Rengar: The Pridestalker

Rengar is a Jungle champion released on August 21, 2012. Classified as both Assassin and Diver (legacy: Assassin, Fighter), he plays exclusively in the Jungle. Resource: Ferocity (secondary bar, max 4 stacks – no Mana). Adaptive type: Physical. Range type: Melee with 125 attack range. Base MS: 345.

Last changed in patch V26.04. Store price: 2400 Blue Essence / 880 RP. Rengar’s secondary bar works differently from standard Fury or Rage champions – Ferocity caps at 4 stacks, not 100. Every ability cast or Savagery first attack generates 1 stack. At 4 stacks, the next Q, W, or E activates an enhanced version. The entire Rengar skill loop revolves around generating 4 Ferocity through jungle combat or passive play, then unloading the empowered ability at the correct moment in a gank sequence.

📊 Base Statistics

💡 Key Note – Bonetooth Necklace (Trophy System): Scoring a takedown against an enemy champion within 3 seconds of damaging them grants Rengar a Trophy, once per unique champion, up to 5 total. An additional Trophy is earned through the The Hunt Is On! event with the Head of Kha’Zix. Trophies grant bonus attack damage equal to 1% – 36% (based on Trophies) bonus AD. Collecting all 5 Trophies makes Rengar a noticeably stronger duelist in late game – prioritize varied kills rather than repeat kills on the same champion.

Passive: Unseen Predator

INNATE – Ferocity Generation: Upon casting a basic ability or using Savagery’s first attack, Rengar generates a stack of Ferocity for 1.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent triggers and stacking up to 4 times. At maximum stacks, his next basic ability consumes all 4 Ferocity to become empowered with an additional effect and grants him 30% / 40% / 50% (based on level) bonus movement speed for 1.5 seconds. Generated Ferocity is prevented from expiring for 10 seconds after entering champion combat.

INNATE – Brush Mechanic: While in brush, Rengar gains Unseen Predator, which lingers for 0.35 seconds upon exiting brush. Unseen Predator is lost immediately if Rengar exits the brush using Flash or Hexflash.

UNSEEN PREDATOR EFFECT: Rengar’s basic attacks have massively increased range (745 + 100% bonus attack range) and cause him to leap to the target’s location if they are beyond his normal basic attack range, triggering on-attack effects, and attacking the target upon arrival landing closer than his normal melee range. Unseen Predator will generate 1 Ferocity if none of his current Ferocity was generated this way. Rengar can cast any of his abilities during the leap dash.

💡 Core Mechanic Explanation: Rengar’s entire in-fight rotation is structured around reaching 4 Ferocity as quickly as possible to spend the empowered ability at the highest-impact moment. In a standard gank from brush: the leap auto generates 1 Ferocity, Q generates 1, W generates 1, E generates 1 = 4 Ferocity in 3 ability casts. The empowered ability is then available immediately for the follow-up. Managing which empowered ability to spend Ferocity on in each situation is the central decision of every Rengar engage.

Q: Savagery

Cooldown: 6 / 5.5 / 5 / 4.5 / 4 sec  |  Cast Time: None

ACTIVE: Rengar gains 40% bonus attack speed on his next two basic attacks within 3 seconds. His first attack is empowered to stab the target, having an uncancellable windup, gaining 25 bonus range, and dealing bonus physical damage. The attack can critically strike for (100% + 30%) AD bonus physical damage. Savagery resets Rengar’s basic attack timer.

💡 Pro Tip: Empowered Savagery’s 50%–107% bonus attack speed for 5 seconds is a complete DPS transformation. At higher levels this approaches double attack speed for the full 5-second duration – enough to auto-attack an ADC to death before they can respond even if the initial burst doesn’t kill them. In assassin builds, the empowered Q is most powerful after the initial Unseen Predator leap, where the attack speed burst converts into rapid additional hits during the target’s flash reaction window.

W: Battle Roar

Cooldown: 16 / 14.5 / 13 / 11.5 / 10 sec  |  Cast Time: None  |  Effect Radius: 450

PASSIVE: Rengar stores 50% of the post-mitigation damage he has taken in the last 1.5 seconds as grey health on his health bar, increased to 100% of damage taken from monsters.

ACTIVE: Rengar roars, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and 65 – 137.65 (based on level) bonus magic damage to monsters, and consuming his grey health to heal for the same amount.

💡 Pro Tip – The Grey Health Mechanic: Battle Roar’s passive is Rengar’s primary jungle sustain tool. Taking damage from monsters stores 100% of it as grey health, which W immediately converts back to real HP. This means Rengar effectively takes zero damage from jungle camps when W is ready – absorb the hit, immediately roar, full HP restored. In ganks, taking a CC hit while W is up often results in the CC being cleansed immediately on the empowered cast while simultaneously healing the damage taken.

