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Nidalee General Guide by

[S3] AP/AD Nidalee in depth - You can't pet me

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Choose Champion Build:

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Items

NORMAL TOP(USUAL)

HARD TOP

TANKY BUILD VS AD TEAM

TANKY BUILD VS AP TEAM

CORE ITEMS

OFFENSIVE ITEMS

Ability Order

Nidalee Passive Ability

More Nidalee Counters

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Hello guys, welcome to my first guide to !I have been playing Nidalee for long time,but then I stopped to play her for some time,and now when S3 came I decided to pick her up again and I found out she is stronger than ever.

Feel free to add me on Europe West:
5241455
Thunderstr1ke

This guide features 2 builds:

Build 1 - AD Nidalee (Solo top)
Build 2 - AP Nidalee (Middle)

I decided not to include ad carry/support and other possible ways of playing Nidalee,since I feel these two are the best an most viable ways of playing our favorite cat.I encourage you to not follow this guide completely,since every game is different and you should adapt to situations.

PROS/CONS

PROS / CONS

SPACESPACE

PROS

POKEInvisible te!
SPLIT PUSHINGI
HARD TO GANKId
VERSATILEIdDDD
AS BUFFIdDDDDD

CONS

MANA HUNGRYDDDD
LOW DAMAGE PRE 6
NO CCDDDDDDDDDDi
SQUISHY EARLYInvi
NEEDS LEVEL 6InviD

is very versatile champion and can be played pretty much everywhere,but she is best played as AP or AD her poke if built ap is just crazy and heal with as buff late game wins fights.If built AD she is one of the best Top laners and pushers in game.

BUILDS EXPLANATION/TIPS

Nidalee needs a team that is build around her to be successful!The good thing is that Nidalee can play pretty much everything,but I think that her best roles are AP and AD.She is one of the most fun champions to play.It feels so good when you hit spear and it boosts your morale and makes you play even better.

Here is explanation of my builds:

ABILITY POWER

SPACE- AP Nidalee is best again squishy teams
SPACE- Low level and elo players find spears hard to dodge
SPACE- AP Nidalee is pretty new on competetive scene,you can use it as your advantage
SPACE- AP Nidalee works best in poke team comps

ATTACK DAMAGE(BRUISER)

Make use of your great early game
You can secure kills easily
Gets extremlely tanky late game
Make use of your split pushing because AD Nidalee is not strongest champion in Team Fights

You should pick AD as counter.If you don't make use of her early game she is not really best champion late game.She counters many popular top champions like ...Also in late game you should rely on split pushing instead of doing teamfights.

Masteries

Some people prefer 21-9-0 masteries on AD Nidalee but I think that 9-21-0 fit bruiser nidalee.

Weapon expertise is great since it makes you ignore 8% of enemy's armor,and AD Nidalee biggest damage output scales with AD it makes you do quite more damage.
Some people go 21-0-9 to get Executioner mastery, but I feel that Takedown is more than enough to finish off your enemy.

I really LOVE defense tree,it gives you so much more sustain, hp and defense in general.

I take 4 points in durability .

After that you should take 2 point in hardiness and 3 points in resistance
Then I choose to take 2 points in relentless it reduces duration of slows,and it really helps you because AD Nidalee needs to escape sticky situations sometimes when split pushing.
Veteran's scar gives you some extra health and it helps early game a lot.
I choose to take only 1 point in Tenacious because I prefer extra health from Juggernaut.
You should put 5 last points in Legendary Armor , Reinforced Armor and last point in Honor Guard

Spending points on Utility tree is useless when playing AD Nidalee

Well there is not too much to say about this book,it is standard 21-0-9 AP.

I take Sorcery for the cooldown reduction and Arcane Knowledge is always nice on an AP champ!
You should take points in Mental Force, Spellsword and Archmage to maximize your damage.And finally Executioner is great on AP Nidalee because spears are often used to snipe off enemy.

Take Summoner's Insight, or Improved Recall .
I prefer Mastermind over Expanded Mind since 10% CDR on Summoner spells is pretty good.
Runic Affinity is must on every AP champion, there no reason to explain why.

RUNES

MARKS

Greater Mark of Magic Penetration will help you make more damage with all of your abilities, and are best choice for AP Nidalee

Greater Mark of Attack Damage Are best choice for AD Nidalee in my opinion, they help you both last hit and poke, but if you have problem with farming on AP Nidalee you might consider using them.

