Master the Rift: The Ultimate Brand Jungle Guide for League of Legends

The fiery blaze of Brand has long been a terror in the mid-lane, but what if we told you that this infernal mage could scorch his way through the jungle, leaving a trail of immolated enemies in his wake? Forget everything you thought you knew about traditional junglers; it’s time to turn up the heat and master an off-meta pick that will have your opponents scrambling to extinguish the flames. Welcome to our ultimate Brand Jungle guide, where you’ll learn to harness the power of fire and brimstone to dominate the Rift.

Imagine the surprise on your enemies’ faces as they see Brand, not confined to the mid-lane, but blazing through the jungle with ruthless efficiency. The unconventional choice of Brand as a jungler opens up a realm of strategic possibilities, disrupting the enemy’s game plan and introducing an element of unpredictability. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know—from optimal rune choices and item builds to clear paths and ganking strategies. Whether you’re a seasoned jungler looking for a fresh challenge on a fresh LoL smurf or a Brand main eager to expand your horizons, prepare to ignite your gameplay and leave your foes in ashes.

Understanding Brand’s Jungle Potential

Brand may not be the first champion that comes to mind when you think of jungle picks, but don’t let that fool you. With his powerful area-of-effect abilities and high burst damage, Brand has the potential to wreak havoc in the jungle. His passive ability, Blaze , allows his abilities to deal bonus damage over time, making him a formidable threat against neutral monsters.

One of the key advantages of playing Brand in the jungle is his ability to clear camps quickly and efficiently. His AoE abilities, such as Pillar of Flame and Conflagration , allow him to damage multiple monsters at once, speeding up his clear time. Additionally, his passive helps him deal with tankier jungle camps by applying bonus damage over time.

However, it’s important to note that Brand’s jungle potential relies heavily on landing skillshots and positioning correctly. Unlike traditional junglers who rely on crowd control or mobility for successful ganks, Brand excels at dealing massive amounts of damage in a short amount of time. This means that precision and timing are crucial when playing him in the jungle.

Optimal Rune Choices for Brand in the Jungle

To maximize Brand’s effectiveness as a jungler, it’s essential to select the right runes. Here are some optimal rune choices for Brand:

Arcane Comet: Arcane Comet synergizes well with Brand’s kit as it adds additional poke damage when he lands an ability on an enemy champion or monster.

Magic Penetration: Taking magic penetration runes will increase your overall damage output by reducing enemy magic resistance.

Gathering Storm: Gathering Storm provides scaling AP throughout the game, allowing Brand to become even more potent as the match progresses.

Manaflow Band: Manaflow Band helps Brand sustain his mana pool during the early stages of the game, ensuring that he can clear camps and gank without running out of resources.

Building the Perfect Infernal Arsenal: Itemization for Brand

When it comes to itemization, Brand in the jungle benefits from building a mix of damage and utility items. Here are some core items to consider:

Core Items:

Sorcerer’s Shoes: Provides magic penetration to boost your damage output.

Hextech Rocketbelt: Gives Brand additional mobility and burst potential, allowing him to engage or disengage fights more effectively. Offensive Items:

Rabadon’s Deathcap: Amplifies Brand’s AP scaling and significantly increases his burst potential.

Void Staff: Essential for dealing with tanks and champions stacking magic resistance.

Defensive/Situational Items:

Zhonya’s Hourglass: Provides armor, ability power, and a powerful stasis effect to survive burst damage or crucial moments in teamfights.

Banshee’s Veil: Offers magic resist and a spell shield to block incoming crowd control effects or spells.

Morellonomicon: Useful against teams with significant healing, providing grievous wounds to reduce enemy sustain.

Boots:
Option 1: Sorcerer’s Shoes: Suggested for maximum damage output.

Option 2: Ionian Boots of Lucidity: If you prioritize ability haste for more frequent spell casts. Jungle Enchantment:

The Art of Efficient Jungle Clearing with Brand

To maximize your efficiency when clearing the jungle with Brand, it’s important to follow a proper clear path and utilize your abilities effectively. Here are some tips for efficient jungle clearing:

Start at Red Buff: Begin your jungle clear at the Red Buff, as it provides additional damage and sustain. Use your abilities to quickly clear the camp, focusing on kiting the monster to minimize damage taken.

Use AoE Abilities: Brand’s Pillar of Flame and Conflagration are excellent for clearing multiple jungle camps at once. Position yourself in a way that allows you to hit as many monsters as possible with your abilities.

Kite Jungle Monsters: Kiting jungle monsters is crucial for reducing damage taken and maximizing your sustain. Move in between auto-attacks and use your abilities to deal damage while staying out of harm’s way.