⚠️ Critical Note – Empowered W CC Cleanse: The 4 Ferocity Battle Roar cleanses all crowd control including suppression, airborne, roots, slows, and stuns. This is one of the most powerful defensive tools in the jungle role. Against teams with heavy CC chains (Leona, Nautilus), save 4 Ferocity specifically for empowered W when an enemy CC ability is about to land. This timing transforms a potentially fight-ending CC hit into a free cleanse with simultaneous AoE damage.

E: Bola Strike

Cooldown: 10 sec  |  Cast Time: 0.25 / None  |  Target Range: 1000  |  Width: 140  |  Speed: 1500

ACTIVE: Rengar throws a bola in the target direction that deals physical damage to the first enemy hit and slows them by 30–90% for 1.75 seconds, as well as revealing them for 2 seconds and granting sight of a 150-unit radius around them for the same duration.

💡 Pro Tip: Empowered Bola Strike’s root instead of slow is the single most important Ferocity spend in most gank scenarios. A slowed target can still Flash or use movement abilities. A rooted target cannot – they’re stationary for the full 1.75 seconds. Against any champion with Flash up, save 4 Ferocity for empowered E to guarantee the root prevents their escape. The 1000-range cast also means empowered E can be used from Unseen Predator leap range before landing to pre-root the target.

⚠️ Note: Bola Strike also locks Rengar’s position slightly during the cast time (0.25s standard). The cast time is reduced to None during the Unseen Predator leap – meaning E cast during the leap has zero cast time and lands the moment Rengar arrives, preventing any Flash reaction window entirely.

R: Thrill of the Hunt (Ultimate)

Cooldown: 100 / 90 / 80 sec  |  Cast Time: None  |  Effect Radius: 2500 / 3000 / 3500  |  Detection Radius: 710

PASSIVE: Rengar also gains Unseen Predator while camouflaged from any source.

ACTIVE: Rengar prowls for a duration, gaining bonus movement speed. After a 2-second delay, he also becomes camouflaged and gains Unseen Predator. During this time, Rengar will detect the nearest enemy champion in range, revealing them and gaining sight of a 100-unit radius around them for the same duration. Enemies detected are revealed for the remaining full duration.

💡 Why R Is the Foundation of Rengar’s Threat: Thrill of the Hunt is not just an engage tool – it’s a permanent map presence mechanic. The detection of the nearest enemy champion through walls and across the map means Rengar always knows where the closest threat is during R. The 60% movement speed at rank 3 over 20 seconds allows Rengar to traverse most of the map while camouflaged, covering every lane from jungle position. The enemy team sees no visual indicator of Rengar’s approach (only the target hears a heartbeat sound). A well-timed R in the mid-game immediately creates a 1v1 kill threat on any squishy target anywhere on the map with zero counterplay other than grouping.

⚠️ Counter Note: Enemies near the target will hear an audible heartbeat warning as Rengar approaches during R. Ward coverage near high-value targets and grouping in response to the heartbeat are the primary counters to Thrill of the Hunt. Control wards in lane bushes also deny the Unseen Predator brush leap entirely, removing Rengar’s engage tool even during R.

🎯 Strategies and Gameplay Tips

Early Game (Levels 1–6)

• Clear With W Grey Health: Start every camp by absorbing the first hit, then immediately casting W to convert grey health back to real HP. At rank 1 W, monsters deal 100% grey health conversion. A properly timed W after each major camp hit effectively negates all jungle damage, arriving at early ganks at nearly full HP.
• Ferocity in Camps Before Ganks: Before ganking, use 2–3 camp hits to pre-stack Ferocity to 3. Arriving at a gank with 3 Ferocity means the first ability cast immediately hits 4 stacks and empowers on the follow-up ability. This dramatically shortens the kill window needed.
• Level 6 Gank Priority: Thrill of the Hunt at level 6 transforms Rengar into an immediate global threat. The first R gank should target the highest-priority low-mobility squishy on the map (typically the enemy ADC). The 2-second camouflage delay after R activation means always activate R before entering the target lane – not at the lane edge.
• Brush Control in Gank Setup: Rengar’s entire early gank pattern relies on approach brushes. Always check which brushes are warded before committing to a gank route. A warded approach brush removes Unseen Predator and forces Rengar into a standard melee approach – a significantly weaker gank angle.

