwise: DON'T DUEL; only certain Jungler champions are worth the effort to trade against directly if we play as Lulu JG. Well, we shouldn't duel, unless we have a very good reason for that: maybe a bait for our team, or instead we're pretty sure we'll win the trade, due to a building/itemizing strategy or a planned combo (perhaps with Ultimate and Challenging Smite). Remember: it's not because we're often willing to avoid most duels with the enemy Jungler that we are lost in the jungle. On the contrary, there's a big, strategic and creative aspect of playing as the Jungler role which consists of finding the best next step. Sometimes we can't duel, but we can gank, counter-gank, work on Vision, farm our camps or steal enemy ones, prepare an ambush or bait, rotate to find better opportunities, relay a lane with an allied champion, kill an Epic Monster, etc.
🏫 LULU JG — COMMUNITY CONCERNS [⚠️WIP]

PICKS & BANS: LULU JG CONCERNING TEAMMATES AND THE COMMUNITY


Even on Normal games, certain people (usually toxic, jealous, stubborn and/or unexperienced) in the community might just think Lulu JG is a troll pick. Depending on our Region, the time of the day we are playing, the day on the week, a bit of luck, and considering that playing alone instead of with friends tend to increase odds of emerging socializing problems, these factors can make our Lulu JG choice to play more difficult. We might have Lulu champion banned by our own teammate on purpose if we show Lulu's portrait as the Jungler, we might be blamed as a troll, even reported without any proof (we're just playing Off-Meta), and even some degree of in-game sabotage might also occur occasionally on a conscious and/or unconscious level. It's not often useful trying to explain our Lulu JG pick on Picks & Bans, as there is no time there, and when people already show aggressive behavior or disconfort, in many cases they've already made up their mind about the case. Especially, if we want to play as Lulu JG more often, we must develop proper strategies to deal with those eventualities. My main suggestion, if or when you're feeling unsecure, is often trying to play with friends on Normal games first. We can easily make enemies by playing as Lulu JG, but the same is true about making friends; some people will really appretiate our bold, original decision, wild wit and true efforts in making Lulu JG actually work (even when this doesn't necessarily mean a Victory for our team); a well played allied Lulu is often lovely to see. So, just as when playing On-Meta things, don't let the "looser's mentality", with all its intolerance and negativity, determine your experience and wish to play as Lulu JG.
I believe the current Season is quite favorable to a moderately good feasability of Lulu JG. It weren't always that way in certain past Seasons. It might even be that Lulu JG was never so favorable to play, despite all the specialized Jungler-champions there exist nowadays. In spite of all this, I must mention I personally am not mentally ready to play Lulu JG on Solo Queue Ranked games (I wouldn't mind in Flex Ranked games though, especially with friends); I don't dare to, yet, because if random teammates already show occasional franticness about a Lulu JG pick on Normal games, I think it would be a bit irresponsible to bring that on Ranked games where players usually reflect tons of anxiety. But maybe I'm just being the conservative person here. I don't know; but as a Mono- Lulu player with nearly 3 Million Mastery Points, I just want to keep enjoying playing Lulu JG and exploring her Jungler's potentials, sharing it around and, maybe... maybe at some point, re-engage in a more serious competitive level (because, long time ago, I know I have made some trials regarding Lulu JG). Anyways, if this shared experience can help more Lulu / Jungler players out there, competitively or not, it would be a really nice thing.
🗺️ MY CURRENT EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
[ Patch 13.3 — Season 2023 ] [ My update: 2023-Feb-14 ]

Regarding the Jungler Role, LoL currently has got 27 ⭐ Mythic Items (excluded Ornn's upgraded versions) and 67 💠 Legendary Items (or 75-8: excluded Mana-Stacked upgraded versions and Support Role upgraded Items). If we add these together (27+67), we end up with a total of 94 Items.

