Season 13 has only just begun but a meta is clearly starting to develop in the jungle role. The role is responsible for securing objectives, clearing vision, being the team’s punching bag, and being blamed for everything that goes wrong in the game. Took a bad trade in lane? Blame the jungler! Messed up your wave management and can’t farm? Blame the jungler! You accidentally bought the wrong item? Blame the jungler.
On a serious note, since Riot Games implemented two ranked seasons in one year, there isn’t a lot of time to mess around trying things. You need to be playing the strongest jungle champions to climb with, in order to get those sweet rewards. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Let us get this show on the road starting with:
#15 Shaco
The magical marionette Shaco, which was once made as a toy for a lonely prince, now revels in murder and mayhem. The once-kind puppet is now corrupted by dark magic and the loss of his loving charge, and he only enjoys the suffering of the helpless people he torments. He finds the outcomes of his gory "games" humorous and uses toys and simple tricks to great effect. If someone hears a sinister chuckle in the middle of the night, the Demon Jester may have chosen them as his next plaything.
Every assassin has some way of getting onto squishy targets and for Shaco it is his Q “Deceive”. The ability grants Shaco invisibility for 3.5 seconds. This is great for ganking and escaping trouble.
With his R, "Hallucinate," you can fight just about anyone in the game who is attempting to prevent you from split-pushing with ease. This enables you to not only kill them but also to push almost twice as quickly with your clone, putting incredible pressure on the opposing team.
If you can manage to build up a sizeable lead early on, Shaco's incredible burst is one of the best things about him. Not only is it entertaining to watch the enemy squishies explode in under a second, but it's even more entertaining to read their All Chat responses.
Why Shaco is a great jungler
- He can surprise all-in champions and disengage with ease thanks to his W "Jack In The Box." This serves as a defense against carries that have dashes and use kiting to win battles.
- His Q can get him out of tough situations. When used with his ult he can fool enemies quite easily.
- The mental warfare Shaco brings to the table is incredible. People have to constantly watch their backs and if Shaco appears, they have to wonder if it’s the real him.
See Shaco in action
#14 Diana
Diana battles as a Lunari warrior with her crescent moonblade—a religion that has all but been eradicated in the regions surrounding Mount Targon. She is a physical representation of the power of the silver moon, dressed in dazzling armor that is the hue of winter snow at night. Diana is no longer entirely human and struggles to comprehend her power and role in this world since she has been imbued with the essence of an Aspect from beyond Targon's imposing summit.
One of the best flankers in the game, perhaps. If she is not checked during a team fight, she can virtually instantly eliminate the opposition backline. In addition, if she gets discovered, her protective gear and tankiness will keep her alive for a while.
From level 3 onwards, Diana can start ganking. Always be looking for opportunities but don’t over-force plays because you risk falling behind. Diana has a lot of burst damage and CC at level 6. Make sure you're attempting to gank whenever the opportunity arises because your R "Ultimate Moonfall" is such a potent tool. Diana has tremendous 1v1 potential once she has finished her Mythic item. If you have the item and level edge, don't be scared to battle the opposing jungler alone.
Diana plays like an assassin, therefore once she completes several items in the mid-game, her burst potential will be very strong. She will have little trouble defeating enemies that are wandering the Rift alone.
Why Diana is a great jungler
- Good at team fighting because of the AOE damage on her ultimate.
- She can 1v1 anyone at any stage of the game.
- Great at catching enemies off guard when flanking.
See Diana in action
#13 Nunu & Willump
Once upon a time, a boy set out to defeat a terrifying creature to prove his bravery, only to find that the monster—a lonely, magical yeti—needed nothing more than a companion. Nunu and Willump now wander aimlessly around the Freljord, bringing to life their made-up experiences. They are connected by an ancient force and a shared love of snowballs. They are hoping to locate Nunu's mother somewhere out there. They might end up becoming heroes after all if they can save her.