Greater Mark of Armor Penetration Greater Mark of Armor Penetration can be used on both AP and AD Nidalee they increase your poke and help you last hit, but I don't really prefer them.

SEALS

Greater Seal of Armor I take these Seals on both AP and AD Nidalee they are great and help you a lot against poke and jungler damage.They are especially useful on top because most champions on scale with Attack Damage.

Greater Seal of Mana Regeneration and Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration are great second choice for Nidalee especially on AP.take Greater Seal of Mana Regeneration if you have problems with mana early game, these can be also used on top if you are playing against champions that has good harass just so you can use more heals.

GLYPHS

Greater Glyph of Magic Resist became standard Glyphs on both mid and top champions through season 2.And I prefer them on both AP and AD Nidalee they make you more tanky and that is exactly what bruiser Nidalee needs and in mid they make you take less damage from AP champions which is extremely useful.

Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power would be my second choice on AP Nidalee they will give you more power and damage, but you should be very careful when using these because you will be very very squishy without any magic resist early game.

QUINTESSENCE

Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage are best choice for AD Nidalee they make last hitting much more easier and make you poke like a boss early game.I don't suggest you taking these when playing AP Nidalee.

Greater Quintessence of Ability Power well these are the "must" Quints for any AP champion,they make you so much more powerful early game, there is no reason that you don't take them.

Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed are alternative for AD Nidalee when combined with Prowl you run so fast that it is pretty much impossible for enemy to chase you.

SUMMONER SPELLS

I will list only Summoner Spells that I think are viable on Nidalee

SUMMONER SPELLS

Flash is best Summoner Spell in game in my opinion, even after so many nerfs it is still so useful in so many situations either to escape from sticky situation, to finish enemy, to steal baron or for pretty much anything.I can't see a reason why not to pick Flash.

I take Ignite on both AP and AD Nidalee this spell is great for finishing off enemies.

Exhaust is pretty good spell and very versatile one too.It is pretty good on AD Nidalee but it can be used on AP too.It helps in many situations when you are fighting 1 v 1,to escape from enemy to chase down...

I prefer Flash over Ghost but it's not bad Summoner Spell at all it can be used to chase down or to escape, since Nidalee has "Mini Flash" it is pretty good on her.

For quite some time I used to prefer Teleport over Ignite it is great Summoner Spell on AD Nidalee if decide to split push whole game this is probably the Summoner Spell that you need.

SKILLS

Nidalee is one of few champions that have 7 abilities, and that makes her both harder to play but more rewarding if played properly.

Nidalee tosses her javelin, dealing magic damage on impact that increases depending on the distance between Nidalee and the target at the time it is hit. The multiplier caps at 2.5.

Projectile speed: 1300

This is your only skillshot abilty.This is AP Nidalee main ability and you should max it as soon as possible if playing AP. Although it is an AP ability it still deals a considerable amount of damage even if you build AD. It may require some practice because it isn't a pass-through skillshot.
TIP:: If you run away from your enemy after throwing a spear, you will deal more damage. The distance measured is taken when the spear hits.
TIP:: Try to aim a little ahead of a fleeing champion so that they run into your spear..

Nidalee lays a trap that deals magic damage over 2 seconds when sprung by an enemy, revealing them and reducing their armor and magic resistance for 12 seconds. Traps last for 4 minutes.

It's not very useful in fights but i take my first point in this ability so I can set traps in the bushes and be aware for ganks and the jungler, also people underestimate how much armor and magic resist it shreds.I choose to max it last.
TIP:: When you drop a trap in brush, the entire brush is lit up for a split second, letting you see any players hiding in there.
TIP:: You should put trap in dragon and baron pit even if you don't have ward there you will be able to see if enemy is trying to do them.

Nidalee heals an allied champion or her self and grants them bonus attack speed.

This is a great skill, it is great on every type of Nidalee if you play AP late games heals are just ridiculous,if you play AD it makes you kill turrets so fast and poke like a boss.Because of Attack speed buff it is extremely useful even if you don't build AP, just put it on AD carry and watch him destroy enemies.

Nidalee transforms herself into a cougar, and in the process gaining a new set of abilities, bonus armor, magic resistance and 20 movement speed. Nidalee loses 400 range while using this ability (effective range of 125).

