Overview

Jungling is a concept many players new to MOBA’s won’t be familiar with. It’s defined as the following:

"Jungling (also referred to as bushing or neutral creeping) is when a player concentrates on killing Neutral Creeps during the game, usually for additional Gold or Experience. It refers to the Forests or Jungles between the lanes on either side where Neutral Creeps commonly spawn."

Paragon is no exception to this description and its jungle makes up a huge portion of the map that is split across two sections that are either side of mid-lane. Predominantly taken on by one or two "jungling" Heroes (typically melee) their role is to not only level up from the jungle camps, but to

The Camps

White Camps

These camps are made up of two creatures and provide experience and card experience. They are detonated by white icons on the mini-map. Every 2 minutes slain minion camps will respawn and living camps will level up. When leveled up, a White Camp doesn't provide bonus experience, just incremental experience based on its level. A level 2 camp for example is the equivalent of slaying two White Camps.

Tip - Jungle camps can only reach a maximum level of 5 and will not level up further.

It’s in your best interests to clear white camps as quickly and as often as possible, but not to go out your way to farm them if it means missing out on attacking a lane or protecting a Tower. White Camps are your primary source of experience, they alone don't win you a match: protecting your Towers and destroying the enemies does.

Red and Blue Camp

As a stronger camp than the basic White Camps, the Red and Blue Camp consist of two small creatures and a larger, colored one (with 1012 health). Upon killing the colored creature, it will drop a buff you or others can collect.

The Red Orb provides increased damage by twenty-five percent and a small movement speed bonus on hit. It’s primarily collected by ADC’s such as Murdock or the individual Jungling so that they can clear camps quickly.

The Blue Orb provides increased Mana Regeneration and Cooldown Reduction by Twenty Percent. If you’re Gideon or Howitzer, it’s imperative you try to maintain a blue buff as often as possible as it allows you to push lanes hard while most Junglers don’t necessarily need it.

Each camp has health of 1250 at level one, before the following increments: 1563 (level 2), 1875 (level 3), 2188 (level 4), 2500 (level 5).

Black Camp

The Black Camp, like the Red and Blue, has two small monsters and one powerful monster that grants you a buff when killed. The Black buff gives your Hero increased structure damage and attack speed. Where structure damage is concerned, the buff deals 150 Structure damage per second, for 5 seconds. It should also be noted that every time the black camp spawns at six minutes and respawns or levels every six minutes. In addition its health, based on level is the following: 1250, 1563, 1875, 2188, 2500.

Purple Camp (or Orb Prime)

The Purple Camp, also known as Orb Prime - or OP Buff - contains the powerful Prime Helix Guardian. Killing the Guardian will see it drop a buff which one of your team can collect and carry. In order to gain the benefit of the buff, you have to deliver to a lane, before the enemies Tier 2 tower. Once the buff is activated you will then receive your Prime Helix Card. It should be noted that once you collect the Orb Prime, whomever is carrying it will show up on the map. This makes them a target and allows the enemy team to coordinate a defence against the turn in.

Although the value in the Orb Prime buff is in the Helix Card, it’s also invaluable at allowing a team to split push. The enemy team has to defend the turn in and can’t possibly cover all lanes. As such, having one of your team push a lane to destroy an Inhibitor is a common tactic in order to stretch the enemy team.

Finally, if your team has lost an Inhibitor, collecting the Orb Prime and returning it to your team's collection point is the only way to restore it.

The Purpose of the Jungle

The jungle serves four purposes: a source of experience, access to buffs, placement of harvesters (and the draining of them) and a route to ganking lane. By assigning yourself as a Jungler (even if with another player) your purpose is to not only secure the Red and Blue Buffs (to bolster yourself and your card experience) but to also regularly gank all lanes. Staying in the jungle, not ganking, is unacceptable and will be massively detrimental to your team. As such, Heroes that Jungle well are those with a strong initiate and some mobility, allowing them to quickly clear camps before attacking enemy Heroes. Grux, Kallari and Rampage are exceptional at this.

Harvesters

An incredibly important part of Jungling in Paragon are its Harvesters. These static structures are located all across the map, in 7 locations (see blue icons on the map below):

One next to each Red buff.

One next to each Blue buff.

One on the far left and far right of the map (on the very outer edges).

One next to the Orb Prime.