Nunu might be a simple champion with one gimmick but boy is it effective. Nunu is the definition of a ganking jungler because that is all he can do. The game plan on Nunu should always be to gank because even if brushes are warded, by the time enemies realize that Nunu is coming, it is already too late.
Always start red buff because it gives you the most options. If you have lanes with CC then you can look to gank them at level 2. If not, then look to get level 3 and gank volatile lanes which are matchups that will fight a lot. Nunu’s W “Biggest Snowball Ever” is what makes him so good a ganking. Nunu rolls a snowball which increases in size and gains speed. Enemies hit are CC’d which allows Nunu’s team to easily follow up on his engages. Nothing is more satisfying than rolling a snowball and hitting carries right in the face. His E “Snowball Barrage” is great at rooting enemies after his them with W.
Nunu’s Q “Consume” deals true damage to jungle camps and objectives. At max rank, it deals 1200 true damage. Combine that with your smite then Nunu can kill objectives at 2400 hp which no jungler can match. If you never want an objective stolen again then play Nunu because he is great at securing objectives and controlling them.
Why Nunu & Willump is a great jungler
- He thrives in the chaos of solo queue.
- Unmatched ganking because of the speed and damage in the early game.
- Insane utility for the team
- Great at securing objectives because no one can match his Q and smite combo
See Nunu & Willump in action
The successor presumptive to the throne of Demacia is Prince Jarvan, a descendant of the Lightshield family. He is compelled to strike a balance between the high expectations placed on him and his own desire to fight on the front lines because he was raised to be a model of his country's best virtues. Jarvan raises the flag for his family and demonstrates his full strength as a potential leader of his people by inspiring his men with his fearsome bravery and unselfish tenacity.
Jarvan was released in season one and has seen the evolution of the game from the onset. He has seen many metas and to this day he still stands strong. He has survived this long because he is the epitome of versatility. He can be built and played in numerous ways.
You always want to be checking your lanes because J4 is typically a ganking jungler. He is notorious for getting level two off red buff and looking for ganks. This strategy is strong because not only do people not expect a hit, lakers are usually level 1 at this time when you are level 2. This means that you are double their abilities which leave from stranded. Even if you don’t get a kill, they will have likely used flash so you can just repeat gank.
After ganking, J4 is all about looking for fights with his R “Cataclysm”. When you have more teammates, look to fight. Because of your numerical advantage in the battle, this enables you to engage without the risk of the opponent engaging onto you.
Does your team need a tank? Play J4. Does your team need a bruiser? Play J4. Does your team need a support? Play J4. Does your team need magic damage? Play J4. He can fit into any situation he so pleases and that’s why he has survived and thrived since season one.
Why Jarvan IV is a great jungler
- Jarvan has a level 2 that is quite powerful. He can get cheesy ganks off as a result.
- He is very mobile and can escape sticky situations.
- He can repeat gank lanes over and over due to his low cooldowns.
- Great at team fighting due to his ultimate.
See Jarvan IV in action
#11 Fiddlesticks
The timeless abomination known as Fiddlesticks prowls the peripheries of mortal society, drawn to places where paranoia is prevalent and where it can prey on terrified victims. The ragged, improvised beast reaps fear itself while wielding a jagged scythe, shattering the minds of those unlucky enough to survive in its wake. Beware of the crow's cawing and the shape that is almost like a human whispering. Fiddlesticks is back.
Due to the potency of his new items, Fiddlesticks is currently a highly solid choice. Take advantage of this while you can because there might be impending nerfs. He is a strong, underused choice that gives you free LP. It's difficult to match the rush of a game-changing ultimate or a quadra or pentakill. Fiddlesticks is a solid dark horse option because of how rarely he is picked or banned due to his low play rate. You will catch people by surprise because they will not know how to play against Fiddlesticks.
Fiddlesticks is very weak in the early stages. He needs to farm up and hit level six so that get can get his ultimate “Crowstorm” and start impacting the game. Remember that Fiddlesticks is ultimate-reliant so you can’t really make plays when his R is on cooldown. Make sure to farm whilst you wait for the ultimate to come off cooldown because Fiddlesticks needs items and levels to be effective.
