Season 12 brought in many changes to many things in League of Legends. It changed how the items worked, updated various Champions and mechanics, and changed the entire game in a certain capacity. The Jungle was no exception and, in this article, we’ll be talking about the best Tank Junglers in the current Season.
Season 12 is in its ending days and, as the pre-season nears, we saw fit to create a list to help you squeeze out that last bit of LP before the Ranked Divisions reset. I used the stats as written in the u.gg tier list tab, as they are one of the most reputable sources for this sort of thing.
Though these Champions listed here don’t have the highest win rates of them all, they’re all rated S+ or a bit below, meaning they are the best of the best, though a bit harder to utilize. Keep in mind that everyone can play the Champions listed here, as the meta has drifted players towards simpler picks.
So, without further drag, prepare your control wards as we begin with our list.
show
7. Zac
Zac is one of the best engaging junglers ever in the game. He is mobile, extremely tanky, and very difficult to kill. Playing against him both in the Jungle and on the lanes is a tedious thing, and all of this and more make him both on this list and among the best in general.
He has a lot of disables and is, in his core, an immobilizing Champion. With his Q, he can bind players and pull them in and use his E to engage from obscene distances into multiple enemy targets, applying AOE CC on them. His Ultimate also knocks back enemies and deals solid AP damage that can severely impact fights.
Due to his high reliability on AOE, he is one of the best team fighters around. The range he has on his E that can stun multiple opponents can allow him to make the first move from very far away, catching unsuspecting enemies off guard. He can then proceed to apply the rest of his CC and soak up as much damage as he can. Even if he is killed, he dissolves into 4, and if the parts come together, he is revived, though at half HP. I recommend you try Zac as he is very beginner-friendly and will certainly help you climb those ranks faster.
Also read: Top 5 Most Fun Junglers
6. Nunu
Nunu is a peculiar pick, and I’ve never seen him as anything else but a troll pick. That was until he was reworked sometime back when he became a bit more viable. Still, though better, I never quite understood the full potential, but in Platinum+, he is one of the most popular Jungle picks there is.
Nunu has a solid ganking potential and can-do objectives fast. Due to how his kit works, he can eat up a lot of the objective’s HP since it does true damage. This effectively gives Nunu two Smites, meaning he can steal Epic Buffs like Dragons and Barons a lot easier than most Champions in the game. As he substantially heals from his powerful Q, he has a lot of potential in doing objectives alone, without alerting the enemy laners that he might be roaming about.
His W – Biggest Snowball Ever – gives him a lot of initiating potential and ganking capabilities that are scarcely replicated elsewhere. He can cross a large distance with good movement speed and stun multiple targets at once without too much effort. The problem with this spell is that it is easily avoidable, and his mobility is severely limited while it is active. All in all, if he does land it, he can have a great impact on the fight.
His Ultimate is perhaps the best-known spell he has, and it can do tons of damage if channeled fully and on multiple opponents. Once again, as with his W, this is extremely hard to do in full capacity, and you’ll find yourself using it likely ineffectively. If you manage to hit it, you’ll obliterate enemies with how strong the spell can be. At any rate, Nunu is solid but difficult to use to his full potential. A lot of practice and games are required to master him, and he is likely the only Champion like that on this list.
Also read: Best Anti Armor Items in League of Legends
5. Rammus
Rammus is one of the oldest and simplest Champions in the entire League of Legends roster. Due to how simple he is and how familiar his kit is to everyone, I won’t go into too much detail on his gameplay mechanics. The reason for this as well is that he doesn’t have many, and boring you with some less interesting facts about his character is not what I like to do.
Anyhow, Rammus can clear Jungle fast as he can reflect damage to his opponents. He also has some solid attack speed and a multi-targeted stun on his Q. His Q grants him a lot of movement speed, which can help him either escape, chase down enemies, or cross distances that he wants to cross faster. His Taunt, damage reflection, and armor scaling make him one of the best anti-AD Champions in the game. He can stack upwards of 600 Armor and more if he goes for a full Armor build. I’ve seen some insane Armor numbers on this Champion, ones that I am afraid to tell you.
His Ultimate does AOE damage around him, and it is a very complex spell with the most basic-looking animation in history. To truly grasp how many things and damage types this spell has – check out the League wiki on Rammus, as there is too much to say for an article like this one. All in all, it is an AOE pulsating AP spell that can wreck the enemy’s HP if you keep close enough. And, more often than not, you will, as you have a lot to work with in terms of gap closing.
Rammus is easy to get into, simple and basic to play, and he is super useful in many different rosters. I suggest you try him if you’re just starting off the jungler role to better prepare yourself for some other picks when Season 12 rolls up.
4. Jarvan IV
Jarvan IV is more of a Bruiser than a regular Tank, but he fits the Tank description, so he is on this list. I mean, when have you seen a Jarvan that’s not a Tank. I thought so. Well, Jarvan, being a Bruiser apart from his Tank characteristics, also has a ton of damage to deal. He is one of the best CC Champions as he can do it quickly and unexpectedly, and he can close an entire team in a ring with him while the rest of your allies pulverize them against the walls.
His jungling is straightforward, if not a bit slow. He takes his time around the Jungle, clearing camps at regular speed and doing nothing too spectacular. At level 4-5 Jarvan is ready to gank, and that is exactly where he shines the most. Jarvan can engage blazingly fast and knock-up enemies in his way for a solid duration with his E-Q combo. When the enemy comes down, he will use his W to slow them. This spell has a similar animation to Randuin’s omen, but not the same effects. It will provide him with a shield to help him last longer in a gank/fight, and he’s a very intimidating ganker.
