I dunno about AD. I feel that I might as well use my Primal Surge on the Corki/Ashe/Tristana who will have better use for it anyway...

I play her with Lichbane and all that jazz, but this seems like a good alternative build for me. Il try it out.

Woah Phiphler, is it just me or does your yellow have more of a greenish tinge than the other council members. Darn my eyes.

Tried out an AD Niddy again last night.

I stand by my previous statement - one is not definitively better than the other. My heals became increasingly redundant, which was the big downside, but my damage output was so high that was able to beat some opponents 2v1 (I did have a level advantage, admittedly, but still). Although AP Niddy can get a higher burst thanks to Lichbane and plenty of AP, it doesn't feel like it tears off faces as quickly - until perhaps very late game.

So I think the conclusion is that AP Niddy is better as support throughout, and begins to outclass AD if sufficiently fed late game, but until then AD will be a better damage dealer (and will pretty much always be better against a tough target). That's been my experience, anyway.

In the current meta, team fights are all about focus fire. Even if you're running an AE team comp, there's still the "primary" target, and "secondary" targets, after the first target dies or flees away with 10 HP after use flash or w/e.

The heal is more for early game, the attack speed is more for late game. Now, i'm not saying AP doesn't have it's uses but it's healing effect is immediately reduced to half by an executioners (which any half intelligent group of solo q'ers can generally acknowledge when at least one is necessary) so all that AP you have gets pretty much dumped on.

I believe the max range of primal surge is 60% attack speed? And the duration is just as long as the cooldown so you have a permanent 60% attack speed. It's amazing enough without the heal.

Not to mention, you don't need a ton of AP to heal other carries on your team, like Shaco, Twitch, Trynd etc because they already have low Max HP so it's still like a 30% heal.

Sorry but, Nidalee is an inferior support champion compared to others if thats what you wish to play her as, I honestly think without a doubt that she is 100% better as a Physical Carry/Hybrid.

This guide is pretty much how I build Nidalee. I used to do AP and those huge spear hits are fun, but in the end I've found physical damage to be much more effective.

Getting the sheen first is great for ganking early in cougar and adds a little punch to the spear.

I tend to see AP owns early while physical owns late, building Nidalee this way gives you the best of both worlds really.

Flankd: I tried out your AD build and it just doesn't seem to cut it to when I play my AP build, focusing on an sheen + swiftness --> rylai's. The slow on kitty abilities makes chasing easy, + the burst damage you do for the kill with the AP is wonderful. The problem I find with going AD is just her attack range seems a bit short and when you're chilling out really close you pretty much just have to hope your auto attacks can do the work. With AP traps do have a kick, your heal is really quite substantial (i can full heal myself in like 3-4 heals) and your spear reallly hurts. Maybe it's the playstyle, but having that early giants belt + burst of AP allows me to be able to live through fights and be wayy less squishy to focus. It usually goes I chuck a spear do some auto's utilizing lichbane procs, then I tend to get focused, I kitty + pounce away then heal back to full while chasing in human--> kitty when they get below 40% or so. With AD, I just get focused first and drop like a fly.


Edit: After some more testing with AD, it really really shines, (as it seems does Nid) when you have another heavy carry on your team. Gets that focus off of you allowing you to really prey on the ending of battles when everyone is low and Cat shines.

I've never played this build. I have played T0ggles build quite a bit in the past. It helped me to better place traps for sure. But i've seem to have settled on an odd item build that works for me in this order.

Doran's Ring
Boots->Berzerker's Greaves
Vampiric Scepter->Malady OR Bloodletter (if i feel like investing the money into it)

Then i start really building onto the AP aspect of mid/late game slaughter. and get these next.
Blasting Rod or Cloak-> Abysmal Scepter
Codex->Deathfire Grasp
Last item is usually anything that adds to AP or ups my defenses.
The way i play her is both as a support and a killing machine.

Her atk speed is insane with berzerkers and malady earlier/mid game for turrets and fast hitting champs later. Her cougar abilities are enough even at lvl 6 to chase down and kill single targets fairly easy. I usually get heal for an earlier game helping hand and a later game heal for huge brawls. And ignite is great with a nicely chucked javelin for first kills/kills in general both earlier and later game. I usually dont have a problem with champs that can outrun me eventually so long as i time the javelin correctly.

I don't know if my build makes any of you cringe or not, as i've had a couple of people say "that's just a WEIRD item build", but it really does seem to kick some ass for me. As far as rune build and skill order, i pretty much follow T0ggles guide, save for swapping out a bushwack for another heal or spear lvl up in there somewhere.

While mine isnt straight AP, i do use a little tiny bit of AD stuff to help boost earlier game a bit. Well not so much AD stuff, but atk speed and lifesteal

I don't understand how theres so much love for AP. I'm in agreement with flankd that damage is the way to go on her. Even in human form you're still dpsing well thanks to having a decent range and good attack speed. Her ratios with AP are all really bad except for the heal which is decent, but you should be putting the heal on another carry or yourself almost all the time regardless of whether or not they need a heal. The attack speed on surge is simply the most effective portion of the ability late game.

Also I absolutely agree to rush Sheen as your first item every time as Nidalee is one of the few heros who can constantly proc it and it really helps you to do amazing burst damage.

I'll give sheen at first a try.

I just spent about an hour updating the guide, added a little bit to it and there's more to come. Enjoy.