Look to fight in tight spaces because enemies are more likely to be caught off guard and you can land your W “Bountiful Harvest and E “Reap” on multiple targets. His R will also fear all enemies that did not see him channeling his ult. That’s why vision control on Fiddlesticks is so important. Making sure you get the fear off with the ultimate can change the tides of games.
Why Fiddlesticks is a great jungler
- Great vision control due to passive. It is common to have a higher vision score than the support when playing Fiddlesticks.
- Fiddlesticks is a beast at team fighting, especially in closed spaces because he can land all his abilities to deal massive amounts of damage on multiple enemies.
- Great at lane ganking from brushes.
See Fiddlesticks in action
#10 Evelynn
The demon Evelynn is looking for her next victim deep within Runeterra's shadowy crevices. A human female's voluptuous exterior is used to entice prey, but once they fall for her seductive ways, Evelynn unleashes her full power. She then tortures the victim beyond belief while revelingrevelling in their suffering. These relationships are only innocent hookups to the demon. They are horrifying tales of lust gone wrong and terrible reminders of the price of wanton desire to the rest of Runeterra.
The beauty of Evelynn is that she is a simple champion in a mechanical sense, which is hard to come by these days in League of Legends. Evelynn can only be played one way, that is to assassinate targets and escape. You need to have good map awareness to be able to check winning and losing lanes. It is imperative to play towards winning lanes since Evelynn is weak pre-level six.
My advice is to always look to full clear. You want to get level six as fast as you can because that’s when the real fun begins. Only gank lanes that are over-extending or lanes that can CC enemies for you. Securing a kill in the early game or getting level six without dying is huge for Evelynn. Once you get your R “Last Caress” you always want to be looking to pick off unsuspecting targets.
Evelynn can always secure picks because the game is revolved around minion waves. Lakers are guaranteed to shove waves in the side lane before grouping that is where Evelynn shines. Be on the lookout for minion waves because someone will shove them. Wait for the enemy to use waste their spells on clearing the waves and then you pounce on the. They will have no spells left to fight you and you will one-shot them with one spell rotation.
Why Evelynn is a great jungler
- All-in burst damage is crazy.
- Snowballs hard with kills and items. The game becomes unplayable for the enemy team if Evelynn is fed.
- Map pressure is huge just because she is alive. Her invisibility is the main reason for this.
See Evelynn in action
#9 Vi
Vi is a headstrong, impetuous, and frightening lady with only a very loose respect for authority figures. She was once a criminal from the rough streets of Zaun. Vi developed well-honed survival skills and a wickedly harsh sense of humor as a result of practically living alone as a child. She now works with the Piltover Wardens to maintain order and is armed with powerful hextech gauntlets that can easily punch through suspects and walls.
Vi’s early game is nothing to scoff at because of her Q “Vault Breaker” which is a dash that knocks back enemies hit. With more points in Q, she will be able to spam gank because of the lower cooldown.
Level 6 is a significant increase in Vi's power. She will be able to target specific foes and destroy them. Her CC enables her allies to follow up on her engages. As a result, the midgame is when she plays the best because she has the most leeway. Having said that, she does lag behind other junglers in the late game (not significantly, but it shows) and will find it harder to convert her lead into a victory the longer the match drags on. She still has value despite this flaw because of her CC and overall damage.
Vi does great in team fights because she can deal with frontline carries and tanks well. She stops people from getting onto her carries and if she needs to get onto the backline, she can always use her ultimate “Cease and Desist” to target them.
Due to her passive and her damage, she has very good objective control and sustain. After successfully ganking a lane with her Q, can quickly give her team a dragon lead.
Why Vi is a great jungler
- Versatile playstyle because she can frontline for her team and dive the enemy backline if she so chooses.
- Great early game ganks due to her Q
- Great at taking neutral objectives due to her single target damage and sustain on her passive.
