Nunu & Willump · Jungle

Nunu & Willump Aggressive Guide

OffensiveData-drivenMediumPatch 16.19.1

6.8KUpdated 21 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 Nunu & Willump aggressively. Aggressive jungle means invading the enemy's camps when you know where their jungler is, ganking early and snowballing the lane that gets the kill. Your spikes are level 6, when Absolute Zero comes online, and each completed item: Bandlepipes first, then Zeke's Convergence. Riot rates it 4/10 in attack, 7/10 in magic, 6/10 in defense and 4/10 in difficulty.

Strengths

Crowd control: Biggest Snowball Ever! applies a knock-up to set up kills.
Absolute Zero hits several enemies: a strong team fight tool.
Sustain from Consume.

Weaknesses

No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.
Every death while playing aggressively hands the tempo back to the enemy.

Build cheat sheet

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

Offensive buildOffensiveRecommendedAll-in on damage: Hollow Radiance, Knight's Vow and Locket of the Iron Solari stack health, magic resist and health regeneration. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
Against physical damageDefensiveSituationalFor a lane or a team that hits with attacks: armor boots and an armor item in the core.

Builds

Offensive build

OffensiveRecommended

Open build

When to use it

All-in on damage: Hollow Radiance, Knight's Vow and Locket of the Iron Solari stack health, magic resist and health regeneration. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.

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

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

Guideline, not a measurement: a crowd-control jungler starting blue side. Secure the scuttle, gank the lanes that can follow your control and set up dragons.

Starting items

Mosstomper SeedlingHealth Potion

Core items

1Hollow Radiance
2Knight's Vow
3Locket of the Iron Solari

Boots

Boots of Swiftness

Situational

Dead Man's PlateAgainst heavy physical damage.Kaenic RookernAgainst heavy magic damage.Randuin's OmenAgainst burst and assassins.ThornmailCuts the enemy's healing.

Runes

Primary· Resolve

Secondary· Precision

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Smite

Abilities

Call of the FreljordPassiveNunu increases the attack speed and Move Speed of Willump and a nearby ally, and causes Willump's basic attacks to damage enemies around the target.
QConsume13/12/11/10/9s60 mpWillump takes a bite out of a minion, monster, or enemy champion, dealing damage and healing himself.
Cooldown
13·12·11·10·9
Cost
60
Range
125
WBiggest Snowball Ever!14s50/55/60/65/70 mpWillump creates a snowball that grows in size and speed as he rolls it. The snowball damages and knocks up enemies.
Cooldown
14
Cost
50·55·60·65·70
Range
7500
Basic ability — applies a knock-up. Use it on the target your team can kill.
ESnowball Barrage14/13/12/11/10s50/55/60/65/70 mpNunu throws multiple snowballs that damage enemies. When he's finished, Willump roots any champions or large monsters that were hit by a snowball.
Cooldown
14·13·12·11·10
Cost
50·55·60·65·70
Range
625
RAbsolute ZeroUltimate110/100/90s100 mpNunu & Willump create a powerful blizzard in an area that slows enemies and deals massive damage at the end.
Cooldown
110·100·90
Cost
100
Range
650
Ultimate — slows and hits an area. Plan your fights around its cooldown.

Strategy

1When to fight

Your spikes are level 6, when Absolute Zero comes online, and each completed item: Bandlepipes first, then Zeke's Convergence. Aggressive jungle means invading the enemy's camps when you know where their jungler is, ganking early and snowballing the lane that gets the kill.

2Picking your targets

In fights, enter after the enemy uses their key crowd control and land Biggest Snowball Ever! on the carry; keep Smite for the objective, not for damage. The best target is the one your team can reach and kill before the enemy answers, not always the most valuable one.

3Snowballing a lead

After a won fight, take dragons and towers before anything else: that's what turns kills into a lead the enemy can't erase. Early, your objectives are the first dragons and the void grubs: track where the enemy jungler started and contest on the opposite side.

4When to back off

Safe jungle means full clears, counter-ganking where the enemy jungler shows up and never contesting an objective without vision or numbers. If your key abilities are on cooldown or the enemy is missing from the map, the aggressive play is to wait.

Tips

Fight on your spikes: right after Bandlepipes, look for the next fight instead of farming.
Look for kills when Absolute Zero is ready and the enemy's key ability is not.
Use Biggest Snowball Ever! to start the fight, then commit your damage.
Track the enemy's key cooldowns and attack right after they use them.
Turn every kill into dragons and towers: a kill without an objective is a wasted lead.
Push your lane before you roam so the aggression doesn't cost you resources.

Matchups

Strong against

Lee Sin
Biggest Snowball Ever! (knock-up) lets Nunu & Willump pin Lee Sin down before Sonic Wave / Resonating Strike gets them out.
Vi
Biggest Snowball Ever! (knock-up) lets Nunu & Willump pin Vi down before Vault Breaker gets them out.
Ivern
Biggest Snowball Ever! (knock-up) lets Nunu & Willump pin Ivern down before Rootcaller gets them out.