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Nidalee Build Guide by Majd1

Jungle [13.22] RANK 1 NIDALEE EUW - Majd's Challenger Nidalee Guide [In-Depth]

Jungle [13.22] RANK 1 NIDALEE EUW - Majd's Challenger Nidalee Guide [In-Depth]

Updated on November 13, 2023
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Majd1 Build Guide By Majd1 74 5 150,051 Views 3 Comments
74 5 150,051 Views 3 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Majd1 Nidalee Build Guide By Majd1 Updated on November 13, 2023
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Runes: DARK HARVEST

1 2
Domination
Dark Harvest
Sudden Impact
Eyeball Collection
Relentless Hunter

Sorcery
Transcendence
Waterwalking

Spells:

LoL Summoner Spell: Flash

Flash

LoL Summoner Spell: Smite

Smite

Threats & Synergies

Threats Synergies
Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny
Show All
None Low Ok Strong Ideal
Extreme Threats
Ideal Synergies
Synergies
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Champion Build Guide

[13.22] RANK 1 NIDALEE EUW - Majd's Challenger Nidalee Guide [In-Depth]

By Majd1
Hello, my name is Majd1. I am a League of Legends player who specializes in playing Nidalee, Graves, and Lee Sin. I have been consistently Challenger on the EUW server every season since season 8 and have millions of mastery points on Nidalee across all accounts.

I stream almost daily on Twitch and upload game guides and highlights on TikTok and YouTube. According to League of Graphs, I am considered one of the best Nidalee player in the world and am well-known on the EUW server for my mastery of the champion.

My stream is focused on high-elo gameplay in the Jungle role, primarily with Nidalee. As an experienced player, I have maintained the Challenger rank for the past four years and stream nearly every day for several hours, providing my viewers with an entertaining and educational experience as I climb the ranks on the EUW server.


Nidalee, the Bestial Huntress, is one of the most versatile and agile champions in the world of League of Legends. With her unique abilities to switch between human and cougar forms, she can adapt to various situations in a match, making her a formidable opponent on the battlefield. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the game, a proper understanding of Nidalee's strengths and weaknesses can elevate your gameplay and lead to a successful hunting experience. In this guide, we will dive into the ins and outs of playing Nidalee, including tips on item build recommendations, and effective strategies to dominate the Rift.
β˜… What kind of champion is Nidalee?

Nidalee is an aggressive early game jungler with fast jungle clears and good ganks. She has good amount of burst in the early game, which makes it possible for her to duel the majority of junglers in the current meta. Nidalee has a lot of mobility, thanks to her Pounce which allows her to pressure the entire map and rotate around the map rapidly.

β˜… Is Nidalee a hard champion to play?

Nidalee is a champion that is very difficult to operate and pilot for regular players. In addition to that she requires a lot of hard work and effort as well as mechanics. However, when you learn the combos and which terrain you can jump over as well as the jungle clear she becomes easier. Furthermore, one of the reason that Nidalee may seem hard is that she is very unforgiving on mistakes meaning that once you get behind it is very hard for you to get back into the game.

β˜… Why would you pick Nidalee over something like Karthus / Evelynn / Skarner / Hecarim?

Once you become really experienced playing League of Legends your ability to predict what certain champions are gonna do becomes better. If you are a good Nidalee and you are able to recognize and predict your opponent's next move then you can bend the game so she is a central part of it. She can cheat the map and on top of that she is very skill rewarding.

Prowl
Moving through brush increases Nidalee's Move Speed by 10% for 2 seconds, increased to 30% toward visible enemy champions within 1400 range.
Hitting champions or monsters with Javelin Toss or Bushwhack triggers a Hunt, granting True Sight of them for 4 seconds. During this
time, Nidalee gains 10% Move Speed (increased to 30% toward the Hunted target) and her Takedown and Pounce are enhanced against them.

Active: Nidalee switches between her Human Form and Cougar Form, gaining access to new abilities.

