Grandmaster Ratatoskr Jungle

Hey, my name is AutoSpeed and I have been a Grandmaster + 3500 (MMR cap) in Conquest, Joust, and Duel in every recent season. I'm happy to share my knowledge of the game with everyone, and I appreciate any and all feedback!

Here are my channels:

• Twitch
  
  
• Twitter
  
  
• YouTube
  
  
• Discord

Passive - Acorn of Yggdrasil Ratatoskr begins the game with a Magic Acorn in his inventory. This can be upgraded with gold, which gives unique ability affects depending on which Acorn upgrade you choose. For the purpose of Jungle, Thistlethorn Acorn is the Acorn you want.

Ability 1 - Dart Ratatoskr dashes, passing through minions and stopping at the first god hit, damaging and slowing them. Dart's cooldown is slightly reduced for each enemy hit with Flurry or Acorn Blast. While Dart can be used to finish off an enemy, it is best saved to use as an escape from enemies. Only use Dart aggressively when you know you can finish off an enemy.

Ability 2 - Flurry Ratatoskr spins, dealing damage in a small circle and reducing enemies Physical Protections. Flurry is best used to hit an enemy without slowing your movement, but recognize you cannot cancel the ability. It is dangerous to use late game for this reason, as you are vulnerable to damage/CC.

Ability 3 - Acorn Blast Ratatoskr's main damaging ability. Does a large amount of damage in a small cone, and stuns the enemy if they are close enough. Acorn Blast should be used right away and on cooldown, as it does heavy damage and the enemy cannot hit you while stunned. Thistlethorn Acorn is used to increase the damage and range of this ability.

Ultimate - Through the Cosmos After a short delay, Ratatoskr jumps up to the sky. He can Jump forward up to two times, before dealing large damage in a circular radius and knocking up nearby enemies. Through the Cosmos is considered a global ultimate, and allows quick travel across a large portion of the map. It is a very powerful ability, and should be used to initiate rotations whenever possible.

Standard Rotation:

Through the Cosmos > Acorn Blast > Auto Attack(s)

Use Dart to engage or disengage, and Flurry to attack while mobile.

Blink:

Blink Rune > Acorn Blast > Auto Attack(s) > Dart

Flurry is best used during early-game fights, and less commonly used late-game as Auto Attacks will deal more damage.

• Star at the Fire Giant side Speed Buff (or Red Buff), and group up the jungle camps with your mid laner. Once the Red and Speed buff jungle camps are cleared together, head towards your remaining speed buff. Your mid laner should help you clear this buff camp. Finally, head towards the exp camp near the Tier 1 Mid tower, presume you will clear this alone.
  
  
• You now have 2 choices. You can stay in the Jungle towards the mid lane, looking for a gank on the enemy mid laner or clear the Mid-Harpies. The second option is to head straight to duo lane, and look for a gank on the enemy duo lane (and clear Scorpion). Heading to Duo lane has a greater risk, but much greater reward if successful.
  
  
• As Ratatoskr, you have a strong rundown with Acorn Blast and Dart, but slightly lower damage than other junglers as you save Dart for escape (unless it is a confirmed kill). Play around your Blink Rune, don't loose your health before the fight starts!
  
  
• As Ratatoskr, rotations become much stronger and faster when you unlock your ultimate Through the Cosmos. Don't feel pressured to be hyperactive before level 5, as you will naturally become stronger with your global rotation ultimate.
  
  
• Remember you can upgrade to your Thistlethorn Acorn without needing to be in the fountain, which can lead to a quicker spike in comparison to other junglers

• Begins around ~14 minutes, or when most people have hit Level 12 and unlocked their Second Relic. Most enemy teams have gotten around to warding by now, and team fights become increasingly common. Most builds have started to show effectiveness
  
  
• While you can still use Through the Cosmos to initiate fights, I would recommend to wait for a fight to start before doing so, as enemies will be aware and collapse much faster in comparison to the early game.
  
  
• It's recommended you still follow the order of Buff Camps > Rotations > Harpies, but always prioritize helping out in team fights or objective fights above all else.
  
  
• Try to play back in team fights, using Acorn Blast to stun someone from afar while your team does the work. Only commit when it is safe to do so, or when the enemies are split.
  
  
• Camping corners is quite effective, as you can deal half of someone's health with Acorn Blast and a few auto attacks without taking any damage.
  
  
• Your playstyle is a hit-and-run type, and you can force out enemy relics with Acorn Blast without doing much else.

• Almost everybody has hit Level 20, Fire Giant is the most important objective on the map. Starter items become unlocked at Level 20, which results in a damage/defensive spike. This means that everybody dies faster, and Team Fights are the most important thing.
  
  
• Your main initiation at this phase of the game is not Through the Cosmos, but actually Blink Rune. You want to blink in first, stun and do some damage, and then bail out with Dart.
  
  
• Your Through the Cosmos should only be used if the fight has already started and you are far away. Once you ult, the enemies may back up and it would be wasted, which is why you want to save it for when the fight has already begun.
  
  
• If your relics/ultimate are up, Aim to aggress on the enemy backline/jungler. If not, your playstyle should be to play in the middle of your team formation, and stun enemies to setup kills or prevent initiations.
  
  
• One very important late game warding tip is: Almost every single team fight at Fire Giant results in large amount of wards placed by each team on that side of the map. If you are trying to push minion waves/farm camps after a Fire Giant fight, realize the enemy almost always has eyes on you and it is a dangerous spot to be in, watch out!
  
  
• During a Siege fight, if you are the aggressor, you should pressure the Middle Phoenix. However, instead of trying to dive against the enemy jungler, your goal should be to Through the Cosmos and assist your team.

Green = Early/Rotational wards, you don't go out of your way to place these wards. Place them while already in the area, they are used to prevent blind spots while you rotate. They also double as objective wards

Blue = Late game wards, you want to place them as high as possible without getting caught by the enemy doing so. They cut off chokepoints on the enemies side, which lets you know which side of the map they are on. Good wards for a Fire Giant fight

If you find yourself at an enemy buff camp, feel free to drop a ward for the timer if you plan on coming back!

It is very important to recognize which side of the map enemies are on. If you see the enemy jungler on the solo side, recognize they could counter-rotate if you try to play on that side of the map. On the flip side, it means you are free to rotate on the Gold-Fury side of the map!

Ratatoskr has an independent style by nature of his Through the Cosmos, but outside of this, his kit supports a team-based Acorn Blast playstyle. I recommend him as a starting jungler, as playing with your team is very powerful. Also. He is a Squirrel. Squirrels are cool.

Good luck out there! <3