Mid Game (Levels 7–13)

• Ferocity Spending Priority by Situation: Standard rule: empowered E (root) for kill setup on mobile targets, empowered W (CC cleanse) against heavy CC compositions, empowered Q (AS burst) for extended 1v1 fights. Against most assassin-viable gank targets, empowered E root is the default Ferocity spend.
• R into Isolated Targets: The highest-value Thrill of the Hunt usage is against a target who is completely isolated from their team – farming a sidelane, taking a camp, or rotating alone. R’s detection automatically finds the nearest champion, which when used from a deep jungle position will often identify a solo target before you’ve committed to a direction.
• Empowered W as Anti-CC Tool: In teamfights where Rengar is diving a target who has CC protection (Lulu, Janna, Thresh hook range), keep 4 Ferocity reserved for empowered W. Being Lulu-polymorphed or Thresh-hooked mid-dive with 4 Ferocity available means the CC is cleansed immediately with simultaneous AoE damage.

Late Game (Level 14+)

• Bonetooth Trophy Priority: Five Trophies grant up to 36% bonus AD scaling. With a full Trophy count and high-AD build, Rengar’s empowered Q becomes a genuine two-hit kill on most carries regardless of health totals. Prioritize unique champion kills throughout the game rather than farming repeat kills on the same target.
• R as Teamfight Entry: At rank 3 R (20 seconds, 60% MS), Rengar can camouflage from base position and arrive at a grouped enemy team mid-teamfight, leap onto the priority target with empowered E pre-stacked, and execute the full combo before the team registers his presence. This pattern is the highest-impact Rengar sequence in coordinated play.
• One-Shot Threshold Tracking: Track the enemy ADC’s HP during laning phase. Once Rengar’s full combo (R leap + Q empowered + W + E empowered) exceeds the target’s HP threshold, every R activation is a guaranteed kill. This calculation changes with items – track your own item completion against the target’s HP total after each purchase.

⚔️ Core Combo Guide

1. Standard R Assassination Combo: R (activate in jungle, 2s camouflage delay) → approach target → Unseen Predator leap auto (1 Ferocity) → Q (2 Ferocity) → W (3 Ferocity) → E (4 Ferocity unlocked) → empowered E RECAST to root → empowered Q autos during root
2. Pre-Stacked Ferocity Gank (No R): Stack 3 Ferocity in jungle camp → approach from brush (Unseen Predator) → leap auto (4 Ferocity instantly) → empowered E root → Q → W → continue autos
3. Anti-CC Survival Combo: Stack Ferocity to 4 before fight → enter fight → absorb incoming CC → empowered W immediately (cleanses CC + heals grey health + AoE damage) → Q auto resets → E to root fleeing target
4. Objective Steal Combo: R (camouflage approach to objective pit) → pre-stack 3 Ferocity on nearby camp → enter pit with Unseen Predator leap on jungler → immediate 4 Ferocity empowered E root → Smite steal → exit

❌ Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Spending Ferocity on Empowered Q Against Mobile Targets: Empowered Q’s attack speed burst is only valuable if the target stays in melee range. Against any champion with a dash, blink, or Flash available, they escape before the attack speed converts into kills. Against mobile targets, empowered E root is always the correct Ferocity spend.
• Activating R at the Lane Edge: R has a 2-second delay before camouflage activates. Activating at the lane edge means the enemy sees Rengar walking toward them for 2 full seconds without invisibility. Always activate R inside the jungle with enough distance that the camouflage is active before entering lane vision range.
• Forgetting W Grey Health Before Fighting: W’s healing is based on the grey health stored from recent damage. Fighting without recently absorbing any damage means W heals nothing. In jungle clears, always take a hit before casting W. In ganks, take the first enemy auto-attack before W to maximize the heal amount.
• Missing Bola Strike (E): E has a 140-width and 1000-range skillshot at 1500 speed. Against experienced players, missing E is a full 10-second cooldown waste and often means the gank fails entirely. Use Unseen Predator leap to close distance before casting E to minimize the required skillshot angle.
• Warding-Ignored Approach Routes: Rengar’s entire kit requires brush contact for Unseen Predator. If the primary approach brush is warded, the entire gank angle is compromised. Always check map vision before committing R – a warded gank route during R means a 100-second wasted ultimate.

⚙️ Recommended Build and Itemization

Core Items

• Duskblade of Draktharr: Invisibility proc on takedown lets Rengar immediately re-enter camouflage after a kill, enabling chain assassination attempts without waiting for R cooldown reset. The damage and lethality amplify empowered Q’s burst. This is the primary reason Rengar’s snowball potential is so high once the first kill is secured.
• Edge of Night: Spellshield blocks the first targeted ability – which typically means the first CC ability thrown at Rengar during a dive. This single additional ability block often determines whether a full assassination combo lands or gets interrupted mid-sequence. The lethality scaling also directly amplifies every physical hit in the combo.
• Serpent’s Fang: Shield-breaking item. Against compositions with Lulu, Janna, Renata, or any shield-stacking support, Serpent’s Fang reduces shields applied to the target by 50% after the first physical hit. This directly counters the primary defensive response to Rengar’s assassination attempts.

