[7.14] Pony's Hybrid Theory
Summoner Spells Back to Top
What to expect of Hybrid Hecarim
Hybrid Hecarim is a fun pick when you are looking for a high damage dealer that is difficult to build against and has tools for hard engage. Kinda like 
Nidalee Jungle, only with more utility, higher objective pressure and better tank potential.
Nidalee Jungle, only with more utility, higher objective pressure and better tank potential.The Good:
- Bursty jungler early.
- Amazing tank late game.
- Hard to itemize against.
- Really fast jungle clear time.
The Bad:
- Squishy until you get your first defensive item.
- Struggles if he has a bad start.
- Prone to being counterjungled.
Now, about the summoner spells:
You are a pony. Ponnies like speed. Ghost 
gives you precisely that. Generally Ghost 
works better on Hecarim on most cases, but you can always take Flash 
if you feel like you will need to do quick plays (like dodging spells, changing focus mid-fight etc.).
works better on Hecarim on most cases, but you can always take Flash 
if you feel like you will need to do quick plays (like dodging spells, changing focus mid-fight etc.).Also, smite 'cos you are a jungler.
New Runes Back to Top
Masteries Back to Top
So why that crappy Stormraider's Surge?
Well, since patch 6.1 this keystone is actually pretty strong, more so on Hecarim 
. Why you ask?
. Why you ask?- Grants 40% movespeed and 75% slow resistance after dealing 30% of an enemys HP within 2.5 seconds.
40% extra movespeed is somewhere about 40 - 50 extra AD late game, which is really good, but the great thing about this keystone is actually the 75% slow resistance.
Ad this to the 25% slow resistance you have from Boots of Swiftness 
and I think you know where I'm going. Something close to inmunity to slows for 3 seconds.
This means enemy team cant counter your AD steroid from your passive, making any slow pretty much useless during the time you have the keystone active. Most of the time their team wont be aware of this (and even if they are) so they will waste their CC on you, meaning less CC'ed teammates = GG Teamfight. This is just a portion of the synergy of this build.
Abilities Back to Top
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Passive - Warpath
Your passive. The only reason why this build works. It basically gives you extra AD the more movespeed you have.
The math goes as follows;
╚════════════════════╗
Q - Rampage
This still is your main way of dealing damage (kinda). Max this first for the cooldown. No brainer really, just spam it as much as you can for more
Lich Bane procs.
Lich Bane procs. ╚══════════════════════════╗
W - Spririt of Dread
With the hybrid build you will be doing decent damage with your W. Helps your clear time inmensely, gives you decent sustain in the jungle and tons of regeneration during fights. Since it heals you for 22% of all damage enemy champions take within it, (making this 
synergize godly with it. AoE + True damage DoT) all the AP investment will pay off neatly when you see all the HP this gives you back during teamfights.
╚═════════════════════════════╗
E - Devastating Charge
Very usefull for ganks, just remember to place yourself behind the direction where you want to push the enemy.
This works well with the rest of your kit, since it gives you a big damage steroid (TIP: You can cast your Q 
while charging with 
to make it deal more damage!) and also gives you some decent damage that with the rest of your resources makes for a bursty pony.
while charging with 
to make it deal more damage!) and also gives you some decent damage that with the rest of your resources makes for a bursty pony.╚═════════════════════════════╗
R - Onslaught of ShadowsTeamfight changing ult. It can be used for massive CC during teamfights, to pick an enemy off and force a 4v5, to chase enemies or to fail and feed. Careful with this as it is a very powerful ability and it is easier to miss than one would think. Failed ult = lost teamfight. Dont waste it!
This skill is a great way of initiating teamfights. It also scales with a 1.0 AP ratio, so you actually do a lot of damage when going all in while initiating, enough to render their backline useless. To put it in perspective;
- Fully charged E (~350 dmg) + AA with speed steroid (~200 dmg) + R
(~ 400 dmg, dat ap) + Lich Bane proc ( ~ 180 dmg) + W
DoT (~ 450 dmg in 3 sec.) + Runic Echoes ( ~ 150 dmg per target) + Q (~300 dmg) = ~1600 damage nuke. Thats around something more than 75% of an Adc HP.
All that is the initial nuke, but keep in mind you deal bonus true damage to one target and get Lich Bane procs after each Q cast, that late game has about 1.7 seconds of cooldown.
Lich Bane procs after each Q cast, that late game has about 1.7 seconds of cooldown.Items Back to Top
Starting Items
Core Items
Situational Items
Core Build:
_ 
_
_So I get the damage reduction thingy on red smite, but why go for the AP gem?
