Udyr is one of the oldest League of Legends champions, being released 13 years ago by Riot Games, and getting a complete rework this year that made him one of the registered trademarks of this season. These are the best Udyr build, runes, spells, items League of Legends can offer him, as well as his greatest counters.
Best Udyr Build
Udyr is a champion whose best build depends on which ability he levels first. It doesn't matter if you're trying to master Udyr jungle, or just playing him for his silly Udyr skins, Udyr is a League of Legends champion with a varied build path, and this is the best one!
Best Udyr Runes
The usual R max on Udyr, involves amping his early game damage, as the build focuses on tank items, thus the Precision tree is the focus, giving Udyr an easier clear in the jungle, while giving him bonus damage.
Best Rune Path | Precision | Resolve |
Best Keystone | Conqueror | |
Best Slot 1 (Rune) | Triumph | Conditioning |
Best Slot 2 (Rune) | Legend: Tenacity | Unflinching |
Best Slot 3 (Rune) | Last Stand |
For a champion like Udyr, who is a straightforward fighter, the Resolve tree is a must. Conditioning gives Udyr additional tankiness, while Unlfinching gives him the tenacity to be able to avoid peeling by an enemy champion, as it gives slow resistance, as well as resistance against other forms of CC.
Best Udyr Rune Shards
As with all jungle champions, the jungle clear speed is one of the most important things. And with these, Udyr has the healthiest early game clear possible.
Best Rune Shards | Effect |
Offense | +10% Attack Speed |
Flex | +9 Adaptive Force |
Defense
| +15-90 Health (Based on Level) |
In addition, the bonus Attack Speed and Adaptive Force also allows him to skirmish with the enemy champions, and win, during the early game.
Best Udyr Spells
When it comes to Summoner Spells, there are only a few champions who are managing League of Legends trials, without using Flash, and Udyr is one of them. In fact, with Udyr's abilities, Flash is less optimal than Ghost.
Best Spells | Icon |
Ghost | |
Smite |
On the other hand, there is no way to be a jungler without using the Smite Summoner Spell, so it's a must-have for Udyr jungle.
Best Udyr Abilities Order
The first ability to level on Udyr, out of his skill order, is his Q - Wilding Claw. This is his main ability for constant damage, and early-game clears. However, it's only to be leveled to level 1, and never again.
After that, the first ability to max in his skill order is his R - Wingborne Storm. unlike most other champions, Udyr's abilities don't follow the usual rules. Instead, all abilities can be leveled to level 5, and there is no ultimate ability. His R allows Udyr to deal magic AoE damage to nearby enemies, while slowing them, which is useful for both ganking and getting officially involved in team fights.
The second ability to max in Udyr's ability order is his W - Iron Mantle, which gives Udyr healing as well as a shield. This ability is what makes Udyr so powerful, as there is no way to kill him once he maxes it out, and uses its Awaken.
Finally, we have Udyr's E - Blazing Stampede. Udyr's late-game scaling is not the best, and every player who one-tricks Udyr knows that the playstyle changes from mid-game to late-game. With his E maxed, he gets enough bonus movement speed to weave between enemy champions, instead of tanking them outright, lock down the enemy carry, and then run away before late-game damage overwhelms his defenses.
Best Udyr Items
As we've stated, based on which one of Udyr's abilities you choose to max out first, and which one you leave behind, your build changes. The Udyr build with the highest win rate, though, is currently his tank build.
Best Starter Udyr Items
As a jungler focusing on controlling the battlefield, rather than dishing out damage, Udyr goes the path of Chilling Smite. To do that, he needs his first item to be Hailblade, as well as a Refillable Potion for optimal gold usage.
First Item | Second Item |
Hailblade | Refillable Potion |
Best Mid Game Udyr Items
In the mid-game, if you’ve played the early game correctly and had efficient pathing as well as good ganks, your core build should be ready. It consists of a non-negotiable Sunfire Aegis as a Mythic Item, for bonus magic damage as well as incredible tankiness, Plated Steelcaps, and Demonic Embrace.
First Item | Second Item | Third Item |
Sunfire Aegis | Plated Steelcaps | Demonic Embrace |
Sunfire Aegis gives Udyr the burst needed when ganking a lane, from its passive effect, while Demonic Embrace synergizes well with his kit, to keep him in the fight longer, and make him grow more and more dangerous.
Best Final Late Game Udyr Items
As we've said previously, the best build for Udyr is the tank build, currently. So, with that in mind, his build focuses on making him withstand enemy damage while dealing out his own in return, and helping his allies to lock down high-priority targets.
First Item | Second Item | Third Item | Fourth Item | Fifth Item | Sixth Item |
Sunfire Aegis | Plated Steelcaps | Demonic Embrace | Frozen Heart | Force of Nature | Dead Man's Plate |
As you can see, the final three Udyr items all focus on giving him bonus movement speed and tenacity, to be able to weave in and out of fights more effectively.
Strongest Champions Against Udyr
Udyr players have a hard time against the champions that can out gank them, or outscale them. Nunu controls the map far more efficiently, while Master Yi and Kindred have the damage to kill Udyr.
Champion | Win Rate % | Icon |
Master Yi | 45.7% | |
Nunu & Willump | 45.9% | |
Kindred | 46.5% |
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Weakest Champions Against Udyr
On the other hand, Udyr tears apart the champions that can't take him on in an extended fight, and whom he can run down.
Champion | Win Rate % | Icon |
Vi | 54.4% |
|
Rammus | 53.4% |
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Lee Sin | 52.9% |
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It’s these enemies that those who play Udyr like the most and dealing a killing blow to them is easy enough to do, by following this highest win rate Udyr guide.