Darius vs Nidalee JUNGLE Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Darius

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Jungle

Nidalee

Darius vs Nidalee

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Overview

Darius must leverage his early dueling strength and pull threat to punish Nidalee's slower, poke-heavy jungle style.
Prioritize controlling river vision and Scuttle crabs to limit Nidalee's poke angles and invade potential while setting up for objectives.

Jungle Plan

Clear camps efficiently to maintain tempo and look for counter-invades when Nidalee shows on the opposite side of the map.
Fight for early Scuttle control only when your nearby lanes have priority to support river skirmishes.
Prioritize invading Nidalee's jungle after she uses her mobility or poke abilities on cooldown to deny her fast clears and objective setups.

Danger windows

Nidalee's level 2-3 invade window is dangerous due to her fast clear and poke; avoid fighting without lane priority or health advantage.
Isolated river fights early can be risky if Nidalee lands spears or uses pounce to disengage.
Be cautious contesting objectives if Nidalee has vision control and can poke from range before fights start.

Early game

Start with a full clear path to reach level 3 quickly and contest the first Scuttle crab if nearby lanes have priority.
Avoid early 1v1 fights before level 3 unless Nidalee is low or out of position due to her strong early invade and poke.
Use your pull (E) to catch Nidalee off guard during her pathing resets or weak clears to force her off camps.

Power spikes

Level 6 unlocks your execute (R), turning extended trades lethal and allowing you to capitalize on Nidalee's low-health windows.
Completing your first bruiser item increases your durability and damage, enabling longer fights and safer invades.
Nidalee's early level 2-3 poke and mobility spike force you to respect her invade attempts until you reach your level 6 power spike.

Win conditions

Convert early jungle tempo into denying Nidalee camps through well-timed counter-invades and Scuttle control.
Use your pull (E) threat to set up ganks on lanes with priority and snowball kills before Nidalee scales.
Leverage level 6 execute resets and first item power spike to force Nidalee out of the jungle and secure dragons or Rift Herald with your team.