A classic League of Legends jungler, Nidalee, received minor buffs in Patch 14.3. It turns out they were substantial enough for Nidalee to rapidly ascend to the top of the win rate scoreboards at higher rankings, where she’s been dominating so far in the current League patch, 14.4.
At the time of writing, Diamond+ players are reigning supreme in the jungle with Nidalee, where she boasts a 54.01 percent win rate, according to U.GG. This comes alongside a massive ban rate of 15.2 percent, and a decent pick rate of 8.7 percent. Evelynn, who comes in second place, is almost two percent behind Nidalee in terms of win rate, with 52.20 percent.
It’s all because of Nidalee’s minor buffs in Patch 14.3. Her magic resistance growth has been slightly increased from 1.3 to 1.45, and her Primal Surge saw changes too. Its minimum base heal and AP ratio were increased, improving her sustain in the jungle. Her attack speed bonus has also been buffed, making her jungle clear a bit faster.
While it doesn’t look like much on paper, it turns out it was only enough to make her a primary pick for skilled junglers. At lower ranks like Platinum+, Nidalee is “only” seventh. She still boasts a solid win rate of 51.27 percent, though both her pick and ban rates are substantially lower.
This shouldn’t come off as a surprise. Nidalee’s prowess comes from managing her rotation in Panther form, and obviously from landing her spears. Both require mechanical skills to make the champion powerful.
Having said that, Nidalee has found herself on the list of champions set to be nerfed in the upcoming Patch 14.5. So, if you’re looking to grab some easy wins with the jungler, make sure to be quick. The patch is scheduled to release on March 6.
