Jungle

League of Legends Jungle Guide 2024 — Camps, Pathing & Objectives | LeagueofLegendsGames.com
Getting Started

What Does the Jungler Do?

Understanding the jungle role is the first step to mastering it. The jungler operates in the areas between lanes, farming monster camps and influencing the map.

The jungler is one of the five roles in League of Legends and is the only role that starts the game outside of a lane. Instead of pushing minions, the jungler farms neutral monster camps in the jungle, gains gold and XP, and uses that advantage to gank lanes, secure objectives, and control the map.

A good jungler is always moving. The jungle is divided into Blue Side (bottom-left, Blue team's jungle) and Red Side (top-right, Red team's jungle). Each side has a mirror set of camps. Learning efficient routes through these camps — called pathing — is what separates a weak jungler from a dominant one.

🗺️

Map Control

The jungler has vision over both sides of the map. Placing wards near objectives and enemy camps gives your whole team information advantage.

⚡

Ganking

Visiting a lane when the enemy is overextended to help kill them is called a gank. A successful gank can snowball your laners ahead and open up map pressure.

🐉

Objective Control

Dragon, Baron Nashor, and Rift Herald are the three major objectives. Securing these gives your team permanent advantages that can win the game.

🧭

Counter Jungling

Invading the enemy's jungle to steal their camps denies them gold and XP — keeping them behind while you grow stronger.

Jungle Camps

Every Jungle Camp Explained

There are 14 unique jungle camps on Summoner's Rift. Each has different XP value, gold reward, spawn timer, and strategic importance. Click any category to expand.

🔴🔵

Buff Camps

2 camps · Highest priority ▼
🔴

Red Buff (Crimson Brambleback)

XP: 200 Gold: 90 Spawns 1:30 Buff

Grants Cripple: Basic attacks slow the target and deal bonus true damage over 3 seconds. Restores HP when killing monsters. Essential for junglers who rely on basic attacks.

🔵

Blue Buff (Ancient Golem)

XP: 200 Gold: 90 Spawns 1:30 Buff

Grants Runic Affinity: Increases mana/energy regen significantly and reduces ability cooldowns. Critical for mana-hungry AP junglers and mages.

👹

Epic Monsters

3 camps · Game-changing buffs ▼
🐉

Dragon (Elemental Drake)

XP: 250 Gold: 150/team Spawns 5:00

Grants elemental soul stacks. 4 drakes = Dragon Soul — a permanent powerful buff. Respawns 5 min after death. Elder Dragon spawns after one team gets soul.

🐍

Baron Nashor

XP: 800 Gold: 300/team Spawns 20:00

Grants Hand of Baron to living teammates — empowers nearby minions. Respawns 6 minutes after kill. One of the most powerful win conditions in the game.

🐂

Rift Herald

XP: 300 Gold: 100/team Spawns 8:00

Drops the Eye of the Herald item. Use it to summon Herald to charge down a tower. Disappears at 20:00 when Baron spawns. Available twice per game.

🐺🦅🐸

Small & Medium Camps

9 camps (per side) · Core farm ▼
🐺

Wolves (Ancient Krug)

XP: 115 Gold: 55 Spawn 1:40

3 wolves. Medium difficulty. Located near Blue Buff side. Part of most pathing routes. Respawn every 2 minutes 15 seconds.

🦅

Raptors (Crimson Raptor)

XP: 130 Gold: 60 Spawn 1:40

1 large + 4 small raptors. Focus large first. AoE abilities clear this fast. Near Red Buff side. Very efficient for farming gold/XP quickly.

🪨

Krugs (Stone Golems)

XP: 165 Gold: 75 Spawn 1:40

2 golems that split into smaller ones. Highest gold of small camps. Located near Red Buff. Harder to clear solo — best with Red Buff active.

🐸

Gromp

XP: 135 Gold: 65 Spawn 1:40

Single large toad near Blue Buff. Has a passive that poisons attackers. Very important for pathing starts near Blue Buff. Respawns every 2:15.

👁️

Scuttlecrab (Rift Scuttler)

XP: 115 Gold: 70 Spawn 3:30

Spawns in river. Killing it creates a shrine with vision, slow resistance, and HP regen. Critical to control early. Two rivers = two crabs per spawn.

Jungle Pathing

Optimal Pathing Routes

Pathing is the sequence of jungle camps you clear each game. The best path depends on your champion, your win condition, and what lanes need help.

There is no single "best" jungle path in League of Legends — the optimal route depends on your champion's strengths, what your laners need, and the enemy jungler's position. However, there are three core pathing philosophies every jungler should understand.

