LEE SIN BUILD GUIDE: In depth guide to jungle Lee Sin by Randulf

Introduction

Heya Guys,

my summoner is Randulf on EU-West. I just got my Gold-Rating by mainly jungling Lee if possible. He is my Main because of different reasons:

I like to be very mobile on map and very flexible in the routes I jungle - Lee is THE MAN in terms of stealing dragons/barons and excape via warddive, getting ganks from even behind enemy turret and/or from the back of your lane without crossing the normaly warded areas.
Due to his great sustainability and mobility he is nearly imune to get counterjungled.
Being so mobile and flexible is the reason for me not to recommend to go toplane with him. I know he can be a beast on toplane, but imho he is way more viable using his mobility to spread out fear, roaming around.

That, the unbeatable sustainability in jungle, combined with strengh in counterjungling is making him an incredible strong jungler atm.

I hope you enjoy reading, leave comments / quetions will try to answer if possible.
I am also glad if you send me PN when you find some typos, my mothertongue isn't English.
I may not be a Pro-Gamer or 2000+ rated, but imho I play a pretty solid jungler and I decided to release a guide for my main jungle character.

Will keep guide up-to-date if changes are coming in.

Regards,

Ralf aka Randulf

Masteries

I don't have to say much concerning the masteries - almost normal jungling masteries.
Some people asking me "why are you getting Archaic Knowledge".
Answer is pretty easy:
Since they "nerfed" wriggles-lantern

in terms of dealing magic damage, not synergizing anymore with it's lifeleach it's just a bonus in terms of jungling. Furthermore your spellvamp and the spellvamp of later build hextech-gunblade

benefit from the 15%. It's not much, but it offers more than having more critdamage using the item build i have.

You also can go for a 21 9 0, taking your MR, Armor and Evasion - but i recommend always to go for the EXP-Bonus and the buff duration when you play a jungler.

0 21 9 is also playable, but for me 21 0 9 fits my item build and playstyle pretty perfect.
A non-aggressive Lee Sin is just wasted potential imho.

Runes

Seals:

For the runes I think I don't have to explain the Seals, having a jungling build in front of you.
Armor is no must - but it helps alot. If you realy don't want to go for Armor, Dodge would be a possibility, especialy if you go the 21 9 0, or 0 21 9 masteries. I don't recommend doing so, but it's also possible and still viable.

Marks and Quints:

My goal is to have jungling mobs with 0 armor, while having most possible damage early on to perform in jungling and ganks as best as possible.
You can also go for 25 APen which may be better in lategame - but your jungle will be a little delayed and you benefit more from my setup doing early ganks.

Glyphs:

I also have Energy glyphs, but most of the time I go for MR/Level. The reason being is, that with my build you usualy get MR exepct of mercurys-treads

pretty late and you will not be in focus most of the time. So what realy damages you is AOE what is most of the time Magic Damage. Getting some MR here will give you a better sustain vs. strong midlaners or vs. double AP-Teams.
But in the end it's a matter of taste and way of playing.

Summoner Spells

Explanation:

I just say two things.

Jungling without [summoners/smite.png]

is for idiots. Not only because of easier jungling - the ability of stealing drakes and barons have such a great impact on the game you should not give that away. Especialy with a character like Lee Sin who can survive diving Baron - Smite it and getting out with an W before the enemy is taking note.

Flash is just for having 3 Flashes. Together with his Ult and the other flashes it's another utility for getting your ganks done. You can also go for [summoners/exhaust.png]

but I only recommend it if your team is realy lacking of [summoners/exhaust.png]

Skills

Passive: Flurry

After Lee Sin uses an ability, his next 2 basic attacks gain 50% Attack Speed and return 10 energy each.

Explanation:

Flurry is an awesome passive - it's speeding up your jungling so hard and having a great synergy with your wriggles-lantern

, furthermore it enhances your damage in teamfights alot. When you get a lizzard buff and frozen-mallet

it makes you being a slowmachine as hell. That passive is also the reason for the number one rule for Lee Sin in combat: Always stay cool. Don't spam your abilities if it's not a save kill. Always use your passive.

Q: Sonic Wave / Resonating Strike

Sonic Wave: Lee Sin projects a discordant wave of sound to locate his enemies, dealing 50/80/110/140/170 (+0.8 per bonus Attack Damage) physical damage to the first enemy it encounters. If Sonic Wave hits, Lee Sin can cast Resonating Strike for the next 3 seconds.