See Vi in action
#8 Wukong
A vastayan trickster, Wukong uses his physical might, agility, and cunning to outwit his rivals and gain the upper hand. Wukong, the last practitioner of the ancient martial technique known as Wuju, made a lifetime companion in the warrior known as Master Yi. With the use of an enchanted staff, Wukong aims to keep Ionia from disintegrating.
It's no surprise that we have entered a tank meta because of how busted the tank items are. Assassins are good because they can keep tanks from scaling by invades. Tank jungle clears are often slow and unhealthy so invading them on their jungle camps is a good strategy for disrupting them. Wukong is one of the only bruisers that can take advantage of that. He has armor shred on his Q. The Q is also an auto-attack resetter which is great for taking advantage of the armor shred.
His W “Warrior Trickster” grants him invisibility and he can dash in any direction. After his min-rework, Wukong can now hop over walls with his W. This makes his ganks more potent because he can surprise laners from any angle.
His E “Nimbus Strike” allows Wokung to dash to targets and deal damage to any enemies struck. This ability is great for dealing damage to multiple enemies in the early game when ganking. Typically you want to walk up, auto-attack then Q then auto-attack again. If enemies flash then can follow up with your W and E to finish them off.
Now to talk about the ability Wukong is famous for, his R “Cyclone”. The Monkey King extends his staff and spins rapidly, knocking up any enemies. The cool thing is that if he makes a clone with W then the clone can also use R. This allows Wukong to knock up several enemies in team fights.
Why Wukong is a great jungler
- Good against tanks
- Has multiple dashes so enemies can’t easily escape him
- Great damage and CC in team fights.
- Has good escape tools to evade sticky situations
See Wukong in action
#7 Zac
Zac is the result of a toxic spill that occurred in a chemtech seam and pooled in an isolated cavern deep within Zaun's Sump. Despite his humble beginnings, Zac has evolved from a primordial ooze into a thinking being who lives in the city's pipes, occasionally emerging to help those who cannot help themselves or to rebuild Zaun's broken infrastructure.
Zac is arguably the best ganker in the game. The angles he can gank from are just insane. This is due to his E “Elastic Slingshot” which allows him to leap in any direction knocking up any enemies hit. The range on his leap is not far early on. That’s why you must try and max this ability asap so you can gank from unsuspecting angles.
In a fight, he can replenish his health by collecting W "Unstable Matter" blobs. This makes it difficult for his enemies to easily kill him, rendering focusing him down first useless.
Zac’s Q “Stretching Strikes allow him to latch his arm onto an enemy and slow them. If he grabs another enemy target then he slaps them together which deals damage and CCs them. Combine this with his ultimate “Let’s Bounce” then Zac can CC targets for a LONG time. But Zac is not just a CC bot, with the new Item combo of Radiant Virtue and Demonic Embrace, Zac can actually one-shot the enemy back line and heal all the damage dealt to him.
Why Zac is a great jungler
- Huge all-in potential.
- Great ganker with his E.
- His R can take up a massive amount of space in a team fight and can disrupt the enemies.
See Zac in action
#6 Amumu
Another tank is being featured on the list. This is a pattern that will continue on this list. According to legend, Amumu is a lonely and melancholy soul from ancient Shurima who wanders the world in search of a friend. His touch is death, his affection ruined, and he is cursed to be alone forever. Those who claim to have seen him describe him as a small cadaver wrapped in creeping bandages. Amumu has inspired myths, songs, and folklore that have been told and retold for generations, making it impossible to separate fact from fiction.
The sad mummy has been terrorizing the Rift in Season 13. He and Zac share the same strengths. They are both damage-dealing, health-stacking, CC bot assassins with Demonic Embrace and Radiant Virtue/Jak’sho item combo.
Amumu has great jungle clear which gives him tempo and level advantages over other junglers. The early game is where Amumu is weakest. You want to focus on farming up till your first major power spike which is unlocking his R “ Curse of the Sad Mummy”. It stuns all surrounding targets. This ability is overpowered in team fights and one good R engage can change the course of the game. The key with scaling tank junglers is finding a balance between farming and ganking because you cannot ignore your team, but you also cannot delay your first item.
