Nocturne Jungle Build Guides, Runes, Items, and Abilities

Nocturne, the Eternal Nightmare, prowls the jungle with relentless aggression and an insatiable thirst for chaos. As a fearsome diver and assassin, Nocturne excels at picking off isolated targets and plunging the battlefield into darkness with his signature ultimate, Paranoia. His playstyle revolves around swift and decisive engagements, leveraging his high burst damage and crowd control to disrupt enemy formations and secure crucial kills.

Nocturne is a relentless terror in the jungle, embodying the essence of fear and darkness. Armed with his haunting blades and a thirst for destruction, Nocturne strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies. His kit revolves around high mobility, burst damage, and unparalleled map presence, making him a formidable force on the Rift.

As a jungler, Nocturne thrives on aggression and map control. Leveraging his strong dueling potential and global presence, Nocturne excels at early ganks and skirmishes, putting pressure on enemy laners and securing objectives for his team. When pathing through the jungle, prioritize farming efficiently while keeping an eye out for potential gank opportunities. Remember to communicate with your team and coordinate plays around Nocturne's ultimate cooldown, maximizing its impact on the game.

Top Challenging Matchups for Nocturne in League of Legends

1. Pros

• Fear-inducing ganks with ultimate, Paranoia.
• Strong dueling potential, especially in isolated skirmishes.
• Excellent mobility and engage/disengage with Duskbringer and Unspeakable Horror.
• Great objective control and secure potential with Smite.
• Snowball potential with successful early ganks.
• Versatile build paths to adapt to various game states.

2. Cons

• Reliance on ultimate for impactful ganks; vulnerable without it.
• Susceptible to counter-jungling due to lack of innate sustain.
• Limited crowd control outside of Fear from Unspeakable Horror.
• Vulnerable to crowd control during Paranoia channeling.
• Steep learning curve to maximize efficiency in early pathing and gank timing.
• Less effective when behind; struggles to catch up without successful ganks.

To guarantee your damage quickly R twice then E as soon as you can. AA while you maintain the tether, Q as soon as the fear goes off then continue to AA.

When medium range use Q then instantly E once in range and AA.

If you're already in melee range E AA instantly then Q right after and continue to AA.

Q then E and quickly AA. Press R and AA then hit R again right as the fear will proc, then follow up with some AA's.

Quickly burst with Q R instantly then AA and R right after followed by another AA.

Leading with R Q instantly will help mitigate the lockout period before using R again. E as soon as you can and follow up with some AA's.

Q E instantly then quickly AA until your fear is about to proc, then Flash behind your target to fear backwards and continue to AA.

Q Flashing does not extend the range but can put you in range faster. Q then Flash mid animation and instantly E and then AA' away.

You can Q mid air by using R twice then Q and E mid air followed by some AA's.

In the early game as Nocturne, your primary focus is on efficient jungle clearing and impactful ganks. Start by identifying which lane has the best setup for a successful gank. Look for lanes with opponents who have pushed too far or allies who have crowd control abilities to help secure kills.

Begin your jungle route by taking advantage of Nocturne's fast clear speed. Start at your buff camp, usually Red or Blue, depending on your team's starting side. After clearing your first buff, proceed to clear your smaller camps while keeping an eye on your lanes for potential gank opportunities.

Remember to use your abilities wisely to maximize your clear speed and sustain. Nocturne's passive provides him with a sustain boost when fighting against multiple enemies, so don't hesitate to take on larger camps once you've gained some levels.

Once you reach level 3, look for opportunities to gank. Coordinate with your laners to ensure successful ganks by timing your approach with their abilities. Nocturne's Q ability provides excellent chasing potential, so use it to close the gap on fleeing enemies during ganks.

Keep an eye on the map and be ready to counter gank if the enemy jungler shows themselves on the opposite side of the map. Nocturne's ultimate ability, Paranoia, can quickly turn the tide of a fight, so always be prepared to use it to support your team.

