An S grade is a system-generated score given based on a player’s performance in a game. If you meet the criteria set by Riot Games for your role, you are awarded an S grade. You need an S grade or higher to upgrade your champion’s mastery. It mainly focuses on the number of minions a laner has farmed or the support’s vision score by the end of the game. However, for junglers, it is more complex.
Junglers have a tough role. They have to babysit their laners, secure objectives before the enemy, track the enemy jungler, and keep up in gold and experience. It’s a hectic job, but doing it effectively can earn you an easy S grade or higher.
Junglers have the most impact early in the game. If a jungler outplays the enemy, it’s usually a guaranteed win. Taking objectives boosts the entire team, while ganking lanes and killing enemy champs helps your laner snowball. Counter-jungling and stealing camps can indirectly help your laners by making the enemy’s ganks ineffective.
If you’re a jungle main looking to get an S grade with different champions, read on as I explain the dos and don’ts of jungling. Follow these tips to improve your mechanics and rank up!
Champion Selection – The Playstyle You Prefer
Most laners have a wide champion pool, but as a jungler, you need to know what your champion excels at. Not every champion thrives in the jungle meta. Let’s talk about different playstyles, what they prioritize, and the champions that shine with each playstyle.
Gank-Heavy
Gank-heavy champions prioritize ganking lanes and setting your laners ahead over farming or taking objectives. They have dashes or movement speed abilities, crowd control, area dispersion, and burst damage. Champions like Rammus, Hecarim, Jarvan IV, Shaco, Vi, Lee Sin, and Nunu & Willump fall into this playstyle.
Prioritize Farm and Objectives
These champions focus on farming and hitting power spikes. Once they hit level 6 or get certain items, they can take over games. Diana, Shyvana, Master Yi, Fiddlesticks, and Nocturne are examples. They may seem like they’re AFK farming until level 6, but they have a game-changing impact later on.
One Vs One’rs
Champions in this category excel in one vs one skirmishes in the jungle. They invade and kill the enemy jungler whenever possible. Xin Zhao, Viego, Volibear, Trundle, and Warwick fall into this playstyle. They have high sustain and can often run an offensive summoner spell instead of flash (smite is a must for junglers).
Remember to try out different playstyles and see which one you prefer. Pick a few champions, or focus on just one if you’re a one-trick, and master it. That is the best way to earn an S as a jungler.
Farm, Farm, Farm!
Having a good creep score is important for laners, but it can also help junglers earn an S grade. Riot Games has an average creep score for each lane in each rank division. If your creep score is above average, you are more likely to get an S grade.
Farming kills and getting objectives is important, but don’t forget to farm your own jungle camps. They provide experience and gold, and each time you kill a camp, the rewards increase. It’s the only way to stay on par with the enemy jungler. Understand camp timers and time your clears to have a positive impact in the game. This should help you in your quest for that S grade.
Get Objectives – Herald, Drakes & All!
Objectives are crucial in winning games, and as a jungler, it’s your job to secure them before the enemy. When taking down an objective, map control is essential. Know where the enemy jungler and laners are.
Taking objectives will leave you vulnerable, so make sure you have smite available. Smite is useful for preventing objective steals. Different junglers have different objective clear times, so know your limits. As a jungler, high objective damage counts a lot towards your end-game grade.
High Kill Participation
Kill participation shows how active you were in getting or assisting with kills on enemy players. It’s the total number of kills on your team divided by the sum of your kills and assists.
Junglers need to help their laners instead of just farming. If you don’t help your laners, the enemy will snowball the game. Have high map awareness to gank when the enemy laners are pushed up. This will help you earn the S grade after the match.
Vision Score
Vision control is crucial for winning matches. Junglers and supports are responsible for placing wards around the map and getting vision on enemies. Junglers can also invade the enemy jungle to gather information. This helps prevent ganks and gives you time to secure objectives. A good vision score as a jungler can raise you to an above-average level and help you achieve an S grade.
Damage Distribution – Kill Stealer or Damage Dealer?
The damage distribution in the game is important for your grade. It shows how much damage you did to objectives and enemy champions, how much damage you received, and how much healing you did. It’s a way to show your impact in the game.
Utility junglers may have lower damage stats but can compensate with healing done, damage taken, or crowd control score. The graphs will balance themselves out and reward you with an S grade if your gameplay justifies it.
The Bottom Line
Jungling is not easy, but if you know your mechanics and play around these factors, it will boost your grade and rank. Low farm or no objectives won’t secure you the S grade you want.
Your grading is based on players in the same rank division who played the same champion. Even if you play tank junglers with lower damage output, you can still earn an S grade if you outperform the average player on that champion. Pick your jungler, master their mechanics, and dominate Summoner’s Rift!