You should use ultimate in these situations:
-To get quickly across the map
-In escape/chase
-To farm

This is what makes Nidalee so special.It is especially useful on AD Nidalee since most of her damage comes from this ability, make sure you are in right for before teamfights.

COUGAR FORM SKILLS

Nidalee's next attack will be enhanced to deal additional physical damage that is increased by a multiplier equal to twice the target's missing health percentage.

Use it as last ability of your combo, because it deals more damage the less health enemy has. It is AD Nidalee most important ability, and it scales off AD.

Nidalee lunges forward, dealing magic damage to enemies around her landing area.

This is one of my favorite abilities in the game. If time correctly you can even dodge skillshots with it.Use it to quickly run across the map, to chase down enemy or even to jump over some walls.It has really low cooldown so don't hesitate about using it.

Nidalee claws at enemies in a cone in front of her, dealing magic damage.

Use this ability to take down minion waves, it scales off AP and does pretty nice damage if you go AP Nidalee.

ITEMS

ATTACK DAMAGE AND ABILITY POWER NIDALEE

Warmog is must on bruiser Nidalee it makes you really tanky and it gives health regen.I can't see reason why not to buy it.In S3 health became most important defensive stats, and it made Warmog's one of the best items in the game.

Buy Bloodthirster if you are snowballing hard, or if you need more damage late game. I don't recommend to buy it as first item.

Take either this or LW, buy Black Cleaver if enemy doesn't have too much armor, and LW if enemy has enough armor to make it worth. After rework in S3 Black Cleaver is really good item.

In season 2 this was Nidalee main item, but with nerf people forgot about it , and now you see it being picked really rarely. It is still pretty good item, it gives you all that you need on AD Nidalee.Buy it if you need a little bit of everything, it is really good utility item.

Maw is great item against AP champions, it gives you all stats that you need against heavy magic damage team.You should buy it if enemy has 2 or more ap champions in team, or if enemy AP carry is fed. You can also buy it if you are laning against AP scaling top and you are struggling to beat him.

Another great item for Nidalee.It gives so much for how much it costs.Also passive that gives 20% increasing healing on yourself is great on Nidalee because of heal. You should buy it if you need more defense against AP champions.

This is item that came to league in S3 and quickly became my favorite item. It gives AD Nidalee all she needs:Tankiness, crazy pushing because of passive, more damage and more utility. You should choose between it and Trinity force.

This is pretty good item forAD Nidalee. I usually don't take it on most champions because if they've killed you once, chances are that they are standing there, waiting for you to respawn.But, Nidalee is so mobile and tanky that she can usually pounce right out of harm's way!It also gives both mres and armor so it is pretty good item overall.

If you are having trouble early game top buy Warden's mail, and upgrade it later to Randuins omen.It is great item for AD Nidalee it is great for chasing enemies and disabling opposition.

If enemy is heavy AD team this is great item for you. Also if you are having mana problems this will probably solve thzem.

Also great item for AD Nidalee but the only problem is that it doesn't stack with Trinity of With Iceborn Gauntlet's passive. And I prefer both of those items over Mallet. But if you fell like you need more health and slow early in the game you should buy this item.

This item is not bad for Nidalee. Passive benefits nicely from attack speed buff. Buy this item if you need some lifesteal and more sustain.

One of my favorite AP items in the game. People used to overlook this item in S2, but in S3 it quickly became one of the most used AP items in the game! It is so good on Nidalee, and once you reached full stacks it upgrades to Seraph's Embrace and gives you both nice passive and really good active.

My favorite AP item for long long time. I tend to rush this item immediately after TOG. With Rabadon's Deathcap you will be able to 2 hit squishies with spear. Also you will notice crazy boost to your entire kit, especially heal.

This is new item in League and is built from Haunting Guise. It is pretty good item if you need more penetration and a little bit of health. Also passive is pretty nice.

Lich Bane is crazily good item for Nidalee. After you use ability your next auto attack will deal bonus damage equal to your AP. This makes you destroy towers so fast. Also your combo will be a lot stronger. I don't suggest buying this item before Deathcap since there is no use of passive if you have very little ap, but buying sheen early can be pretty useful.

Gives you some nice AP, but what makes it really special is 40% magic penetration. This is so useful because of your spears.