His Ultimate is a team fighting charm that can isolate and enclose multiple targets in a ring with him. This sort of traps them, but keep in mind that they are not stunned/disabled while in there, meaning they can still escape or attack outside. When used correctly, you will allow your teammates to use AOE spells on them more easily, and that’s the main point of this spell. It also has great damage, so using it as a single target execution is viable. (idigtexas.com) Jarvan is super fun, not too hard to use, and very dangerous to play against, so I highly recommend him to players of all skill levels.
Also read: How Much CS is a Kill Worth?
3. Amumu
Amumu has, ever since Riot introduced a second charge to his Q, become an S+ tier jungler, and it seems that he’ll remain so for the foreseeable future. He’s one of the best tanks in the game in general and is certainly one of the best junglers with everything a jungler needs, if not more.
His clear is fast, easy, and simple. He can use his E and W to do a solid amount of damage to the multi-targeted camps such as the Raptors. When faced with single-targeted Buffs, he can use his Q (with 2 charges) to apply stuns to the neutral, mitigating damage, which allows him to stay in the Jungle for longer.
His ganks are impeccable, especially post-level 6. His double charge grant him the ability to stun-lock the target he’s ganking, and if they still try to escape, he can use his Ultimate to keep them in place for even longer. Amumu’s stuns last seemingly forever, making him one of the best – if not the best – disablers in the game. When engaging multiple enemies at once, Amumu can use his R to stun all of them and lock them in place, giving his allies the opportunity of eviscerating them quickly and effectively. Amumu is simple to use and utilize to his full capacity, with spells that have no skill shots (other than his Q, which is super easy to land). He is great for those starting out and borderline amazing for seasoned players that know the jungle role well. I recommend him to all skill levels, and you must use his current power while you can.
2. Xin Zhao
Xin Zhao, similar to Jarvan, is more of a Fighter/Bruiser than a full-blown Tank. But, I included him on this list for the same reason. These Champions Tank so much with the recent item changes that little differentiates them from actual Tanks. So, let’s see why Xin is an S+ tier pick.
He has an easy and quick clear that is amazing. He can heal up a lot from the camps themselves, knock them up, do multi-targeted damage to them, etc. He has everything you need to clear a lot of camps and clear them fast. Xin Zhao shines when it comes to ganking and team fighting, though.
With his E, Xin can engage enemies from a solid distance. Using his Q, he can subsequently knock them up, applying CC for a good duration. When ganking and landing his CC, if the target has no Flash, they’re done for. Xin is great to take against marksmen, as his Ultimate knocks all targets back (this itself is a great CC spell) and prevents projectiles from hitting him for a short duration. You have to get up into his face if you want to do any damage to him while this spell is active. Xin Zhao is simple; there’s not much else to say about him. He is a good pick that can dish out immense damage, solid CC, and have amazing ganks that will certainly change the course of your lane and the game. I recommend taking Xin Zhao when you’re a bit familiar with the Jungle, as that will help you utilize him completely and most effectively.
1. Kayn
Kayn is one of the most versatile Champions in the game, period. He has two forms, which alone tell you how good he is, situationally. Whether he needs to fill a damage gap, or a Tank/Bruiser one, he can do so with the push of a button. Though this choice is irreversible, having the option is enough to grant him the number one status in any of these jungler lists.
Since we are speaking about Tanks in this list, I’ll focus on his Red form. This one grants Kayn a crap ton of healing, % of HP damage, and CC. While he is still unchanged during the early game, Kayn is not too Tanky but still retains the good clear that comes with the updated forms. His Q and W are multi-target spells that can heal and help Kayn sustain himself for longer. This means he can clear all the camps quickly and in one go before backing for an item and going to gank.
After a while of fighting, Kayn will get the option to turn into one of his two forms. When he turns into the Red one, it gives all of his spell a bunch of lifesteal. They will heal Kayn substantially. His Q, W, E, and Ultimate will have healing for Kayn. This makes him one of the longest-lasting Champions in the game, and due to how low his cooldowns tend to be in the late game – he is extremely hard to kill. Grievous Wounds, Ignite, and similar effects are a necessity to be able to fight him correctly. He can pass through the terrain using his E, meaning ganking you from the back is a no-brainer for him. His W is usually a slow, but he will have a knock-up that lasts forever in the Red form.
His Ultimate is the same throughout the three forms but will heal him a lot in Red. You can see everything is based on sustain, doing a lot of percentage-based damage and tanking all you throw at him. He is not that easy, but not that difficult. Learning Kayn, which has remained viable and dormant for Seasons now, will help you climb the Divisions now and in the foreseeable future. I highly recommend you take this Champion for a spin and put in the time and effort needed to master him, as he is the best of the best right now.
Conclusion
The Jungle has changed. And it will change in the next Season, and the Season after that, and so on. But some things never change, and the core mechanics will, I think, remain largely the same. So, learning how to play arguably the most impactful role in League of Legends is pivotal to your evolution as a player. Using the right Champion for the job will only help you in that regard, so study these Champions thoroughly and pick whatever suits you best. You won’t regret any of them.
These lists take time and effort to make, so leave feedback to help me improve them. Make sure to keep an eye out on our website for more League of Legends-related guides, lists, and articles that we publish every day.
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
Loading…