Nidalee, League of Legends champion
Win Rate
42.1%
Pick Rate
0.6%
Ban Rate
0.2%

Nidalee Jungle Build: Items & Boots

Nidalee F TierAssassinMage
Patch
26.20
Games
801
Lane
Jungle
Tier
All Tiers
Last Updated
Oct 12, 2026 UTC
Methodology
Data Methodology
Author
Dakota Chinnick

The most-played Patch 26.20 Nidalee build is Mercury's Treads, Zhonya's Hourglass, Hextech Rocketbelt, Lich Bane, Mejai's Soulstealer, Rabadon's Deathcap, Oracle Lens: 7.05% of games, 53.64% win rate. Below are the boots, first items, starting items and summoner spells players pick most, each with its own win rate and game count.

Select a Nidalee Build

Best WR
Highest Win Rate Build
  • Zhonya's Hourglass - Nidalee Highest Win Rate Build core itemZhonya's Hourglass
  • Lich Bane - Nidalee Highest Win Rate Build core itemLich Bane
  • Rabadon's Deathcap - Nidalee Highest Win Rate Build core itemRabadon's Deathcap
Core Items
60.8%Win Rate
+18.8%WR Diff
6.2%Pick Rate
Most Played
Most Popular Build
  • Zhonya's Hourglass - Nidalee Most Popular Build core itemZhonya's Hourglass
  • Hextech Rocketbelt - Nidalee Most Popular Build core itemHextech Rocketbelt
  • Lich Bane - Nidalee Most Popular Build core itemLich Bane
Core Items
53.6%Win Rate
+11.6%WR Diff
7.0%Pick Rate
Alternative Build 1
  • Shadowflame - Nidalee Alternative Build 1 core itemShadowflame
  • Lich Bane - Nidalee Alternative Build 1 core itemLich Bane
  • Rabadon's Deathcap - Nidalee Alternative Build 1 core itemRabadon's Deathcap
Core Items
52.7%Win Rate
+10.6%WR Diff
6.0%Pick Rate
Alternative Build 2
  • Shadowflame - Nidalee Alternative Build 2 core itemShadowflame
  • Zhonya's Hourglass - Nidalee Alternative Build 2 core itemZhonya's Hourglass
  • Lich Bane - Nidalee Alternative Build 2 core itemLich Bane
Core Items
49.5%Win Rate
+7.4%WR Diff
6.6%Pick Rate

Best Nidalee Build - Highest Win Rate Items

Full Build

Early Build Order

Scorchclaw Pup
Scorchclaw Pup
Health Potion
Health Potion
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward
Needlessly Large Rod
Needlessly Large Rod
Seeker's Armguard
Seeker's Armguard
Zhonya's Hourglass
Zhonya's Hourglass
Boots
Boots
Sorcerer's Shoes
Sorcerer's Shoes

Top Summoner Spells

  • FlashSmite
    Flash + Smite
    49.5%Win Rate100.0%Pick Rate

Build Stats

49.51%Win Rate
+7.44%WR Diff
6.60%Pick Rate
103Matches

This Nidalee build focuses on ability power for maximum spell damage. Build the core items first for your power spike, then adapt with situational items based on enemy team composition.

The core items for this Nidalee build are Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, and Lich Bane. This item combination achieves a 49.5% win rate across 103 matches analyzed.

At full build, Nidalee gains a total of 395 AP, 450 Health, and 50 Armor, giving a strong power profile for magic damage.

Best Nidalee Runes

Domination primary rune treeDomination
  • Dark Harvest
  • Sudden Impact
  • Sixth Sense
  • Treasure Hunter
Precision secondary rune treePrecision
  • Triumph
  • Legend: Haste
  • Attack Speed
  • Adaptive Force
  • Health Scaling
View full runes

Nidalee Abilities

View ability details

Nidalee build strength based on the items chosen in the build when compared to all builds across every champion. Lower in: Gold Efficiency, Magic Resistance, Physical Damage.

