5 Best Junglers in League of Legends Patch 9.9
The best junglers in League of Legends Patch 9.9 fluctuate again because after the first few months in which junglers dominated the game, League of Legends is again turning attention back to the lanes.
Consequently, the jungle is looking a bit more anemic this patch, with the champions on the opposing extremes of the spectrum as either feast-or-famine carries or low-economy high-utility tanks.
In this era of diametrically opposing styles, here are the five junglers best equipped for these tasks in Patch 9.9.
5. Olaf
Olaf epitomizes the one-dimensional jungler along the likes of Gragas or Nocturne but somehow even more egregious. Olaf is simple; either he gets ahead and becomes a damage-dealing menace, or he falls behind and becomes irrelevant without even crowd-control abilities to assist his team and instead must function as a mediocre tank.
His main redeeming feature is his fairly decent ability to secure objectives and win Smite fights with the burst form his Reckless Swing ability, but it will require very proactive intelligent pathing and ganking to get the most out of this Berserker.
4. Lee Sin
It'll take a truly titanic meta swing to completely force the Blind Monk out of the jungle. Lee Sin returns once more to the Top 5 list. High mobility, decent ability to clear camps, and capable of proactive playmaking throughout the game by securing kills solo or setting them up for teammates depending on time, Lee Sin can always find a way to be useful if piloted by a deft hand.
3. Rek'Sai
Rek'Sai will receive hits to quite a few of her base stats, but that's not enough to force her out the jungle. It will put more pressure on her to build an even bigger lead than before as her late game is still non-existent, but her power remains undeniable before the 20-minute mark.
2. Skarner
Skarner rises higher more due to the drop in power from competitors than a spike in his own usefulness, but that's not the knock against him as it sounds. While still too squishy to tank reliably and suffering from a very one-dimensional play style, his mere existence forces enemies to waste gold on Quicksilver Sashes and if built into the correct composition Skarner can still manage to Impale (R) and pull enemies into awaiting teammates. This danger alone can prevent split-pushes as enemies will be wary of spreading out, and can provide some degree of map control even later in the game so long as it doesn't reach a disaster state.
1. Jarvan IV
Able to build into either Warrior or Cinderhulk, Jarvan IV reclaims his jungler crown. The Prince of Demacia can snowball as a damage threat but can also be a bulky tank with dangerous long-range engage and crowd-control, allowing him to be played with some flexibility and opening up strategic options in the draft. While not a carry in the way junglers have been earlier in the year, Jarvan IV is still a potent force that must be respected.
Cover image courtesy of Riot Games