KaynWhy I start on their side
I use this opening in most of my games. In my experience it works particularly well in lower ranks, but I also use it in higher-ranked games. I do not rule it out because of a particular team composition; I decide whether to continue from the information and response I see.
The idea is to take the enemy’s bot-side jungle and create an early bot gank from a direction they are not expecting. This often leads to a split map: each jungler works one vertical side, including camps from both teams.
But I want more than an even trade. After a successful gank, I may reset, buy, and return to contest my own camps while the opposing jungler is trying to take them. An item advantage and help from my support can change that encounter.
The ideal result is enemy camps, a botlane double kill, a successful defense of my own jungle, and both Scuttles. That is the high-value outcome I play for; each step depends on what actually happens.
For the standard opening instead, see my normal first-clear guide.
Set up the information and the lane
Tell your team the plan before entering. I want my midlaner to help cover the approach and ward the enemy Raptors when possible. My botlane needs to know I intend to arrive early from the enemy jungle, so they should avoid pushing away that opportunity when their lane allows it.
On the Blue-side version, I also ward the enemy Wolves. These wards help me read whether the enemy starts nearby or approaches while I am clearing and ganking.
Prepare the lane early; send the engage ping when you can join. The ganking guide explains that timing in detail.
Camp order and abilities
The team side below refers to where our own base is. The camps in the route belong to the enemy.
| Our team side | Enemy bot-side clear |
|---|---|
| Blue side | Blue → Wolves → Gromp |
| Red side | Red → Raptors → Krugs |
For the full three-camp invade, I want Q, W, and E available at level three. W supplies the slow for the gank; E supplies the approach. This opening does not use the second Q point from my normal Red-start full clear.
If I leave after only two camps, for example by skipping Krugs, I have Q and E. Do not plan that exit as though W were already available. Keep E and W ready for the intended gank instead of spending them just before entering lane.
Blue side: enter through lower mid river
From my jungle, I move toward my Raptors and the lower mid-river brush. Check whether the enemy midlaner is inside. If the entrance is clear, move quickly to the brush toward the enemy Blue, check that area, and enter their jungle.
- Take enemy Blue, then Wolves, then Gromp. Use the vision on Raptors and Wolves to keep reading the enemy’s opening and possible response.
- Check botlane as the clear ends. If the lane has preserved the window, approach from their jungle for the level-three gank.
- Save the final go signal for your entry. I want the enemy committed far enough forward before our botlane changes its behavior.
The surprise is the strength of this route. My ideal play takes both kills and important summoners, then turns that advantage into the next jungle decision.
Two more blue-side invade scenarios
Preview of lessons planned for Premium or 1-on-1 coaching.
Locked
Sion: Steal Blue at the last moment
Use the ward read to time your entry, then decide what to do when Sion comes back to Wolves and mid has spent its summoners.
Locked
Trundle: Win the invade, read the collapse
Catch a late Blue start, then review how a delayed mid rotation lets Zed trade back and what his spent summoners open up.
How do you turn this lead into a win?
Taking Cho'Gath's Blue side and getting a double kill bot puts me well ahead of him. The next few decisions can make that gap much bigger. When do I spend the gold? Which camps can I defend? Where can I use my item advantage before he catches up?
Want to learn how to play out this kind of lead in your own games? See what I have planned for 1-on-1 coaching and deeper Premium breakdowns.
If the midlaner sees me
I often reach the mid-river brush first. If we meet there, I may fight and pressure the midlaner back. If they leave without placing a ward, I may continue the invade, but I still account for them knowing I was at the entrance.
If the opponents clearly know I am invading, I continue only when I am confident they cannot collapse on me together. Otherwise, abort and start my own jungle. Being seen changes the decision; it does not oblige me to finish the route.
Red side: use the dragon-pit wall
Ideally, my midlaner moves toward lower mid river with me and wards enemy Raptors. I enter the dragon pit, then Q over the wall toward enemy Red.
This avoids the exposed mid-river entrance used in the other version. It does not guarantee an empty landing area: the enemy jungler can be waiting in the brush.
Ranked example: reroute after Lillia spots you
Lillia spots my first approach. I move into dragon pit and Q across the wall to change the angle. I catch her at Red and take her camps, then recall quickly and return to my own top side in case she tries to counter-invade.
Two more red-side invade scenarios
Preview of lessons planned for Premium or 1-on-1 coaching.
Locked
Bard: Punish a roaming support at level one
Use your midlaner's ward and the pit wall to catch Bard, create pressure against Ekko, and decide how to play the split map against Rengar.
Locked
Evelynn: Let Red Buff help you win the fight
Wait for Evelynn to commit to Red, time the Q into the wall, and follow with Flash. The clip ends as I restart Red. The reset and top-side defense are follow-up decisions.
Read their starting camp
If they start Raptors: I look to take Red quickly, pulling it into the brush. When they come to their Red afterward, I may be able to fight with the stolen buff advantage.
If they start Red: I wait for the camp to deal some damage, then look for the moment to attack. I choose the entry from their health, position, and nearby responses rather than blindly starting the fight.
If I get in without being spotted: clear Red → Raptors → Krugs, leave a ward at Raptors to watch for the opposing jungler, and look for the bot gank from their side. My botlane should already know the plan.
After an encounter with the jungler, reassess how much time I can spend on the remaining camps. I may skip Krugs and reset early to reach my own camps before they are taken.
If the jungler is waiting in the brush
The wall entry has already used Q. If I meet the enemy immediately, I may need to fight briefly or create distance until Q returns, then Q back across the dragon-pit wall. If that escape is not enough, I may have to spend Flash.
The shortcut gets me in; I still need to recognize when to leave. Do not stay for a camp while multiple opponents are closing the exit.
Turn the bot gank into a reset advantage
After the gank, I decide between continuing into my own jungle and resetting immediately. How long did the play take? What can I buy? Where is the enemy jungler likely to go next?
When the reset fits, I ideally recall with my support and buy damage, such as two Long Swords or a Pickaxe, depending on my gold and intended build. I then return toward the camps the enemy is trying to take.
I want to meet them with a purchase already made and, when possible, my support beside me. That is how I try to turn the initial jungle split into a favorable fight and keep my own camps as well.
My support joining is an opportunity to coordinate, not something I can assume. I check their position and whether the lane allows them to leave before committing to the defense.
Reassess at every transition
| Decision point | What I check |
|---|---|
| Entrance | Who has seen me, and who can collapse? |
| Enemy camps | Where is their jungler, and how much time do I have? |
| Bot gank | Can my lane follow up, and is the surprise still useful? |
| Reset | Does my gold buy a useful advantage, and can I return in time? |
| Own-jungle defense | Can I contest with my resources and actual nearby support? |
If the gank disappears, do not wait indefinitely for the ideal double kill. Use the camp lead to choose the next efficient action. For the lane approach and countergank decisions, return to the ganking guide.
I am willing to try this opening into any composition. Continuing it is a decision I keep making, based on the enemy’s response, my team, and the time I have left.