Darius vs Nocturne JUNGLE Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Darius

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Jungle

Nocturne

Darius vs Nocturne

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Overview

Darius's jungle strength lies in extended duels and punishing Nocturne's early jungle presence by denying camps and controlling river vision.
Prioritize maintaining tempo through aggressive pathing and objective control to prevent Nocturne from leveraging his level 6 pick threat.

Jungle Plan

Start with a full clear path that allows quick access to river and enemy jungle camps for counter-jungling opportunities.
Fight for Scuttle Crab control when your lanes can pressure Nocturne's side to secure vision and objective setup.
Track Nocturne's pathing to anticipate his level 6 ultimate ganks and position to counter-gank or invade his jungle safely.

Danger windows

Early invade windows around level 3 when Nocturne can fight with fear and spell shield require caution unless you have lane priority.
Isolated river fights without vision are risky due to Nocturne's fear and ultimate gank threat.
Low-health jungle clears expose Darius to forced smite fights where Nocturne's burst and crowd control can punish.

Early game

Opt for a fast full clear to reach level 6 before Nocturne can execute aggressive ganks using his ultimate.
Contest first Scuttle only if nearby lanes have priority to avoid multi-lane collapses.
Avoid early river fights without vision as Nocturne's fear and spell shield can turn fights against you.

Power spikes

Level 6 unlocks Darius's execute (R), enabling lethal extended trades; stack passive before committing to all-ins.
First completed bruiser item increases durability and damage, allowing Darius to force longer fights and survive Nocturne's burst.
Nocturne's level 6 global ultimate spike demands respect; avoid isolated river fights without vision or lane priority.

Win conditions

Convert early jungle tempo into denying Nocturne camps and controlling Scuttle vision to limit his gank angles.
Use extended duel strength to win counter-jungles and force Nocturne into reactive play.
Leverage lane priority and vision control to secure dragons and Rift Herald, using Darius's objective control to snowball team advantage.