Rylai's gives you a nice amount of health, ability power, and a slow on all of your abilties. This is nice for helping your teammates catch up to fleeing enemies.

A great item for magic resist if the enemy's AP carry is fed. It also gives Nidalee a nice amount of AP. Keep in mind that the range for the passive is 1000, while your spear range is 1500.

This item gives you a ton of AP, and the armor is helpful when in range of an enemy AD carry or when you are facing AD champion mid which is becoming more frequently in S3. The 2 second stasis should be used to save yourself if you accidentally get caught on the wrong side of a fight or even to bait enemy under tower.

Very, very situational. If you manage to get full stacks your damage would get HUGE BOOST, but you should buy this only when you are 100% sure you can get fed easily. Also people tend to focus you a lot more if you start to getting stacks.

Rarely seen item on AP Nidalee health and passive from [[cataclyst the protector is great, but you will lack some damage if you buy it early. Another problem is that you need to buy Tears early game to get max stacks ASAP, and same thing is with ROA. You should buy it only if you feel like you need to get tankier. If you can't buy it by 17 minute mark just buy some other item.

WALL POUNCING

This is what makes Nidalee so good. Keep in mind that your mouse clicks need to stay on your side of the wall! If you click too far, or on the wall itself, you give yourself a new path to walk around the wall which can cost you a life. I will put a video guide on how to do it.
(I DIDN'T MAKE THIS VIDEO,I JUST FOUND IT ON YOUTUBE AND PUT UP A LINK HERE)

With some practice you will get used to wall pouncing quickly

GUIDE AGAINST CHAMPIONS

POSSIBLE SOLO TOP OPPONENTS

Jayce Uh-oh. Jayce hurts, has decent range, big poke, a gap closer, an aoe slow, knockback, etc. An all around menace for Nidalee. If I'm stuck fighting him, I've gone cloth and 5 health pots, rushed dodge boots, and prayed. He's a bit too strong for AP nidalee. You're better off going AD so you have some survivability.

Against him, you're in for some hurt until level 6. Then you're in for less hurt, but still painful. Don't reach for CS, ward well because any jungler with Jayce can murder you. Play smart, get sustain, farm well.

Edit: Recent nerfs make him more managable because his poke / trade is worse, but still. Terror in lane for AP Nidalee. Try to avoid.

Darius Good luck. He's a little strong and not very manageable for Nidalee. She's too squish AP and Darius can 100 to 0 her with his abilities up. I would avoid going top against Darius at all costs if possible.

Against him, farm? Don't push your lane at all, because Darius alone can take you, but Darius and a jungle is lights out. I really do recommend sending almost anybody else. If you're against him, build early armor, and even debate going AD / Tank Nidalee. AP just doesn't do enough to Darius without getting killed herself. Keep your distance and keep your CS up. Pray for an early tower going down so you can outfarm him and roam to the squishier lanes.

Wukong By far the most annoying opponent I've had to deal with to date. His burst at level 3, 5, and then 6 combined with the ever popular flash / ignite summoner spells mean he can and will try to kill you every opportunity. His Nimbus Strike and Crushing Blow do far more than you can continually heal. If he goes cloth and 5 health pots it's very difficult to push him out of lane. What I try to do is harass very often, even at the cost of CS, at level 1 and 2. Provided he's a very passive Wukong, even levels 3 and 4.

Once you hit level 6, he is either close to it himself or already 6 too, so be cautious about engaging. Your best bet is to push him to tower every chance you get, because Nidalee can farm the entire minion wave without missing one very easily and at zero mana cost. Wukong can't, so make him spend the mana on farming, not harass. Buy early and often if possible to push an item advantage. Worst case scenario, call for help from your jungler, keep him on edge at all times. If he's intelligent, he can zone you out relatively easily because his burst is damn good (almost too good RIOT)

**After a few more games against him, I'd say Wukong counters Nidalee pretty well. Try to not pick against him.

Tryndamere What a pain in the butt. Tryndamere is a hard lane when he runs cloth and 5 health potions because he'll be able to sustain off pots until his Q, Bloodlust, can do it instead. That being said, trading with him early is questionable. You want to make him burn those potions, but taking hits from Tryndamere is never smart. Before level 6, he generally farms at any cost, so make him pay. 2-3 auto attacks per creep usually. If he spins at you, run to your creeps. If he uses his fury to heal, poke the ever-loving **** out of him. At 0 fury, his chance to crit is minimal, so use it to your advantage. The side bushes are your lover in this match-up.

