A guide to counterjungling

The Jungler is one of the most vital members on the team, because his lane presence can be crucial part in winning the game. For a Jungler to have good lane presence, and more important, better impact to the game than the enemy Jungler, it is needed to have better early game than him. One of the many ways to get to a better start than the enemy Jungler is by counterjungling him. So, in this article we will say a few words about when is the right time to counterjungle, but also, how to play against a Jungler that is counterjungling you. 

When to counterjungle

A lot of Junglers ask themself when is the right time to counterjungle. The answer is pretty simple, whenever you see opening for it. Although it may sound really easy, it is totally different when you are in game. So, I will give you a few tips that will help you decide when to counterjungle. 

Ward your jungle entrances: The purpose of the counterjungling is to gain advantage over the enemy Jungler, by taking his jungle monsters and reducing his amount of xp and gold. However, if he does the same thing while you do it, the efficiency of counterjungling is way lower. That is why you have to have wards on your jungle entrances. The vision will not stop him from taking your camps, but will help your team know his position on the map. Also, if you spot him entering your jungle and you are nearby, you can call your teammates for help and pick a kill.

(Warding Jungle entrances as blue team, same for red team only on opposite side of map)

Rift Scutler: It is also nice to take the Rift Scutler before you decide to counterjungle. It gives you a small movespeed buff when you are going in or if you need to get out, but more importantly it grants you a small vision in the river. A lot of players underestimate the value of the Rift Scutler. If the Dragon is not spawned yet, the best time to take it is around 35-40 seconds before Dragon spawn, because it will grant vision of the Dragon area that cannot be destroyed. 

There are two types of counterjungling that you can do once you go in the enemy jungle. 

The first one is to clear the entire monster camp. This type of counterjungling grants more xp and gold for yourself, and it is recommended if you want to get ahead faster. However, the bad thing when you are doing this type of counterjungling is that the camp will respawn faster for the enemy Jungler. 

The second type, is to let one small jungle monster alive at each jungle camp. This type is recommended when you want to fully reduce the enemy Jungler xp and gold supply. When doing this type of counterjungling and taking one of his buffs (either Blue or Red) it is preferable to clear the whole camp so you can have it's spawn timer, or leave one small monster alive but put a ward on it.

Art Credit: http://iamsointense.deviantart.com/art/Headless-Hecarim-Wallpaper-334974532

Either of these ways are effective if done correctly. There are two things that you should mostly take care of. First off, you should take care that you are not counterjungled at the same time you do it, cause the effect of doing it will be really low. Also, do not overstay in the enemy jungle, because you may get punished.

For example if you take the enemy Gromp, and you see the Blue Buff alive, you do not have to take it at any cost. If you see that the enemy laners are missing from their lanes they may try to catch you away from your team. The better option surely is to drop a ward and back away from it, instead of dying at it. 

How to play if the enemy jungler is counterjungling you

There are mainly two things that you can do when the enemy Jungler is counterjungling.

The best way to punish the enemy Jungler when he is counterjungling is to call help from your team and try to kill him. Of course, this can be done only if you have proper vision on the map, because you do not want to get caught by the enemy team while trying to set up a pick. It is also a good thing to ask you teammates place defensive wards, so you can spot the enemy jungler any time he tries to counterjungle. 

Art Credit: http://yngvarasplund.deviantart.com/art/Lee-Sin-396119211

The second option is to make a play on the opposite side of the map. Again, you need vision on the entrances of your jungle, so you know when and where he goes to counterjungle. For example if you see the enemy Jungler in your bottom part of the jungle and you are on the top side, you can freely go and gank the top lane, and even do a towerdive, because you know that the enemy Jungler is not near to do a countergank. 

Another example is when the enemy Jungler is in the top side of the jungle and you are closer to the bottom lane, feel free to call your teammates and start a Dragon, because you know that the enemy Jungler needs some time to get to the Dragon area. However, not always go straight for Dragon if you see the enemy Jungler at top part of the jungle, first make sure that you have better vision coverage than the enemy team. 

Conclusion

The Jungler can be the most vital part of the team if he is set to have better early game than the enemy Jungler. One of the many ways to have a better start is by counterjungling. If you get early lead you can snowball pretty much every lane. On the other hand, if you fall behind, always call for help from your teammates and stay defensive as much as you can. If a teammate starts complaining about you not ganking his lane, do not let that affect your game, because some players do not undertstand that there are three lanes in the game, and not only their.

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