Testing at least once a hundred Items as a 1º Item Choice for this Guide would be a pretty reasonable and enjoyable task for me to do; and if I didn't do it already, then only a few, very unlikely to work 1º Items, were left behind. However, there are a few complicating factors that need to be taken into account while determining the quality of a 1º Item Choice:
  • The actual Rune Page picked for a single game has a slight to moderate impact in the 'performance' of any given 1º Item; of course, a great deal of that revolves around the Keystone for Lulu Jungler, but many of the other Runes picks still can generate substantial difference on the final outcome. But, for a matter of simplification: this means that if I proposed originally 7 different Rune Pages, in practice it would mean, ideally and roughly, that I would have to Test 7 times the 94 Items, exacting 658 Tests —which wouldn't be a total NO-NO-NO situation, IF the game was… static. But it is not;
  • Items can get Reworked/Buffed/Nerfed (sometimes, very regularly) on Patching. This spontaneously would compell me to revise… again and again?… ¿and again? Well, not anymore. Fortunately, we can theoretically take for granted that, simple Buffs & Nerfs, although still able to make an Item become significantly better or worse as a 1º Item Choice (especially if it's a very big Buff/Nerf —this would worth a Re-Test in my vision), it won't change the fact that the essence of that Item is maintained; hence, I may (without proper Re-Testing but more like an intuitive guess) Upgrade or Downgrade it between the Categories accordingly to the amount of Buff/Nerf the Item received; naturally, if the Buff/Nerf is minimal, it is very likely such Item would remain on the same Category no matter what. We must be caerful about Items' Price Buffs/Nerfs, as this tends to have a stronger impact on Lulu Jungler for the matter of the 1º Item Choice. Now, regarding Items' Rework, this tends to be much more thrilling than Buffs/Nerfs for me —I assume adding a new Bonus Stats or completely removing a Bonus Stats from an Item would be considered a Rework already, but of course there exist way more interesting Reworks possible. An Item Rework is a good reason for me to do a Re-Test (at least once);
  • Jungle/Meta/Grand-Meta changes. On different degrees, these all have the potential to affect the 'performance' of virtually any 1º Item Choice. Fortunately, the only more obscure changes which I've noticed only occur between Seasons' shifts and Splits shifts —both of which I would consider Grand-Meta changes. For the case of the more regular Patching —or just Meta changes I'd say— if we just read the Patch Notes and observe some reviews by game analysts, this should already be enough to predict the Upgrading, Downgrading, Nongrading… whatever, the feasibility of a 1º Item Choice for Lulu Jungler, based on my previous Categorizations.
  • Champion changes… ¿Is Lulu ever gonna change again? There is a while already nothing related to her is released, while nearly all the other Champions get everything. This is very unfair. And nothing to write here.
  • Team Compositions & Match Ups. Yes, this can certainly affect at least my assessment of the 'performance' of a 1º Item. But I just know by heart when a 1º Item is really good or really bad, despite both Teams' performances. Good 1º Items should allow us to play more daringly with good chances of making fine plays, and also need to prove to be effective whether our Team is doing well, averagely or poorly —a good 1º Item should at least offer hope of a legit comeback, even in spite of the Rune Page we had picked.
In conclusion, in order to escape the rabbit hole of Re-Re-Re-Testing for all these everchanging aspects, and thanks to the fact I've got enough data by now on those Categories (including on different Rune Pages), I presently just need a single game, on a single Rune Page, as Lulu Jungler, in order to Update the 1º Item Choice quality on all the main "Builds" (Rune Pages) on this Guide, including the generic "🔒 Basics [ Build Index = 0 ]". Yes… maybe I'll be losing some degree of accuracy (nothing absurd or distant from reality though), but at least this would allow me to have this Guide fully established for once and for all and re-established rapidly everytime there are important Patching and even Grand-Meta changes.
🧮 MY STATISTICS
Here are my LeagueOfGraphs statistics for Lulu Jungler.