In the early game, securing objectives is crucial for gaining an advantage and setting the pace for the rest of the match. Here are the main objectives you should prioritize as a Nocturne jungler:

Drakes: Drakes are essential early game objectives that provide significant team-wide buffs. Aim to secure early drakes to gain a strategic advantage over the enemy team. Nocturne's ability to quickly clear camps and his strong dueling potential make him well-suited for contesting drakes and securing them for your team.

Scuttle Crabs: Scuttle Crabs provide vision control and valuable gold and experience. As Nocturne, prioritize clearing Scuttle Crabs whenever possible to deny vision to the enemy team and gain additional resources for yourself. Additionally, securing Scuttle Crabs helps set up successful ganks and provides opportunities for map control.

Void Grubs: While not as commonly prioritized as drakes or Scuttle Crabs, Void Grubs offer unique benefits that can significantly impact the game. Killing Void Grubs grants gold and experience, as well as stacks of the Touch of the Void buff, which enhances your team's damage to structures. Furthermore, the Hunger of the Void buff, obtained by accumulating stacks of Touch of the Void, summons allied Voidmites to attack enemy structures, providing additional pressure on the map.

In terms of strategy, it's essential to communicate with your team and coordinate efforts to secure objectives effectively. Prioritize objectives based on the current state of the game and your team's win conditions. For example, if your team excels in team fights, prioritize drakes to gain buffs that enhance team fighting capabilities. Alternatively, if your team composition focuses on split pushing, prioritize securing Void Grubs to strengthen your siege potential.

Maintain vision control around key objective areas to prevent the enemy team from sneaking objectives and to set up opportunities for successful skirmishes and picks. Use Nocturne's mobility and dueling power to contest objectives aggressively and to apply pressure across the map.

By prioritizing and securing early game objectives efficiently, you can gain a significant advantage for your team and set the stage for a successful mid and late game.

In the early game as Nocturne, your primary goal is to efficiently clear your jungle camps while maintaining pressure on the map through ganking, invading, and securing objectives. Here's a breakdown of key jungle mechanics and strategies for Nocturne in the early game:

Clearing Jungle Camps: Start your jungle route by prioritizing camps that are closest to your starting position. Nocturne excels at clearing camps quickly due to his AoE damage and sustain from his passive. Use your abilities and basic attacks to clear camps efficiently, starting with the buff camps (Red Buff or Blue Buff) and then proceeding to smaller camps.

Ganking: Nocturne's ganking potential is potent, especially post-level 6 when he unlocks his ultimate, Paranoia. Look for opportunities to gank lanes that are overextended or have low health enemies. Coordinate with your laners to set up successful ganks by timing your approach with their engage or crowd control abilities. Use Paranoia to dive onto priority targets and secure kills for your team.

Invading: Nocturne can be a strong invader, especially against junglers with weaker early game dueling potential. If you have vision of the enemy jungler on the opposite side of the map or if you spot them ganking a lane, consider invading their jungle to steal camps and deny them resources. However, be cautious when invading, and always keep an eye on the minimap to avoid getting collapsed on by the enemy team.

Objective Control: Secure Scuttle Crabs to gain vision and control over river objectives, such as drakes. Coordinate with your team to contest drakes and secure them when the opportunity arises. Nocturne's ability to quickly clear camps and move around the map makes him well-suited for securing objectives and applying pressure on the enemy team.

Counterjungling: Punish enemy junglers by counterjungling their camps when you have vision of them on the opposite side of the map or when they are occupied with ganking lanes. Stealing camps not only denies them valuable resources but also sets them behind and limits their impact on the game.

Map Awareness: Constantly monitor the minimap to track the enemy jungler's movements and anticipate potential gank opportunities. Ward key areas of the map to provide vision for yourself and your team, allowing you to make informed decisions and react to enemy movements effectively.

By mastering these early game jungle mechanics and strategies, you can leverage Nocturne's strengths to gain an advantage for your team and pave the way for success in the mid and late game.

