Nunu & Willump: The Boy and His Yeti

Nunu & Willump are a duo champion in League of Legends played in the Jungle, classified as a Vanguard (legacy: Tank/Mage). They use Mana (280 – 1105.93 at max level), are Melee with 125 attack range, and deal Magic damage. Released February 21, 2009, they’re in patch V26.03. The reality about Nunu & Willump: this champion looks cute. A kid on a yeti throwing snowballs. Don’t let that fool you. Nunu has the strongest objective control of any jungler in the game thanks to Q dealing 1200 TRUE damage to monsters at max rank – that’s double Smite. Q + Smite = 2100+ combined burst on Dragon/Baron. No enemy jungler can outsmite that. And while they’re securing every objective, their W snowball rolls into lanes at 595 speed for ganks that are nearly impossible to avoid. Simple to play, incredibly effective. The ideal first jungler for anyone learning the role, and still strong enough to carry in high elo with macro play.

📊 Base Statistics

💡 Key Identity: 610 HP base is standard for a tank jungler. 29 armor is low early but scales to 111.59 at max level. 61 AD is decent – passive adds 30% AD cone splash, so effective DPS is higher than it looks. 345 MS is fast, and W snowball ignores slows while adding accelerating speed. Nunu is built to MOVE fast and HIT objectives. Everything in the kit is about speed: fast clears, fast ganks, fast objective takes.

❄️ Passive: Call of the Freljord

Target Immunity: 10 seconds | Target Range: 1000 / 700

INNATE: When Nunu and Willump deal damage against an enemy champion, large monster, or structure, they and a nearby allied champion gain Call of the Freljord for 4 seconds: 20% bonus attack speed and 10% bonus movement speed. Willump’s basic attacks additionally deal 30% AD physical damage in a cone to secondary targets in front of him. Cannot retrigger on the same enemy for 10 seconds.

⚠️ Free Stats For Your Carry: This passive gives YOUR ADC or auto-attack champion 20% AS + 10% MS for just being near Nunu during objectives or fights. The passive prioritizes the ally with the highest AS – typically the ADC. So while Nunu tanks Dragon, the ADC gets a free Dagger + boots worth of stats. The cone splash on Willump’s autos also accelerates jungle clear: every auto hits multiple targets at multi-monster camps.

❄️ Q: Consume

Cost: 60 Mana | Cooldown: 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 seconds | Cast Time: 0.3 | Target Range: 125

ACTIVE: Willump takes a bite out of the target enemy, dealing damage and healing himself. Heal is increased by 50% when below 50% max HP. Against minions/monsters: deals TRUE damage. If Consume would kill a minion or small/medium monster, Willump devours it (stunning and pulling toward him). Against champions: deals magic damage and heal is reduced to 60%.

⚠️ 1200 TRUE Damage = Unoutsmitable Objectives: This is Nunu’s signature mechanic and the reason he’s the BEST objective jungler in the game. At rank 5, Q deals 1200 TRUE damage to monsters. Smite deals ~900 damage. Q + Smite = 2100+ burst in 0.3 seconds. No enemy jungler can match that. Dragon, Baron, Rift Herald – Nunu secures ALL of them. This isn’t a small advantage. Objective control decides games. A jungler who literally CANNOT lose an objective 50/50 is invaluable. The heal is also significant: 185 + 90% AP + 10% bonus HP every 9 seconds while clearing. At 50% HP, that’s 277+ healing. Nunu clears the jungle with near-full HP at all times.

❄️ W: Biggest Snowball Ever!

Cost: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 Mana | Cooldown: 14 seconds | Cast Time: NONE | Range: 750–1750 (based on charge) | Speed: 425–595 (accelerating)

ACTIVE: Willump cleanses all slows and channels for up to 10 seconds, becoming ghosted, slow-immune, and rolling a snowball that grows from small → medium (2.5s) → large (5s). MS starts 50% reduced, then accelerates by 14 every 0.25s. The snowball explodes on hitting an enemy champion, large pet, medium+ monster, or terrain, dealing magic damage scaled 0–400% by charge time, knockup (0.5–0.75s), and stun (0–0.75s).

