In the hit game League of Legends, you play as a hero character called a Champion (seriously, Riot. You missed an opportunity to call your heroes ‘Legends’ instead. I mean, it’s in the title). And just like a game of basketball, there are 5 roles you can choose to play and even specialize in Top, Mid, Bottom, Support, and Jungle.
Today, we’re going to talk about the Jungle role, simply called the Jungler.
The Jungler is a Champion that spends most of their time in the ‘jungle’ of the map. It is located between the three lanes. The goal of the jungler is to level up through the clearing/killing of jungle monsters and then help his lanes mostly through ganking.
Just like me, most of the player base are not professionals and usually stay on Gold ranks and below. So these players, including new ones that just joined because of watching Netflix’s ‘Arcane’, stick to simple Champions in order to climb the ladder easily.
So, what are the criteria for a Champion to be beginner-friendly? There are two. First, the Champion’s skill set must not be so complicated or difficult to use, like Zed or Pantheon. Second, the Champion must have a strong sustain in the jungle, like lifesteal or high health (damage and clearing speed, although important to junglers, does not add to the beginner-friendliness of a Champion since beginners will most likely choose someone that won’t die so quickly).
Down below is a list of the Top 10 beginner-friendly junglers.
Disclaimer: The top 10 listed here is not from worst to best, but simply a list of 10 beginner-friendly junglers. Also, this is based on my personal experience of mainly playing jungle for the past 10 years. So, if you disagree with the list, that’s alright, my brother!
Also read: When’s the Best Time to Roam as a Support?
10. Dr. Mundo
Notable Features
Asides from this hunk of a monster wearing a suit and tie, Dr. Mundo is a crazy, yet endearing psycho-killer. His theme revolves around recovering and sacrificing his Health. So, most players build him as a Tank, and Tanks are usually the most beginner-friendly sub-roles of the entire list, especially as a Jungler.
In the jungle, he has a fast clearing speed due to the low cooldown of his Q plus the area damage of his E and W. And since his Q is very easy to use, you can start ganking your lanes even at Level 2 (this is much better if you select his E as your second skill). The best part about this Champion is his passive. It is very useful during ganks against a champion that has a stun since you automatically resist its effect.
At higher levels, you become near indestructible as you pump your Health more and more since your R can easily replenish everything back to full, and, if you took the Demolish rune, you can easily melt towers after a successful gank.
Lastly, never forget to abuse spam his Q.
Why is Dr. Mundo Beginner-Friendly:
- His skills all revolve around his Health so you’re incentivized to build Health items on him, making him a really strong tank
- His skills are all very basic to use
- He has a free get-out-of-jail anti-stun card through his Passive
- His Q is stupidly abusive
9. Fiddlesticks
Notable Features
Fiddle is one of the few mages that is very strong in clearing jungle camps. In fact, I think he’s the only mage that can easily clear jungle camps. This is because his W is a stupidly simple click-and-win area lifesteal (although you have to be careful not to get interrupted since it is a channeling spell). Other than that, his gameplay revolves around heavy ganking since his strength lies in his ‘jump scare’. Also, did I mention that you should abuse his W?
Why is Fiddlesticks Beginner-Friendly:
- His W is a click-and-win powerful lifesteal
- Super-fast clearing speed
- His R is a teleport massive area attack that synergizes very well with his W
Also read: Best Support Champions That Counter Ashe
8. Warwick
Notable Features
Although there are a number of other champions that can lifesteal, Warwick is probably the best lifesteal brawler in the game. Because of his Passive, you don’t necessarily need to max his Q first. And just like Fiddlesticks, his Passive gives you infinite sustain in the jungle. In order to make yourself even more unkillable, equip Warwick with the Blade of the Ruined King and the Divine Sunderer.