The mid-game is where Amumu is strongest. He will have two points in his R which puts it on a lower cooldown. This allows him to make more picks and engage in team fights more. Depending on the mummy’s build, he will either deal tons of damage in fights or be insanely tanky. Amumu is a menace regardless.
Why Amumu is a great jungler
- Ultimate can CC the entire enemy team under the right circumstances.
- His itemization is versatile. You can build full AP, AP bruiser, or full tank.
- His jungle clear is fast and healthy which allows him to hit his level spikes fast.
See Amumu in action
#5 Ekko
Ekko, a prodigy from Zaun's rough streets, manipulates time to his advantage in any situation. He explores the branching possibilities of reality using his own invention, the Zero Drive, to create the perfect moment. Though he enjoys his freedom, if his friends are in danger, he will go to any length to protect them. To outsiders, Ekko appears to accomplish the impossible every time.
Ekko is a personal favourite of mine. The time theme suits his kit so well. Ekko has been a “1v9” carry jungler for a while now and it's time you picked him up for your solo queue games! People will always underestimate his damage and Ekko will always just do Ekko things. He will stun the enemy team for 2.25 seconds and one-shot them before they can even react.
As the game progresses, his burst damage should not be overlooked. This is especially true when he is ahead of the game. If he manages to W "Parallel Convergence" and E "Phase Dive" onto the enemy backline, he can literally wipe them out in one rotation of spells.
If Ekko casts his W out of vision then enemies will not see the animation till the last second. This is great for catching people off guard and landing a guaranteed stun.
His R "Ultimate Chronobreak" ability is the most potent in his arsenal because it allows him to undo his mistakes, particularly when he chooses a bad fight or fails an all-in. The cooldown of this ability gets shorter as the game progresses, allowing him to do whatever he wants as long as he has his R.
Why Ekko is a great jungler
Great CC for an assassin so he will be useful even if he is behind.
He can kill carries with one spell rotation and runs away at the speed of light.
His R is a great escape tool but can also be used to bait people into sticky situations.
See Ekko in action
#4 Sylas
Sylas of Dregbourne, raised in one of Demacia's poorer districts, has come to represent the Great City's darker side. His ability to uncover hidden sorcery drew the attention of the notorious mage-seekers as a child, who eventually imprisoned him for using those same powers against them. Sylas now lives as a hardened revolutionary, using the magic of those around him to destroy the kingdom he once served... His band of outcast mage followers appears to be growing by the day.
His early game ganks are incredible, as he can quickly get on enemies with his W "Kingslayer" and E "Abscond / Abduct" abilities. Ganking overextended enemies is a piece of cake for him.
His level six is a huge power spike but it can be lacklustre if the enemy team’s ultimates are not useful. Sylas needs to steal good ultimates to have an impact in the game. At level 9, his first ability will be maxed. This will greatly increase his damage and allow him to easily blow up single targets. Sylas is quite good in a team fight, especially if the opposing team has an AoE-based ultimate. His life steal from W will keep him from dying too soon.
Why Sylas is a great jungler
- His ganks are deadly as soon as he hits level 2.
- He scales well into the mid and late-game.
- Sylas is great in team fights and skirmishes.
- His W heals him a lot and can bail him out of close and tough fights.
See Sylas in action
#3 Elise
This spider is a monster in the early game. She has high base damage which is why she is such a terror pre fifteen minutes. You should always be proactive with Elise because you have to take advantage of her early-game power, otherwise she falls off in the later stages of the game. Being proactive is not difficult because if you cannot gank, then look for invades on the enemy jungler. Elise is the perfect counter to tank junglers such as Amumu and Zac. She stops them from scaling by either invading them on buffs, ganking lanes before they can react, or even counter-ganking.