💡 Pro Tip: The snowball is Nunu’s ENTIRE ganking tool. Start rolling W from behind jungle walls or from river – the snowball grows as it travels, reaching medium size by the time it hits lane. A medium–large snowball deals 270–360 (+150% AP) damage with 0.75s knockup + 0.75s stun = 1.5 seconds of total CC on collision. Key mechanics: W cleanses slows on activation (counter to Ashe, Nasus W, etc.), you’re slow-immune while rolling, and the snowball’s hitbox grows with size. A large snowball is nearly impossible to sidestep in tight corridors. Start rolling from Scuttler for river speed boost into lane. The turning radius improves by holding the turn – short taps = wide turns, held direction = tighter turns.

❄️ E: Snowball Barrage

Cost: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 Mana | Cooldown: 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 seconds | Target Range: 700 | Width: 50 | Speed: 2000

ACTIVE: Nunu throws 3 snowballs in 0.4 seconds, dealing magic damage per hit in a cone. Enemies hit 3 times are slowed. Champions/large monsters hit once are marked Snowbound for 4 seconds. Can recast twice (3 casts total, 9 snowballs). After 3 seconds from first cast: all Snowbound enemies near Willump take additional magic damage and are rooted for 0.5–1.62 seconds (based on level).

💡 Pro Tip: E is Nunu’s follow-up CC after W lands. The combo: W knockup → E (throw all 3 casts during the CC) → 3 seconds later → root procs. This chains CC from W knockup (1.5s) → E slow → E root (up to 1.62s) = nearly 3+ seconds of total lockdown. The root procs automatically after 3 seconds from first cast – you don’t need to do anything extra, just stay near the target. Cast all 3 E volleys DURING W’s knockup/stun so the target is guaranteed to eat all 9 snowballs.

❄️ R: Absolute Zero (Ultimate)

Cost: 100 Mana | Cooldown: 110 / 100 / 90 seconds | Cast Time: NONE | Effect Radius: 650

ACTIVE: Nunu and Willump channel a blizzard for up to 3 seconds, gaining a shield and slowing nearby enemies by 0–95% (based on channel time). Can recast after 0.5s. On channel end or interruption: the blizzard explodes dealing magic damage scaled 0–100% by channel time. Enemies remain slowed 0–3s after. Shield decays over 3 seconds. R is invisible if Nunu is not revealed (bush/fog of war).

⚠️ 1275 + 300% AP In One Button: Absolute Zero’s full channel damage is absurd. At 400 AP: 1275 + 1200 = 2475 magic damage in a 650-radius AoE. That’s enough to one-shot squishies from full HP. The problem? It’s a 3-second channel that enemies can walk out of or interrupt. The solution: use R from fog of war or bushes – R is INVISIBLE when Nunu is unrevealed. Enemies walk into a bush, see nothing, then take 2475 damage. The 95% slow at full channel makes it nearly impossible to escape once caught. Shield value with bonus HP builds: 85 + 150% AP + 50% bonus HP = 600–800+ shield during channel, making Nunu tanky enough to absorb hits while channeling.

❄️ Double Smite: Why Nunu Controls Every Objective

This is the core reason Nunu has been a staple jungler since 2009. Q deals 1200 TRUE damage to monsters at max rank. Smite deals approximately 900 damage. Combined: 2100+ instant burst. Let me explain what this means in practice.

• Dragon Is Free: Dragon spawns at ~5000 HP. Q + Smite at 2100 HP = instant secure. The enemy jungler needs to somehow deal 2100+ damage in the same instant to contest. That doesn’t happen. Nunu secures Dragon ~95% of the time in contested 50/50 situations. Over a game, that’s 3–4 guaranteed Dragons.
• Baron Is Controllable: Baron has significantly more HP, but Q + Smite at the right threshold still outbursts any other jungler. At Baron pit with Nunu, the team that has Nunu almost always wins the smite fight. Baron provides team-wide buff that typically decides games.
• Q Heals During Objective: Every 9 seconds, Q heals 185 + 90% AP + 10% bonus HP from monster damage. While tanking Dragon/Baron, Nunu self-heals hundreds of HP per Q. Other junglers lose HP during objectives – Nunu gains it back.
• Early Scuttler Dominance: Q deals TRUE damage to Scuttler (ignoring its shield). Other junglers need to break the shield first. Nunu just bites it for 800+ true damage. Guaranteed Scuttler control = guaranteed river vision + XP.
• The Honest Take: Nunu doesn’t have the flashy 1v9 outplay potential of Lee Sin or the scaling of Karthus. His damage against champions is mediocre without R. What he does have is the single most reliable objective control in the game, the best low-elo jungle clear, and ganks that don’t require mechanical skill – just good pathing and snowball routing.

