Nunu & Willump's Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
✔️ Easy to play
✔️ Good Clear Speed
✔️ S+ Ganks
✔️ Amazing Objective Control (Q+Smite)
✔️ Survivability in Jungle
✔️ Lots of Crowd Control
✔️ Surprising Damage (Level 6 Spike)
🔄 In my opinion Nunu & Willump is the only fun tank in the jungle, I never become bored of him. His damage can kill almost any champion when he hits 6 and if he gets a full ultimate charge off. Not to mention it still makes me laugh when enemies try to flash away from my snowball, or once I proc phase rush. He also has an uncontestable smite (Q+Smite) if you time it perfectly. I highly recommend trying him out, you might just have fun.
❌ Cons
✘ Heavy Reliance on Team
✘ Ultimate Easily Disrupted
✘ Poor Defensive Scaling
✘ Weak When Behind
✘ Poor Brawler
✘ No Late Game Damage
🔄 Nunu & Willump struggles if he gets put behind the enemy team, this is why you should aim to play with big brain IQ only. Don't try to take scuttle crab alone unless your teammates are on the same page as you, you're practically a 2nd support. You will have some games you give your team a lead and still lose (I've had teams throw 10k+ gold leads). If games go >30 mins you are outscaled by this point, play around your team and keeping the carries alive.
Nunu Summoner Spells
💰 SMITE
Considering you are playing jungle, Smite will be a necessary summoner spell to take. Even if you didn't want to the client will now force you, this is the first spell for Nunu & Willump. I personally prefer Gustwalker Smite as it gives you a nice boost to movement speed when navigating through bushes - really op to catch people out late game. Mosstomper Smite is okay but just offers a small shield later on. I wouldn't take Scorchclaw Smite on Nunu, only on full AP.
💰 FLASH
Flash will be your second summoner spell as it is the best option for escaping or engaging. You could attempt to run Ignite, but it doesn't feel very good and your team may flame if they see a Nunu & Willump cosplaying Graves, especially in ranked.
Nunu Runes
🎯 The only primary rune you should be taking on Nunu & Willump is Phase Rush. Very easy to proc as you only need to hit 3 attacks or abilities to gain the movement speed. You can proc it fully with Snowball Barrage and lock down enemies easily with the root it provides. This can allow you to get a full Absolute Zero channel off and do tons of damage to your enemies. You will also laugh when people try to flash after you proc Phase Rush but you still chase them down.
🎯 This pairs amazingly with Nunu's kit as it grants you bonus movement speed. Helps if you need to escape sticky situations with Flash or lock someone down with Gustwalker Smite, sometimes it's all you need.
🎯 Any sort of Movement Speed pairs well with Nunu. Getting an extra 1% for free is nice and improving all other movement bonuses by 7% helps you lockdown people that much easier.
🎯 Similar to Celerity, this gives Nunu & Willump extra movement speed and damage when in the river, which is great for objective control as well as ganking lanes.
Nunu Items
Nunu Skill Order
Nunu & Willump Combos
🛠️ W + W + E + AA + E + Q + E + AA + AA: Approach with E, then E again right before you AA Q. Use your last E charge and continue to AA, then use W right as the root ends.
🛠️ E + FLASH + AA + Q + E + AA + W + E + AA + R: To engage with your snowball W then roll into your opponent and E right after it hits. Quickly use Q E, AA then E again followed by one more AA and your R.
🛠️ E + FLASH + R + Q + AA: E then instantly AA Q, E again then AA W. R, cancelling the channel right as the root ends.
🛠️ E + AA + Q + E + AA + W + R: E your target then right before your root goes off Flash on top of your target and instantly R. Once it finishes its channel, Q AA.
🛠️ W + E + Q + E + AA + E + AA + R: To quickly engage E then instantly Flash and AA Q. E again and AA W, E a third time then AA R.
🛠️ E + E + AA + Q + AA + E + AA + W + AA: Start with W and release it early. Right as you confirm it will land and you are in E range hit W a second time, instantly E then AA E Q as quickly as you can. Follow up with your last E and some AA's.
Jungle pathing
Game plan
☑️ Early game
Early game is a Nunu & Willump's wet dream, it's where he has the opportunity to set up a win. Your main goal will be to hit level 2-3 and gank until enemies want to Alt+F4. Taking kills is okay, but if you are Platinum IV+ I would recommend giving the kills to your carries.
Follow the pathing guide and gank the enemy laners if they are pushed up or near death. If you gank someone and they have used their mobility spell like Flash (5 min cooldown) or Ghost (3.5 minute cooldown), you now have a time window to repeat gank and kill over and over again. I tend to avoid repeat ganking/camping tank champions like Ornn, Shen and Malphite etc. It is okay to give them a free kill but they won't carry the game, focus your middle lane and bottom lane if you manage to give them a lead.
Make sure to prioritize early game Dragon's (Soul's are OP) and Rift Herald, Nunu & Willump can easily secure them because of Consume with Smite (Level 5 combo is 1210 damage, execute dragon with this). You are able to solo it as well, but I wouldn't recommend this unless you have vision of the enemy jungler/mid lane/bottom lane and Bami's Cinder. You can also help your bottom lane push the wave into tower and then spam ping them for help
♻️ Early Game Goals
✔️ Be Active on Map
✔️ Gank, Gank, Gank!!
✔️ Target Low Mobility Enemies
✔️ Focus Early Dragon's and Rift Herald
✔️ Clear Enemy Vision with Oracle Lens
✔️ Get Rift Scuttler (if safe)
☑️ Mid Game
By now a turret has likely fallen and people are becoming more aggressive, looking for kills by catching people in vision traps or roaming. A turret has likely fallen and it is around the 2nd or 3rd Dragon. Hopefully you have secured both Dragon's as it is a huge advantage to have moving forward and a possible win condition if you achieve the dragon soul.
If you catch people out of position use your Biggest Snowball Ever! to run them down and secure kills for your team. Ensure you are clearing enemy vision with Oracle Lens and using Control Ward's for information.
Your teammates may also engage bad fights or get caught out, if you are around try your best to peel your carries if you can prevent their death. Sometimes all you need to do to win is sit on your ADC and make sure they don't die. Take calculated risks and fights that are beneficial for you, a lot of games get thrown in mid game by people yeeting 1000g+ bounties. Stay smart yeti enjoyers.
♻️ Mid Game Goals
✔️ Secured Dragon's + Rift Herald
✔️ Engage Team Fights
✔️ Peel Your Carries
✔️ Secure Vision Near Objectives
✔️ Calculated Risks
☑️ Late Game
Hopefully your game doesn't get to this point and you have secured the win already, Nunu & Willump has terrible defensive scaling and if you get into 30-45+ minute games you will be horribly outscaled. Try your best to engage fights that are beneficial for your team and peel your carries.
Once it becomes 20+ minutes in the game you will receive homeguard buff from fountain, this pairs extremely well with Biggest Snowball Ever! and it will catch enemies off guard that may be trying to push into your Inhibitor or Tier 2 tower.
Do your best to continue to take objectives like Elder Dragon and Baron Nashor, don't be afraid to Flash + Consume + Gustwalker Smite (2400 DMG) if you have vision to steal from the enemy, it will tilt them
♻️ Late Game Goals
✔️ Continue to Engage Fights
✔️ Utilize Homeguard Buff from Base
✔️ Peel Your Carries
✔️ Secure Objectives
✔️ Try to Not Throw
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