\What Elise lacks in team fights, she makes up for in raw damage and pressure on the map. Elise is one of the few champions that do not have a “true” ultimate. She has her ultimate at the start of the game which allows her to transform from human form to spider form and vice versa. She is also the best champion to use for tower dives because her E “Cocoon/Rappel” rests tower aggro. The best tower dive situation is when your laner is shoving in a wave whilst the enemy is low. Sneak up behind the target and make sure you attack first so that you get tower aggro. Your minions will also start attacking the enemy alongside your teammate. Tank the tower for as long as you can then at the last second, use E to reset the tower damage. Then give yourself a pat on the back because you successfully completed a tower dive on Elise.
The reason why tower dives are so effective is due to enemies losing minions, which means gold and experience are lost. They also give you gold for dying and you can get tower plates to snowball the lane. The enemy will always be behind in experience and gold and from then on the lane is doomed for them
Human form is for getting enemies low and for CC, spider form is for gap-closing and finishing off-targets. So the plan in every game as Elise is to hit level three as soon as possible so you can gank. Walk up to the target and throw out all your spells with auto-attacks in between casts. Do not throw out your stun on E because enemies will try and juke it. They will try so hard to juke it that they will walk themselves into a corner. That's when you cast your E. Then transform into spider form and finish them off with your Q which is an execute on low-health targets. It is very important to use auto-attacks in between ability casts because it can be the difference between killing targets or them getting away on a sliver of health.
Why Elise is a great jungler
- Great early-game
- Best at tower dives due to her ability to rest tower aggro.
- Good at stopping tanks from scaling.
- Great ganks
See Elise in action
#2 Udyr
Due to his rapid movement on the map and ability to quickly transition between objectives, Udyr has good objective control. Because of this, he is also very useful for ganks and counter-ganks. The early-game ganks of Udyr are incredible and terrifying. He should be able to overtake foes that are positioned too far back in the lane and are immobile.
He is a rather strong duelist who can easily 1 v 1 any jungler. If he has his Red Buff, his dueling power is considerably increased. Due to his ability to move around the map quickly and fast jungle clear, he has really good objective control. He can easily defeat early dragons, especially if the opposing team lacks any kind of vision. His mid-game selection potential is extremely significant. Try and coordinate with your support to get free picks with Udyr’s E "Blazing Stampede” which stuns the target hit.
Why Udyr is a great jungler
- Great jungle clear.
- Good objective control because of fast jungle clear.
- Great pick potential because of his E and movement speed.
See Udyr in action
#1 Maokai
Direct nerfs to him and his item cannot stop this tree monster. Maokai has been outright the best jungler since the start of the year. Fighting the supernatural monsters of the Shadow Isles is the ferocious, towering treant known as Maokai. After a magical catastrophe devastated his home, he was turned into a vengeful force, and the Waters of Life embedded in his heartwood were the only thing that kept him from going undead. Maokai, who was formerly a calm nature spirit, is now engaged in a fierce war to rid the Shadow Isles of the plague of unlife and bring his home back to its former splendor.
Maokai may not look it, but he is an excellent ganker. His W “Twisted Advance” is point-and-click CC that roots targets. You cannot miss it and if you time it right, you can follow enemy flashes. There is no escaping a Maokai that has set his eyes on you.
He can initiate fights from a great distance with his R "Ultimate Nature's Grasp." When utilized from out of sight or when foes are close to a wall, this is quite strong. Maokai is great at controlling vision because of his saplings that he throws in brushes. The saplings are great at zone enemies as well. Enemies will get chunked for a bunch of damage if they get hit with saplings. When his E slow and W are combined, he can almost choose his own targets and CC them for a while his team just follows his lead.
WithWithe the full ap build, Maokai is essentially a poke mage. He is squishy but can deal tons of damage to enemies from afar. You never really want to hard commit on enemies because you will just get one shot. Rather play the poke game till enemies get low enough to commit to safely.
Why Maokai is a great jungler
- Great vision control with saplings.
- Excellent zone control with saplings.
- CC bot which helps the team follow up on damage.
- Objective control cannot be matched.
See Maokai in action
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