🎯 Strategies and Gameplay Tips

Early Game (Levels 1-5)

• Full Clear into Level 3 Gank: Red → Krugs → Raptors → Wolves → Gromp → Blue. Hit level 3 with Q, W, E all unlocked. Roll W from river into the closest lane. Q sustain keeps you healthy through the entire clear.
• W Gank Routing: Start rolling W behind walls where enemies can’t see you. The best snowball routes: from behind Dragon pit into bot lane, from Raptor pit wall into mid lane, from behind Baron pit into top lane. The snowball growing from small to large while hidden = maximum impact on arrival.
• Scuttler Priority: Q true damage ignores Scuttler’s shield. Nunu takes Scuttler faster than almost any jungler. Always contest Scuttler – the river speed boost also helps W snowball ganks.

Mid Game (Levels 6-13)

• Dragon Control: Track Dragon timer. Start Dragon early with Q sustain. Q + Smite the Dragon at 2100 HP threshold. Enemy can’t contest. Secure Dragon soul by taking 4 Dragons that the enemy literally cannot steal.
• R From Bush: R is invisible from fog of war. Hide in a bush near an objective or teamfight choke. When enemies walk in, channel R for 2–3 seconds. 95% slow prevents escape. Full channel = 1275 + 300% AP damage. This wins teamfights.
• CC Chain: W knockup (1.5s) → E snowballs during knockup → E root after 3s (1.62s) → R during root. This chains into ~5+ seconds of continuous CC on one target. No champion survives 5 seconds of CC + 3 allies attacking.

Late Game (Level 14+)

• Frontline Tank: With Frozen Heart + Thornmail + bonus HP, Nunu is a legitimate frontline. R shield (85 + 150% AP + 50% bonus HP) adds 600–800+ HP of shielding. Engage with W → frontline while R channels.
• Baron Control = Win Condition: At 20–25 minutes, Baron becomes the primary objective. Nunu’s Q + Smite makes Baron calls safe. Force Baron whenever you have numbers advantage – the enemy CANNOT steal it.
• Peel With CC: W knockup + E root + R slow = massive CC chain for peeling carries. If the enemy dives your ADC, roll W through the divers for knockup, E root follow-up, R zone control.

❌ Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Rolling W Into Walls: W snowball explodes on terrain. Rolling into a wall wastes the entire ability and its CC. Learn the snowball routing paths – wide corridors only, avoid tight corners where the snowball clips walls.
• R In The Open: Enemies can SEE R if Nunu is visible. A 3-second channel in plain sight = enemies walk out or interrupt it. Always R from fog of war (bushes, behind walls) or after W knockup locks enemies in place.
• Not Using Q + Smite For Objectives: Some players Smite too early or Q too early. Wait until objective HP reaches Q + Smite threshold (2100+ at max rank). Burst both simultaneously for guaranteed secure.
• Ignoring Passive: Call of the Freljord gives 20% AS + 10% MS to an ally. That’s free stats for your carries during objectives and fights. ALWAYS be near your best auto-attacker during Dragons/Barons.
• Not Tracking Snowball Size: A small snowball does 36 damage and 0.5s knockup. A large snowball does 360 damage and 1.5s CC. NEVER use W as a short-range ability – always start rolling from a distance for maximum size.

⚙️ Recommended Build and Itemization

Core Items (51%+ WR)

• Liandry’s Torment: First item. AP + HP + burn damage. Liandry’s burn procs on E snowballs (9 hits = 9 burn applications) and R slow (constant tick damage). Synergizes with Nunu’s AoE kit for sustained damage.
• Plated Steelcaps: Armor + auto damage reduction. Nunu is a frontline tank – Steelcaps reduce incoming physical damage while he engages with W.
• Frozen Heart: Armor + mana + ability haste + attack speed reduction aura. Nunu needs mana for spamming Q/W/E. The AS slow aura debuffs nearby enemies, reducing their DPS while Nunu tanks.
• Thornmail: Armor + Grievous Wounds on immobilizing enemies. W knockup, E root, and R slow all apply Grievous Wounds through Thornmail. Nunu has the most reliable Thornmail application of any tank.

