Beginner-Friendly League of Legends Junglers: Which champ to pick?
For new players in League of Legends, the jungle can seem very confusing. We will try to help you understand your role better. We will explain the basics of jungling clearly, so that you know what to do, even as a beginner. You will learn how to choose the right champion in solo queue. With this knowledge, you can move through the jungle easily and help your team succeed. Let’s quickly summarize, how a game in generally normally looks like for a jungler.
What to do as a jungler?
Clear jungle camps efficiently.
Track enemy jungler and lane states to look for gank opportunities
Secure objectives (drakes, Herald) with your Smite.
Place and clear vision.
Counter-jungle when safe.
Assist in team fights.
Adapt to game flow, get big objectives like Baron and Elder Drake.
This was the short version, but what does that actually mean?
Understanding the Role of a Jungler in League of Legends
In League of Legends, the jungler acts like a stealthy hunter. They move through the areas between lanes to catch enemies off guard. Unlike other roles that stick to one lane, the jungler has control over the entire map. They can affect battles in many ways.
The main goal of the jungler is to defeat neutral monsters in the jungle. This gives them gold and experience. They also look for chances to surprise enemy laners or get important objectives like dragons and Baron Nashor.
Key Responsibilities and Challenges for Junglers
The jungle role in League of Legends is complex. It requires strategic thinking, skillful movements, and good game knowledge. Junglers do many important tasks that help their team succeed.
First, they need to be great at “ganking.” This means they ambush enemy laners to get kills or make them leave their lane. To do this well, they need to pay attention to the map, understand how lanes work, and time their attacks to surprise their foes.
Junglers also need to control important objectives like dragons, Rift Herald, and Baron Nashor. Taking these objectives gives big benefits to the team that secures them. Managing these goals is vital for a jungler. They must predict what the enemy jungler will do and plan their moves to outsmart them and gain these key objectives for their team.
The Impact of a Jungler on Game Outcome
In League of Legends, junglers play a big role in the game. They work from the shadows and can change how the game goes. You can feel their impact across the entire map, helping their team in battles. Often, junglers determine what the team aims to do in the early game.
Good junglers can win team fights. They engage at the right moments, mess up enemy plans, and create chances for their team. This skill can mean the difference between winning or losing a match.
Additionally, junglers excel at objective control. They focus on important goals like dragons and Baron Nashor. By securing these objectives, they give their team powerful buffs and advantages, which can lead to a big victory.
Essential Traits of Beginner-Friendly Junglers
Navigating the jungle as a new player can be tough. Luckily, some champions make this easier. They help beginner junglers learn quickly and enjoy their time in the jungle.
These champions have simple abilities that are easy to use. This helps new players understand how jungling works. They often have good sustain, which lets them stay healthy while clearing jungle camps. This means they do not have to go back often.
Champion Simplicity and Forgiveness in Gameplay
A key feature of beginner-friendly junglers is that they are easy to play. This helps new players to understand basic jungle ideas without getting stuck on complicated skills. These jungle champions usually have controls that are simple to use or have big hitboxes. This reduces the need for perfect aim with skill shots.
This easy gameplay lets new players make mistakes without facing harsh penalties. It sets up a supportive learning space. Their abilities often work well even if the players do not play perfectly. This means new junglers can still help their team succeed.
By focusing on simplicity, players can slowly improve their skills, like knowing the map, ganking, and objective control, without feeling overwhelmed.
Good champions for this are
Warwick:
Simple kit: Auto attacks, sustain, and a point-and-click ultimate.
Big hitboxes: His Q and R are easy to land.
Forgiving gameplay: His passive healing and W tracking help newer players survive and find ganks.
Strong fundamentals: Encourages learning map awareness, objective timing, and lane impact.
Amumu:
Simple kit: Easy-to-understand abilities with strong impact—Q for engage, W for damage over time, E for defense, and R for massive AoE stun.
Big hitboxes: His Q (bandage toss) is generous, and Amumu’s Ultimate affects a large area, so precision isn’t heavily required.
Forgiving gameplay: Tanky with good base stats, and his W+E combo does consistent damage even if slightly misplayed.