Full Clear (Blue Side Start)
Best for: Farming junglers, carries who scale with items
Full Farm Safe Level 6 Power
1
Gromp → Blue Buff

Start Gromp with a leash from top laner. Gromp's poison proc combos with the leash. Then take Blue Buff — you'll have almost full mana for the rest of the clear.

⏱ ~1:30–2:15
2
Wolves

Clear the 3-wolf pack. AoE abilities shine here. Walk toward mid while wolves die to confirm lane states — can you gank mid? If not, continue.

⏱ ~2:15–2:45
3
Red Buff

Cross the jungle to Red Buff. By now it's spawned. Red Buff heals you and adds a slow — great for ganking. Keep HP topped between camps with Smite on large monsters.

⏱ ~2:45–3:30
4
Raptors

Clear Raptors next. Large Raptor first, then the small ones die from AoE/splash. After this you're level 4 and in prime gank position for bot lane.

⏱ ~3:30–4:00
5
Krugs → Scuttlecrab

Clear Krugs then walk to the river for Scuttlecrab. You should hit level 5. Contest Scuttlecrab against enemy jungler if you can win the duel.

⏱ ~4:00–5:00
6
Dragon / Gank Decision

After Scuttlecrab, Dragon spawns at 5:00. If bot lane won or is even, attempt Dragon with their help. If not, back to base, buy items, then return to gank the strongest lane.

⏱ ~5:00+
💡 Pro Tip: Always smite the large monster in each camp — this is your fastest way to heal between camps without backing. Save your second smite charge for Scuttlecrab.
Full Clear (Red Side Start)
Best for: Champions with strong Red Buff synergy
Full Farm Bot Gank
1
Krugs → Red Buff

Start Krugs with leash from bot lane support/ADC. Red Buff at level 2 gives you the heal and slow you need for early ganks.

⏱ ~1:30–2:15
2
Raptors

Raptors are right next to Red Buff. Clear them at level 2-3. This positions you near bot river for a potential early gank before 3:30.

⏱ ~2:15–2:50
3
Gank Bot or Continue

If bot lane enemy is overextended — gank now! Red Buff slow makes it easy to land CC. Otherwise continue to Blue Buff side.

⏱ ~2:50–3:30
4
Wolves → Blue Buff → Gromp

Complete the back side. By the time you finish Gromp you'll be level 5 with Dragon spawning at 5:00.

⏱ ~3:30–5:00
💡 Pro Tip: The Red Side start is preferred on melee attack-speed junglers like Warwick, Udyr, or Hecarim because Red Buff's slow is very strong on these champions early.
Level 2 Buff Steal Invade
Best for: Strong early duelists — Lee Sin, Elise, Shaco, Rengar
Invade High Risk High Reward
1
Own Blue or Red Buff

Take your own first buff camp at 1:30. Do it as fast as possible — leash helps. You need to reach level 2 before invading.

⏱ ~1:30–2:00
2
Rush to Enemy Buff

Path directly to the enemy's second buff (if you took Blue, invade their Red, and vice versa). Time your arrival for when the enemy jungler should be finishing it.

⏱ ~2:00–2:30
3
Steal or Kill

Either steal the camp with Smite or kill the enemy jungler if they're still there. Even without a kill, denying their buff is massive early XP/gold deficit.

⏱ ~2:30–3:00
4
Continue Enemy Jungle or Recall

If you won the fight, stay and clear their camps. If you're low, recall and bank the advantage. Your laners must help track the enemy jungler's position.

⏱ ~3:00+
⚠️ Warning: Invades are very risky if your laners don't provide vision or counter-pressure. Ask your team to ward the enemy's jungle entrance before attempting. If you get spotted, retreat immediately.
Level 3 Gank Path
Best for: High CC junglers — Jarvan IV, Vi, Amumu, Zac
Gank First Level 3 Power Lane Snowball
1
3 Camps to Level 3

Take any 3 camps in the fastest order. Classic options: Gromp → Blue → Wolves, or Red → Raptors → Krugs. By the 3rd camp you hit level 3 and unlock all 3 abilities.

⏱ ~1:30–3:00
2
Identify Gankable Lane

Before your 3rd camp, glance at the minimap. Is the enemy toplaner or midlaner overextended past the river? Is any enemy laner low HP? Pick the easiest target.

⏱ ~2:45–3:00
3
Approach from Behind / Flanks

Walk around the lane via their blind side. Attack from tribush (top), river (mid), or lane brush (bot). Your laner should apply pressure so the enemy is extended when you arrive.