Situational Items

• Kaenic Rookern: MR + magic damage shield. Against AP-heavy comps, Rookern’s passive shield absorbs significant magic burst.
• Hextech Rocketbelt: AP + dash for aggressive plays. Rocketbelt dash after W collision closes any remaining gap for E + R follow-up.
• Mejai’s Soulstealer: Nunu’s 53%+ WR and objective control = consistent stacks. At 25 stacks: +125 AP + 10% MS. R with Mejai’s stacks = nuclear damage.

Runes

Primary Tree (Sorcery): Phase Rush (keystone), Nimbus Cloak, Celerity, Waterwalking

Secondary Tree (Precision): Legend: Haste, Triumph

Summoner Spells: Smite + Flash

Skill Max Order: Q → W → E

💡 Pro Tip: Phase Rush is essential – 3 hits (W collision + E snowballs = instant Phase Rush) = 30–50% MS boost + slow resistance for 3 seconds. This lets Nunu chase down targets after W collision and stick for E root + R channel. Celerity amplifies ALL movement speed bonuses (passive 10% + Phase Rush + W rolling speed). Waterwalking gives +25 AP and +25 MS in river – where Nunu starts most ganks. Q max first ALWAYS for monster true damage scaling (400→1200). W second for snowball damage. E last because the root duration scales with level, not rank.

⚔️ Counter Picks & Matchups

✅ Nunu Counters (Favorable)

1. Karthus

Why: Karthus is a farming jungler with zero mobility. W snowball runs him over. Karthus can’t escape W – no dash, no blink, just death. Nunu invades Karthus, steals camps with Q true damage, and outganks him at every stage. Karthus’s passive (damage on death) doesn’t matter when Nunu’s team already won the fight.

2. Jax

Why: Jax’s Counter Strike (E) blocks auto-attacks, but Nunu’s damage is entirely ability-based (Q magic damage, W magic damage, E magic damage, R magic damage). Jax E is irrelevant against Nunu. W snowball knocks Jax up through Counter Strike. Nunu outganks and outcontrols objectives.

3. Malphite

Why: Malphite jungle is an R-bot with slow clear. Nunu clears faster, ganks earlier, and controls objectives Malphite can’t contest. Q + Smite outbursts Malphite’s damage on Dragon/Baron. Malphite R engage is strong but one-dimensional – Nunu W provides similarly impactful engage on a 14s CD.

❌ Nunu is Countered By

1. Lillia

Why: Lillia’s permanent MS from passive makes her impossible for Nunu to catch with W snowball. She kites Nunu infinitely, outspeeds the snowball, and her burn + true damage shreds Nunu’s HP despite tank items. Lillia’s R (sleep) interrupts Nunu’s R channel.

2. Ivern

Why: Ivern doesn’t fight Nunu – he renders Nunu’s ganks useless. Daisy disrupts W snowball routing. Ivern’s shields and CC protect his laners from Nunu’s engages. Ivern’s unique jungling (no combat required) means he avoids 1v1s entirely.

3. Rek’Sai

Why: Rek’Sai’s tremor sense detects Nunu’s snowball approach even through fog of war. Her tunnel network provides mobility that avoids W collision. In 1v1, Rek’Sai’s true damage from R shreds Nunu’s tank HP. She contests objectives through aggressive invading.

FAQ

Q: Can Q + Smite really guarantee every objective?

A: Effectively, yes. Q rank 5 (1200 true damage) + Smite (~900) = 2100+ instant burst. No other jungler has anything close. The only counter is killing Nunu before he can Q + Smite, which requires hard CC or burst from the enemy team.

Q: Does W snowball go through minions?

A: The snowball passes through minions (damages them) but EXPLODES on enemy champions, large monsters, and terrain. Small/medium monsters and minions don’t stop the snowball.

Q: Is R really invisible in bushes?

A: Yes. If Nunu is not revealed (in bush or fog of war), the R channel is completely invisible. Enemies only see the effect when they have vision of Nunu. This is why bush R ambushes are so powerful.

Q: Should I go AP or tank?

A: Hybrid. Liandry’s first for AP damage, then full tank (Frozen Heart, Thornmail). This provides enough AP to deal damage with Q/W/E/R while being tanky enough to frontline. Pure AP Nunu dies too fast; pure tank Nunu doesn’t threaten.

Q: Is Nunu good for beginners?A: Nunu is THE best beginner jungler. Simple kit (Q to heal, W to gank, E for CC, R for damage), forgiving clear (Q sustain keeps HP high), objective control removes smite anxiety, and W ganks don’t require complex mechanics.