Strong fundamentals: Teaches timing for ganks and team fights, especially with his game-changing ultimate.
Scales into team fights: Even if early ganks go poorly, Amumu shines in mid to late game with strong crowd control and team presence.
Sustain and Survivability in the Jungle
One big challenge for new junglers is taking care of their health in the tough jungle environment. Beginner-friendly champions are great at this. They have a lot of survivability because they can heal themselves or reduce incoming damage.
These champions can stay in the jungle longer without needing to go back to base to heal. This lets them keep pressure on the map and stay even with their lane opponents.
With better health management, new junglers can focus on learning other important key skills of their role. This includes map awareness, objective control, and ganking without always worrying about their health.
Good champions for this are
Rammus:
Simple kit: Mostly point-and-click or auto-targeting abilities. Just roll in, taunt, and spin!
Fast, safe clear: His W (Defensive Ball Curl) and passive return damage help clear camps with minimal risk.
Forgiving gameplay: Naturally tanky, with high durability during clears and ganks.
Strong fundamentals: Encourages map movement and decision-making with high-speed mobility (Q).
Clear identity: Easy to know your job—peel for allies and dive the backline with your taunt + your ultimate ability.
Nunu & Willump:
Simple but fun kit: Mostly auto-aim or AoE spells. Q for healing, W for gank setups, E for slows.
Healthy clears: Q heals a ton, letting you stay full HP in jungle even without a leash.
Forgiving gameplay: High sustain makes mistakes less punishing; easy to survive bad clears.
Strong fundamentals: Great for learning objective control thanks to strong Smite+Q combo.
Encourages creativity: Rolling giant snowballs (W) teaches pathing and gank timing in a fun way.
Getting Started as a Jungler
Starting your journey as a jungler in League of Legends is exciting. It may feel like you’re entering a brand-new world. To make this transition easier, you need to grasp some key ideas and have the right tools.
To succeed in the jungle, you should learn the map’s layout. Knowing when monsters spawn and having effective routes for clearing is important. Additionally, getting to know the key equipment and resources will help you in the jungle and prepare you for success.
Necessary Equipment and Resources
Venturing into the jungle takes careful preparation. You should learn about jungle knowledge. Understand how jungle camps work, including their spawn timers and the best paths for clearing. This knowledge helps you become strong in the jungle. It allows you to gather resources and stay ahead of your opponents.
To be a good jungler, you need some essential items. Use jungle items, trinkets for vision, and consumables for health. These tools help you clear the jungle faster, watch for enemy movements, and keep your health up during your trips in the jungle.
When you take this active approach to prepare, you give yourself the tools to succeed in the tough jungle environment.
What are starting jungler items?
Gustwalker Hatchling – Gain 45% bonus movement speed when entering a brush that decays over 2 seconds after leaving the brush. This is increased to 60% for 2 seconds after killing a large monster.
Mosstomper Seedling – Gain a 75-330 health shield after killing a monster camp or after 10 seconds out of combat (depending on level). This shield will remain indefinitely. Players will gain 20% Tenacity and slow resist while the shield is present and for 1.5 seconds after it has been broken.
Scorchclaw Pup – Accumulate Ember stacks at a rate of 3 stacks per 0.5 seconds or 100 stacks upon killing a large monster. At 100 Ember stacks, your next instance of damage against an enemy champion will slow all enemies in a 250 unit radius by 30% (decaying over 2 seconds) and deal burn damage equal to 4% of the target’s maximum health in true damage over 4 seconds to the primary target.
Understanding the Jungle Map and Monster Spawns
Navigating the jungle well means you need to really know how it is set up. This includes understanding the different paths, where monsters appear, and why having vision is important. This knowledge helps you make the best choices for your jungle pathing.
Each jungle camp has its own challenges. You need different strategies to clear them effectively. By knowing your champion’s strengths and weaknesses, you can change your approach for each camp and get the most gold and experience. Learn the best jungle routes for your champion and adjust them based on how the game is going and how the enemies move.