⏱ ~3:00–3:30
4
Back and Farm / Repeat

After the gank (kill or flash burned), recall or continue jungling. Gank-heavy junglers typically hit level 6 at 5:30–6:00 and look for a second round of ganks with R unlocked.

⏱ ~3:30+
💡 Pro Tip: The best gank path prioritises the lane where your ally has CC (crowd control). A Lux binding + your engage = near-guaranteed kill. Always communicate before ganking by pinging your path.
Major Objectives

Objectives — The Path to Victory

Winning fights is good. But taking objectives is how you actually win games. Every major objective in LoL explained in full.

🐍

Baron Nashor

The most powerful objective in the game

First Spawn20:00
Respawn Timer6 minutes after kill
Gold Reward300 per team member
XP Reward800 to killer
Buff Duration3 minutes (Hand of Baron)
Buff EffectEmpowers nearby minions — siege towers with buffed minions
Best Time to TakeAfter winning a teamfight, especially mid-game
🐂

Rift Herald

Tower-busting powerhouse

First Spawn8:00
Disappears At20:00 (when Baron spawns)
Spawns Twice?Yes — second at 13:45
Gold Reward100 per team member
DropEye of the Herald item
Eye Duration4 minutes before expiring
Best UseSummon in lane to destroy 1–2 towers quickly
🦀

Rift Scuttler

Vision and sustain control

First Spawn3:30
Respawn Timer2 minutes 30 seconds
Gold Reward70 gold to killer
XP Reward115 XP
Shrine BuffVision + slow immunity + HP regen in river
Shrine DurationUntil enemies kill it
ImportanceHighest early game — controls river vision
🏛️

Towers

Indirect objective — open map = pressure

Outer Tower Gold150 + 125 global
Inner Tower Gold125 + 100 global
Inhibitor Tower Gold125 + 75 global
Plates (First 14 min)5 plates × 160 gold = 800 gold
Jungler RoleDive enemies under tower after ganks, or split-push with Herald
Elemental Dragons

Every Dragon Soul & Buff

Dragons rotate randomly each game. Stacking 4 of the same type grants a Dragon Soul — one of the strongest win conditions available. Here's every dragon type explained.

🔥

Infernal Dragon

Each stack grants +4% AD and AP. Best for damage-heavy comps.

Infernal Soul: AoE explosion on abilities
🌊

Ocean Dragon

Each stack grants +5% HP/Mana regen. Best for poke/sustain comps.

Ocean Soul: Hitting abilities restores HP and mana
🌎

Mountain Dragon

Each stack grants +6% all Armor and MR. Best for tanky comps.

Mountain Soul: Periodically gain a shield
💨

Cloud Dragon

Each stack grants +3.5% Move Speed out of combat. Best for mobile/kiting comps.

Cloud Soul: Reduces R cooldown on takedown
⚡

Hextech Dragon

Each stack grants +5 ability haste + 5% attack speed. Best for hybrid comps.

Hextech Soul: Chain lightning on abilities
☠️

Chemtech Dragon

Each stack grants +5% damage when below 50% HP. Best for divers and tanks.

Chemtech Soul: Revive at 50% HP once per fight

Elder Dragon: After one team claims their Dragon Soul, the Elder Dragon spawns in place of regular drakes. Elder Dragon grants Consume — which executes enemies below a threshold of HP. This is one of the single strongest teamfight tools in the game. Take Elder Dragon to close out games.

Objective Timers

Spawn & Respawn Timer Reference

Use this quick reference to track objective timers mid-game. Note the time when an objective dies and add the respawn time.

⏱ Quick Timer Calculator

Enter the game time when an objective was killed to see when it respawns.

Set the kill time above and click Calculate.

🐍 Baron Nashor

20:00
First spawn · Respawns +6 min

🐉 Dragon

5:00
First spawn · Respawns +5 min

🐂 Rift Herald

8:00
First spawn · Second at 13:45

🦀 Scuttlecrab

3:30
First spawn · Respawns +2:30

🔵 Blue/Red Buff

1:30
First spawn · Respawns +5 min

🐺 Small Camps

1:40
First spawn · Respawns +2:15
Tips & Tricks

Pro Jungling Tips for Every Level

From basic mechanics to advanced macro — these tips will immediately improve your jungle game.

🗣️

Always Ping Before Ganking Basic

Use the on-my-way ping (alt+click) to alert your laner before arriving. This gives them time to set up CC, bait the enemy forward, or pretend to back off. Uncoordinated ganks fail far more often than coordinated ones.