Situational Items

• Profane Hydra: AoE burst on active synergizes with Savagery’s attack timer reset. Activating Hydra during the empowered Q window adds a burst AoE hit that catches nearby allies of the assassination target, enabling multi-target combos in clustered enemy teams.
• Shadowflame: Against shielded targets, Shadowflame’s passive ignores shields below a threshold. Combined with Serpent’s Fang, Rengar effectively bypasses all defensive shielding in one combo rotation.
• Guardian Angel: A safety net for risky dives. GA’s revive combined with Duskblade’s post-kill invisibility creates a scenario where Rengar can die during a dive, revive, and immediately reenter stealth for a second engagement attempt. Counterintuitive but extremely powerful in late-game decisive fights.

⚔️ Counter Picks & Matchups

✅ Rengar Counters

1. Kindred – No mobility tools to avoid the Unseen Predator leap from brush. Mark system creates predictable positioning that Rengar can exploit during R. Kindred’s ultimate doesn’t activate fast enough to cancel a full Rengar combo from camouflage entry.

2. Graves – Short burst range means Graves fights best at medium distance. Rengar’s R approach eliminates the distance entirely before Graves can react. Empowered E root prevents his Quickdraw repositioning. The 1v1 at close range heavily favors Rengar’s sustained damage burst over Graves‘ shotgun pattern.

3. Amumu – Zero tools to escape an Unseen Predator engage. No personal CC to interrupt Rengar’s combo mid-execution. Amumu’s tankiness delays death slightly but doesn’t prevent it against a full Rengar combo with Trophy-stacked AD.

❌ Rengar is Countered By

1. Kha’Zix – The rival. Kha’Zix’s Evolved Wings resets deny Rengar’s ability to secure kills cleanly. The Void Assault (R) invisibility creates counter-ambush scenarios. Isolated target detection with Void Assault matches Rengar’s own tracking, and the 1v1 matchup is coin-flip depending on who has item and level advantage at the moment of contact.

2. Lulu – Whimsy polymorph cancels Rengar’s Unseen Predator leap mid-air. Wild Growth knock-up interrupts the landing. Pix shield on the assassination target absorbs the opening burst. Lulu sitting near a priority target makes Rengar’s assassination attempt nearly impossible without burning empowered W cleanse on the polymorph.

3. Vayne – Tumble (Q) with Inquisition stealth counters R’s camouflage approach. Final Hour’s stealth during ult matches Rengar’s own invisibility, eliminating the surprise advantage. Condemn (E) pins Rengar to a wall mid-combo. Silver Bolts true damage bypasses the burst-then-sustain pattern Rengar relies on in extended fights.

FAQ

Q: How does Ferocity generation work exactly?

A: Each basic ability cast generates 1 Ferocity stack. Savagery’s first attack also generates 1 stack. The cap is 4. At 4 stacks, the next Q, W, or E activates the empowered version and consumes all 4 stacks. Ferocity doesn’t expire for 10 seconds once you’ve entered champion combat. Outside of champion combat, it begins decaying.

Q: When should I spend empowered W vs empowered E?

A: Empowered E (root) is the default for kill setup – 1.75 seconds of immobility guarantees the follow-up combo lands. Empowered W (CC cleanse) is specifically for situations where an enemy CC ability is about to interrupt the assassination – Lulu Whimsy, Thresh hook, Nautilus anchor. Pre-fight, decide which scenario is more likely and plan the Ferocity spend accordingly.

Q: Does Unseen Predator work during Thrill of the Hunt?

A: Yes. Thrill of the Hunt grants camouflage, and the passive of Thrill of the Hunt explicitly states that Rengar gains Unseen Predator while camouflaged from any source. This means the R camouflage window is also an Unseen Predator window – any target beyond normal melee range during R camouflage can be leaped to with the extended 745-range attack.

Q: What does the heartbeat during R mean for enemies?

A: The audible heartbeat warning increases in frequency as Rengar gets closer to the detected target. It’s a legitimate audio cue that Rengar is approaching during R. In practice, lower-ELO players ignore it; higher-ELO players immediately group or ward brushes on hearing it. This is the primary counterplay to Thrill of the Hunt at the individual skill level.

Q: Is Rengar viable for beginners?

A: Rengar has one of the highest execution floors in the game. Ferocity management, Unseen Predator timing, empowered ability decision-making, and R approach routes all require deliberate practice. The champion is not beginner-friendly – basic ability casts will work, but the ceiling requires significant hours to approach. Recommended after comfortable mastery of at least one simpler Assassin jungler.