Save Smite for Epic Monsters: When clearing epic monsters like Dragon or Baron Nashor, save your Smite for securing the objective or stealing it from the enemy team. This can be a game-changer in securing objectives and gaining an advantage for your team.

Ganking Strategies: Setting Your Enemies Ablaze

Ganking as Brand requires careful planning and execution. Here are some strategies to set your enemies ablaze:

Land Skillshots: Brand relies heavily on landing his skillshots to deal damage. When ganking, try to predict the enemy’s movement and aim your abilities accordingly. Landing a stun with Sear can be crucial in securing a kill or forcing the enemy to burn summoner spells.

Coordinate with Your Team: Communication is key when ganking as Brand. Coordinate with your laners to ensure that they are ready to follow up on your engage. Combining crowd control from both you and your laner can often result in a successful gank.

Ambush from Unconventional Locations: As an off-meta jungler, you have the advantage of surprise. Consider ganking from unconventional locations, such as behind the enemy’s turret or through the enemy jungle. This can catch your opponents off guard and increase your chances of securing a kill.

Warding and Counter-Jungling Techniques for Brand

Warding and counter-jungling are essential skills for any jungler, including Brand. Here are some techniques to consider:

Deep Warding: Place wards in strategic locations within the enemy jungle to track the enemy jungler’s movements. This will provide valuable information to your team and allow you to make informed decisions about where to gank or counter-jungle.

Counter-Jungling: Brand’s high damage output makes him a formidable counter-jungler. If you spot the enemy jungler on the opposite side of the map, take advantage of this opportunity to invade their jungle and steal their camps. However, always prioritize safety and be aware of potential collapses from the enemy team.

Sweep for Vision: Use Oracle Lens or Control Wards to clear out enemy vision around objectives like Dragon or Baron Nashor. Denying vision will make it harder for the enemy team to contest these objectives and give your team an advantage.

Teamfight Tactics: Maximize Brand’s Impact in Skirmishes

In teamfights and skirmishes, Brand can be a game-changer with his AoE damage and crowd control abilities. Here are some tips to maximize his impact:

Positioning is Key: As a squishy mage, positioning is crucial for Brand in teamfights. Stay at the backline and look for opportunities to land multi-target abilities on priority targets like squishy carries or high-value enemies.

Combo Your Abilities: Brand’s abilities work well together in teamfights. Start with Pillar of Flame to deal initial damage and apply Blaze , then follow up with Conflagration to spread the passive effect to multiple enemies. Finally, use Sear to stun priority targets and disrupt the enemy team.

Utilize Zhonya’s Hourglass: Zhonya’s Hourglass can be a lifesaver for Brand in teamfights. Use it when you’re being focused or when your abilities are on cooldown to buy time for your team to follow up or for your abilities to come off cooldown.

Late Game Dominance: Closing Out with Brand

In the late game, Brand’s damage potential reaches its peak. Here are some strategies to close out games with Brand:

Siege Towers: Use your long-range abilities to poke down enemy champions and clear minion waves, allowing your team to safely siege towers and inhibitors.

Secure Objectives: Brand’s high burst damage makes him excellent at securing objectives like Dragon or Baron Nashor. Coordinate with your team and use your abilities and Smite effectively to secure these objectives and gain an advantage.

Pick Off Priority Targets: Look for opportunities to catch out priority targets like enemy carries or squishy champions. Landing a stun with Sear can often result in a quick kill, giving your team a numbers advantage in teamfights or skirmishes.

Mastering Brand’s Unique Playstyle in the Jungle

To truly master Brand as a jungler, it’s important to understand his unique playstyle and adapt accordingly. Here are some additional tips:

Farm Efficiently: Brand’s clear speed is one of his strengths, so make sure to farm efficiently and take advantage of his AoE abilities to clear camps quickly.

Practice Skillshots: Landing skillshots is crucial for success as Brand. Spend time practicing your aim and predicting enemy movements to maximize your damage output.

Communicate with Your Team: As an off-meta pick, it’s important to communicate with your team and let them know your intentions. Inform them when you plan to gank or invade the enemy jungle so that they can provide support if needed.

Conclusion: Embracing the Flames – Brand’s Jungle Legacy

In conclusion, while Brand may not be a conventional jungler, his unique abilities and playstyle make him a formidable force in the jungle. By understanding his potential, optimal rune choices, itemization, efficient jungle clearing techniques, ganking strategies, warding and counter-jungling techniques, teamfight tactics, late-game dominance strategies, and mastering his unique playstyle in the jungle, you can unleash the full power of this fiery mage on the Rift.

So embrace the flames and ignite your gameplay with Brand as a jungler. Surprise your enemies with unexpected ganks and leave them scorched in your wake. With practice and dedication, you’ll become a master of Brand’s jungle legacy in League of Legends.

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