Without being activated, a Harvester will do nothing. However, once activated (by standing on it) they will build themselves automatically. Once built, they will begin to extra Amber (Card Experience) from Agora. Over time they will store the Amber and it's your job as a Jungler to stand on the pad in front of the Harvester to drain it. Your entire team will then receive all the card experience, irrespective of where they are on the map.

Tip - Harvesters that are full will continue to extract Amber but the excess will fall to the ground for a short duration, allowing you or those nearby to collect it.

It's imperative that you maintain as many harvesters as possible and if the enemy has taken one you can easily access (far left and right, or Orb Prime) then you should aim to destroy it quickly before building your own. It should noted however that if you do destroy an enemy Harvester you will have to wait 30 seconds until you can build on it.

Finally, to build Harvesters quickly you will need a Harvester Key (or any item ending in the word Key) which significantly reduces their build time (6 seconds as opposed to 30).

The Rotation

In most instances, you’ll find yourself as a single or paired Jungler. What that means is you’ll secure the camps by yourself or with a partner and then work your way through one side of the jungle, before moving to the other. Typically you’ll clear one side vertically (top to bottom) or across both sides, before moving up (left to right, right to left). There’s no right or wrong, but I think for lane ganking, moving left to right across each side of the jungle works best. Here is a route I will typically take (without invading the enemies jungle).

I really must emphasise that it’s in your best interests to not only quickly clear camps, but use a rotation that allows you to regularly check on all lanes for a potential gank. For example, at the start of any match it’s common for one of the enemy to go down into the middle lane. After you’ve secured the Red or Blue buff, making a pass to that lane (with the help from your fellow laner) can secure an early kill. You can then go back into the jungle to finish off the remaining camps.

It’s also important to remember that solely Jungling in order to earn experience is a tall task. Yes the camps give excellent experience, but you need perfection rotation and a reliance that the opposing team aren’t jungling as well as you.

Despite that, the above route is just a guide and at times you will have to stray from it. It's important to remember however which camp you last killed and the liklihood of what level other camps will now be (if you've left them a while).

Finally and when it comes to invading the enemies half to the jungle, it's risky but also worthwhile. However, it does take experience and a lot of Shadow Wards so that you can ascertain where the enemy jungler is. Only venture there if you can be sure it's safe.

The Gank

In all honesty, it’s pretty simple. If the enemy has over extended towards your tower and there is a large gap between them and safety (their tower) you should be going to gank them. It’ll turn the situation from a 1 vs 1 to a 2 vs 1 in your favor. Better still, if there are two of you jungling it’ll become a 3 vs 1 and you’ll quickly secure a kill. Once you have secured a kill, view the map quickly and ask yourself:

1. Can I secure another kill on another lane?

2. Should I immediately go back to my existing Jungle route?

3. Should I help push this lane now there is no one protecting it?

Unfortunately there’s no guide for answering as to which of these three you should do at the time, it simply comes from experience. Typically however, it’s safe to assume you can push a lane out and attack a tower if you’ve just removed the defending player. You’ve a window of opportunity there that you should capitalize on.

Tips and Tricks

1. Always try to keep to a Jungle routine so you maximise your experience intake.

2. Card Experience is significant from the Buff camps - take them constantly.

3. Always gank lanes when you’re running by them. It’ll help your team push to Towers

4. Never just stay in the Jungle. The object of the game is to kill Towers, not pretend you’re Tarzan living a life in the Amazon.

5. Certain Heroes Jungle best: Kallari, Sevarog, Rampage and Grux are all amazing.

6. Always try to share Jungle Buffs if you can, with a teammate in lane who might need them. Just ping or type in chat that the buff is available for pickup. Just be sure they get it.

7. Be aware that if you’re Jungling, the enemy team is as well. Listen out for them attacking camps and be on your guard.

8. Enemies will regularly place Wards to alert them of incoming players from the Jungle. Be sure to regularly kill these or counter Ward so you can uncover theirs.

9. Harvesters are a Junglers responsibility - be sure to equip a Harvester key and keep them active.

10. The Black Buff is amazing for Junglers as it allows you to kill enemy Harvesters in seconds. Make use of the experience the Black Buff gives and the opportunity to steal card experience from the enemy team.

11. If you aren't your teams designated Jungler, don't steal their camps. You harm their experience gain and will cause them to fall behind in levels!

Have some Jungling tips? Think I've missed something? Let me know and I'll add it to the guide!