If you’ve ever had a Lee Sin jump on your face right when you’re working on taking down the elder lizard, picking up a kill and a free red buff, then you’ve been counter jungled.
Counter jungling is a fairly advanced technique that you’re not going to see a lot of in Bronze and Silver, but as you rise through the ranks you will find more and more often that the enemy jungler is finding their way into your side of the map. This isn’t always a death sentence, but a good counter jungle can put you way behind (or way ahead, if you’re doing the counter jungling). It also takes a psychological toll, and can put a jungle player on tilt if they’re not prepared to come back from losing a buff or getting killed.
Here’s a rundown of what counter jungling is, how to combat it, and how to pull it off.
What is Counter Jungling?
Counter jungling is a simple concept though it’s a lot harder to pull off in game. All it is is invading the enemy jungle and either taking their creeps or trying to kill the opposing jungle champion while they’re clearing their side.
Some champions are very good at counter jungling and some champions are very vulnerable to these kinds of attacks. Fiddlesticks, Kha’Zix, and Amumu are all susceptible to early counter jungle attempts, and need to be wary if the enemy picks someone that can outduel them or easily steal their jungle creeps. In general, champions that have strong early games, duel well, and have a consistent means of escape are solid counter jungle choices — Lee Sin, Nunu, Udyr, Skarner, Sejuani, and Shaco are all strong picks.
This advanced tactic can backfire — if the counter jungler loses a duel they will have thrown their advantage, and time spent in the enemy jungle is time spent not ganking or pushing objectives. Depending on the match and how well your team is performing, counter jungling can be detrimental, rather than helpful.
Counter jungling is generally more effective in the early game, but some champions will continue to steal your creeps until the very end, denying the enemy jungler of experience and gold until the final moments of the game. A well-executed counter jungle can turn a regular league game into a 4v5.
How to Counter Jungle
Counter jungling isn’t something you want to do until you’re very comfortable in your own jungle and your jungle champions, but if you feel strong, then it’s not a huge step to start invading the enemies’ jungle as well. If you want to do well at counter jungling, you need to know your matchups — practice, read up, and learn about the abilities and power spikes of enemy champions. You don’t want to try to jump the enemy jungler only to get killed and give up your own buffs.
When to Counter Jungle
The best time to try counter jungling is when you have a faster clear or a stronger early game than the enemy, or if you manage to get a fast lead through kills or objectives — if you can take all of the camps on your side and get to the enemy jungle fast enough, you can easily out farm and out level the enemy and deny them gold and experience. Similarly, if you are ahead in gold or levels and are certain that you can beat the enemy jungle in a 1v1, then as long as you ward and keep an eye on the minimap, you can counter jungle more or less with impunity.
Once you have a good handle on enemy clear times, you can anticipate where they will be, and when. Catching an enemy jungle champion at a dangerous creep camp when they are low is a great way to pick up a kill and extra buffs.
Jungle Buffs for Counter Jungling
Make sure you pick up your own red buff before trying a counter jungle — if you know your jungle speed is much faster (say, if you’re Udyr facing a Nautilus), you can try a full or partial clear before trying to catch them.
If at all possible, you should pick up the Razor Sharp buff from the Raptor Camp before crossing the river — it will allow you to detect and clear wards, countering one of the best defenses against a counter jungle.
Counter Jungle Tips
Watch the minimap at the beginning of the game to see if the opposing bot lane shows up late, indicating that they gave their jungle a leash, and telling you which buff they’ll take first. You can then lie in wait for them at the next buff — depending on your champion, there are a few ways to secure a kill. For example, Shaco can set up a nest of traps in the bush on the way to red buff, and Lee Sin can drop his ward in the bushes near either big monster, allowing him to jump easily to it or land a Q without guessing.
If you just want to steal creeps and deny the enemy gold and experience, watch for them on the minimap — if they leave the jungle for a gank (and you’re not nearby to challenge them), then that is a perfect time to cross the river and steal some creeps. Make sure to leave one of the small creeps alive to delay the respawn and cost them even more experience and gold.
Items for Counter Jungling
Most of the time, you’re not going to be able to pick up more than a couple items before counter jungling becomes too dangerous, but there are definitely some tools that are tailor made for jungle invaders. The Stalker’s Blade and Poacher’s Knife upgrades to the Hunter’s Machete are excellent for bringing down the enemy jungler or stealing their camps.
How to Avoid Being Counter Jungled
If you’re counter picked or just have a rough early game, there may not be a whole lot you can do to defend your jungle, but there are definitely some steps you can take to make it a lot harder for the enemy jungler to jump you or steal your creeps.
How to Defend Your Jungle
The absolute most important thing you can do is ward — if you maintain good vision across the map it will quickly become difficult or impossible for the enemy to sneak into your jungle safely. The best places to drop a ward are on the long bush on the other side of the red buff camp on either side of the map — the enemy jungler will pass through one of these areas for sure on the way to your jungle, and if you can ask your top or mid to help you ward the other side, you will be very safe, as long as you watch the minimap.
Buff up to Stop Counter Jungling
The new jungle also gives you tools for combating a counter jungle — smiting the big wolf gives you a roaming spirit that will catch the enemy jungle champion if they cross into that part of the jungle, and the Rift Scuttlers in the river can provide necessary vision.
If you prioritize these camps and ward aggressively, you can avoid the worst counter jungle attempts. Making sure to pick up Red or Blue buff right away — whichever is stronger on your champion — can help you win duels or at least fend of the enemy jungler.
Communication is Key
The other big step you can take is communicating with your teammates — ask them to help ward, to keep an eye on the minimap, and ask them to be ready to move if you see the enemy jungle on your side of the map. If your team is ready to back you up, even a jungler who is ahead of you can easily find the tables turned on them.
Furthermore, if the enemy jungler is invading you or trying to steal your creeps, they’re not applying pressure to the lanes. Your team can take advantage of this.
Items to Defend Against Counter Jungling
The most important item you can buy, of course, is a ward, but beyond that, there are some items that can really help combat enemy invaders. If you are comfortable running without a free ward, the Scrying Orb can help you keep an eye on the enemy jungle champion. If you’re getting invaded, upgrading your Hunter’s Machete into a Skirmisher’s Saber can help you win duels, and making a Ranger’s Trailblazer can help make up lost gold and greatly speed up your clear time.
As always, it’s important to know your matchups and be strong with your champion, but even in unfavorable matchups you don’t need to concede to losing control of your jungle. Good hunting!
