Jungler: Akali (Part 2 of 2)

The revised jungle Akali video is out, which means it's time to talk about the specifics of her setups.

This is my first video with a leash. I did this specifically because I wanted to show the early gank potential of the setup. It's easy to say, "With a leash your health levels will remain high and you can transition straight into a gank" but many people need to see it to understand. It's still possible to complete the route without one, though it's obviously slower and you'll only be at half health by the end.

The setup shown in the new video was made possible by the buff to Flat AP Glyphs. Prior to this buff it was not possible to reach 19.5 AP with just one AP Quint unless you also put at least 19 points in Offense masteries. While a 21/X/X setup can work for jungle Akali, it's significantly less safe and misses out on the excellent Spell Vamp mastery in the Utility tree. The ability to choose from a wider variety of mastery setups is the most notable gain from before the patch.

I would only use this new setup, however, if I was intent on starting boots. Trading a Spell Vamp Quint for AP does not make sense when you're starting with an Amplifying Tome. The small amount of damage you gain early does not make up for the sustain and late-game usefulness of Spell Vamp.

While the new setup is novel I actually prefer the old setup. The extra sustain allows for a greater variety of item choices as it's easier to grab Sorc Boots or Sheen early instead of Hextech Revolver. You can still start boots as well if you use Ignite at level 1 in conjunction with the Offense mastery for its AD/AP boost, and Ignite will come off cooldown just in time for a level 4 gank. The old setup is simply is equal for the first clear, better thereafter, and more versatile overall.

In conclusion, jungle Akali has reached the point where there is no longer one preferred method. There are now multiple viable setups, and possibly many more I haven't discovered. While this doesn't make her any less of a black sheep, it seems less impossible that she might one day be recognized as a jungler.