Resonating Strike: Lee Sin dashes to the enemy hit by Sonic Wave, dealing 50/80/110/140/170 (+0.8 per bonus Attack Damage) physical damage plus 10% of their missing health.

Cost 50/30 energy

Cooldown 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 seconds

Explanation:

0.8 / 0.8 attack damage scaling ? Do i have to say more? Awesome damaging gapcloser - anti stealth, poke and escape ability. Don't waste it! Don't start ganks with Q, except you realy now he will go down by using it.

W: Safeguard / Iron Will

Safeguard: Lee Sin rushes towards a target ally, shielding them both from 40 / 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 (+80% per Ability Power) damage. After using Safeguard, Lee Sin can cast Iron Will for the next 3 seconds.

Iron Will: Lee Sin's intense training allows him to thrive in battle. For 5 seconds, Lee Sin gains5/10/15/20/25 lifesteal, spell vamp, and armor.

Cost 50/30 energy

Cooldown 8 seconds

Explanation:

Another great ability. You can shield friendly player, helping them to survive Ignite/Brand DoT. You can dive into combat by using that ability still being able to go further with your [skills/leesin/q.png]

You can dive to a ward to escape or just travel faster - expecialy funny if you steal dragon/baron and get out with it afterwards.

Always remember: It's better to shield your ally, because that will shield you both. Furthermore it's synergy with wriggles-lantern

and

is just awesome, giving you lot's of sustain when having enough HP / Defense.

E: Tempest / Cripple

Tempest: Lee Sin smashes the ground sending out a shockwave that deals 60 / 95 / 130 / 165 / 200 (+0.6 per bonus Attack Damage) magic damage and reveals enemy units hit. If Tempest hits an enemy, Lee Sin can cast cripple for the next 3 seconds.

Cripple: Lee Sin cripples nearby enemies revealed by Tempest, reducing their Movement and Attack Speed by 30 / 37.5 / 45 / 52.5 / 60 % for 4 seconds. Movement and Attack Speed recover gradually over the duration.

Cost 50/30 energy

Cooldown 10 seconds

Range 450

Explanation:

Raping Akali ? Destroying other stealthers life? Getting away with combination of [skills/leesin/e.png]

and

Starting a gank? It's a one point wonder - but don't underestimate that ability, it's impact is HUGE.
Don't forget the Attack Speed debuff. Taking away 60% of AS from the enemy carry has an huge impact on the whole teamfight. Use it wisely.

R: Dragon's Rage

Lee Sin performs a powerful roundhouse kick launching his target back, dealing 200 / 400 / 600 (+1.5 per bonus Attack Damage) physical damage to the target and any enemies they collide with. Enemies the target collides with are knocked into the air for a short duration.

Cost 0 energy

Cooldown 90 / 75 / 60 seconds

Explanation:

Whatever. One of the best ultimates in game.

Getting away ?
Bursting with [skills/leesin/q.png]

?
Damaging the whole enemy team for insane amount of damage for 0 energy?
Getting rid of Fiddle in Teamfight? Interrupting Katarina ? Morgana ?
Don't realy have to tell you how much damage it does because the utility itself is just so great.
Use it wisely and learn when to use it and in what direction to use it.
This ultimate is a great weapon - for.... or against your team if you fail.

Skill Order

Reason being is pretty selfexplaining. For the firstblood/invasion it's pretty necesary that you have [skills/leesin/q.png]

and

ready to deal a decent amount of damage, while being able to stick to the enemy with your [skills/leesin/e.png]

Getting your third skill, [skills/leesin/w.png]

at level 3 is mostly for having a better sustain in the jungle and keeping your passive up all day long.

I don't have to talk much about the [skills/leesin/r.png]

- it's impact is just great and you always skill it for maximum damage and utility.

Followed by the [skills/leesin/q.png]

.
It is just your bread and butter ability in doing insane damage in early ganks and being fast in the jungle.

[skills/leesin/q.png]

Skilled out is such a bursty heavy damaging combination of skills, you nearly can't avoid skilling that abilities at first

After those two abilites you have to decide:

Most of the time i make the decision to go with my guide and level [skills/leesin/w.png]

after

and

.

