League of Legends S12: Nocturne Jungle Build Guide

From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Nocturne in the jungle in League of Legends.

Be mindful that there are several ways to build and play a champion, and you'll need to be adaptable as the game and the enemy team progress.

That said, this guide is a good starting point to helping you get to grips with the champion and making an impact in your games.

Runes

Core Items

Stridebreaker

3300 Gold

Axiom Arc

3000 Gold

Build

Stridebreaker is great for a burst jungler like Nocturne, especially providing mobility after he uses his ult. 

Axiom Arc adds lethality and ability haste, plus a huge reduction in his ult's cooldown if in the proximity of an enemy champion being killed, provided he's dealt damage to them also.

Other good items include Sterak's Gage, Guardian Angel, Edge of Night, and Youmoo's Ghostblade.

Starting Item & Boots

Refillable Potion

150 Gold

Jungle Item

350 Gold

Defensive Boots

1100 Gold

Skill Order

While your choices may differ according to how the game progresses, the typical Nocturne skill priority is:

R > Q > E > W

Summoner Spells

These are the summoner spells most typically taken by Nocturne in this role. Naturally, this may change depending on match-ups.

Gameplay

Nocturne is a hybrid assassin-fighter, who aims to take down the enemy carry before they can act. Focus on farming early on, as you'll be pretty ineffective until your ultimate comes online at level 6.

• Level 1 - Take Q - Duskbringer, for the increased attack speed and damage when farming jungle camps.
• Level 2 - Take E - Unspeakable Horror, good for larger jungle monsters to avoid taking damage for a few seconds.
• First Back - Pick up an Ironspike Whip to work towards Stridebreaker.

Tips & Tricks

• Try to target multiple champions with Duskbringer in a teamfight, for a wider area of effect as they move.
• Use Shroud of Darkness during the animation for Paranoia, so you don't get locked down instantly on arrival at your target.
• Moving towards enemies affected by Unspeakable Horror will grant you a move speed bonus. 
• Be mindful of Duskbringer revealing your location if used from a concealed position.
• Paranoia hides the map for your opponents and plunges them into darkness - this can prevent things like Teleport or global ultimates. This is highly useful when contesting neutral objectives such as Dragon or Baron Nashor.