If you play Jungle, you know about the massive pool of champions that can fit themselves into this role. Each of them prefers different runes and performs different jobs. Yet, some runes are generally good on most jungle champions.
The best runes for Junglers include Fleet Footwork, Predator, Zombie Ward, Relentless Hunter, Nimbus Cloak, Waterwalking, Cosmic Insight, Celerity, Legend: Alacrity, Future’s Market, Conditioning, Hexflash, Ghost Poro, and Absolute Focus.
These runes provide general value independent of what champion you are playing. This means that these can be taken on most champions and you will gain value as long as you play the role properly. Let’s take a look at the runes that are best suited for junglers.
Read also: Top AoE abilities in League of Legends
Best Keystones For Junglers
Fleet Footwork
Fleet Footwork is a very common rune among junglers that struggle with their health when clearing the jungle. While most other Keystones don’t provide any benefit in a PvE environment, Fleet is different. You can occasionally receive a small heal when you auto-attack a jungle monster, this allows you to maintain your HP to a reasonable level in case you get invaded or have to fight in the river.
Fleet also allows you to kite better and minimize downtime between two camps while moving across the map by providing you with movement speed. The key is to keep moving to build up stacks while kiting a camp. Graves is a good example when it comes to junglers that can utilize Fleet Footwork well.
Predator
This is the only other Keystone on the list after Fleet Footwork. Predator has been THE ganking rune for the longest time. If you are playing an off-meta jungler, this rune will also help you pull off ganks. With predator, you can base after your first clear and get boots as this will allow you to use the rune.
You can activate predator before showing up to a lane for a gank and the movement speed will allow you to catch up to most opponents. Some examples of junglers that take Predator are Skarner, Singed, and Morgana.
Best Runes For Junglers
Legend: Alacrity
Legend: Alacrity provides you increased Attack Speed as you continue stacking it until you hit 10 stacks for a total of 18% Bonus Attack Speed. You can simply stack it by killing jungle monsters, epic monsters (Like Rift Herald and Dragons) provide even more progress.
Attack Speed is really helpful when it comes to clearing the jungle as fast as possible. Jungling is a race and any stat that allows you to clear faster than your opponent will win you the race. Most champions that take Precision primary tree prefer to take this rune in the jungle.
Zombie Ward
Junglers can easily run all around the map and clear wards using Oracle Lens. Zombie ward allows you to benefit from the wards placed by your enemies by claiming them for yourself. Of course, with the added Adaptive Power that you gain from it, it becomes the best rune in the row for a jungler or support.
With Umbral Glaive in such a good state currently, taking Zombie Ward becomes even more rewarding. All it takes is one auto-attack from you (or two if it is a control ward) to clear it and gain some vision for yourself. Most junglers that go for Domination tree primary or secondary can opt into this rune.
Ghost Poro
While not as popular as Zombie Ward, Ghost Poro still offers a lot of value when it comes to warding as a jungler. Ghost Poro grants you vision of an area even after the ward itself expires until an enemy shows up on it. Early game, you want to put your wards where enemies will easily be able to walk over ghost poro to stack it faster.
Relentless Hunter
It is another great rune when your role relies on moving around the map and ganking. Supports and Junglers love this rune because it belongs to the same tree as Predator. Relentless Hunter allows you to move around the map faster and get things done faster.
Relentless Hunter is taken by junglers that need to gank a lot or simply have very low movement speed. This rune requires to be stacked by allows you to make plays all over the map.
Nimbus Cloak
Nimbus Cloak has been greatly nerfed ever since it was originally changed, but it is still one of the best runes for junglers. Nimbus Cloak provides you with a burst of movement speed whenever a summoner spell is used.
The idea is to smite the enemy champion while ganking to close the gap easily. You can also smite a lane minion or a monster to gain movement speed. If you are taking Sorcery tree secondary, you will definitely require this rune.
Celerity
Another one of those movement speed runes, but don’t worry, it’s the last one on the list. Celerity is a good rune to take if your champion relies on movement speed. It synergizes well with Nimbus Cloak, Ghost, Predator, Relentless Hunter, and even abilities that provide movement speed.
Absolute Focus
This rune provides you AD or AP based on the percentage of health you currently have. In the jungle, you are usually not at the risk of fighting a champion. Your health pool is not at risk of being depleted through poke and trading as it is in lanes. Having smite also allows you to retain a large portion of your health bar. This bonus AD/AP can help you clear faster and even retain this damage when ganking if you don’t get chunked.
Waterwalking
If there is any game in the rune that is made with junglers in mind, it is this rune. Waterwalking provides you movement speed and AD/AP, both of which are stats that a jungler loves. Keep in mind this bonus is only available while you are in the river. This makes early contests for scuttle crab much easier and also allows you to skirmish better.
Conditioning
Resolve is a popular tree among laners for its defensive runes that help you lane better. Second Wind or Boneplating allow you to survive the lane, but what if you don’t need either of those? Being a jungler grants you the freedom to take Conditioning, a scaling rune that provides Armor and Magic Resist.
Not having to lane in a PvP environment allows you to take scaling runes that allow you to get stronger while you clear jungle camps and wait to hit certain item breakpoints. This is a good rune for tank or bruiser junglers who need to be the frontline for their team.
Hexflash
Another rune loved by both Supports and Junglers. Hexflash allows you to cross walls and obstacles that you otherwise would not be able to cross. Some junglers don’t have the restriction of crossing over walls but for others, this rune provides a great way of ganking and even stealing objectives. Combined with Nimbus Cloak, Hexflash gives you a sudden gap closer against enemies that might not expect it.
Future’s Market
Jungling is all about efficiency. As you get to high elo, every second of your clear is crucial. Future’s Market allows you to hit item breakpoints much earlier and get you a headstart at a very small cost. Getting your mythic item or boots a minute earlier than the enemy jungler can be the deciding factor in a fight.
It is also helpful when you have to recall with a poor gold sum, or you end up getting killed before getting enough gold for an item. This rune covers most scenarios where you are lacking just a little gold to finish an important item.
Cosmic Insight
And the final rune on the list is Cosmic Insight. This rune gives you reduced summoner spell cooldown and item cooldown. Both of these stats are very important for junglers as they rely on these for ganks. A lower cooldown on your smite allows you to finish your jungle item much faster and get access to chilling or challenging smite.
The item cooldown can allow you to use items like Predator Boots, Zhonyas, and various other items more frequently during ganks. Overall, it is a good rune for junglers that need to quickly clear and start ganking as soon as possible.
General Rune Pages
The rune page you take depends a lot on what champion you are playing and what team composition you will be facing. However, there are certain rune pages that you can take if you are confused about your choice and would like runes that you can’t go wrong with.
Tank Champion
Bruiser/Fighter
Stronger Ganking
Better Sustain
Conclusion
The Jungle role has a vast variety of runes that can be taken depending on the champion you are playing. Some of those runes assist your clear speed, while some allow you to navigate the map faster. Choose your runes wisely based on the champions you will be facing and what is required by your champion to perform its job properly.
Check out our list of the best dashing abilities in LoL.