Most Tryndamere players I see will run Exhaust / Ignite. He needs both of these to kill you 95% of the time. Save your Flash for his Spinning Slash if possible. He can and will catch up to you if you burn Flash before he burns his spin. After level 6, your best friend is the E > Q > W combination listed above. In most cases he will get two auto attacks, probably one critical, so it's a decent trade considering he has to burn his fury to heal. Pounce gets you to a safe distance provided he used his spinning slash to initiate, which he should always have to do.

After he hits level 6, don't try to kill him unless he gets stupid. By stupid I mean stays in lane with ~400hp and hasn't healed. Take note of his resistances and how much a W > E > Q combination will do. On more than one occasion, I've bursted a Tryndamere down too quickly for him to pop his ult.

Renekton Not the worst match-up, but still a pain. His sustain is amazing with cloth and 5, although to heal off minions he has to come towards you and blow cooldowns. Watch his fury very carefully, Renekton with 50+ fury can chunk you very easily and thus zone you out. Keep a safe distance and move between your auto attacks. Hiding behind a wave of minions might be your best bet early.

After 6 stick to E > Q > W away until he's low enough to kill. Keep in mind he has an ult that gives him 300 extra HP, so don't sit there and expect to kill him with basic attacks. If you see him pop the ult, run away (unless of course he has like 150hp left. He is deceptively strong when he pops his ult and heals off a minion wave of 4+. Best option with Renekton is to poke him safely at level 1 and 2, then harass him only when he comes in to heal afterwards (most Renek players I play against get all 3 skills at level 3). Ask your jungler to keep an eye top, because he will burn Slice and Dice to get close to you, and if he does, make sure your jungler is there to make him pay.

Teemo Captain Teemo, Pile of Duty. Teemo must have been flavor of the month, I've faced quite a few recently. A good Teemo is actually very annoying. Assuming he runs Flash / Ignite and plays him well, as most do, prepare for a farm war. His range is, I believe, the same as Nidalee's, so poking him safely is out of the question. Poking in general is bad because he will get an auto attack, poison damage, and generally a Blind Dart off. Horrible trade. He generally runs boots and 3 health pots so he can poke you and get out. You just need to farm yourself up a.s.a.p, because that's when the threat of your spears comes into play.

Teemo's weakness is his sustain. Most will not build any lifesteal/spell vamp early, so any damage given will stick around while any damage you take is healed via potions or your E. That being said, I ask my jungler to make a stop top as soon as they can before Teemo hits 6. We all hate mushrooms, and after he hits 6 it's hard to gank him without oracles. But before 6, if you can chunk Teemo enough to make him recall, chances are you'll force him to miss enough experience to give you a lead early that you can push.

Riven is not as bad as some solo tops, but certainly worse than others. She has two low-cooldown gap closing abilities and a stun, plus her passive is bonus damage when she uses a skill. Spells trouble for most to be honest, but if Nidalee stays close to the bushes top, all's well. She can't catch up to you with those abilities if you react fast enough and get into the bush. Keep her at auto attack range and make her take damage for failed engages. If Riven and the jungler get on you, you're probably dead.

Most run Flash Exhaust, though Ignite isn't rare. Pre-6 she does more damage but has to be closer, and she should never get close enough. After 6, you should practically never pounce into her. The only scenario where you do is if she just popped her stun on something else. Her damage is pretty good with a brutalizer, but yours will stick more. If she buys wriggles first, her damage will be decent and your damage won't stick very long. Keep an eye on her boots as well, level 2 boots before you get level 2 means she has higher movement speed. Focus on poking, killing if the opportunity arises. Not a horrible lane, but can get difficult if she gets first kill.

Cho'Gath I've never really had trouble with Cho, because his only threat of a kill comes from a full combo, Rupture into Scream into Feast. Before level 6, you're practically free to poke all you want. He won't argue, he won't waste mana harassing a Nidalee, and he won't be close enough to trade. His sustain is amazing if he farms well. At level 1 I believe he gets ~30 health per minion last hit, and you poke around 50 depending on armor and your runes. Advantage you =P. This is a kill lane generally.

