Tank Nidalee Build

ARAM Build Guide for champion Nidalee and build Tank.

Tank Nidalee build with runes and items. Tank Nidalee guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Nidalee build in League of Legends Patch 14.18!

Updated: 2024-08-04 ()

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Nidalee ability Primal Surge / Swipe should be leveled first.
E
Nidalee ability Javelin Toss / Takedown should be leveled second.
Q
Nidalee ability Bushwhack / Pounce should be leveled third.
W
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Nidalee Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

How to play

Tank Build specific
  1. You start with Guardian's Horn. Your #1 rush should be item that counters enemy team most (MR or Armor item). Get Jak'Sho as #2 item. Then adapt.
  2. You will be more tanky later on, so play more carefully in the early game.
  3. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of the Mind.
  4. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).
  5. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
  6. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!
Nidalee specific
  1. You can max Q or E.

Tips and Tricks

General
  1. You can use your traps (W) for bush control.
  2. When there's Cannon minion or Siege minion, try focusing it, so an enemy team won't destroy all your traps.
  3. For that reason, you can put your traps more behind your position (i.e., if an enemy team has great engage on your team).
  4. As Nidalee, you have your 'Ultimate' (Aspect of the Cougar) since lvl 1. You can lose track of enemy levels and get surprised by their level 6 spike and their ulti. Watch out!
Riot
  1. Use brush to your advantage! Moving in and out of brush can heavily alter your effectiveness in battle.
  2. Start team fights by harassing with your Javelin Toss, and then switch to cougar form to chase down Hunted targets.
  3. Bushwhack traps deal damage based on their victim's current Health. Set them up in your team's backline before fights break out during sieges to help your team deal damage to the enemy frontline.

Skill Order

  • Nidalee [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Javelin Toss / Takedown
  • Nidalee [object Object] ability.
    W
    Bushwhack / Pounce
  • Nidalee [object Object] ability.
    E
    Primal Surge / Swipe
  • Nidalee [object Object] ability.
    R
    Aspect Of The Cougar

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Plated Steelcaps item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Good MR items
Abyssal Mask item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Good Armor items
Frozen Heart item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Thornmail item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Unending Despair item.
Situational items
Trailblazer item.
Knight's Vow item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Runaan's Hurricane item.
Wit's End item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Blade of The Ruined King item.
Titanic Hydra item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Spirit Visage item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Thornmail item.
Unending Despair item.