On the one hand it gives you a good survivability in the jungle,
but even in ganks and teamfights it works so well with your wriggles-lantern

and your

.
Especialy in early and midgame you are nearly unkillable, having a high skilled [skills/leesin/w.png]

with those items.

So most of the times I skill [skills/leesin/e.png]

as the last skill.
The damage is pretty low and the increase is not realy worth to mention. Indeed the increase of the snare and AS reduction to 60% is pretty insane, but in most early ganks it's enough to have one point in it. Furthermore you have more ways to slow enemy by having your
bilgewater-cutlass

and/or

and a lizzard buff.

Sometimes it can be viable to skill your [skills/leesin/e.png]

first.
That may be when your team is consisting of many characters, having dashes or escape abilities like Gank Plank, Caitlyn, Shen, Gragas e.g.

Also when the teamfights are starting pretty early with having heavy 5on5 fights it can be viable to max up the E first to ensure maximum controling and debuffing of the enemy team.

Jungling

Now hands on the real business - the gameplay!

I recommend to start with leashed double golems. The reason being is, it's the quickest lvl 2 without taking too much damage and without taking blue.

Never the less if you get countered or invaded Lee Sin can start from every location in the jungle without having any trouble.

After getting those double golems and hving [skills/leesin/q.png]

and

skilled I decide what to do.
Usualy the enemy jungler is starting at blue - his problem.

I head to the blue spawning at 1:54 and go for him. If the leash if done properly he won't have finished the blue and is level 1 and alone when i arrive.

4 possible outcomes :

- I kill him right after he is killing blue - he lost blue is, depending on his character delayed or quiet fucked up, i got firstblood and boots.

- I kill his blue and he escapes with his flash / ghost and has to port back - he is delayed pretty hard

- He manages to survive and saving his blue, but definately only if he uses flash/ghost and ports back afterwards. That's also okay, he is delayed, I take his wolves and his blue time is ticking without him being active at all

- Realy rare: Midlaner is coming and is killing me because my midlaner is not pinging/writing SS. That MAY happen, but it may happens in 5-10% of all invasions.

All in all it's a 90-95% win-invasion which just varries in the heights of the win and the delay to the blue starting jungler. Depending on my HP and the lanes I gank Bot/Top/Midlane right afterwards and continue jungling / porting back.

Reaching level 4 next round I give the blue to my mid / top laner and continue. From that moment on just dominate the jungle. Gank as often as possible, counterjungle hard especialy if you took his blue/took FB. Getting enemy jungler a second or maybe third time will completly fuck him up for almost the whole early-mid game.

That works very very well with hard ganking junglers like:

Udyr, GP, Amumu, Fiddlesticks.

Be careful not to waste to much time on junglers like Tryndamere or Xin, not starting at blue. It is way more complicated to counter them and you should always take care not to fall behind too much due to waiting for possibilities. Be on the move.

Early Game

When finished the invasion and reaching lvl 5-6 doing some ganks getting my core build up pretty early due to some farm and kills/assists I keep the pressure up.

Early game is the time you are outstanding strong. What I recommend is after a setup like:
dorans-blade

, is buying some wards. Wards are your friends, especialy in that stage of the game your support won't be ready to roam around warding. The enemy support is also tied to the botlane. That is the moment in the game, where YOU can make the game going even more towards your team by giving outstanding vision. Furthermore you have more points to dive to for ganks or escapes and teleport-ganks from toplane will be possible after your warding.

Keep warded - keep ganking - keep counterjungling and don't forget to hold lanes for your mates and to clean your jungle as often as possible.

Mid Game

Your core is complete - you reach about lvl 9-10.

You continue ganking, set up traps at dragon and get him as often as possible. It's easy to solo him from around lvl 5, having Madreds and Cutlass, or Wriggles up. Tell your mates about your plan and make them pushing mid/bot for covering your. Also ward OUTSIDE of dragon to have an escape with your [skills/leesin/w.png]

. Never give dragon away for free. You can dive / smite / dive out easly. Try it.
Even if you die and you are sucessful it is worth it.

Also have an eye on the map and the vision your team. Ask your supporter about his warding capability and help him out. He is not always capable of warding 24/7 as if he has to help out alot, not getting so many assists or having to build up some items. Communicate and support your teams, you are roaming around anyway.

Late Game

Your core is complete - you reach about lvl 9-10.