At 6, I harass with cougar form all the time. The most he can do immediately is silence you and auto attack a few times. If he lands a Rupture, be a little cautious, but it shouldn't hurt too bad. If he goes Ignite, watch for an initiation. If it's teleport or exhaust, harass at will, he will probably not be looking for a kill top. The ultimate goal against Cho is to zone him away from creeps, so what I try to do is allow my creeps to be pushed a bit, generally I recall to buy and let him push. Then, I ignore the minion wave and poke him. He won't sustain himself off creeps so he'll be say 60% health. I stay behind his creeps and poke him if he gets close, or W > E > Q as cougar to chunk him further. All in all, should be a simple lane for Nidalee.

Gangplank A moderately annoying lane. Parrrrrrrrrley (greatest pun ever) is his form of harass, and if it crits he'll generally look to engage. Never let him. Cloth and 5 Gangplank never really get's pushed out of lane, but you can try. Especially after he Q's a minion. Ideally, you want him to parley as often as possible early so he runs out of mana. The lower the level of Parley, the less harass you take overall. Don't be stingy with your health pots, they're there to prevent wasting mana on heal every 8 seconds. I find myself selling 1 or 2 some games and it shouldn't be the case.

I never pounce at GP because his passive can catch up to you. I try to push the lane, but GP hovers at his minions and with a wriggle's he never leaves. Basically, harass when you can, watch his mana closely, and when he pops his E, assume you're being ganked and run away. Trying to kill GP in lane is tough, so don't make it a priority unless he's playing bad.

Kennen You know, I rarely fight Kennen solo top anymore. Must just be coincidence, because he is a very good solo top. Against him, harass is not generally safe, farming is tough, and pushing isn't completely effective. Your auto attack range is similiar if not exactly the same, so be a little careful. At level 2, good Kennen players can stun you. Keep an eye on his auto attack, if it's going to proc W, don't stay near him. Eating it generally results in a W proc > W > Q or E for the stun. At level 3, he's fairly dangerous. Most run Flash / Ignite and aim to kill early.

Harassing Kennen early is a good way to make him lose a lane. He has zero sustain early, most run boots and three health pots and will burn those pots very fast. I trade at level 1 as much as humanly possible, because I know he won't stun me barring three straight Q's to the face. Micromovement is KEY for harassing. It's difficult to land skillshots if you're constantly moving between attacks, so do so. If he pops his E aggressively, head towards a bush. Kennen with E activated is only slightly faster then Nidalee in a bush, so you should be able to outrun it if you stick close to the top. Once he gets a Hextech Revolver, harassment is tough to keep on him, so call your jungler up if a kill is possible. Always always always second guess diving a Kennen. His ult WILL stun you, and the tower will hurt. Keep note of his ult. Cooldowns are around 110sec at level 6, I believe 95-100 at 11. He's far less dangerous without it.

Talon So, so very bursty. Talon is one champion that isn't necessarly made for top lane because he's relatively squishy, but against Nidalee it won't matter too much because he outdamages her at pretty much every level. I actually added Talon to this section after playing him two games in a row solo top (one lost lane - won game, other won lane - lost game. Go figure). To be honest, I haven't found the best way to play against him, I don't think, but this is how I won the lane.

I poked very hard very early because Talon usually goes boots and three potions. After he hit level 3, I backed off a lot. If a Talon gets his entire combination in with auto attacks in between, it will hurt real bad. So, level 3-6 I farm only. I don't even bother harassing because it puts me at risk for being chunked down to where I need to recall. My advice is to pray to the lords of matchmaking you have a competent jungler (one who does heavy damage helps as well). Ask him every time he's near top to sit in the bush for like 30 seconds. This is when you poke Talon and bait out his silence, whatever it's called. It'll put Talon behind you and thus, out of position. Be warned though, most run Flash / Ignite so even with a gank, his entire combo at 6 can kill you and get him out consequence-free. Not the most difficult lane to farm in if you aren't constantly pushed to your tower. *Keep an eye on his mana, he'll run out long before you will, make him pay for staying in lane too long.*

Udyr I've never personally had a problem with Udyr top. He belongs in the jungle, IMO, because he has a very poor gap-closing ability, especially early due to his need of not only Turtle Stance but a cloth and 5 health pots. He's much like Cho'Gath in that you can harass pretty much free of threat. Around level 4 he generally gets bear stance, but if he ever pops it, run back. It's usually a sign of an impending gank or attempted harass.

