Hey guys, I'verecently decided to buy Nidalee (inspired by HotShotGG) and I would like to know how hotshot builds her, or anyone else builds her, I'm currently doing:

Dorans Ring
Guinsoos
TriForce
optional

Start doran's ring and a mana pot
Make sure you get every minion kill and harass your opponent out, since you have range and heal.

Get Guinsoo's Rageblade

Remember nidalee has the following strengths:
-one of the top pushers in the game
-huge ms including her leap
-wards
-strong nukes (don't scale)
-heal

So, run around warding, ganking champs and constantly pushing. If the enemy is ever not defending a tower instakill creeps with cougar and heal yourself to drop the tower. There's times you don't even want to be involved in fights. Sometimes in a long fight you can drop 2 towers.

Guinsoo's is the only core item along with a boots choice. Also, keeping fort pots on you is strong since the damage benefits from your high atk speed.

Here's some options after that:
Zhonya's- I usually go for it to stack ap fast
Lich's Bane- If you want a stronger atk in cougar form. (I don't usually go for it since she does plenty of damage and it forces you into an atking role.
Deathfire's- If there's someone in team fights you really want to take out (in team fights nidalee is a poker who'll come in for burst but you don't want to sit in the fight, so deathfire gives you another poke/burst option)
AD items- benefits your tower killing and human form if your team needs some dps
Tank items- if you're dying to quickly even when you play from the back line

Generally nidalee should win the game outside of team fights by ganking, small fights, pushing. So you really need to make sure you're taking care of business outside of team fights whereas some heroes prefer to farm to win team fights. Because nid's strengths are outside of big fights stacked items aren't as much of an issue.

Also, triforce is too expensive of an item and slows down everyone's item build so it's generally a poor choice except as a 3rd item or so. And personally I don't get sheen because I don't think it's worth it. It increases your damage some but she does plenty of damage and she has other roles that need filling

Note that I'm not saying grab all those items. I'm saying grab boots, rageblade and then decide what you want (zhonya's is usually best)

You want sheen before you start moving on to luxury items, and Rylais or Lich Bane is usually the better choice of Zhonya's Ring.

Rylais is one of the strongest ap items so it's never a poor choice but she doesn't need the slow. Focus on getting liz and golem (very early you kill them very quickly). Lich's Bane isn't necessary as it's only for damage but I said it's an option. Zhonya's gives the biggest boost in ap. In team fights you're primarily poking with spear and healing. Zhonya's is far and away the best choice for this. Nid's weakness is that her primary damage is cougar which doesn't scale and puts her in harm's way. So Zhonya's also provides the invul.

Remember, you have two choices with Nid:
Attack Damage, or Ability Power.

Now, AD has the following benefits:
a) Totally pwns AP Nid, but you can't mirror in ranked games
b) Pushes towers faster
c) Generally 1v1's, since that she has an AMAZING attack speed boost, and if goes to a point where you're both low, she just goes to R and then Q's you. 900 dmg, FTW!

AP Nid, on the other hand
a) Can save people's asses
b) the Damage scales with her cougar spells, making them more useful
c) Because AP makes her cougar spells stronger, and because her spells are AoE, she does more damage overall
d) It's funny to throw a Q from far off into a Teemo's face, and he dies.
e) Is not much of a 1v1 champion. Because she gets pwnt by her AD Counterparts.

Item builds:
AD: Boots, Phantom Dancers, Infinity Edge, mhmm...
Basically, just make it so you have one less AS item then you normally would.
Her heal spell takes care of the missing attack speed.

AP: This varies alot.
I can start off with a Ability Tome (I rush Mejai's alot, because my Q spell disallows running away and kills people from far off)
Then, of course, Mejai's or Boots, Zhonya's, Rylai's, Rod of Ages, Lichbane..
Just keep in mind: For AP Nid to be of use, she has to use her spells (D'oh! So that's what I've been doing wrong!). However, her cougar spells have a small AoE. Thus, she has to go to battle. I usually never skip out on Rylai's, and Rod of Ages is an often pick.

Tips:
She wastes alot of mana. It sucks. =[ Pick up Clarify if Doran's Ring isn't enough for you (I actually get Doran's on AD builds as well) Or lane with Soraka

Cougar Mode W is a mini flash. Use it to run away. In some walls in TT, you can jump over there if you're at the right angle, but that requires practice.

NEVER EVER PICK UP THE SPEAR FIRST. Always get BUSHWHACK.
Why? Because lvl 1 spear SUCKS. Nidalee is not first gank material. Out of all her spells, Bushwhack is the best choice, because you can spam that around, allowing you to be prepared for early ganks.

Personally my build goes as follows:

Dorans ring hp pot
Sheen
Next is 1 of these 3 depend on a situation-
1) If you don't find yourself killing or farming too well get BRUTALIZER for your quick boost to dmg and some cd reduction.
2) For the more fortunate Nidalees' get Sword of the Occult to have early advantage on dmg.
3) For balanced 3rd item go manamune. It doesn't get a huge boost early but for as much as you spam moves you should get the 1000 boost quickly.

Upgrade boots to either: Mobility- if you find yourself ganking more than running or Swiftness- If you want balanced speed for both situations. (Now mind you after 490 the speed scales horribly so I find myself getting to the 490 range and stopping)

Finish triforce for obvious reasons.
3rd item is rather situational. For the farmed nid run straight to bloodthirster or IE. For the safe Nid go banshees veil. For the nid needing to start taking down tanks go Madreds.

4th and 5th items will be obvious dmg boosters (IE, Bloodthirster, black cleaver etc etc)

Now the reason I don't like Guinsoos on nid is because, for it's price, it really doesn't help as much as sheen or manamune as far as dmg is concerned. Considering my build is purely ad the AP gain off guinsoos is hardly needed. Also I don't think nidalee needs even more AS from it considering Triforce and your heals gives you enough to begin with (remember AS in this game is good to a point) I'm a firm believer that Nidalee is the best at controlling runes and dragon spawns. Get the runes (especially blue) and you'll be good.

My best tip is practice your leap dodging it's the funnest and best thing Nidalee has.

well yea,

Rageblade and Boots as core.

I even tried manamune, its really great item for nidalee, because you can spam your skills every 2 sec you get to limit (+1000 mana) in under 10 mins.
And your autoattacks really destroy turrets then!

But yea, don't forget to get Lizard buff anytime you can for slow, and use both traps and wards for ultimate map control!


For a lategame I tried Triforce and I was very hapy with result, using elixir of brilliance for AP.



So, my build in long games looks something like this:

Manamune
Rageblade
Mercury threads
Triforce/Zhonya's
Elixirs and Wards
-defensive items


oh and yes, always use items depending on your opponents. Don't wait to get enough gold to buy item as one piece, buy it piece by piece if needed.

Example: Boots, Blasting Wand, Cloth Armor/Negatron Clock, wards