Nidalee · Jungle

Nidalee Safe Play Guide

DefensiveData-drivenHardPatch 16.19.1

2.3KUpdated 16 hours ago

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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

This guide is about playing Nidalee safely and consistently. Safe jungle means full clears, counter-ganking where the enemy jungler shows up and never contesting an objective without vision or numbers. The kit brings mobility with Bushwhack / Pounce and sustain with Primal Surge / Swipe.

Strengths

Mobility: Bushwhack / Pounce lets you reposition, engage or escape.
Sustain from Primal Surge / Swipe.
Long attack range (525) for safe trades in lane.

Weaknesses

Mana-hungry early: spamming abilities leaves you empty before the fight.
Hard to master: Riot rates its difficulty 8/10.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Defensive buildDefensiveRecommendedKeeps enough damage while adding armor, ability power and magic resist through Zhonya's Hourglass, Banshee's Veil and Dusk and Dawn. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Against magic damageDefensiveSituationalFor a team that kills with abilities: magic resist boots and a magic resist item in the core.

Builds

Defensive build

DefensiveRecommended

Open build

When to use it

Keeps enough damage while adding armor, ability power and magic resist through Zhonya's Hourglass, Banshee's Veil and Dusk and Dawn. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right

JungleMain100% of matches

Jungle priorities

StartBlue buff

1Voidgrubs
2Gank mid
3Rift Herald
4Scuttle Crab
5Dragons
6Baron Nashor
7Atakhan

Guideline, not a measurement: an early skirmisher starting blue side. Take the void grubs and look for ganks while your early damage is ahead, then Herald and dragons.

Starting items

Scorchclaw PupHealth Potion

Core items

1Zhonya's Hourglass
2Banshee's Veil
3Dusk and Dawn

Boots

Mercury's Treads

Situational

Dead Man's PlateAgainst heavy physical damage.Kaenic RookernAgainst heavy magic damage.MorellonomiconCuts the enemy's healing.Void StaffAgainst tanky teams.

Runes

Primary· Sorcery

Secondary· Resolve

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Smite

Abilities

ProwlPassiveMoving 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 again
QJavelin Toss / Takedown6s50/55/60/65/70 mpIn human form, Nidalee throws a spiked javelin at her target that gains damage as it flies. As a cougar, her next attack will attempt to fatally wound her target, dealing more damage the less life they have.
Cooldown
6
Cost
50·55·60·65·70
Range
1500
WBushwhack / Pounce13/12/11/10/9s30/35/40/45/50 mpIn human form, Nidalee lays a trap for unwary opponents that, when sprung, damages and reveals its target. As a cougar, she jumps in a direction, dealing damage in an area where she lands.
Cooldown
13·12·11·10·9
Cost
30·35·40·45·50
Range
900
Basic ability — moves you and hits an area. Keep it to escape unless the kill is certain.
EPrimal Surge / Swipe12s50/55/60/65/70 mpIn human form, Nidalee channels the spirit of the cougar to heal her allies and imbue them with Attack Speed for a short duration. As a cougar, she claws in a direction, dealing damage to enemies in front of her.
Cooldown
12
Cost
50·55·60·65·70
Range
900
RAspect Of The CougarUltimate3sNidalee transforms into a cougar, gaining new abilities.
Cooldown
3
Range
20
Ultimate. Plan your fights around its cooldown.

Strategy

1Safe laning

Safe jungle means full clears, counter-ganking where the enemy jungler shows up and never contesting an objective without vision or numbers. A gank works when the lane is pushed towards the enemy tower and the enemy has used Flash or their escape: pick those moments instead of forcing a bad one.

2Surviving fights

In fights, enter after the enemy uses their key crowd control and go for whoever your team can reach with you. Your way out is Bushwhack / Pounce: if it's on cooldown, stay further back.

3Positioning and peel

Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses.

4Playing from behind

When the game goes badly, farm what's safe, defend with your team and wait for the enemy to make a mistake: a single won fight can turn it around.

Tips

Keep Bushwhack / Pounce for escaping, not for chasing.
Keep Primal Surge / Swipe for the enemy's burst, not for chip damage.
Go back when your key abilities are down: a reset costs less than a death.
Never be the first to show on the map in the late game.
If enemies are missing from the map, back off before they appear.

Matchups

Weak against

Rammus
Frenzying Taunt (taunt) lets Rammus pin Nidalee down before Bushwhack / Pounce gets them out.
Skarner
Ixtal's Impact (stun) lets Skarner pin Nidalee down before Bushwhack / Pounce gets them out.
Rengar
Bola Strike (root) lets Rengar pin Nidalee down before Bushwhack / Pounce gets them out.