League of Legends 101 – The most important jungle objectives

While towers in lanes in League of Legends are often the center of attention, every experienced player knows the true objectives are found in the jungle.

The jungle is home to many kinds of monsters, but there are a few that stand out from the rest. Let’s take a look at the jungle’s fiercest, or perhaps kindest monsters.

Red and Blue Buff

Terms thrown around a lot in games include the Red Buff and Blue Buff. These refer to two very important monsters in the jungle. They’re in the center of every jungle quadrant, and considered one of the most important jungle camps for junglers to take. Junglers will often start their game by taking one of these camps, as their rewards are vital for a good start.

So why do we call them buffs? These monsters give a unique temporary powerups to the champion that killed them. The red monster, called the Red Brambleback, grants a buff to your attacks, that causes enemies to get burned for a little extra damage when you hit them. The blue monster, called the Blue Sentinel, grants a buff that causes your mana to get restored at a rapid pace, letting you cast more spells in less time.

Both of these buffs are great bonuses for any champion, and their respective monsters are the core of every jungler’s planning while maneuvering the jungle. Sometimes, these buffs are given over to laners. For instance, Mages that use a lot of mana can make very good use of the Blue Buff, and Marksmen that attack a lot, can use the Red Buff to dish out a lot more damage than usual.

Scuttle Crab

These little guys walk around peacefully in the rivers. They’re pacifists and won’t fight back, but champions can still mercilessly take these down for the extra advantages they give you. First off, killing them creates some sort of shrine in the middle of the river the crab is in. It grants vision and movement speed to allies that pass through it, and thus is a good way to control the river area.

What junglers truly care about however, is the large amount of experience they get from killing it. Because the crabs roam around the territory of both junglers, often times they are fought over, due to the generous rewards of killing them. Keep an eye out for these little guys, because even they can show some quick footwork sometimes.

The Elemental Dragons

The Dragon is one of the most important objectives in the game. Spawning every five minutes in the lower river, teams often fight over who gets to take down the Dragon, as the buffs received can turn the tides of the game quickly.

The Dragon can come in four forms: Infernal, Ocean, Cloud and Mountain. Every dragon grants their own special buff to the team that slays it, mostly to your statistics. Infernal for Damage, Ocean for Healing, Cloud for Speed, and Mountain for Toughness. The real catch is when you manage to take down four of them in a single game. Once that happens, you receive the extremely powerful Dragon Soul, and depending on the element of the last Dragon, your team is given an even larger, more powerful buff to help you win the game.

After any team has collected a soul, the Elemental Dragons no longer spawn, and are replaced by the Elder Dragon. This monstrosity is the final boss of the Dragons, and killing it causes you to deal extreme amounts of extra damage, while also instantly executing anyone when they drop below a certain health point threshold. The Elder Dragon is one of the best ways to close out the game, along with the second boss of the rift: The Baron Nashor.

Baron Nashor

Commonly referred to as “Nash”, the Baron Nashor is a giant purple worm in the upper river, that only spawns after 20 minutes have passed in the game. Killing it can prove to be tough, as its attacks and debuffs are very strong, and it truly requires teamwork to take it down.

The selling point is the reward you get for killing it. Your team becomes empowered, gaining extra attack damage and ability power. You also receive an enhanced recall, which allows you to get back to base extremely quickly. However, the main reason you want this buff on your team, is how well it empowers minions.

When an empowered champion is near their minions, the minions gain mythical powers, becoming miniature tanks and gaining a lot of damage. Teams can use this to quickly siege turrets with enhanced minions, and that makes it a solid way to close out a game. Gather up your minions, and watch the towers fall one by one.

These are the core monsters you will find roaming around the jungle. Now that you know which ones are valuable, try to take down as many of them as you can. The stronger you are, the stronger you’ll get, and that’s the path towards winning games in League of Legends.

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