Nidalee is an impact-AP jungler and is for me still the queen of the jungle in this season 8. She is one of the only AP junglers making that much impact dammage. Nidalee is an early and mid-game champ,at her strongest, but it's also good in late if you keep up. This is a simple guide that should help you, I tried to keep it clear and short. Click on any chapter you want to see.

Check out one of my best play on Nidalee:



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C O U G A R

C O U G A R

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Takedown is your second most damage-making ability. The damage is even increased by Lich Bane which will be applied by Takedown. You need to know for your jungling and in some ganking occasions that this is a AA-boost, which means it reactivates your AA instantly, meaning if you just cast an AA, you can cast another AA instantly pressing Takedown. Don't forget you have some extra-range on that boosted AA, and you can use it for towers/inhibs

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Pounce is your escape combined with your engage. This spell should almost be cast everytime it is up: in the jungle to go quicker but also during fights. Check this video to see which walls nida can jump over. You need to practise it to be a better Nidalee. Keep in mind the range is lower than the flash's range, don't fail your jumps in-game, it's even worst than not jumping at all.

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Swipe is the last spell of your combo. You need to be careful how you cast it or it won't do any damage. Like Cho Gath's Feral Scream, Nida's Swipe has a long cone-ahead animation. Which means if you moove during the animation of the E, it is possible that the damage mooves and doesn't damage your aim.

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H U M A N

H U M A N

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Javelin Toss is your main skill shot. This is the difference between a good Nidalee and a bad one. To get better, there is only one solution: training. Be careful at the length of the javelin, the width of it, and also the speed of it. If landed correctly, it will also apply Prowl on your ennemy which will increase your impact cougar damage.

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Bushwhack is the forgotten spell of Nidalee. I see a lot of Nidas in-game never using Bushwhackin the jungle but also on ganks. Wake up, this is a really important spell. You can use it to direct your prey on your Javelin Toss by putting it in front of him and him having no escape. Once landed, it will apply Prowl on your ennemy which will increase your impact cougar damage.

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Primal Surge is my favourite spell on Nidalee. It is a real game-changer for jungling because it gives sustain but also during teamfights because of the amount of AP we have which increases the heal. This is the first thing to cast when going back to human form. Take the reflexe to cast it as quickly as possible. Be careful, this is your most mana-expensive spell.

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DOMINATION

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Domination is the main branch i chose for Nidalee. It grants 18 AP at minute 1, which is a very good advantage. It's mostly used for impact damage-makers such as assassins. The main reason why is the keystone Electrocute. It clearly outperforms any other keybranch on Nidalee that you could think about such as Sorcery or Precision.

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Electrocute is the new Thunderlord's decree. Indeed, after using 3 abilities or 3 AA in a row, your ennemy is hit by thunder dealing arround 250 damage at the level 18. That way, it is the best key rune for impact champs. I also prefer it in the jungle because this keystone has a cooldown and it can be a bit less worth on solo lanes. This is the most adapted on Nidalee.

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Sudden Impact is, as its name says it, incredible for the impact damage of Nidalee and her Pounce. You get magic penetration after engaging on a champ, and this has a very low cooldown: 4 seconds. It is better than the other runes on this level: Cheap Shot and Taste of Blood because they don't suit Nidalee for obvious reasons: you have no CC and you don't need lifesteal.

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Ghost Poro is a really new concept brought to LoL. Staying in a bush for 2 seconds makes a ghost poro appear: basically quite close to a Farsight Alteration. With Nidalee's mobility in the jungle, this suits perfectly as there is no limit or ghost poros on the map. Also, if you take Ghost Poro, you don't need to take Tracker's Knife and can concentrate on your damage. Eyeball Collection can also be quite good to take with Nidalee if you are aiming to go late-game. Zombie Ward is not the best as you won't often kill ennemy wards, i feel this is more a support rune.

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Relentless Hunter is the best of the "hunter set" for Nidalee as you will get extra movement speed. Getting Ingenious Hunter is not worth because you don't have any active items in your build except if you build a Zhonya's Hourglass. Also, Ravenous Hunter will not be usefull because you already have your low-cd heal. We will prefer taking MS to extra-heal with Nidalee.

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Precision is the second key branch of this set. It also grants 18AP at level 1 and has handy bonuses that can help Nidalee. I've seen people play Nidalee with Sorcery as a second branch for extra-MS and CDR but I think this is better for Nidalee especially for the Overheal rune.

