Skarner should leverage terrain control and wall-based ganks to maximize suppression picks and objective frontlining in teamfights.
Prioritize controlling river chokes before dragon and Rift Herald to deny Darius access and capitalize on Skarner's high objective control and invade resistance.
Jungle Plan
Path camps toward wall-heavy lanes to maximize (E) wall pin gank setups and punish Darius's low mobility.
Fight for river control around dragon and Herald only when lane priority allows safe objective setups.
Use vision and terrain to counter-jungle Darius when he commits to side lanes or after his first clear to deny scaling and reset tempo.
Danger windows
Avoid isolated river fights before level 6 where Darius's pull (E) and reset (R) can snowball kills.
Be cautious contesting objectives when low on health or without lane priority, as Darius can force smite fights with his all-in threat.
Respect windows when Darius has full passive stacks and (E) available, as he can punish mobility attempts and extended fights.
Early game
Start with a full clear focusing on camps near walls to enable early gank angles and maintain health.
Contest first Scuttle when nearby lanes have priority to secure river control and vision for objective setups.
Avoid early direct invades unless Darius is tracked on the opposite side and lanes can support counter-ganks.
Power spikes
Level 6 unlocks suppression (R), enabling Skarner to isolate and secure kills on priority targets before Darius can respond.
Skarner's tank and utility scaling make him a stronger frontline for objectives in mid to late game, outvaluing Darius's early burst.
Early objective control spikes after first clear allow Skarner to pressure dragon and Herald before Darius completes his bruiser item.
Win conditions
Convert wall-based ganks into vision and control around dragon and Rift Herald to secure early objectives.
Use suppression (R) to pick off isolated targets and create numbers advantages for teamfights.
Deny Darius free farm by counter-jungling camps after tracking his path, leveraging Skarner's high invade resistance and objective control to scale teamfight impact.
Tip: For Skarner vs Darius, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Jungle lane check.