Make him use his mana for the turtle stance shield and regeneration, he won't have enough to use bear AND tiger/phoenix. Call for a gank if he's pushed too far, though he should never be able to outpush you. Udyr usually runs Flash / Exhaust, "bear" that in mind (get it?) Keep great vision, auto attack him all the time, farm well, profit. Easy lane in my books, might be tough for Nidalee's just starting out.

Akali is a strange top. Harass early and often, Akali generally runs boots and 3 pots because cloth won't build into anything they need. This means basic attacks will do a bit more, and over time tons more damage. Don't worry about her before level 6; without a gank she's pretty weak. Even with typical Exhaust / Ignite, she'll need quite a bit of time to kill you. Having Flash up while her Exhaust is up helps as well.

All that being said, once she hits 6 it's a new game. Good Akali players blow a charge to get to you, another charge for damage, and a third when you're running (you most likely will be running). What seems to be trending is saving those dashes for when she lands her Q, so time isn't wasted activating it and basic attacking. Make good use of E > Q > W away. If she uses two charges to stick to you, it's a decent fight. Her sustain with Hextech Revolver and her passive is tough to ignore, so harassing is somewhat dangerous and ineffective. If you dominate her enough early game, it won't matter, but if not ask your jungler to sit top often. Once she burns a charge of her ult, Akali is almost always out of position. After she sees a jungler coming, she'll most likely pop her shroud, so throw your W in there somewhere, if it triggers she's normally dead.

Lee Sin I don't consider Lee Sin much of a threat. In the laning phase at least, he's very.. average. Good sustain with a shield, good burst, good slow, etc. The trick is he should never land any of his skills. As long as he misses 75% of his skill shots, which should be easy with Nidalee's mobility, you'll be fine. Lee Sin will start cloth and 5 nine out of ten times. Harassment is great, but killing him is difficult.

The only time he should be able to kill you is before level 6. After that, you save your Pounce for when he Resonating Strikes into you. I'm a little taken by how much damage he does sometimes, with say dorans blade start. Once you hit cougar, just push him straight to tower every time. Escaping Lee Sin is pretty easy with well-timed pounces, and your heal negates most of his damage. The re-occurring theme of these match-ups is call your jungler for assistance if needed. If he gets ahead, he'll stay there for awhile unless moved. And to be moved, you'll need help.

Rumble Color change because I'm too lazy to move him above to the orange section =D. Rumble isn't too hard a lane once you get a feel for his range. Boots and three seem to be the way to go, though I've seen an Amp Tome with one pot and a dorans shield as well. Assuming any of these, harass early. The only skill you're weary of is that Flamespitter thing. Relatively low cooldown, good damage, big range. Don't, under any circumstance, think you can trade with him if you stand in it. You'll lose, every time.

Pre-6 is all about knowing your range. He can't hit you with Flamespitter at your auto attack range, he needs to close some distance first. If he pops his shield, walk away. If he lands that slow, walk away as best you can. Don't let him get free damage either, if you're taking the damage and can't get out, turn around, heal yourself, poke the **** outta him. When he overheats, try to engage. Not only is he silenced, but his moves when they come off cooldown are less effective because he's out of the danger zone.

After 6, I try to keep misdirecting myself when engaged on, to avoid all the Flamespitter damage. If you're not comfortable doing so, E > Q > W away. Pounce will generally get you just out of range if Rumble is standing still, but he never is lol. When he gets Will of the Ancients, his sustain is good, but not unbeatable. He has to hit minions, and for that he has to be close. If he ever throws his ult, try to avoid pouncing across it, too much damage taken and a slow too, he'll catch up.

Irelia can be managable, but barely. Her sustain is a pain (hah) and her damage is damn good. Nidalee is very squishy compared to Irelia so be very cautious about poking. If I remember correctly the range on her Bladesurge is greater than your auto attack range, so she can and most likely will engage if you allow her to. In my opinion, poking is out of the question unless she has little to no mana. I farm until 6 in this matchup. Believe it or not, losing first tower against her isn't a bad thing. A free-farming Irelia is bad for your team, so attempt to keep the minion line on your side of the river.

