Since the start of Season 3, drastic map changes have lead to the innovation of new starting routes and strategies. However the majority of them revolve around the two harpy camps in the centre of the map. With each harpy giving 45 gold and 110 experience, they have the power to push a quick lead against your opponents and open up the opportunity for aggressive play styles. The importance of these camps is often underestimated by players and in this article we're going to look at how to clear these camps at the start of the game, without any fatalities in the process. We're going to focus on the jungler in this post since they need these camps the most.

Now before we go charging into the jungle we need to look at our options. There are a lot of specifics that determine how you're starting the game but in general there are two routes the solo laner and jungler can take. Before deciding which route you're going to use let's briefly look at both pathways.

Route 1: The jungler (light blue) travels to the mid camps and clears the harpies with the solo laner. They then travel to the blue buff and clear it, allowing the solo laner to pick it up. Afterwards they move to mid lane and contest the remaining mid camp. The solo laner (light red) follows the jungler to the mid camps and blue buff in the same order. They pick up the blue buff and travel to lane, without doing their boar.

Route 2: The jungler (light blue) travels to the back harpies and clears them with the solo laner. They then clear the blue buff and afterwards head to mid lane where they'll contest the remaining mid camp. The solo laner (light red) follows the jungler, clearing both camps and picking up the blue buff, before heading to lane without doing their boar.

So which pathway is best?

In general, route 1 gives the most experience to the jungler and solo laner, but the clear time is a little longer and you may have to contest the mid camp when it first spawns. Route 2 on the other hand is much safer, but offers less experience and gold. Both routes see competitive play and the decision on which to use in game ultimately comes down to team composition as well as general confidence. It can often be hard to judge which route is better for your team so below I've created a list of situations that make route 1 more of an option.

When do I use route 1?

• When your solo laner is a hunter.

With the rise of throwing dagger, the early game aggression out of hunters has risen quite significantly. If the opposing team try to contest the mid harpies your solo laner turns on them using their range advantage. Even for warriors, a crit for 100 health isn't something they'll take lightly. Throwing dagger also means that your clear time will be fairly fast, so the delay between your solo laner getting to lane is minimised.

• When you have an aggressive jungle God.

The best example for this is Thanatos. No one wants to contest a Thanatos at the mid camps and have a death scythe remove half their health. Whenever you play an early game character like Thanatos you should always be looking to push your lead as fast as possible, taking this route helps in doing that. Awilix is another good example since her feather step does 120 damage when timed correctly

Some of the more aggressive junglers.

• When your opponents have a mage or guardian as their solo laner.

It's important to remember you start Conquest with only 1 ability. Once a mage or guardian has used that one ability they don't offer very much to fights since their basic attacks do so little. If they do try to contest just turn on them once their ability has been used. With the exception of Agni, very few mages will level a dash or a leap first, making them easy to chase. The same reasoning applies to guardians, they don't offer enough until all of their kit is available.

Some common solo lane mages/guardians you have the advantage over.

• You have communication with your solo laner.

Communication is key throughout all stages of the game, but especially important when making early game decisions. It's much easier to make decisions on the go when your team mates can hear your thought process. For example the enemy jungler may be found in a bad spot and you make a quick decision to focus them instead of the mid harpies. Having to convey this over VGS is much harder than a quick voice command and the time lag created can be the difference between winning and losing a fight.

• You can clear the camps quickly.

Bakasura is a good example of someone that clear camps quickly. With the new buff meaning he can eat one the harpies instantly it's probably worthwhile attempting to take them since you're guaranteed one at least. Whilst warriors are lacking in quick level 1 clear, some do perform better than others. The best examples are Bellona and Osiris with their AoE auto attacks. Being able to clear the camps quickly also means your solo laner is less likely to lose lane pressure.

Solo laners and junglers with decent clear, mostly due to AoE auto attacks.

When do I use route 2?

Using route 2 is always the safer option but is much less rewarding. However it's far better if you feel you can't contest the camp. Generally if the above statements fit the enemy team more than yours, it's best not to take them, but it ultimately comes down to confidence in your solo laner as well as yourself. Taking route 2 does have it's merits so don't take route 1 if you feel the odds are against you. If both teams show up at the mid harpies chances are the weaker team composition will back off with fears of losing a fight. Missing the camp does give a slight edge to the enemy jungler, but it also lets your solo laner gain control of the wave, so it's not game throwing if you opt for route 2.

Conclusion

I've always gone into games looking to take the mid harpies, only to have my solo laner stay at the blue buff. In general people are scared to take the fight, but when approached tactically and mindfully there isn't much that can go wrong. Hopefully the guide above has explained the thought process you should use when deciding which route is best for you. Whilst there are plenty of small details like specific god matchups that can effect this decision, they mostly come with practice and you'll be able to make the final call on your own.

Looking forward, aim to take the mid harpies whenever you can to push your lead and improve your win rate.