Why Warding is Important

Warding, and vision in general, is an incredibly deep and cerebral subject that provides many rewards when mastered appropriately. As a jungler, one of your many duties is to track the enemy jungler and control the flow of the game. Warding assists directly in finding the enemy jungler, while also affecting the flow of the game by assisting you in decision making. For example, ganking bot lane is made infinitely more successful if you control bot-side vision within the enemy jungle because you know exactly what you're walking into - the opposing jungler is not in a position to countergank you, and is likely looking for either farm or a gank top side. Warding provides a multitude of options, while also allowing you to assess the viability of those options.

Jungler Categories

There are three main categories of junglers: Gankers, Duelists, and Supports. Before even thinking about warding, it is important to understand the differences between these types of junglers.

- Gankers

Gankers usually bring superb ganks, with a strong mix of CC and early damage. They farm at a slow to medium speed, and since they usually become less effective as the game progresses, they rely on the snowballing of their teammates to win the game. For the sake of this guide, we will use Lee Sin as the example for a Ganker jungler.

- Duelists

Duelists provide little CC and little utility for the team, but instead bring an unmatched farming speed and damage potential. They gank poorly, but rely very little on the welfare of their lanes due to their ability to accrue large gold and experience leads over the enemy jungler. Most of their usefulness in the early game derives from their ability to duel most enemy junglers in a 1v1 during early invades. These champions scale hard into the mid and late game and for the sake of this guide we will use Graves as an example of a Duelist jungler.

- Supports

Support junglers provide lots of CC and utility - but very little damage. They farm at a fast-enough speed to keep up with most other junglers, and gank well for laners that bring plenty of damage. Support Junglers scale well by proxy - while they themselves don't get much stronger, their ability to empower their teammates never diminishes in usefulness as the game goes on. For the sake of this guide, we will use Nunu as an example of a Support Jungler.

1. Warding as a Ganker

As a Gank-heavy jungler, you want to be constantly looking for a chance to snowball your teammates. You should be looking for deep wards in the enemy jungle, which would allow you to gank without fear of a countergank, while also seeking to deny enemy vision in the lane bushes/river so your ganks occur with an even higher success rate. Places where you usually want vision and do not want the enemy to have vision:

Tribush Top Lane

A ward here/enemy vision denied here keeps your laner more safe from ganks and allows you to gank more safely

River Bush Top Lane

You want this area clear of enemy vision, and wards here helps your laner to stay safe

River Bushes

Wards in the two river bushes protect your midlaner, while also ensuring that the enemy midlaner is seen if they try to roam on the side lanes.

Enemy Raptor Camp

Having vision of the enemy Raptor camp does two things: it immediately consumes his Raptor buff if he smites the camp, and makes sure he is not close enough to countergank if you gank mid lane.

You should rarely be looking to invade a Duelist jungler unless you possess an advantage over him, and deep warding should always be done with caution. Support junglers are fair game for a Ganker, but invading them still comes at high risk due to their CC. The Support jungler may be unable to kill you alone, but if he stops you from moving his laners can easily collapse.

2. Warding as a Duelist

As a Duelist jungler, you want to be constantly looking for two things: farm and the enemy jungler. While deep wards are helpful in the enemy jungle, you usually will not need too many wards due to your ability to constantly be in the enemy jungle as a moving ward of sorts. Even though you can't gank well, you can countergank quite well due to your damage potential and customary advantage over enemy Ganker or Support junglers. Some helpful places for wards specific to this class:

Scuttle Crab

Scuttle Crab provides objective control, helps protect you laners, and gives you a speed boost to help you escape from an enemy collapse/failed gank.

Big Note: Scuttle Crab alone will not see the inside of the pit, so a jungler with a dash to get over the wall can sneak Dragon without being seen - even if the other team has taken the Scuttle - as long as he hugs the inside of the pit

Bush Near Enemy Red/Blue Buff

Pinks or Trinket Wards near the enemy buffs allow you to have greater control over said buffs, while also being able to see the enemy’s jungle pathing. Wards in these places are exceptionally useful and are oftentimes worth the risk of placing them there.

Enemy Jungle Entrances

You want wards at the entrances to the enemy jungle from their Nexus. Vision here allows you to see which side of the map the enemy jungler is on and where he will likely be next. These are extremely aggressive wards that are not always worth the risk but they also have the potential to be massive game changers. Seeing the other Jungler enter his top side jungle frees you to start a Dragon or a dive on bot lane without risk of retaliation.

Again, I stress the importance of invading as a Duelist. You possess the clear speed to outlevel your opponents, and the 1v1 strength to kill them or force them away from their jungle camps. Most important of all, you possess enough mobility to escape a collapse by enemy laners. Invade often, and with impunity, and your warding should serve to amplify your strengths and cover for your weaknesses.

3. Warding as a Support (Jungler)

Finally, as a Support jungler, you need to be looking for defensive wards for your laners. Place deep wards when you know it's safe, or when you have a friendly teammate by your side, but blind invades are generally not worth the risk. You don't possess enough damage to turn around a skirmish or win a 1v1, nor do you possess the mobility to escape a collapse by the enemy laners. Therefore, wards should usually be placed with the goal of nullifying the strengths of the enemy jungler. These could be:

Bot Lane Bushes

You want to assist in warding against potential gank paths by the enemy jungler for your laners. You also want the lane bushes to be cleared of enemy wards, as this allows you to gank yourself while also applying pressure even when you are not nearby. An unseen jungler is the deadliest. Smart enemy laners will not play aggressively without knowledge of where you are.

Your Jungle Entrances

You should be warding the external entrances of your jungle. Wards here protect your jungle from invades, your midlane from ganks, and your sidelanes from roams by the enemy midlaner.

Dragon and Baron

Pink Wards here are important, especially in the early game. They ensure that the objective is not warded, and can be taken safely, while also protecting your side lanes from roams/ganks by the enemy jungler. Also, Pinks here must be neutralized unsafely - taking the time to clear these wards leaves the enemy vulnerable to a collapse by your laners.

Scuttle Crab

Clearing the Scuttle Crab is safe and easy-especially for all the benefits it provides. Clear these often, especially when you have nothing else to do.

You need to be warding for potential gank paths against a Ganker, and potential farm routes against a Duelist. Warding against a Duelist is especially important as wards make a Duelist’s sub-par ganking abilities even worse, and an early invade with a couple teammates can cripple his ability to even farm. As a Support Jungler, you need your teammates to survive laning phase, as your strength as a class lies largely in skirmishes and teamfights.

Denying Vision

Placing vision is only one side of the coin; denying vision is equally important. As a jungler, you possess three main tools to deny vision: the Raptor Smite Buff, Pink Wards, and the Red Trinket. After about level 6, you want to be smiting the Raptor camp whenever possible and have at least one Pink Ward in your inventory at all times. Acquiring the Red Trinket is heavily dependent on the state of the game at the time and the champion you are playing, however the general rule is you want the Red Trinket after your first or second back.

Tip: If you are ganking a lane, use your sweeper over a bush or area that you suspect an enemy ward to be present. The sweeper will disable the ward for the duration of the trinket-allowing you to quickly gank a lane without being seen.

Conclusion

Jungling is made incredibly more effective when paired with a strong knowledge of warding and vision denial. Regardless of the type of jungler you choose to play, your weaknesses of that class can be nullified and your strengths amplified through a basic knowledge of where and when to place wards.

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