Lane edge
Win rate vs Ahri
Lane opponent
How to play
Rank
All ranks
Patch 16.16.19–16.20
151617181920
How to play Nidalee
Read the full guide
Stay human until Hunted says go: spear or trap first, then cougar W, because Nidalee’s most common self-sabotage is pouncing off a medium spear before the mark, CC, or health bar has actually made the jump real.
If a lane will not hold the gank, trap the ramp out of wolves or raptors and steal the camp; Nidalee with zero early lane kills still wins far more when she eats the enemy quadrant instead of burning time in a neutral brush.
When the game gets ugly, stop front-dooring in cougar form and throw spears through allied CC for marked cleanup, because Nidalee is punished harder than several peer junglers by real early gold holes and by games that drag.
Start by asking which camp you can steal without breaking your own clear rhythm. If mid and side lanes are neutral, move through the enemy quadrant, trap the ramp they have to use next, and leave before you have to prove a fair fight. The goal is to make their next route worse, not to force a spear highlight. If you see them show on the opposite side, take the camp and reset your own sequence. If they can answer quickly, keep your tempo, drop the information trap, and be ready to punish the second move instead.
Moving through brush increases Nidalee's Move Speed by 10% for 2 seconds, increased to 30% toward visible enemy champions within 1400 range.Hitting champions or monsters with Javelin Toss or Bushwhack triggers a Hunt, granting True Sight of them for 4 seconds. During this time, Nidalee gains 10% Move Speed (increased to 30% toward the Hunted target) and her Takedown and Pounce are enhanced against them.
In human form, Nidalee throws a spiked javelin at her target that gains damage as it flies. As a cougar, her next attack will attempt to fatally wound her target, dealing more damage the less life they have.
In human form, Nidalee lays a trap for unwary opponents that, when sprung, damages and reveals its target. As a cougar, she jumps in a direction, dealing damage in an area where she lands.
In human form, Nidalee channels the spirit of the cougar to heal her allies and imbue them with Attack Speed for a short duration. As a cougar, she claws in a direction, dealing damage to enemies in front of her.
Nidalee transforms into a cougar, gaining new abilities.