Becoming great at jungle pathing is key for a jungler’s success. You must adapt to the changing landscape of Summoner’s Rift to win.
What are the jungle timers?
The respawn takes 2:15 mins for a regular camp (i. e. Krugs, Gromp etc.) and 5:00 mins for the Red Buff and Blue Buff.
The scuttle crab respawns after 2:30 mins.
The voidgrubs spawn at 6:00 mins and respawn after 4:00 mins, if killed before 11:45.
The Rift Herald spawns at 16:00 mins.
The Baron spawns at 25:00 mins and respawns after 6:00 mins.
The first drake spawns at 5:00 mins. The next drake will spawn 5:00 mins after the previous got defeated until 4 drakes are slain from 1 team, giving them dragon soul.
Elder drake spawns after a team has killed their 4th drake. Afterwards, it respawns every 6:00 mins.
Step-by-Step Guide to Effective Jungling
Starting your journey to be a good jungler means learning a few important steps. Each step helps you make a bigger impact in the game. You need to choose the right champion and adjust to how the game changes. Each step builds on the last one, helping you improve your skills and become a strong jungler.
This guide will give you simple strategies to improve your jungle gameplay.
Step 1: Choosing the Right Champion
Choosing the right champion is very important for your success as a jungler. Picking easier champions that fit your playstyle and make you feel comfortable can help your early game. If you are a beginner, focus on champions that are simple to play and have easy mechanics.
Starting with a small champion pool helps you master a few champions instead of trying to learn too many at once. This focused way of learning will let you understand their abilities, how fast they can clear the jungle, and how they gank.
Also, remember that playing a champion you enjoy can make learning more fun and help you climb the ranked ladder better.
Step 2: Learning Basic Jungle Routes
Jungle knowledge is not just about individual champions. It also involves the smart details of jungle routes. Get to know the basic routes. Learn the best paths for your champion so you can be more efficient. Good pathing means clearing camps in a way that cuts down travel time and increases your experience and gold. This helps you level up quickly and keep a strong position on the map.
Think about things like how long it takes for camps to respawn, your champion’s clearing speed, and the chances of enemy attacks when planning your route. As you gain experience, adapt your routes to fit the game’s flow. Focus on goals and respond to enemy movements along the way.
Step 3: Mastering Initial Clears and Ganking
In the early parts of the game, your first jungle clears are very important. You need to be efficient to keep health loss low and reach level three quickly. Doing this helps you make an impact on the map with ganks. There are various sites like Mobalytics, which can support you with jungle clear routes. Of course this can always be interrupted by advantageous ganks.
Ganking means working with your laners to surprise enemy champions. Good ganks need right timing, map awareness, and knowing your champion’s strengths. Watch for times when enemy laners are too far forward or have used important skills. Talk to your laners, show what you want to do, and use crowd control abilities to hold targets and get kills.
Step 4: Adapting to Dynamic In-Game Situations
League of Legends is an exciting game. It needs you to change your plans quickly and think fast. As a jungler, you will face many situations that need a flexible approach and quick choices. This could mean changing your jungle route if the enemy attacks. You might need to focus on objectives that fit your team’s strengths or switch from farming to counter-ganking or counter-jungling.
To adapt well, you must understand the game’s rules, champion matchups, and your role in the team. If you stay flexible and make smart choices while playing, you can confidently handle the changing world of Summoner’s Rift.
Conclusion
In conclusion, playing as a jungler in League of Legends means knowing your key duties, developing important skills, and using helpful strategies. Beginner-friendly junglers are simple and forgiving in gameplay, making them great picks for new players. You need to learn about the game, keep an eye on the map, and get good with your champion to do well in the jungle. This also means, that you need a ton of game knowledge, which is one of the hardest skill to achieve. If you want to speed up that process, a coach or a class can help. Coludi provides you with many professional and affordable coaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest junglers for a complete beginner?
For someone who is new to the game, the best beginner junglers are the ones that are easy to learn. They usually have simple skills and are tough to take down. The strongest low elo junglers are Warwick, Amumu, Nocturne and Volibear. If you are looking for a very good jungler who deals a lot of damage, try Master Yi.