By the way, tracking down my own game patterns as Lulu Jungler using that kind of automated resource, and then trying to improve certain statistics, has proven to be relevant in making this Guide more consistent over time.
🎬 HIGHLIGHTS
This is a link to a list of Lulu JG Highlights I make and share at r/lulumains (Reddit); it is the best place I know in order to have those videos easily available online. Just beware of the dates. Enjoy!
Download the Porofessor App for Windows
CounterStats LogoOpen In New Window

Lulu counters well

Swain
3.8 CR
Xerath
4 CR
Shaco
4 CR

Lulu gets countered

Taric
5.8 CR
Fiddlesticks
5.6 CR
Braum
5.4 CR
More Lulu Counters
League of Legends Build Guide Author Lulu Mushroom Teas
Lulu Mushroom Teas Lulu Guide
Vote Vote
Lulu JG - "The (Now Not So) Versatile Hybrid Mixer"
📫 UPDATES
📩 IMPORTING ITEM SETS
🗓️ META CONSIDERATIONS
🀄 ALL RUNES [⚠️WIP]
🍄 LULU JG — ¿FEASIBILITY?
⚖️ LULU JG — PROS & CONS
🌷 LULU CHAMPION — OVERVIEW
🥇 1º ITEM CHOICE 'THEORY'
👿 THE WORST MATCH UPS — JUST A REMINDER
⚔️ RUNE PAGE × MATCH UP [⚠️WIP]
🐉 LULU ARCHETYPES
🎨 UNDERSTANDING THE "MIXER LULU" ARCHETYPE [⚠️WIP]
🌰 JUNGLE-CLEAR
🔮 SCOUTING
🐏 HARD ENGAGE & DEEP DIVE
🦌 CHASING & DUELING
🐍 SOLO ASSASSINATION BURST & DEADLY PICK OFF
🍞 ENEMY JUNGLER IS FED ON EARLY GAME [⚠️WIP]
⌛ TOO LONG WITHOUT ABILITY HASTE [⚠️WIP]
⛔ UNWISE SACRIFICE [⚠️WIP]
💤 BEING LOST IN THE JUNGLE [⚠️WIP]
🌳 MAIN PART - ¿What to do in the jungle? [⚠️WIP]
★ The Question of the 1st Item choice [⚠️WIP]
★ Lulu JG at Level 1 on this Build [⚠️WIP]
★ The Jungle Domain: Rotations & Camps [⚠️WIP]
★ Basic Jungle-Clearing TIPS [⚠️WIP]
★ Vision: Runes & Trinkets [⚠️WIP]
★ Often check bushes with Q [⚠️WIP]
★ Starting Vision control [⚠️WIP]
★ Burning Flash at Starting/Early game [⚠️WIP]
★ Encounters with the enemy Jungler [⚠️WIP]
🏫 LULU JG — COMMUNITY CONCERNS [⚠️WIP]
🗺️ MY CURRENT EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
🧮 MY STATISTICS
🎬 HIGHLIGHTS

League of Legends Champions:

AatroxAhriAkaliAkshanAlistarAmbessaAmumuAniviaAnnieApheliosAsheAurelion SolAuroraAzirBardBel'VethBlitzcrankBrandBraumBriarCaitlynCamilleCassiopeiaCho'GathCorkiDariusDianaDr. MundoDravenEkkoEliseEvelynnEzrealFiddlesticksFioraFizzGalioGangplankGarenGnarGragasGravesGwenHecarimHeimerdingerHweiIllaoiIreliaIvernJannaJarvan IVJaxJayceJhinJinxK'SanteKai'SaKalistaKarmaKarthusKassadinKatarinaKayleKaynKennenKha'ZixKindredKledKog'MawLeBlancLee SinLeonaLilliaLissandraLucianLuluLuxMalphiteMalzaharMaokaiMaster YiMelMilioMiss FortuneMordekaiserMorganaNaafiriNamiNasusNautilusNeekoNidaleeNilahNocturneNunu & WillumpOlafOriannaOrnnPantheonPoppyPykeQiyanaQuinnRakanRammusRek'SaiRellRenata GlascRenektonRengarRivenRumbleRyzeSamiraSejuaniSennaSeraphineSettShacoShenShyvanaSingedSionSivirSkarnerSmolderSonaSorakaSwainSylasSyndraTahm KenchTaliyahTalonTaricTeemoThreshTristanaTrundleTryndamereTwisted FateTwitchUdyrUrgotVarusVayneVeigarVel'KozVexViViegoViktorVladimirVolibearWarwickWukongXayahXerathXin ZhaoYasuoYoneYorickYunaraYuumiZacZedZeriZiggsZileanZoeZyra
Teamfight Tactics Guide