Learn how to use you map knowledge and game sense to effectively track the enemy jungler. We’ll be discussing Level 1 strategies, vision control, lane states, and how to properly invade. This guide will teach the basics of jungle tracking and concepts related to jungle theory and in-game situations.
Tracking the enemy Jungler in League of Legends is a skill which requires constant awareness and prediction. Knowing where the enemy Jungler starts can give you a great idea of which side of the map they are likely to play towards during the early game. The best way to track the enemy Jungler is to start by creating and executing a Level 1 gameplan.
The first minute of a League game is arguably the most important time as a Jungler in getting information about the enemy Jungler. First, you will need to assess if your Champion is stronger Level 1 than the enemy Jungler. Strong Level 1 Junglers include Champions such as Graves, Olaf, or Bel’Veth. These types of Champions have strong abilities and kits that make it difficult to contest them in the early game.
I would start by pinging your mid laner to ward Raptors at Level 1 or simply doing it yourself. If you’re a strong Level 1 Champion you can also decide to invade the enemy Jungler who has a weaker early game. Champions such as Amumu, Hecarim, or Evelynn have weak Level 1s and can be punished. The high-risk, high-reward situation from invading often scares away players from trying and I would only recommend this style if you feel confident about the Champion you are playing. Invading early game is one of the most effective ways to put the enemy Jungler behind. However, it can also cost you the game if you’re not careful.
Finally, I would recommend starting with a ward trinket versus a sweeper unless you plan to gank at Level 3. I also start with either the red or blue jungle item, depending on if you prefer the movement speed or damage.
Every Jungler will either start on one of their buffs or Raptors/Wolves. Through warding either the raptor camp or one of their buffs, you can figure out what side of the map a Jungler started. The majority of Junglers prefer to play towards bot lane, as there are two targets to kill and the Dragons spawn on the bottom side of the map. If you’re unable to secure vision early game, it's more likely they want to path bot lane, especially in lower elo. After clearing a quadrant of their jungle, they will either transition into a full clear or look to gank Level 3. A full clear includes clearing every camp on their side which takes most Junglers around 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Based on which side the enemy Jungler started, you can assume they will be on the opposite side once they complete a full clear. If you fail to ward or spot the enemy Jungler early game, you will likely see them either ganking a lane or contesting the scuttle crab after full clearing. You can also press tab to determine how many camps they’ve taken. Each camp counts as 4 cs so a full clear would be 24 cs and then 28 cs after the Scuttle Crab. Based on where the enemy Jungler appears after a clear, you can infer that they started on the opposite side.
After returning to base, it’s likely the enemy Jungler will path to the first camp they took. You can ping your laners and communicate to them what side of the map the enemy Jungler is likely to be on to help prevent them being ganked. This concept is referred to as sequencing, which is the idea that a Jungler is likely to repeat their first clear in the same order to stay efficient. You can determine where the enemy Jungler is based on their first rotation of camps and continue to track them throughout the early game based on this theory.
Understanding how to control and establish vision as a Jungler is crucial to tracking the enemy. Typically, your first ward should be used to identify which side of the map the enemy Jungler started. Depending on if you plan to either farm or gank heavy, I would either keep the warding trinket or switch to a sweeper. Ideally you want to place deep wards in the enemy jungle to identify their location. Work together with your support to establish vision around key objectives such as Grubs and Dragons.
Recognizing lane states is also another skill Junglers use to track their opponent. Lanes typically have three different states including pushing, being pushed in, and neutral. Pushing lanes happen when one laner has killed the enemy laner’s minions and have overextended towards their opponent’s side. This is when a laner is most vulnerable, as they are far from their tower and can be easily ganked. If your laner is pushed up, make sure to ping them to be careful and potentially hover their lane to countergank.
Pushed laners are the most likely players to be ganked and can be used as an indicator of where the enemy Jungler might be. Similarly, if a laner is being pushed in, they are also susceptible to being ganked and potentially tower dove. Other ways to identify the enemy Jungler’s location is to recognize when enemy laners are playing extremely aggressive or confident. This could indicate the enemy Jungler is nearby based on the way a laner is playing.
Once you can successfully track the enemy Jungler, your goal should be to put them as far behind as possible. This includes continually stealing away their camps and playing aggressively. If you’re able to determine where the enemy Jungler started, you can potentially invade them on their second clear through denying respawning camps. However, invading comes with inherent risk due to the enemy players rotating first to a skirmish in their own jungle.
Jungle matchups are important in determining the strength of your Champion and the enemy’s. If the enemy Champion is weaker 1 v 1, ping your laners to help you invade and pressure them. Other factors that should be considered include global abilities, item spikes, and important cooldowns. Despite the risks, denying your opponent jungle camps is the best way to put the enemy behind through increasing your resources while limiting theirs.
Jungle tracking requires paying close attention to the enemy and understanding concepts related to sequencing and jungle pathing. Through establishing early vision, understanding pathing, and recognizing lane states, you can deny your opponent key resources while also putting yourself ahead. Communicating through pings with your team can help deny enemy Jungler ganks and keep your teammates safe.
It’s also important to invade the enemy Jungler and apply pressure when the conditions allow for it. Recognize enemy laners, Champion strengths, and cooldowns when determining to invade or not. Remember to control the game through smart tracking, vision establishment, and objective control based upon where the enemy Jungler’s location is. Good luck in Solo Queue, and I hope each reader can take away something from this article and apply it to their own games.