🗺️

Track the Enemy Jungler Basic

Watch where the enemy jungler was spotted last. If they ganked top at 3:00, they're NOT near dragon at 3:10. Use this information to safely take objectives or make plays on the opposite side of the map.

⚔️

Smite Stealing Epic Monsters Intermediate

When contesting an enemy objective, wait until it's at the exact Smite threshold (usually 900 HP for large objectives) and steal it instantly. This requires quick reactions but can single-handedly win or lose a game.

💰

Never Waste Camp Resets Intermediate

Every camp that sits up uncollected is gold wasted. When you back to base, plan your next path so you clear a full side before recalling. A jungler who farms efficiently at 10 minutes will have 1–2 items advantage over one who ignores farm.

📍

Deep Ward Before Baron/Dragon Intermediate

Before attempting a major objective, ward the enemy jungle entrances — Baron pit, Dragon pit brush, and the tribrush. This warns you if the enemy is rotating. Never start an objective without vision.

⏰

Win a Fight Near Objectives Advanced

The biggest macro mistake low-elo junglers make: winning a teamfight and NOT taking an objective after. If Dragon or Baron is alive and you just won a fight nearby, immediately start the objective before enemies respawn. This is how you convert fight wins into game wins.

🔄

Mirror Pathing to Counter the Enemy Advanced

If you know the enemy jungler started Blue Buff on your side's mirror, path to their Red Buff while they farm Blue. You'll arrive at their Red as they leave Blue — either stealing it or killing them. This is called pathing to "cross" the enemy jungler.

🧠

Set Up Vision After Objectives Advanced

After taking Dragon or Baron, immediately ward the enemy jungle. With Baron buff active, the enemy will contest your push — having vision of their movements lets you predict fights, avoid ambushes, and direct your split-pushing correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jungle FAQ — Your Questions Answered

Common jungle questions from the LoL community, fully answered.

What is the best jungle champion for beginners? ▼
Warwick and Amumu are widely considered the best beginner jungle champions. Warwick has natural sustain in the jungle (his passive heals off monsters), a simple kit, and a strong Ultimate that's easy to land. Amumu has a forgiving clear, powerful teamfight ult, and teaches beginners the importance of CC-heavy ganking. Both have very low skill floors and still perform well even in higher elo when mastered.
How many camps should I clear per minute? ▼
A good benchmark is clearing at least 4–5 camps in the first 3 minutes. By 10 minutes you should ideally have cleared 10+ camps. Tracking your CS (creep score) in the jungle tab post-game helps — aim for 70+ jungle CS at 15 minutes. The key metric is: every minute you spend NOT farming or ganking is gold/XP wasted.
Should I prioritize Dragon or Rift Herald? ▼
It depends on the game state. Generally: take Dragon if your bot lane is strong or equal, and take Rift Herald if your top lane is winning and can use the Herald to destroy towers. If your team comp is dragon soul-dependent (e.g. stacking Infernal for an AD team), prioritise Dragon every time. In competitive play, the first Dragon is usually taken before the first Rift Herald in most games.
What does Smite actually do? ▼
Smite is a summoner spell exclusive to the jungle. It deals true damage to a targeted monster or enemy jungle camp (scales with level). Smite is required to purchase jungle items. Using Smite on large monsters heals you. Advanced Smite options (Challenging Smite and Chilling Smite, unlocked through jungle items) can be used on enemy champions — dealing bonus damage or applying slows.
When is the right time to gank a lane? ▼
The ideal gank conditions are: (1) the enemy laner is overextended past the halfway point of the lane or river, (2) they don't have escape abilities available or off cooldown, (3) your allied laner has CC to set up the kill, and (4) you have a health advantage. A gank where you burn the enemy's Flash (even without a kill) is still a successful gank — they're now vulnerable for the next 5 minutes.
What is counter-jungling and how do I do it safely? ▼
Counter-jungling means stealing camps from the enemy's side of the jungle. The safest time to counter-jungle is when you know where the enemy jungler is — either on the opposite side of the map, dead, or in a gank. Always ward the jungle entrance before entering, keep your HP high, and have an escape route planned. The goal isn't to fight the enemy — it's to take their resources and leave before they arrive.
How do I know which dragon is up next? ▼
After the first Drake is killed, the next Drake type appears on the top right HUD as an icon. You can also hover over the Dragon objective marker on the minimap to see its type and remaining spawn timer. In Patch 13+, the first four Drakes are always the same element — the game pre-determines the sequence. Check the dragon pit at the game start to see which element is live.

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