How to Play Skarner: 7 Essential Tips for Jungle Domination

Overview

How to play Skarner effectively involves mastering his unique mix of crowd control, durability, and objective control through strategic Crystal Spire management and efficient jungle pathing. His ability to lock down targets with his ultimate and control teamfights makes him an underrated but powerful jungler for players willing to invest time in understanding his kit and adapting their approach between backline diving and peeling based on team needs.

Introduction to Skarner

Learning how to play Skarner effectively can transform your jungle experience in League of Legends. This crystalline scorpion brings a unique mix of crowd control, durability, and surprising damage that makes him a formidable force when mastered. Despite his occasional appearances in the meta, Skarner remains one of the most underrated junglers with tremendous potential for those willing to invest time in understanding his kit.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore seven essential tips for dominating the jungle with Skarner. Whether you’re new to the champion or looking to refine your skills, these strategies will help you maximize Skarner’s strengths while minimizing his weaknesses. His ability to lock down targets and disrupt enemy teams makes him particularly effective in the current meta, especially when paired with coordinated teammates.

Skarner’s playstyle differs significantly from more popular junglers like Olaf with his berserker rage or Hecarim with his mobility. Instead, Skarner thrives on control, patience, and opportunistic engagements. Let’s dive into what makes this champion truly special and how you can leverage his unique abilities to climb the ranked ladder.

Understanding Skarner’s Abilities

Before mastering Skarner’s jungle presence, you must first understand his kit thoroughly. Skarner’s abilities work synergistically to create a champion that excels at locking down targets and controlling objectives.

The passive, Crystal Spires, transforms areas around objectives into empowered zones for Skarner. When standing in these zones, he gains movement speed, attack speed, and mana regeneration. This passive makes Skarner especially potent around objectives like Dragon, Baron, and Herald, which is why strategic positioning is crucial.

His Q ability, Crystal Slash, deals physical damage in an area around him and applies a stack. After landing a second Q within a short window, Skarner deals bonus magic damage and gains attack speed. This ability is your primary clearing tool and sustained damage source.

Crystalline Exoskeleton (W) provides a shield and movement speed boost, making it essential for both engaging and escaping. Proper timing of this ability can make the difference between a successful gank and a wasted opportunity.

Optimal Jungle Pathing and Clearing

Efficient jungle pathing is crucial for playing Skarner successfully. Unlike Nunu & Willump with their rapid clear, Skarner requires more strategic planning. Here’s a breakdown of optimal pathing options:

For a red-side start, begin with Red Buff, then move to Krugs, Raptors, Wolves, Blue, and finish with Gromp. This path maximizes experience gain while keeping you healthy through your first clear. Alternatively, a blue-side start works well too: Blue Buff, Gromp, Wolves, Raptors, Red, and then Krugs.

When clearing camps, maximize your passive Crystal Spires whenever possible. Position yourself to hit multiple monsters with each Q cast, and maintain your Q stacks for faster clearing. Remember to use your W shield before taking damage rather than reactively.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to efficient clearing:

• Start with your strongest leash buff (typically Red)
• Use Q to maintain stacks throughout the clear
• Save Smite for either securing Scuttle Crab or for healthier clearing on tougher camps
• Look to secure at least one Scuttle Crab to establish a Crystal Spire early
• Time your backs to purchase key items rather than forcing ganks with low health

According to official League of Legends statistics, Skarner’s clear speed increases significantly after completing his first item, so don’t feel pressured to match the pace of invasion-focused junglers early on.

Effective Ganking Techniques

Skarner’s ganking power comes from his reliable crowd control and surprising burst damage. Unlike Jarvan IV with his flag-and-drag combo, Skarner relies on positioning and timing for successful ganks.

The most effective ganking technique with Skarner involves approaching from behind or through lane bushes with your W active. This gives you the movement speed needed to get in range for your E (Fracture). Landing your E is crucial as it marks targets and allows you to stun them with an auto attack.

For maximum effectiveness, follow this ganking sequence:

• Activate W before entering lane for movement speed
• Approach from an unexpected angle (river, tribush, or behind tower if diving)
• Land your E skillshot to mark the enemy
• Auto attack to proc the stun
• Use Q to apply damage and slow
• If the target is still alive and flashing away, use your ultimate to drag them back

Remember that Skarner’s ultimate, Impale, is one of the most powerful single-target suppression abilities in the game. Save it for high-value targets or to counter enemy escape abilities. When ganking lanes with champions that have follow-up CC like Amumu’s bandage toss, coordinate your approach to chain crowd control efficiently.