The most popular starting items for Nidalee are Scorchclaw Pup, Health Potion, Stealth Ward with a 63.6% win rate and 32.0% pick rate.

Scorchclaw Pup
Scorchclaw Pup
Health Potion
Health Potion
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward
63.6%Win Rate
32.0%Pick Rate
These are Nidalee's essential core items that you should build in nearly every game. Shadowflame (45.9% WR, +3.8% WR diff, 41.1% pick rate) provides 110 AP. Zhonya's Hourglass (50.2% WR, +8.1% WR diff, 39.1% pick rate) provides 50 Armor, 105 AP. Lich Bane (42.0% WR, -0.1% WR diff, 82.4% pick rate) provides 100 AP, 0.06% Speed. Rush these items first to reach your power spike and maximize your impact.
  • Shadowflame S Tier
    Shadowflame - 3,200 gold - Nidalee core item

    Shadowflame

    3,200 3,200
    45.90%Win Rate
    +3.83%WR Diff
    41.07%Pick Rate
  • Zhonya's Hourglass S Tier
    Zhonya's Hourglass - 3,250 gold - Nidalee core item

    Zhonya's Hourglass

    3,250 3,250
    50.16%Win Rate
    +8.09%WR Diff
    39.08%Pick Rate
  • Lich Bane S Tier
    Lich Bane - 2,900 gold - Nidalee core item

    Lich Bane

    2,900 2,900
    41.97%Win Rate
    -0.10%WR Diff
    82.40%Pick Rate
MetaBot Desktop

Theorycraft Your Next Nidalee Build

Test any item combination — even off-meta — against thousands of real Nidalee matches. See win rate, KDA, damage, and every item's real impact before you ever lock in.

  • Any item combo — even off-meta
  • Thousands of real matches
  • Win rate by rank & game length
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Build Theorycrafter in the MetaBot Desktop app analyzing a custom League of Legends item build

Nidalee players complete Scorchclaw Pup first in 81% of games, winning 43.5% of them. The median first item is finished at 0:06 (25th to 75th percentile: 0:06 to 0:18).

First item

BuildWin RatePick RateDone atGames
Scorchclaw Pup
43.5%81.1%0:06649
Gustwalker Hatchling
36.6%18.1%0:12145
Mosstomper Seedling
33.3%0.8%0:186

First two items

BuildWin RatePick RateDone atGames
Scorchclaw PupLich Bane
42.7%66.4%11:18503
Scorchclaw PupHextech Rocketbelt
46.9%6.5%10:5449
Gustwalker HatchlingLich Bane
33.7%12.5%11:1895

Three-item core

BuildWin RatePick RateDone atGames
Scorchclaw PupLich BaneMejai's Soulstealer
69.0%4.3%15:0629
Scorchclaw PupLich BaneShadowflame
44.6%21.8%19:36148
Scorchclaw PupLich BaneHextech Rocketbelt
43.7%24.6%18:42167

Stages keep purchase order, so "A then B" and "B then A" are counted separately. Completion time is the minute the last item of the stage was bought. Boots are tracked separately.

Fair sampleBased on 800 matches. That is enough matches for these numbers to be a fair guide, though they will still move between patches.

Nidalee players max Q > E > W in 95% of games, winning 42.4% of the 738 games that followed that order. The grid shows the most common ability at every level.

