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Hecarim is a champion who has always remained one of the top jungle picks in League of Legends. However, to bolster the champion further into the meta, the developers made a few adjustments to Hecarim for patch 12.17.
As it happens, the changes have made Hecarim a force to be reckoned with, and is currently one of the strongest champions in the entire game. Therefore, this article provides a detailed guide to Hecarim for players since he is a must-pick for anyone who loves the jungle role.
One of the most crucial aspects of Hecarim is that he is reasonably versatile. His damage is quite good, and his ganking potential is arguably one of the best in the game. These advantages have been further enhanced after the adjustments to his kit, making him one of the top picks in the current meta.
Diving into Runes, Item Build, and Gameplay guide to Hecarim in League of Legends season 12
Before moving any further, it is first essential to provide a brief idea of why Hecarim feels good and versatile within League of Legends. As mentioned, this champion is good at ganking and dealing high damage.
However, he is also quite good at clearing jungle camps very quickly, which is always an advantage in any given scenario. Clearing jungle camps fast means faster gank timings and better set-up at objectives like dragons and barons.
Apart from that, Hecarim is a champion who can be built both as a tank and a damage dealer. Therefore, players have multiple options depending on the opponent they are facing in the game.
Nevertheless, despite all these advantages, Hecarim does have one major problem. This champion needs to hit level 6 as fast as possible. This is because champions like Trundle, Poppy, and Jarvan IV have a good setup at level 2 or 3.
However, Hecarim becomes lethal only at level 6 and does not offer much before that. Therefore, if the Hecarim player is not efficient with the jungle pathing, it can hurt all the lanes in the game.
In any case, it is time to proceed with the guide for Hecarim.
Rune path
Primary Rune (Sorcery): Phase Rush, Nimbus Cloak, Celerity, Waterwalking
Secondary Rune (Precision): Triumph, Legend: Tenacity
Thus, based on the runes, it is pretty clear that Hecarim is about movement speed. Running down enemies and chasing them till they are dead is the key area where Hecarim shines and Phase Rush, accompanied by Numbus Cloak, helps him achieve that with efficiency.
However, apart from speed, Hecarim is also about dealing damage, and the secondary rune with Triumph and Legend: Tenacity ensures that he can easily slice down squishy ADCs and support champions.
Item Build
Hecarim's optimal item build in League of Legends is as follows:
- Divine Sunderer
- Muramana
- Death's Dance
- Black Cleaver
- Boots of Lucidity
Thus, based on the items above, it is easy to understand that Hecarim is all about dealing with damage in League of Legends. He is someone who will chase down the enemies and slice them down as fast as possible.
Therefore, building highly damaged items is the most optimal way, as with the latest buffs, his damage scaling is excellent. Divine Sunderer should always be the first item as it provides a massive spike in his power.
Muramana adds to that damage and allows Hecarim to spam his abilities more frequently. Death's Dance and Black Cleaver are good items, though there is no priority list on what players need to build first.
Gameplay guide
When it comes to gameplay tips, the first and most crucial one that every League of Legends player should follow while playing Hecarim is reaching level 6 as fast as possible. It is the single greatest powerpike in his kit, and players should use Hecarim's jungle clearing speed to their advantage to reach that stage.
This does not mean players should not gank lanes before level 6 if the opportunity arrives. Then getting a few early kills or assists can always help. However, jumping unnecessarily into lanes without level 6 is often not that beneficial.
Apart from that, Hecarim's movement speed is also something that League of Legends players should use as much as possible. He is one of the best champions to dive into the backline and deal damage. He can finish off squishy ADCs and supports very fast.
Therefore, players should consider diving more often instead of trying to fight tanks as the rewards are quite high.