Pro players on ProBuildStats often prioritize early ganks at level 3 rather than full clearing, especially when lanes offer easy setup for Skarner’s kit. This aggressive approach can help secure early advantages and Crystal Spire control.

Recommended Item Builds

Skarner’s build path is versatile, allowing you to adapt based on team needs and game state. However, there are several core items that consistently perform well on this champion.

For your jungle item, Divine Sunderer provides an excellent balance of damage and sustain. The Sheen proc synergizes perfectly with Skarner’s ability rotation, especially when engaging with your ultimate. Alternatively, Turbo Chemtank offers more engage potential and team utility if your team lacks initiation.

Core items to consider include:

• Divine Sunderer/Turbo Chemtank (Mythic choice)
• Dead Man’s Plate (Movement speed + armor)
• Force of Nature (Magic resistance + movement speed)
• Sterak’s Gage (Survivability in team fights)
• Thornmail (Against heavy auto-attackers)

For boots, Plated Steelcaps or Mercury Treads are typically best, depending on the enemy team composition. If you’re ahead and want more offensive power, consider items like Black Cleaver or Wit’s End, which provide damage while maintaining some defensive stats.

Similar to Sejuani’s tanky buildpath, Skarner thrives when balancing durability with enough damage to remain threatening. Adapt your purchases based on whether your team needs a frontline tank or a backline peeler.

Team Fighting and Late Game Strategy

Team fighting with Skarner requires careful positioning and target selection. As the game progresses into mid and late phases, your role evolves from ganking to objective control and team fight facilitation.

In team fights, you generally have two viable approaches: diving the enemy backline to kidnap a high-value target with your ultimate, or peeling for your own carries against enemy divers. Which approach you choose depends on team compositions and game state.

For the diving approach:

• Use W and any movement items to flank or flash into position
• Target priority is typically: immobile ADC > mage > support
• Coordinate with your team before engaging
• Use your ultimate to drag a priority target into your team

For the peeling approach:

• Stay close to your highest damage dealer
• Save your E and ultimate for enemy divers
• Create a zone of control around your backline
• Use your Q slow to kite enemy frontliners

Similar to how Rammus controls engagements, Skarner excels at dictating when and where fights happen. Always position to take advantage of your Crystal Spires during objective standoffs, as the bonus stats are significant.

Late game, focus on securing vision around major objectives before they spawn. With proper setup, Skarner can become nearly unstoppable in a Baron or Elder Dragon pit with his passive active. According to MetaSRC analytics, Skarner’s win rate increases dramatically in games lasting beyond 30 minutes.

Counter-Jungling and Objective Control

Skarner’s objective control potential is among the strongest in the game, particularly after level 6. His ability to secure objectives comes from both his dueling potential against the enemy jungler and his ultimate’s power to remove threats.

When counter-jungling, focus on invading when you have priority in nearby lanes. Unlike Rek’Sai with her tunnels, Skarner lacks reliable escape tools, so careful tracking of the enemy jungler is essential before invading.

For effective counter-jungling:

• Ward deep in enemy territory to track jungler movements
• Prioritize stealing camps when enemy jungler shows on the opposite side of the map
• Focus on establishing Crystal Spires in the enemy jungle when possible
• Contest Scuttle Crabs aggressively to expand your passive zone control

When it comes to objectives like Dragon and Baron, Skarner excels at both securing and stealing. Position yourself to utilize your passive’s bonuses, and save your ultimate for either locking down the enemy jungler or extracting a key threat from the fight.

Remember that Skarner’s smite combo with ultimate can secure objectives from higher health thresholds than most junglers. You can drag the enemy jungler away from the pit at crucial moments, preventing their smite altogether.

Conclusion

Mastering how to play Skarner requires patience and practice, but the rewards are substantial. His unique combination of crowd control, durability, and objective presence makes him a formidable jungler in the right hands. By following these seven essential tips, you’ll be well on your way to dominating the jungle with this crystalline scorpion.

Remember that Skarner’s strength comes from controlling the pace of the game through strategic Crystal Spire management, efficient clearing, and high-impact ultimates. While he may not boast the flashy mechanics of some meta junglers, his reliability and team utility make him an excellent choice for players looking to climb the ranked ladder.

Practice these techniques consistently, adapt your builds to match game needs, and soon you’ll find yourself carrying games with Skarner’s distinctive playstyle. Whether you’re dragging enemies to their doom or peeling threats away from your carries, Skarner offers a unique and rewarding jungle experience in League of Legends.

Frequently Asked Questions