Team Fights

In teamfights the most important fact to know about Lee Sin is not to poke too hard. A Lee Sin without energy is just a useless, crippled AA-Champion. Watch your energy level and have a good sense when to start a teamfight and even more important, when NOT to do it. You go in first, or second depending on your toplane and it's tankyness.

Your main role in a teamfight is not being and assassin at first, but to land a great ultimate CCing the enemy team with tons of damage and being as annoying as fuck.

Slow the enemy AD Carry down with your [skills/leesin/e.png]

, interrupt enemy casts like [skills/morgana/r.png]

, getting Fiddlesticks with ultimate out of your group with your [skills/leesin/r.png]

The most important thing for Lee Sin in a teamfighting situation is to remain cool.
Every single ability can have a huge impact on the teamfight and your energy is rare.
The LEAST important thing is to hunt down people with your [skills/leesin/q.png]

. Do it when the mainfight is over.
Be focussed on harassing, controling, shielding, slowing and interrupting during the mainfight.

You are the master of being a pain in the ass if you do like that.

General Combos

Highest Burst

- Autohits - [skills/leesin/e.png]

- Autohits - [skills/leesin/r.png]

Almost instantkills a squishy, be ready for your second [skills/leesin/q.png]

. If you push too fast / slow you won't reach the enemy, or jump too short.

Gank (Enemy has flash, pre lvl 6)

Run up from behind - follow by a quick [skills/leesin/q.png]

and as many autoattacks as possible. Flash follows -> again a quick [skills/leesin/q.png]

for getting to him and slowing him.

Gank (Enemy has flash, post lvl 6)

At first after running up and hiting him with a [skills/leesin/e.png]

you should inmediately hit your [skills/leesin/r.png]

. Now the enemy has the decision to make to flash (what usualy ends up in being caught by your mate, or you if he flashes to you), or to run towards you.
If he runs towards you make sure to hit a [skills/leesin/q.png]

before he reaches you, because most likely he will flash right at the moment he is in your range.
Follow him and finish him off.

Gank (Hard warded lane, post lvl 6)

Go with your lane, hit the minion / mate in the front with your [skills/leesin/w.png]

, go on with your [skills/leesin/q.png]

towards the next enemy, or even the target. Get behind him with flash either if he has flash after his flash (hit him with your active from your GB before), or if he has no flash just go behind him without flash and use your [skills/leesin/r.png]

. Afterwards just finish him off. With that particular tactic you can even gank "ungankable" lanes with a high rate of success when you got used to hit your skillshots.

more combos soon....

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Comments: 3

hypershatter
1 year ago
@randulf

First of all, the amount of approved and featured guides for Lee Sin is huge. Especially with Sycho Sid's 2 volume guide (which is amazing), there is probably no reason for anyone to use yours, or any other non-featured guides (featured guides generally don't have that kind of quality). However, I am not telling you to remove your guide, you can still make it better, but you need to really work on it for me to even consider approving it.

1. read my blogpost and really think about what you need to change, a lot of things I am going to recommend I have already mentioned in my post.

2. I don't think you put much effort into editing and formatting. Go through your entire guide and check what is incoherent and any errors are abound. For example, your forgot to remove the [highlight] tag in your build order.

As I am writing this, i don't feel you put much effort into guide making atm, or your guide is in pre-alpha stage. Small details aside (and you have tons of small problems with wording), you should not have 2 sections (mid&late game) that are EXACTLY the same. I feel cheated as a reader. Other examples include runes and masteries, which apparently you don't have much to say. Remember, if you don't have much to say, readers won't have much to read, then they would just find another guide where the writer has something to say. This is a huge problem with your guide.

3. Don't put your item discussion section in your build order. Make a separate section for it. Your BO only should have item builds with their respective titles and that's it.

4. You intro is too long, unnecessarily formed as a letter. This is an intro about lee sin, not you. And, no ending.

PM me once your guide is completed.
Randulf
1 year ago
Yep - i focus on the time i can be completly aggressive, what includes early and midgame. Getting tanky afterwards.

Was the most rewarding way for me playing Lee after some testing. It's like "damn he killed us so often, let's focus him now. damn he is the tank now o0"
Lee
1 year ago
Pretty aggressive build and game play.+1 for it.

Page: 1

	Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
	Flurry (Passive)
	Sonic Wave / Resonating Strike
	Safeguard / Iron Will
	Tempest / Cripple
	Dragon's Rage