Jungle Effectiveness: Is it Possible to Jungle without Smite?
Smite is an essential summoner spell for junglers as it allows for easy clearing of monster camps and objective control. However, if you’re wondering whether you can use a different spell instead of Smite, the answer is no. This guide will explain why it is not effective to jungle without Smite and what you’ll miss out on.
Slow Jungling Speed
Jungling without Smite significantly slows down your clear speed. Without the 450 damage from Smite at level 1, you will have to manually deplete the HP of camps. No other summoner spell can be used on jungle monsters, making it not worth skipping Smite. Additionally, without Smite, taking dragons and Baron becomes risky as the enemy jungler can easily secure them.
The Enemy Jungler Will Have Twice Your Farm
Without a summoner spell to clear your camps, the enemy jungler can freely farm your jungle while you have to base more often due to low HP. Contesting the enemy jungler becomes difficult as they can use Smite to steal your farm and potentially kill you. This results in falling behind in level, gold, and items.
Low Amount of XP
Jungling without Smite means you cannot purchase the jungle item, resulting in lower XP gains when clearing camps. The jungle item provides additional XP, making leveling up slower without Smite.
Less Optimal Ganks
Without Smite, your jungle clear speed remains slow, causing you to fall behind the enemy jungler. This means they can gank your allies while you’re stuck in the jungle. Even if you attempt to gank, you’ll have lower levels and low HP, making it easier for the enemy to kill you. Ignite or other summoner spells do not compensate for this disadvantage.
Say Goodbye to Dragons and Baron
Jungling without Smite makes securing dragons and Baron extremely difficult. Slow clearing speed and inability to secure objectives give the enemy jungler the advantage. They can deal more damage with Smite, making it almost guaranteed that you’ll lose objectives and give the enemy team an advantage in the game.