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Overheal is ideal for your ganks as it gives you a shield when ganking and even jungling. It grants a shield of 10% of your HP +10 when overhealing with your Primal Surge. It is also quite good for your first blue so you have more HP and nearly don't need the pull.

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Cut Down is giving you the extra-damage you need against the tanks. You will have 10% more damage against the hard-tanks and average 4% for other ennemies. It is a really good boost that will highly increase your damage against any champ.

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Skirmisher's Sabre - Runic Echoes gives you that extra damage on the autos if you smite your prey. This will deal a lot of extra-damage, it is more useful for the impact damage than a chilling smite. Also, we need the runic echoes because of the AP but also because of the extra movement speed and the mana regen. I don't take Tracker's Knife on Nidalee because of the new Ghost Poro rune: for me it's not worth anymore.

Hunter's Potion is better for early-game than Health Potion because of the mana it gives and the sustain it offers in the jungle because every camp you kill gives you another potion which is really useful and easy because Nidalee has one of the fastest jungle clean of the league. Keep in mind that the cougar spells are mana-free if you are low.

Lich Bane is a core item on Nidalee for many reasons: Firstly, it's quite a cheap item to start with. Secondly, it gives every stat you need with Nidalee, especially in early-game: mana, AP, CDR and MS. Thirdly, the passive suits Nidalee quite well as she is always using an ability to engage on somebody, let it be a Javelin Toss or a Pounce, it will apply the extra-damage to the Takedown

Nashor's Tooth might seem an exotic item to play on Nidalee but for me it is a core. Aswell as granting you 20% CDR in early-game, AP and extra-AP damage on your autoattacks (especially your Takedown), it gives attack speed which allows you to cast faster your Lich Bane when using Takedown. Also if it's not activated yet, your faster AA will activate Electrocute. It might seem small but in-game it is a real game-changer.

Zhonya's Hourglass is not my favourite item on Nidalee, I have to say. And I actually think you don't need it that much, especially with the new Stopwatch. It is still quite good to get to 40% CDR directly in mid-game, have some armor and a way to survive to Zed or Fizz's ultimates in dangerous situations.

Athene's Unholy Grail is a new-meta item on Nidalee (since S7) but it's actually quite efficient and here is why: Stats are really good: you finish your 40% CDR, get extra-AP, MR, which is really important as you are quite weak to Ability Power as an assassin, and double mana regen: really useful as you consume a lot of mana as Nidalee. The passive also can help your teammates when you are ganking or in teamfight, when you use your Primal Surge, you heal them more because of the damage you dealt. Also, you get more AP with the other passive.

Stopwatch is a S8-gamechanger-item. For only 600 gold, you get a free zhonya-effect (once, and once only) in your game. This can be really important and needs to be purchased asap, probably even after your jungler item and your boots. It can save you really easily from dangerous situations.

Liandry's Torment is a defensive item I sometimes use when I'm having trouble staying alive. You should build this if their ADC is fed, or if they have a lot of tankiness. Indeed, aswell as giving HP and AP, Liandry's Torment gives magic penetration which can help you against the tanks.

Abyssal Mask is a last-resort item you should build if their midlaner is really fed and she OS you. I am thinking of Veigar, LeBlanc or Katarina, that kind of savagery. It will give you the last 10% CDR you need, HP, Mana and a big amount of MR so that you resist longer. Also, the passive is quite good in your cougar form: close damage.

Void Staff is a good last-item as it's quite cheap and it gives you some pure magic penetration against all the tankiness in late-game but also increases your AP. With this, you will keep up with your damage advantage. Build this if you are quite good in the game and feel the game will finish soon. (only as a last item)

Rabadon's Deathcap is a really good 5th item. (penultimate item) You all know what is does, and Nidalee absolutely loves having that much damage. If you are feeling good in the game after the core items, build this and smash your opponents. It makes a really massive damage difference.

Boots should be built quite fast in the game, before you finish your jungler item. You need movement speed to be untouchable and catch up ennemies. Upgrade it to Boots of Swiftness if the ennemy team hasn't got much CC and you are feeling quite good. Build Sorcerer's Shoesif you are really fed and the ennemy team is far behind/ has a lot of tanks. Otherwise, build Mercury's Treadsas it is quite good to keep your mobility: CC is your ennemy.

