Foundations
First Clears: The Top-Down Approach
Master+ Principle:
Every champion has an optimal first clear tailored to their kit (e.g., Yi: Red start → Meditate sustain for speed). However, the standard full clear (all 6 camps) is more than sufficient for ~95% of games—especially when it funnels directly into your win condition (scaling, farming, invading).
Why Full Clear Wins
- Highest early level (≈ level 4 at 3:15–3:30)
- Full HP/resources for Scuttle, Drake, or Herald
- Repeatable clears create a tempo baseline (≈ 9–10 CS/min in Season 15)
Efficiency Floor
- Minimum acceptable path: quadrant clear
(3 camps on one side → cross mid → next action) - Avoid paths with fewer than 3 camps unless executing a level-2 cheese or forced invade
Situational Awareness Supremacy
- Check minimap every ~5 seconds
- Track summoners used (Flash, Ghost, Cleanse)
- Immediate response > theoretical pathing
Full clear + information > optimized cheese
Enemy Tracking Foundation
- 1 jungle camp = 4 CS
- Missing camps reveal enemy pathing
(e.g., Raptors missing → bot-side full clear likely)
Core Evaluation Criteria:
Every path is judged by:
- Information quality (tracking accuracy)
- Risk (invade / collapse likelihood)
- Tempo (on-time recall and re-entry)
Key Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Lane Priority (Prio) | A lane can push or rotate without losing CS/XP, enabling ganks, invades, and dives. |
| Tempo | Clear → action → recall → re-entry cycle. Full clears preserve tempo by syncing with camp respawns. No idle time >8s. |
| Information Advantage | Confirmed data from wards, minimap, F-keys, CS tracking, and summoner usage. Level-1 buff wards are high value. |
Jungle Camps & Timers (Patch 15.24)
| Camp | Effect | Respawn | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Sentinel | Mana + Ability Haste | 5:00 | Mana/AP champs; kite to wall |
| Red Brambleback | Lifesteal + AA slow | 5:00 | Strong for AD/AA kits |
| Gromp | Burst sustain | 2:30 | Pair with buff for efficiency |
| Wolves | Mixed DPS | 2:30 | Enables early level-2 spikes |
| Raptors | AoE value | 2:30 | XP-efficient; skippable for early ganks |
| Krugs | High gold density | 2:30 | Vertical farming priority |
| Scuttle Crab | Vision + MS shrine | 3:15 → 2:15 | Winning Scuttle often dictates early tempo |
Starting Pets
- Gustwalker Hatchling – Clear speed
- Mosstomper Seedling – Sustain
- Scorchclaw Pup – Early dueling
Smite Upgrades (Level 5)
- Chilling Smite – Gank slows
- Challenging Smite – Duel pressure
Standard Full Clears (Patch 15.24)
Target completion: 3:15–3:30
Goal: 1 Smite available for Scuttle
| Start Side | Path | Target Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Start (Bot Prio) | Red → Krugs → Raptors → Wolves → Blue → Gromp → Scuttle | 3:15–3:25 | Farmers / Scalers (Yi, Karthus, Lillia) |
| Blue Start (Top Prio) | Blue → Gromp → Wolves → Raptors → Red → Krugs → Scuttle | 3:10–3:20 | Gankers (Talon, Jarvan IV, Zac) |
Quadrant Example:
Bot quadrant (Red → Krugs → Raptors) → cross mid → invade enemy top quadrant.
Champion-Specific Due Diligence
- Do your homework: Optimal clears vary by champion
- u.gg stats
- Challenger VODs (OP.GG)
- Champion-specific spreadsheets
- Kiting baseline: Finish clears ≥70% HP
- Smite usage: Buffs and Scuttle only
Practice Drills
- Custom games: 10 timed full clears per champion
- Adjust for matchup: High invade risk → safer full clear
- VOD review: “Was I the highest level at 3:15?”
Pro Edge:
70% HP + information advantage = reliable invade setups
Champion Archetypes (Patch 15.24)
| Archetype | Playstyle | Meta Picks |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer | Full clear → scale / invade | Yi, Karthus, Lillia |
| Ganker | Level-3 pressure | Talon, Jarvan IV, Zac |
| Duelist | Early invades | Kha'Zix, Lee Sin |
| Tank | Objective control | Sejuani, Rammus |
Why Foundations Matter
Mechanical skill plateaus around Diamond.
Macro clarity—tempo control, information usage, and repeatable clears—creates Master+ separation.
Undefined terms lead to bad decisions.
Practice F-keys, track CS gaps, and default to full clear → win condition as your unbreakable baseline.