Skill priorityQ - Javelin Toss / TakedownQE - Primal Surge / SwipeEW - Bushwhack / PounceW
Level123456789101112131415161718
Q12345
W12345
E12345
R123
  • Q > W > E: 4% of games, 35.3% win rate
  • W > Q > E: 0% of games, 100.0% win rate
Fair sampleBased on 774 matches. That is enough matches for these numbers to be a fair guide, though they will still move between patches.
Top situational items for Nidalee include Mejai's Soulstealer, Hextech Rocketbelt. These can be swapped out depending on the enemy composition and team needs.
The best boots for Nidalee are Sorcerer's Shoes. Adjust based on enemy team comp.
  • Sorcerer's Shoes S Tier
    Sorcerer's Shoes - 1,100 gold - Nidalee boots

    Sorcerer's Shoes

    1,100 1,100
    42.20%Win Rate
    +0.13%WR Diff
    81.65%Pick Rate
The recommended trinket for Nidalee is Oracle Lens for vision control and map awareness.
  • Oracle Lens S Tier
    Oracle Lens - Nidalee trinket for vision control

    Oracle Lens

    0 0
    44.60%Win Rate
    +2.53%WR Diff
    69.41%Pick Rate

Combined statistics from all items in this Nidalee build.

  • Total movement speedMovement Speed:45
  • Total ability powerAbility Power:395
  • Total armorArmor:50
  • Total movement speedMovement Speed:6%
  • Total healthHealth:450

Build Comparison

Best WR
Most Played
Alt 1
Alt 2
Nidalee movement speedSpeed
45
45
45
45
Nidalee ability powerAP
415
415
420
395
Nidalee armorArmor
50
50
0
50
Nidalee movement speedSpeed
0.06%
0.06%
0.06%
0.06%
Nidalee healthHealth
450
450
450
450
When facing Nidalee's top counters like Kayn, XinZhao, Briar, consider adjusting your situational items to increase survivability and match their damage output. If counter champions are building high damage, prioritize magic resistance items against AP threats in your situational item slots to reduce burst damage and improve trading potential. Your core build provides strong damage output. Against tanky counter picks, consider penetration items or percentage-based damage from your situational options to maintain kill pressure. Adapt your final build slots with items like Mejai's Soulstealer or Hextech Rocketbelt based on which counter champions you're facing and their itemization patterns. Monitor enemy builds and adjust accordingly for optimal Nidalee performance.
burst mageFirst Power Spike3,200gScorchclaw Pup at 0:06 (median)

This Nidalee burst mage build is optimized for players looking to maximize their impact in League of Legends. Its 49.5% win rate comes from only 103 games, so treat it as an observation rather than a proven edge. The build's key strengths include devastating ability power scaling with 395 total AP. Choose this build when your team needs magic damage, especially if teammates are primarily AD-focused. Nidalee with this build can punish teams that stack armor. Consider the enemy team composition when finalizing your situational items to maximize Nidalee's effectiveness. However, be aware that this build limited ability haste may result in longer cooldowns. With a total gold cost of 14,600, this Nidalee build scales into the late game. Focus on farming efficiently and reaching your Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, and Lich Bane power spike before taking major fights. For optimal results with this Nidalee build, focus on proper itemization timing, positioning in teamfights, and adapting your situational items based on the specific challenges each game presents.

Strengths

  • Devastating ability power scaling with 395 total AP

Weaknesses

  • Limited ability haste may result in longer cooldowns

Champions with Similar Builds to Nidalee

Mel champion
Mel
Core Items
  • Shadowflame - Mel core item
  • Zhonya's Hourglass - Mel core item
  • Rabadon's Deathcap - Mel core item
46.6%Win Rate
4.6%Pick Rate
Katarina champion
Katarina
Core Items
  • Shadowflame - Katarina core item
  • Lich Bane - Katarina core item
  • Rabadon's Deathcap - Katarina core item
61.4%Win Rate
6.3%Pick Rate
Taliyah champion
Taliyah
Core Items
  • Shadowflame - Taliyah core item
  • Zhonya's Hourglass - Taliyah core item
  • Blackfire Torch - Taliyah core item
48.1%Win Rate
4.5%Pick Rate

Champions that use similar core items to Nidalee. These builds share at least 2 core items with the current nidalee build and may have similar playstyles and power spikes.

