Nidalee · Jungle

Nidalee Items: What to Buy and When

ItemsData-drivenHardPatch 16.19.1

156Updated 14 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 explains every item in Nidalee's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are level 6, when Aspect Of The Cougar comes online, and each completed item: Cryptbloom first, then Archangel's Staff.

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

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

Build cheat sheet

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

Standard buildBalancedRecommendedThe default path: Cryptbloom, Archangel's Staff and Blackfire Torch give the ability power, magic penetration and ability haste this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.
Burst buildOffensiveAdvancedAll-in on damage: Shadowflame, Void Staff and Bloodletter's Curse stack ability power, magic penetration and health. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
Defensive buildDefensiveSituationalKeeps 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.

Builds

Standard build

BalancedRecommended

Open build

When to use it

The default path: Cryptbloom, Archangel's Staff and Blackfire Torch give the ability power, magic penetration and ability haste this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.

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 PotionHealth regeneration.

Core items

1CryptbloomAbility power, magic penetration and ability haste.
2Archangel's StaffAbility power, mana and ability haste.
3Blackfire TorchAbility power, mana and ability haste.

Boots

Sorcerer's ShoesMagic penetration.

Situational

Zhonya's HourglassAgainst heavy physical damage.Banshee's VeilAgainst heavy magic damage.MorellonomiconCuts the enemy's healing.

Runes

Primary· Domination

Secondary· Sorcery

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
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

Strategy

1Starting items

What to buy before leaving the base, and what each item gives:

Scorchclaw Pup
Health Potion — Health regeneration.

2Core items

Your spikes are level 6, when Aspect Of The Cougar comes online, and each completed item: Cryptbloom first, then Archangel's Staff. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:

Sorcerer's Shoes — Magic penetration.
Cryptbloom — Ability power, magic penetration and ability haste.
Archangel's Staff — Ability power, mana and ability haste.
Blackfire Torch — Ability power, mana and ability haste.

3Situational items

Swap these in depending on the enemy team:

Zhonya's Hourglass — Against heavy physical damage.
Banshee's Veil — Against heavy magic damage.
Morellonomicon — Cuts the enemy's healing.

4Adapting to the game

The damage build moves the offensive items forward when you're ahead; the defensive one adds survival when the enemy focuses you. The situational builds in the matchups guide answer specific threats.

Tips

Buy Cryptbloom as early as you can: it's your first real spike.
Complete one item before starting the next: half-built items give less than one finished one.
Look at the enemy team at every back and adjust the situational items.
Don't sit on gold: spend it when you go back.

Changelog

Sep 26, 2026Guide created for patch 16.19.1.

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