Aspect of the Cougar


Javelin Toss
HUMAN FORM

Active: Nidalee hurls a javelin in the target direction that deals magic damage to the first enemy hit, increased by 0% βˆ’ 200% (based on distance traveled).
COUGAR FORM

Active: Nidalee empowers her next basic attack within 10 seconds to have an uncancellable windup, gain 75 bonus range and deal modified magic damage that is increased by an amount for every 1% of the target's missing health.

Takedown




Bushwhack
HUMAN FORM

Active: Nidalee lays a trap at the target location that becomes stealthed after arming over 1.5 seconds, lasting for up to 120 seconds and granting sight within its radius. The trap will spring upon contact with an enemy, dealing magic damage every second over 4 seconds.

COUGAR FORM

Active: Nidalee leaps a fixed distance in the target direction. Upon arrival, she deals magic damage to nearby enemies.

Pounce





Primal Surge
HUMAN FORM

Active: Nidalee revitalizes herself or the target allied champion, granting the target bonus attack speed for 7 seconds and healing them for an amount that is increased by 0% βˆ’ 100% (based on target's missing health).

COUGAR FORM

Active: Nidalee slashes in an arc in the target direction, dealing magic damage to enemies hit.

Swipe
  • KEYSTONE
  • Dark Harvest: For players new to Nidalee, taking Electrocute is the most user-friendly option. This is because it is easy to activate with Nidalee and deals more damage than Dark Harvest in the early game, making it a more reliable choice. For experienced players, however, Dark Harvest can be a strong keystone option. This is because Dark Harvest's full potential can only be realized if it is consistently stacked throughout the game. Additionally, Dark Harvest can be highly valuable for players at higher ranks where diving the enemy laners often happens. Dark Harvest does not require 3 hits to activate, but instead triggers on auto attacks, abilities or spears if the enemy's health is low enough.
  • SECOND TREE CHOICE
  • Sorcery: Moreover, I recommend taking the Sorcery tree second, primarily because of Transcendence. Transcendence grants free ability haste at levels 5 and 8, and upon reaching level 11, each enemy kill will reduce the remaining cooldown of your basic abilities by 20%. This is especially beneficial when combined with Hextech Rocketbelt and Sorcerer's Shoes, as it provides some much-needed Ability Haste. Additionally, Waterwalking is generally helpful due to its bonus movement speed and early game AP, enhancing your ability to duel and kite in the early stages of the game.
STARTER ITEMS



Gustwalker Hatchling

Health Potion
The 45% bonus movement speed when entering a brush is highly effective with
Nidalee's passive and general playstyle, as it allows for quicker rotation around the map. This is why I consistently choose the Gustwalker Hatchling option when playing Nidalee. While other options are available, this one has proven to be the most effective and preferable for me.


FIRST BASE


As explained earlier, if you have less than 1100 gold, it's recommended to buy tier 1 Boots and a Dark Seal. Getting Boots early in the game is crucial because it increases your movement speed, which reduces the time it takes for you to move around the map. This allows you to apply more pressure on the map and be more proactive in the game. Additionally, if you have an extra 75 gold, make sure to purchase a
Control Ward to gain vision on the map and possibly prevent your teammates from falling victim to enemy jungler ganks.

Dark Seal

Boots


PERFECT FIRST BASE



Sorcerer's Shoes

Dark Seal
As mentioned earlier, after your first base, the best option is to aim for 1450 gold and purchase a Dark Seal and Sorcerer's Shoes. However, if you only have 1100 gold, then Sorcerer's Shoes alone are still a good choice. Additionally, if you have an extra 75 gold, it's recommended to invest in a Control Ward to gain vision on the map and potentially prevent your teammates from being caught out by enemy jungler ganks.



CORE


Hextech Rocketbelt and Zhonya's Hourglass are your core items every game meaning that these items enable you to become a menace in the game being unkillable whilst playing aggressively making picks for your team so you can get objectives on the map.

Hextech Rocketbelt

Zhonya's Hourglass


CORE+



Hextech Rocketbelt

Zhonya's Hourglass

Void Staff
Hextech Rocketbelt, Zhonya's Hourglass and Void Staff will be your strongest spike during the entire game. These items will enable you to duel anyone regardless of them having bought magic resist.



