Summary
Early Game
Hunter's Machete is essential for Jarvan IV to clean the jungle at the beginning of the game. Accompany it with a Refillable Potion.
Boots
- Mercury's Treads is the best choice for a difficult heavy AP match-up.
- Ninja Tabi if you fear an heavy AD game.
Core items
- Skirmishers' Saber allows to be more aggressive while Stalker's Blade allows to slow down enemies, sometimes too mobile. The Warrior's Enchantment should be used to bring a significant amount of damage.
- Black Cleaver is a very good first damage item and reduces the cooldown of your spells, and the Maw of Malmortius is a must to counter magic damage.
- A third damage item is interesting like Duskblade of Draktharr, which is purely offensive, or Sterak's Gage.
Situational items
You will now need tank items to provide a front line at the end of the game.
- Randuin's Omen allows you to better withstand physical damage and critical hits.
- Gargoyle Stoneplate absorbs all types of damage and doubles your health points once you're in the melee.
- Guardian Angel is a good defensive solution if you have another tank in your team.
- Finally, another defensive item such as Adaptive Helm, Warmog or Thornmail is also possible.
Playing Jarvan IV
Jarvan IV is an aggressive jungler who will require to take a short jungle path in order to gank quickly and efficiently.
- Level 1: Start with the Red Buff to be able to clear your camps faster, without losing too much health.
- Level 2: Swiftly follow up with your Razorbeaks using your Smite on the biggest one so you don't lose too much life, then go on to do your Blue Buff and the Rift Scuttler to reach level 3.
- Level 3: You have your E-Q combo to execute your gank, and your W - Golden Aegis to slow down the one who would try to escape.
If you miss your combo, you can always force the gank, but it will be much less interesting for you and your ally, you might even lose a lot of time.
Match-ups
Tips & Tricks
- Jarvan IV can lock his opponents into his arena and then get out with his E + Q combo.
- Your combo can cross all the obstacles on the map, use it to avoid enemy wards to surprise your opponents.
- It is possible to use Flash during the E + Q combo to change the trajectory of the latter, or to hit an enemy further away. However, this requires some practice.
- The more enemies in the melee the bigger your W - Golden Aegis get, use it wisely.
- R - Cataclysm blocks both opponents and allies, so be careful of their placement before locking them in the arena with you. However, you can make the arena disappear early by reactivating your ultimate.