Then at level 6, I'll ask for ganks. In the games I've played against Irelia, recently especially, The only time I seemed to win the lane was when I got 1-2 kills before mid-game technically starts. The reason being is Irelia does some amazing things with her farm. She becomes near unkillable with just a Wriggles and Heart of Gold. Deny her levels and as much farm as possible. When you get a kill, push the minions to her tower. If I have enough health, I even go behind her tower to clear another wave before recalling. Never, ever stay in lane with over 1.6k if you have the option to back. If she's buying, you should eventually as well. Irelia with an item advantage = scary.

**Hard to say, but she counters Nidalee top pretty well. Damage never sticks, her damage is too good, but haven't played against her with the recent nerfs in Lulu's patch, so we'll see.

Vladimir seems to be on the rise since his buffs in the Sejuani patch. I've lost to a few very well played Vlads (with the help of their jungler, but that's what junglers do). That being said, he should be a really easy lane if done correctly. Instead of the usual boots and three potions, I've started to pick up boots, one potion, and one ward. Depending on your enemy jungler's starting location, place the ward at a time when you're pushed past river. Generally the 4 minute mark is when junglers are about to recall and look for ganks. Keep an eye out, always.

If you have the jungler checked, what you do against Vlad is poke. He's a squishy Cho'gath with less sustain early. He usually runs boots and three potions, if he EVER runs Amp tome and one, you should be in heaven. With little or no armor, he'll take true damage, which is about 60-65 per auto attack (and he has under 550hp generally at level 1). Early on, his Q is on too long a cooldown to do anything major, so you can trade with him easy. Level 6-7 is when he becomes a threat to kill you, though not a huge one. Flash Ignite is expected, maybe even Ghost Ignite. If you see Teleport, he'll be even less a threat then he was before. All in all, a straightforward, poke him till he's dead, keep an eye out for jungle help kind of lane.

Nasus is really fun to play, kinda easy to lane against as well. His Wither is your only concern. It's such a strong CC, even at level 1. I've rushed merc treads against Nasus before, and it worked well. An interesting alternative is the tenacity/ability power item, Moonflair Spellblade. Not a terrible idea if you want cooldown boots. I rarely see Nasus go boots and three, even though I feel it's a better idea. Most go cloth and five. Still, poke him when you can, make him pay for farming Q.

Push early, often, always. You want to make him miss Siphoning Strike farm as often as possible so he isn't a terror mid-game. You won't be able to prevent him from farming forever, and he can do so safely if he leaves your first turret up, which most do. Leave his up as well, let it kill as many minions as possible. Like I said, be careful of Wither. That in conjuction with a jungler's damage will kill Nidalee pre-6. Post-6 you may get away, but even that is debatable. Focus on minions first and foremost, but don't let him sit in front of the creep wave so it never hits tower. Killing Nasus is damn near impossible, but making him recall is ideal.

THIS SECTION WAS TAKEN FROM THIS GUIDE

SUMMARY

This is my first guide ever, please tell me what can I improve and give me some advices for my future build/guides.
You should make your own variation of build because every game is different

I will be posting future updates here:

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LoLegendGUIDES Nidalee Guide

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[S3] AP/AD Nidalee in depth - You can't pet me

INTRODUCTION

PROS/CONS

BUILDS EXPLANATION/TIPS

Masteries

RUNES

SUMMONER SPELLS

SKILLS

ITEMS

WALL POUNCING

GUIDE AGAINST CHAMPIONS

SUMMARY

[S3] AP/AD Nidalee in depth - You can't pet me

[S3] AP/AD Nidalee in depth - You can't pet me

Choose Champion Build:

Recommended Items

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Items

Ability Order

Prowl (PASSIVE)

Javelin Toss / Takedown (Q)

Bushwhack / Pounce (W)

Primal Surge / Swipe (E)

Aspect Of The Cougar (R)

Recommended Items

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Items

Ability Order

Prowl (PASSIVE)

Javelin Toss / Takedown (Q)

Bushwhack / Pounce (W)

Primal Surge / Swipe (E)

Aspect Of The Cougar (R)

INTRODUCTION

PROS/CONS

BUILDS EXPLANATION/TIPS

ABILITY POWER

ATTACK DAMAGE(BRUISER)

Masteries

RUNES

SUMMONER SPELLS

SKILLS

ITEMS

WALL POUNCING

GUIDE AGAINST CHAMPIONS

SUMMARY

League of Legends Champions: