Jungle Guide: An Overview of Different Paths to Invades
Whether in Solo Queue or in Clash with your buddies everyone loves a nice, cheesy level one invade.
When invading in League of Legends, it starts in the draft. If you want to invade it’s important to have multiple forms of crowd control (CC). It is especially good if you have any types of hook champions e.g. Thresh, Nautilus, Blitzcrank. They provide a great way to isolate and catch out an enemy in the invade. You also want some other champions with good area of effect (AOE) damage or champions with good base damage like Pantheon or Galio. Now it is also essential to realize who you are up against. It is usually not smart to invade if you are against champions that are difficult to Face Check such as Sett, Taric, or a Sion. Each of these champions can instantly destroy an invade if they anticipate one by stacking in a bush.
Paths to Invading
Typically most invades are in the Bot side of the map since there is a greater likelihood to find the enemy Jungler. The reason for an invade is not only to get your team ahead, but more importantly set your opponent behind. In the current meta if you can set the enemy Jungler behind it makes it very difficult for them to come back. This does not mean you have to kill them, but potentially just steal their first Buff. Now onto the different paths you can take.
Standard
The most classic invade path is through the river into the Jungle entrance closest to Mid Lane. No matter which side you are invading from there will be a bush you have to Face Check or ward. It depends on the enemy team if you should ward or Face Check. If you do have to Face Check try to have a tank with some form of CC. The difficult question each team has to face is whether to group up for safety or split up to catch more enemies. Like most things in League, it depends on the situation if you should stay together or split up. If you think the opponent is weaker than you early, you should split up to try to get more kills, but more often than not, it is better to stay grouped.
Mid Bush
Another common route is to go through Mid Lane to the bush into the river. This will get you closer to the enemy side Jungle before they can see you. This can be riskier though since they can potentially spot you through Mid lane, ruining the whole invade. You have to be very quick to get to that bush or else you are likely to be spotted. This is best used if your team is coordinated and quick. This strategy also works best if you are going for kills since it prioritizes surprising your opponents up close before they can react.
Bottom Side River
The last path for invades is usually through the very bottom of the river. This is the only path that changes depending on your side. If you are invading from Blue side you are going straight for the Blue Buff. This is a better invade if you are going only for the Buff and care less about getting kills. It is also much less risky as you have less chance of getting ambushed and killed. If you are invading from Red side you have two paths to invade after hitting Tri-Bush. In my opinion it is better to take the bottom route since it gives you a better element of surprise. This is a very risky path since you have no escape plan if things go South.
Top Side Invade
This is a rarer type of invade and should only be done if a few conditions are met, but it is relatively safer and carries much less risk. If you have a strong early game Top Laner like a Darius this can work very well. The second part is to decide your goal for this kind of an invade. Do you want to just steal their Buff or get an early kill on their Jungler. This type of invade’s goal is usually the former since Junglers usually start Bot Side. It is still helpful to have the Top Laner accompany your Jungler so in case the enemy is Top Side you can fight the 2v2. If you have a strong hunch that their Jungler could start Top Side, like a Fiddlesticks soloing Blue Buff, you could easily 2v1 for some quick gold.
These are the main paths for Blue Side invades. I can not stress this enough, check every Bush. Invading from Blue Side is typically better for taking the Buff Bot Side and better for kills Top Side.
The Battle
Once you have chosen where you are going it is time for the actual invade to start. After you have gone into the enemy Jungle don’t forget to check all bushes, you never know where they can be hiding. Once you engage the enemy, don’t hold anything back. Do not be afraid to burn summoner spells if it will save you or an ally’s life or kill your opponent. If you can coordinate with your team, try to layer your CC so you do not waste it on the same person. After the initial use of most spells, you have to realize if it is worth it to keep pursuing the invade or to cut your losses and retreat. This will mostly depend on how much stuff both sides used and how the team’s health bars are looking. If your team won the invade handedly and your Jungler is still alive, try to steal their Buff. That way their Jungler gets more behind. If you do this make sure to have your Top Laner drop a ward at your Top Side Buff in case they try to trade. No matter how the invade goes for your team, try to place some deep wards that can help you track the enemy Jungler later.