Objective Control: Continue prioritizing objectives such as dragons and Rift Herald to gain map control and provide your team with powerful buffs. Coordinate with your team to secure objectives and contest those of the enemy team. Nocturne's ability to quickly clear camps allows him to maintain pressure on the map while still being able to respond to objective spawns.

Split Pushing: With your strong dueling potential and tower taking ability, Nocturne can excel as a split pusher in the mid to late game. Look for opportunities to split push in a side lane while your team applies pressure elsewhere on the map. Use your ultimate, Paranoia, to join team fights or collapse on isolated enemies when needed.

Vision Control: Invest in vision wards and control wards to establish vision control around key areas of the map such as objectives, jungle entrances, and choke points. Vision denial is crucial for denying the enemy team information and setting up picks or ambushes with your ultimate.

Team Fighting: Nocturne's role in team fights is to dive onto priority targets and disrupt the enemy backline. Coordinate with your team to engage fights at advantageous moments and focus on eliminating high-value targets such as enemy carries or squishy mages. Use Paranoia to create chaos and confusion among the enemy team, making it difficult for them to effectively respond to your engages.

Map Pressure: Maintain constant pressure on the map by split pushing, rotating between lanes, and applying pressure on enemy objectives. Nocturne's global presence with Paranoia allows him to quickly join fights or catch out isolated enemies, forcing the enemy team to constantly respect your presence on the map.

Objective Prioritization: In the late game, focus on securing Baron Nashor to further increase your team's pushing power and potentially secure the game-winning push. Coordinate with your team to set up vision around the Baron pit and look for opportunities to secure the objective or bait the enemy team into a favorable fight.

By effectively executing these strategies in the mid to late game, you can capitalize on Nocturne's strengths as a diver and playmaker to secure objectives, win team fights, and ultimately lead your team to victory. Keep a cool head, communicate with your team, and always look for opportunities to make game-changing plays.

In late-game scenarios as Nocturne, it's crucial to maximize your impact and make decisive plays to secure victory for your team. Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you excel:

Target Selection: Prioritize high-value targets such as enemy carries or squishy mages during team fights. Use Paranoia to dive onto priority targets and eliminate them quickly, disrupting the enemy team's damage output and turning the tide of the fight in your team's favor.

Vision Denial: Use Sweeping Lens and Control Wards to deny vision around key objectives and choke points. By denying vision, you can create opportunities for picks and ambushes with your ultimate, catching out isolated enemies and gaining a significant advantage for your team.

Map Awareness: Stay vigilant and constantly monitor the mini-map for potential opportunities to make plays. Keep track of enemy movements and look for opportunities to flank or catch out unsuspecting targets with your ultimate. Communication with your team is key to coordinating engages and capitalizing on advantageous situations.

Objective Control: Maintain control over key objectives such as Baron Nashor and Elder Dragon to secure game-winning buffs for your team. Coordinate with your team to set up vision around objectives and look for opportunities to secure them or bait the enemy team into unfavorable fights.

Split Push Pressure: As a strong duelist with excellent tower taking abilities, consider split pushing in a side lane to apply pressure and create map pressure. Use your ultimate to quickly join team fights or collapse on isolated enemies when needed, forcing the enemy team to respond to your split push and creating opportunities for your team to secure objectives elsewhere on the map.

Adaptability: Be adaptable and adjust your playstyle based on the flow of the game. If your team is ahead, focus on extending your lead and closing out the game by securing objectives and pushing for the win. If your team is behind, look for opportunities to make picks and turn the tide of the game with well-timed engages and team fights.

By following these tips and tricks, you can leverage Nocturne's strengths as a diver and playmaker to make impactful plays in late-game scenarios, secure objectives, and lead your team to victory. Stay proactive, communicate with your team, and always be on the lookout for opportunities to make game-changing plays.

Nocturne is a force to be reckoned with in the jungle, wielding darkness and fear to strike down his enemies. By understanding his kit, mastering his abilities, and embracing his aggressive playstyle, you can unleash Nocturne's full potential and dominate the Rift.

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Good luck to you! – Cheng