Why is Warwick Beginner-Friendly:
- His insane lifesteal keeps you alive no matter what
- Ganking is a breeze with his W and R
- He is very durable
7. Master Yi
Notable Features
His Q. His most defining feature. His most powerful defining feature can chain up to 3 targets and can critically strike. And if you build attack speed items on him, his basic attacks not only can deal True Damage but also quickly lowers the cooldown of his Q. Of course, just don’t get cocky with him because he is very squishy and seldomly builds lifesteal. Remember to engage in fights only when you have your R ready, and, also, don’t enter clashes immediately when it starts. Wait for a little so that you can attack from the flank.
Why is Master Yi Beginner-Friendly:
- His Q is ridiculously simple to use and does massive damage, plus it makes him invulnerable for a second
- His farming speed is really fast
- He can easily build items and become a monster
6. Nunu
Notable Features
His signature skill is his W, a snowball that grows into a massive size the farther he travels. This is your primary ganking tool since it also helps increase your movement speed and it also stuns your target if you successfully hit them. But don’t worry, his snowball is so huge that it is difficult to miss your target. Although his clearing speed is not that great, your sustain is strong through your Q. Your Q also does massive true damage to jungle monsters making it a good execution skill on top of your Smite.
Why is Nunu Beginner-Friendly:
- His Q gives you a solid sustain in the Jungle and can easily kill Baron and Drake
- His W is not only easy but also fun to use when ganking
- His Q is also a great enemy camp stealer
Also read: Best Supportive Mid Laners
5. Olaf
Notable Features
Design-wise, Olaf is just your generic Viking who wants to die a glorious death in battle. But in battle, he is indeed a Viking. Olaf is a bruiser that specializes against crowd control, like Veigar. Once you pop your R, your priority targets are the backlines. Olaf also has great clearing speed because of the funny mechanic of his Q. His Q, just like Mundo’s, is very fun to use as well, especially when chasing dying enemies.
Why is Olaf Beginner-Friendly:
- Massive sustain through his W’s lifesteal
- His R is a strong yet simple immunity buff that can let you bypass stunners
- His Q is spammable because of its instant cooldown
4. Trundle
Notable Features
His iconic skill is his E, a wide pillar of ice that blocks everyone’s path. Although it is easy to use, it is not a very important part of his jungling. To be honest, Trundle is a boring champion to play. He heavily relies on his basic attack too much to be effective. In fact, his Q and W amplifies it. Even his R is boring. But despite his boring reputation, he is a solid yet simple Champion to play for beginners.
Why is Trundle Beginner-Friendly:
- His Q has a fast cooldown and does tremendous damage
- He can easily achieve maximum attack speed through his W
- His R, although not flashy, gives you solid sustain
3. Shen
Notable Features
Shen is a very unique ninja. Unlike most ninjas who specialize in the assassination, Shen is the only ninja in game history that tanks. Who would’ve thought? Riot did. So, kudos to them! Shen is very straightforward to play. His Q is a basic attack improvement, his W is small-duration evasion, and his E is a linear taunt which is also his signature move. His game-changing R needs a little bit of good decision-making to use since it has a massive cooldown.
Why is Shen Beginner-Friendly:
- His clearing speed is fast due to his Q
- His durable
- His ganks are very strong
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2. Shyvana
Notable Features
The fact that she can transform into a dragon is proof enough that she is awesome. Shyvana is a bruiser that has a fast clearing speed because of her skills having area damage. Although she has no form of sustain, you can easily build tank items with her. Just remember that she is not a ganker. The only time that she can be an effective ganker is when her R is up. So, bear that in mind.
Why is Shyvana Beginner-Friendly:
- Her abilities cost no mana and are simple to use
- She has a very fast clearing speed
- She can solo Drake very early
1. Skarner
Notable Features
Skarner is probably my most favorite jungler of all time. This is because he’s such an obscure Champion that you rarely see him in play. Plus, he is very easy to use and he’s also a tank. If you build tank items on him then boost his AP, he becomes a very effective magic tank.
Why is Skarner Beginner-Friendly:
- Very tanky and can run fast
- He can easily clear camps because of his Crystal Spires
- His E and R are very easy to land
Conclusion
Although I’m very sure there are more champions out there that can be included in this list, let’s just be happy for the 10 that got mentioned here.
Let us know in the comments who you think should have been included instead.