4TH ITEM OPTIONS

On your 4th item you can choose a variety of options, you can choose to go for:



Rabadon's Deathcap
Rabadon's Deathcap (in case there are no threats to you on enemy team and no excessive shielding)


Shadowflame (in case enemy team has got a lot of shielding, usually enchanters, shieldbows etc., and you wish to reduce that shielding). Moreover, you can also choose to get Shadowflame earlier if you need it, instead of Void Staff or maybe even as 2nd item instead of Zhonya's Hourglass.

Shadowflame



Lich bane
Lich Bane (In case you want more damage)


Mejai's Soulstealer (in case you haven't upgraded your Dark Seal yet and you are sitting on 10 stacks, you can upgrade it, this gives you 10% bonus movement speed as well as more AP and since Mejai's Soulstealer counts as a legendary item you will get another 5 magic penetration really cheap.

Mejai's Soulstealer



Banshee's Veil
Banshee's Veil (in case enemy team has a lot of AP champions or if they have got a lot of skillshots with extreme threat, such as Zoe's E)




FULL BUILD



Sorcerer's Shoes

Hextech Rocketbelt

Zhonya's Hourglass

Void Staff

Rabadon's Deathcap

Banshee's Veil

Can swap Rabadon's Deathcap out with Mejai's Soulstealer / Banshee's Veil / Shadowflame after preference.


FULL BUILD VS SHIELDS



Sorcerer's Shoes

Hextech Rocketbelt

Zhonya's Hourglass

Void Staff

Shadowflame

Rabadon's Deathcap



FULL BUILD VS HEAVY AP CHAMPIONS



Sorcerer's Shoes

Hextech Rocketbelt

Zhonya's Hourglass

Void Staff

Rabadon's Deathcap

Banshee's Veil


It is possible to swap Rabadon's Deathcap out with Lich Bane or Mejai's Soulstealer.


MYTHIC ITEM


Hextech Rocketbelt
There has been a lot of confusion on which Mythic item that you want to build on Nidalee, personally I like to go for Hextech Rocketbelt because I believe it is the better item looking at the stats it provides only. The active on Hextech Rocketbelt has always felt "clunky" especially with Nidalee because you can't queue any abilities while in the Hextech Rocketbelt animation.
Moreover, if we look at the mythic bonuses (haste vs. flat magic penetration) then magic penetration is definitely the better option. This is because it simply offers more damage, especially with Nidalee because your first 3 items will
probably be Hextech Rocketbelt, Sorcerer's Shoes, Mejai's Soulstealer which all 3 give you magic penetration enabling you to oneshot everyone and anyone in the earlier stages of the game.
Hextech Rocketbelt is the mythic item which you want to go for, this is because of the flat magic penetration it
provides and the bonus magic penetration from every legendary item.
In addition to this you don't really need Ability Haste on Nidalee because it only takes one spear and one rotation to
oneshot most targets in the game.

πŸ‘

Pros


β†’ A lot of range
β†’ Extremely mobile
β†’ Fast clear
β†’ A lot of damage
β†’ Ability to pick kills
β†’ Very strong ganks

πŸ‘Ž

Cons


β†’ Underwhelming if behind
β†’ Doesn't have any CC
β†’ Has to rely on team
β†’ Scales really bad, early game champ
β†’ High skill floor
β†’ Little room for mistakes
ο»Ώ
Nidalee's jungle clear has been explained in the videos below. One video is for blue start and the other one is for red start.

BLUE START



RED START




JUNGLE PATHING


As mentioned earlier Nidalee has really good jungle clears which are healthy and fast which is why I choose almost every game to full clear. However, this really depends on enemy composition as well as my jungle matchup. Let’s say that you have a team composition that does not have a lot of crowd control therefore you would look to play for counter ganks plus punish people on enemy team who are really overextending under the turrets of your laners. In games like these I choose to full clear unless my laners are at the threat of getting dove.

