Last week in our first meta article we discussed the current trend towards full-team jungle invades in the first 90 seconds. Today we’re going to talk about that in more detail.
There’s a current trend towards full-team jungle invasion that’s running rampant in the Halcyon Fold, but is it the best possible early game strategy? Let’s look at the benefits. A skirmish early game is intended to drive the enemy jungle out of the jungle so that you can steal their camps and set them behind in farm. If successful, you will take approximately 82 gold by stealing the shop camp and the lower regeneration creep. Throw in a kill on the enemy team and you might earn another 45 gold. Then you return to your side of the jungle and keep doing your jungle thing.
But now let’s look at the costs of early game invasion. For every 5 seconds (on average) that your lane carry spends invading the enemy team’s jungle with the team, the enemy lane can earn 42 gold (minimum) un-checked in the lane and gain at least 1 level before your lane carry joins them. If the enemy team is sufficiently prepared, you may also be forced back out of the enemy jungle with scrapes and bruises with no gold or XP. Worst case scenario, the enemy team is fully prepared for your invasion and your team loses a teammate or two in the invade.
So, how do you properly prepare for an invasion? As a lane, ignore it and focus on farming. You’ll benefit more from letting the enemy team waste their time than helping defend the jungle. As a jungle, you need to buy an Ironguard Contract, 2 Halcyon Potions, and a Scout Trap, and beat the enemy team to your shop camp and work back across the jungle. If you do that, your lane will be significantly ahead, and you will have forced the enemy to retreat to their jungle to start farming late. The key is to share camps and burn through them as quickly as you can to retreat to the upper jungle. The jungle is big enough to share with your teammate. Every second you let the enemy team pursue you without farming in the early game sets their team significantly behind, as farming early game is what establishes your strength.
Overall this is a meta with more risk than reward, and already I’m starting to see it fizzle out in higher tiers as players realize that the net-gain doesn’t exceed the net-loss. Even if your team successfully invades, if the enemy lane doesn’t join their jungle, then he will be just that much more ahead in their build, which is dangerous in and of itself. Remember folks, just because there’s an aggressive option doesn’t mean you should take it. Play smarter not harder!
Do you agree or disagree? Take to the comments in storm! Something I overlooked? Point it out!
Until next time, I’ll see you in the Fold!
~Skipper587
Skipper is a Pinnacle of Awesome Skaarf main. A former League Veteran, he’s been playing and streaming Vainglory since December ’14.
All mathematical information in this article is supported by BlueBadger’s VaingloryFire guide, found here: http://www.vaingloryfire.com/vainglory/guide/complete-guide-to-vainglorys-hidden-stats-and-calculations-by-an-engineer-4311#Gold and Kill Streaks – New!
Great stuff Skip!
I do have a question, though: if the enemy team does a full team jungle invade right off the bat, kills your two junglers, and then proceeds to push the lane, would you still advise to stay in lane to focus on farming as the laner? As Skaarf, you would be able to defend the turret rather well, but heroes like Ringo and SAW may have a tougher time with a 1v3.
They great stuff you got there Skip as we of replied you might have a situation like that I’d recommend 2 junglers and one really good laner usually skarff or adagio even saw but I’d work on attack speed and movement speed more than anything but I’m saving that for my forum and videos later on can’t wait
I think the laner should be in their tri-bush and ready to help push back an invasion if necessary. It’s best not to have your junglers start out by missing the first wave of jungle farm. If the team invades, try to ensure you last hit the minions on your way out.
You definitely should make sure you’re last hitting.the minions on the way out, but too much is lost by devoting the lane to defense. It’s better to just run and gun and let them waste their time.