Rumble champion
Rumble
Core Items
  • Liandry's Torment - Rumble core item
  • Shadowflame - Rumble core item
  • Zhonya's Hourglass - Rumble core item
56.1%Win Rate
9.0%Pick Rate

Nidalee Jungle Boots, Starting Items & Summoner Spells (Patch 26.20)

770 games

Most Nidalee Jungle players rush Scorchclaw Pup first (81% of games), finished at a median of 0.1 minutes. Sorcerer's Shoes are the usual boots (85%). The standard summoner spells are Flash + Smite (100%). The game usually starts with Scorchclaw Pup + Health Potion + Stealth Ward.

Nidalee boots

OptionPlayersWin RateGames
Sorcerer's ShoesSorcerer's ShoesMost played84.9%42.2%654
Ionian Boots of LucidityIonian Boots of Lucidity5.6%48.8%43

Nidalee starting items

OptionPlayersWin RateGames
Scorchclaw PupHealth PotionStealth WardScorchclaw Pup + Health Potion + Stealth WardMost played36.2%43.4%279
Scorchclaw PupHealth PotionScorchclaw Pup + Health Potion13.6%38.1%105
Scorchclaw PupStealth WardScorchclaw Pup + Stealth Ward13.5%48.1%104
Scorchclaw PupScorchclaw Pup10.0%44.2%77

Nidalee summoner spells

OptionPlayersWin RateGames
FlashSmiteFlash + SmiteMost played99.6%42.2%767

Every option is listed with its own pick rate, win rate and game count from ranked games this patch. Options under 40 games are left out.

Nidalee First Item and Core Build Timing

Which item Nidalee players finish first and which three-item core they build, with the median completion minute and the middle 50% of games — the timing to beat if you want to spike before your opponent.

First completed item

ItemsFinishedPlayersWin RateGames
Scorchclaw Pup Scorchclaw Pup0.1 min
0.1-0.3 min
81.4%43.5%627
Gustwalker Hatchling Gustwalker Hatchling0.2 min
0.1-0.3 min
17.8%37.2%137

Three-item core

ItemsFinishedPlayersWin RateGames
Scorchclaw PupLich BaneHextech Rocketbelt Scorchclaw Pup → Lich Bane → Hextech Rocketbelt18.7 min
16.6-20.1 min
24.6%43.7%167
Scorchclaw PupLich BaneShadowflame Scorchclaw Pup → Lich Bane → Shadowflame19.6 min
17.9-21.5 min
21.8%44.6%148

Every Nidalee Jungle Item by Win Rate

The completed items Nidalee players build most this patch, with the share of games each one appears in and its win rate. Situational items sit low in pick rate for a reason — read the win rate next to the game count.

OptionPlayersWin RateGames
Lich BaneLich BaneMost played85.7%42.0%660
ShadowflameShadowflame42.7%45.9%329
Zhonya's HourglassZhonya's Hourglass40.6%50.2%313
Hextech RocketbeltHextech Rocketbelt35.5%46.2%273
Rabadon's DeathcapRabadon's Deathcap27.9%55.3%215
StormsurgeStormsurge13.6%42.9%105
Mejai's SoulstealerMejai's Soulstealer13.2%69.6%102
Void StaffVoid Staff8.4%44.6%65
Liandry's TormentLiandry's Torment8.3%54.7%64

Nidalee Build Planner

Plan a build

Start from Nidalee's most common core and swap items to see the total gold and stats. When your picks contain a three-item core players actually build, its recorded win rate shows up.

Nidalee's most-built items
Your build (3/6)
Lich BaneHextech RocketbeltSorcerer's Shoes
Total gold6,650

No recorded three-item core in this build yet — it may be off-meta.

Total stats from items
Ability Power
160
Health
350
Ability Haste
20
Magic Pen
12
Move Speed
45

See Also

Is Nidalee Good?Nidalee RunesNidalee Skill Order & CooldownsNidalee Base StatsNidalee CountersNidalee MatchupsNidalee SynergiesHow to Play NidaleeNidalee ARAM StatsNidalee Arena StatsAll ItemsChampion Tier List