In jungle matchups against champions that like to do cheese ganks (level 3 ganks). I like to match their path and invade them on their 2nd buff. Champions where such would apply are Elise and many more. In a situation like this I would start off by identifying which buff they started at by looking at the lane matchups and try to figure out which lane is the most likely one to get camped and based on that I determine where I wanna start, so I can invade enemy jungler on second buff or countergank for my team. However, I may not always be right and therefore it is a good idea to look at which laners from enemy team arrived late to their lane so you can find out at which buff enemy jungler started.

General tips that can help you improve at League of Legends:


β˜… 1. Master the basics:
Start by learning the fundamental mechanics of the game such as last hitting, trading, warding, and positioning. These skills will form the foundation of your gameplay, and you'll be able to build on them as you progress.

β˜… 2. Find a role and champion you enjoy:
Playing a role and champion that you enjoy is crucial for staying motivated and having fun. Experiment with different roles and champions until you find the one that suits your playstyle.

β˜… 3. Watch and learn from pro players:
Watching professional players on Twitch or YouTube can be a great way to learn new strategies, build paths, and techniques. You can also learn a lot from how they communicate with their team and make decisions in-game.

β˜… 4. Focus on one or two champions:
Instead of trying to play every champion, focus on mastering one or two. This will allow you to get better at the mechanics and nuances of those champions, which can translate to better overall gameplay.

β˜… 5. Practice, practice, practice:
Improving at League of Legends requires a lot of practice. Try to play regularly, but also take breaks to avoid burnout.

β˜… 6. Review your gameplay:
After each game, take a few minutes to review what you did well and what you could improve on. This will help you identify patterns and mistakes in your gameplay, and you can work on fixing them.

β˜… 7. Communicate effectively with your team:
Communication is key in League of Legends. Make sure you're using pings and chat to communicate effectively with your team.

β˜… 8. Don't get tilted:
It's easy to get frustrated and tilted when things don't go your way. But getting tilted will only make things worse. Try to stay positive and focused on improving, even when things are tough.

Nidalee's teamfight basics:



β˜… When to engage?
If you manage to hit a spear on one of the squishier targets on enemy team you can start off the fight by flash pouncing oneshotting the target into hourglass mid air. Be aware of hard cc-s on enemy team as they are Nidalee's weakness.


β˜… Be aware of the crowd control
Nidalee is heavily countered by crowd control. This is why it is very important that you analyze enemy composition and think ahead when you are jumping in. All it takes is one crowd control for enemy team to render your champ completely useless.


β˜… Look for spears
In higher elos it is very unlikely that your opponents will get hit by your spears if they see you throwing them, this is because Nidalee's spear is pretty easy to dodge. This is why you should try to throw your spears from fog of war or simply hold your spear until your team uses their crowd control abilities.

Gameplan


Before every game as a jungler you must have a game plan, this one is automatically decided for me usually during champion selection. To identify a game plan, one must identify the team composition and lane matchups. One must look at which lanes have CC, because these lanes are more prone to help you execute a gank and be successful. Moreover, one must understand how lane matchup goes, e.g., if you have a weak toplane champion and the enemy has a lane bully, it is very likely that your toplaner will be under his tower in the early stages of the game because enemy toplaner is simply a stronger laner in the early game and will bully your laner, this will cause laner to most likely be low HP or chunked to around 50%. In this matchup your laner is unable to contest the wave without getting taken to really low HP, therefore enemy laner will most likely have a really big minion wave to crash under her turret which is really good for him because this will give a golden opportunity for the enemy jungler to dive your laner, but if one is smart one can figure this out and do a preventative gank for your laner or hover around the topside of the map to prevent a dive from happening.

S TIER




A TIER




B TIER




C TIER





D TIER


CONCLUSION

Thanks for reading my Nidalee guide. I hope that you can take some of this information and incorporate it in your gameplay. If this guide is succesful, I will look to write a guide for Lee Sin and Graves. If there is any questions then do not hesitate to pass by my stream and ask me, I will be happy to answer them. Make sure to check out my Twitch, TikTok and YouTube for jungle gameplay and highlights!


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[13.22] RANK 1 NIDALEE EUW - Majd's Challenger Nidalee Guide [In-Depth]

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