Jungle Speed Does Not Equal Win

Since the Mundo craze that began after IPL a few months ago, the only thing summoners seem to care about when it comes to the jungle is jungle speed. Sejuani’s free week made me decide to pick her up (and buy a skin to prove I’m not a noob :) after not playing her since she came out, and I am having a blast and participating in some very one sided matches.

Nowadays, when people discuss junglers and their relative strengths, the first thing they say is “this champion has a slow jungle” or “this champion’s jungle is faster than that one” as if a jungler’s worth in League of Legends is only the speed with which he or she can clear the jungle.

This is simply ridiculous and a result of a ranked solo-queue mindset that is cancerous to both the fun of League of Legends as a game and it’s purity as an eSport.

Solo-queue creates some REALLY bad habits in summoners. Firstly, everyone attaches far too much importance on the first 5-10 minutes of the game, aka the “laning phase.” Summoners select champions, runes and even masteries based on their expectations of who they will be laning against.

How many times have you seen a solo-top lane summoner purchase ninja tabi because their opponent is AD? Even when in team fights Mercury Treads might be more important?

Since the pros discovered how to lose with Mundo, all they talk about is his fast jungle speed. And although it pains me to admit it, Mundo is really, really strong in the first 15 minutes of a game, but once team fights begin, I think he’s extremely weak and therefore a bad choice.

The reason I’ve always been a fan of Nautilus (who is receiving some attention at the pro level and likely receiving a nerf because of it in the upcoming patch-sadface) is not because of his jungle speed but because of the utility he brings to teamfights.

People in solo-queue are looking for a reason to give up. They let early ganks and kills make them think the game is lost. This is why jungle speed is considered valuable, and it’s a very bad reason.

Team fights win and lose games. Not jungle speed. 

Team Response in League of Legends

 Say you’re in the jungle. Say you’re on Hecarim the latest jungler to be added to the League of Legends. You find a not-so-friendly Udyr at your wraiths. You know you’d lose 1 on 1 because Udyr is ridiculously OP, but you stay and fight thinking that so close to your mid lane, surely your team will be able to respond faster than theirs.  Their mid and their support show up. Yours don't. You die.Ten seconds later, some bright young summoner says in chat, "WHYD U GO INTU A 3 v 1 NOOB?"

 You get angry at them and they get angry at you. This escalates into all out team rage, and if it’s a ranked game you or your teammates will probably give up. You might play out the rest of the game, but you spend the entire time arguing and expecting to lose.

 First, don’t let this be you. Don’t get mad at your teammates who seemingly “go into a 3v1” or worse. You probably only saw the end of the fight. League of Legends games are won and lost many times based on which team responds faster and better.

 You might think someone did something ridiculously dumb, but do you really believe the vast majority of players would knowingly try to solo vs three or more enemy champions?

 No. You’re teammates aren’t that dumb. Stop blaming them. You only saw the end of the fight. They didn’t know the other champs were there. You get angry and blame them but you should be mad at yourself. Don’t pull “Why did you engage, I wasn’t there!” You not being there is not your team’s fault. It’s yours, so watch the map and respond when your teammates are in trouble, and as always, stay classy.

 Note: This, of course, has never happened to me. Truly. For real. I swear.