JUNGLING

Jungling with Nidalee is so satisfying: everything dies so fast and you can be so much more effective with simple technics:

TIP N°1:

STARTING WELL.
The early-game is decisive with every champ, but especially with Nidalee. As she doesn't have an ultimate and already has all her spells level 3, she needs to be active before everyody gets it, to get the advantage in this short period of time. Here is a small video showing you how to start your game correctly. Play aggressive in early, you can even counter-jungle to get his blue at arround 4:30. Notice that your ganks will be easier in early on the toplane and the botlane as you have more space to gank and to throw the Javelin Toss and make your engage with the cougar mode.

TIP N°2:

GOING FAST
Learning how to go fast with Nidalee in the jungle is basically mastering her.
Empty your camps and gank asap in the first 20 minutes, you are the quickest jungler if you master Nidalee. You need to find the perfect balance between all your cooldowns, your Javelin Toss and your Pounce. I can't really help you to practise your Javelin Toss except sending you to the ability part so you can read my advices. Also, check out these basic jungling technics to go quicker:I can help you with the Pounce though, because it is an easier skill shot. Check out this video carefully to see exactly what walls you can jump over. I think I did them all (I had automatic cooldown reset).

TIP N°3:

"TEAMFIGHTS"
Getting focused, teamfights, backline, splitpushing... these words are not really part of Nidalee's vocabulary. Why? Because Nidalee is a sneaky assassin 1v1 champ. All her abilities focus on one ennemy point, to take down unique champions. Of course, you need to group with your team in mid-game and late-game but you have no zone-damage. You have to focus one champ. Think about before the teamfight, you need to poke with your Javelin Toss and make the difference when engaging. Don't engage if you're not sure to insta-kill (or close) the champ you're jumping on.






Here will be listed all the meta-junglers and the main laners you will get to gank.

REASONS WHY Ashe doesn't have any mobility. At all. She only has an ult which only stunns you for 1 second if you're close to her. Don't be afraid, she will be an easy kill for an assassin like you.

REASONS WHY Jinx has no mobility, dashes or skill-CC so you can just jump on her she shouldn't be scary, even if fed. Try not falling in her E though.

REASONS WHY Kalistais one of the weakest ADCs and she doesn't have CC or high mobility. She does have dashes though, be careful you may miss this. If she is alone she shouldn't be a problem but if her supp is here, just try and spear her.

REASONS WHY Vel'Koz is the easiest midlaner for you. She (because yes, Vel'koz is a girl) will not have much defense against you, apart from her E. If you jump frequently to get her confused, you shouldn't have problems jumping on her.

REASONS WHY Caitlyn is quite a dangerous ADC because of her E and her W (traps). Only jump on her when you have your Prowl on her.

REASONS WHY Jayce is a straight forward impact champ. But if you put your damage before him, you win the fight. All will be played in melee

REASONS WHY Lee Sin is often quite mobile and has a lot of dashes and his ult can be a difficult time for you. Engage him only when your Prowl is on him and full-impact this blind guy.

REASONS WHY Kha'Zix is quite slow and his jump is the same range as yours with Prowl so he can't (normally) escape you. Having Prowl on him will also make his invisibility useless.

REASONS WHY Jax is quite tricky. Quite easy to Javelin Toss on him. If he is noob and uses his E (turning his weapon in the air)because he panics, wait for it to end and jump on him then. If he is good, you need to make him waste his E before anything because it will cancel half of your damage and stunn you. My personnal technic is to buy zhonya when he is in the game, and when I Prowl him, I just jump on him and zhonya. That will make him waste his E and then you can put all your damage.

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REASONS WHY Ashe doesn't have any mobility. At all. She only has an ult which only stunns you for 1 second if you're close to her. Don't be afraid, she will be an easy kill.

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REASONS WHY Ashe doesn't have any mobility. At all. She only has an ult which only stunns you for 1 second if you're close to her. Don't be afraid, she will be an easy kill.

REASONS WHY TEXT

REASONS WHY Ashe doesn't have any mobility. At all. She only has an ult which only stunns you for 1 second if you're close to her. Don't be afraid, she will be an easy kill.

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If you have read all this, you are finally ready to go in the jungle and show who the queen is. Goodluck! If you liked the guide, don't hesitate to leave a comment or top it up. Thanks!