This item here will be responsible for your burst damage. Works wonders in the jungle in conjunction with your W - 
and allows the pony we know and love to deal tons of damage of his AP scaling abilities. It also gives you overwhelming sustain during fights with your W - because of Runic Echoes passive that deals extra damage to 4 targets, making you benefit from it inmensely. Moreover, it is still a great pick because it gives you bonus true damage on your AA, meaning you will be dealing 3 different kinds of damage, making counterbuilding really difficult while compensating also your possible lack of AD late game.
and allows the pony we know and love to deal tons of damage of his AP scaling abilities. It also gives you overwhelming sustain during fights with your W - because of Runic Echoes passive that deals extra damage to 4 targets, making you benefit from it inmensely. Moreover, it is still a great pick because it gives you bonus true damage on your AA, meaning you will be dealing 3 different kinds of damage, making counterbuilding really difficult while compensating also your possible lack of AD late game._
or 
_
or _
Youmuu's Ghostblade is your go-to item after Runic Echoes. High AD stats, your much needed armor penetration, and a very handy active that has great synergy with your kit for burst damage. Gives you an overall great all in combo. But sometimes you need to maintain an advantage during long lasting teamfights and in certain situations Youmuu's Ghostblade can be a suboptimal pick for Hecarim.
Phantom Dancer is especially good because you wont have that much AD either, and it gives you lots of crit chance and attack speed to compensate that. Also the great synergy between Runic Echoes and Phantom Dancer will make you take 32% less damage from the enemy you focus! Thats a mini Alistar ultimate right there, with shorter cooldown also. (Remember that exhaust is 40% damage reduction, so its actually pretty strong.)_ 
_
_Again, to reinforce the burst of your combo, Lich Bane is certainly something to consider. Extra magic damage, good AP, Cooldown Reduction and 7% movespeed, which translates to 10 - 15 bonus AD from your passive.
tl;dr - More burst. Such wow.
( Boots of Swiftness because of the synergy with keystone)
Boots of Swiftness because of the synergy with keystone)Important note:
You don't have to rush your core build, since hecarim scales pretty well from tank items too. Ideally, you'd complete Runic Echoes and your Youmuu's Ghostblade/ Phantom Dancer, then get your first defensive item (usually 
Dead Man's Plate). Sadly, not every game is perfect. If you feel a bit behind you can start tanking after you finish your smite item, and then slowly build yourself into the dreared Hybrid Pony. This way you sacrifice part of your early power for an easier time fighting.
Runic Echoes and your Youmuu's Ghostblade/ Phantom Dancer, then get your first defensive item (usually Dead Man's Plate). Sadly, not every game is perfect. If you feel a bit behind you can start tanking after you finish your smite item, and then slowly build yourself into the dreared Hybrid Pony. This way you sacrifice part of your early power for an easier time fighting.CHOICES:
· 
· 
These serve as substitute for certain scenarios:
- - Pick Trinity over Lich Bane if you want to have advantage on sustained fights. It throws all the hybrid thing through the window, but oh well. (You might want to swich to
at this point) - - Take Black Cleaver instead of your first defensive item if your team has enough tanks or you feel like you can trade survivability for damage.
- - Take Essence Reaver over Lich Bane if you need physical damage more than burst.
---NEVER BUILD ESSENCE REAVER AND TRINITY TOGHETHER---
(you are not an adc)
Matchups Back to Top
-
AatroxEasy -
AmumuMedium -
Cho'GathEasy -
DianaMedium -
Dr. MundoHard -
EkkoMedium -
EliseHard -
FiddlesticksEasy -
HecarimMedium -
Jarvan IVHard -
JaxHard -
Kha'ZixEasy -
NidaleeMedium -
PoppyHard
VS
Aatrox
Easy
His main strengths:
- Sustain
- Snowball
Your strengths against him:
- Faster clearspeed
- Easier gank
VS
Amumu
Medium
His main strengths:
- Gank power
- Sustain
- Counterganks
Your strengths against him:
- Map pressure
- Higher damage / Counterjungling
VS
Cho'Gath
Easy
His main strengths:
- Sustain
- Raw damage post 6
- Silence
Your Strengths agianst him;
- Clearspeed
- Map Pressure
- Early ganks
VS
Diana
Medium
Her main strengths:
- Snowball
- Raw damage
Your strengths against her:
- Clearspeed
- Utility
- Map Pressure/Splitpushing
VS
Dr. Mundo
Hard
His main strengths:
- Midgame huge powerspike
- Unkillable post 6
Your strengths against him:
- Clearspeed
- Early map pressure / Ganks
- Counterjungling
- Vision
VS
Ekko
Medium
His main strengths:
- Raw damage
- Gankabilitty
Your main strengths against him:
- Clearspeed
- Map pressure / Objective control
VS
Elise
Hard
Her main strengths:
- Clearspeed
- Gankabilitty
- Map Pressure
Your main strengths against her:
- Counterganking
- Splitpushing
- Buff management
VS
Fiddlesticks
Easy
His main strengths:
- Sustain
- Early game drake threat
- Gank power post 6
Your main strengths against him:
- Counterjungling
- Clearspeed
- Map pressure
VS
Hecarim
Medium
He probably didn't read this guide, neither knows of Hybrid Hecarim Power ;)
VS
Jarvan IV
Hard
His main strengths:
- Gank Power
- Objective Control
Your main strengths against him:
- Clearspeed
- Map play / Vision of his movements
VS
Jax
Hard
His main strengths:
- Midgame powerspike
- Dueling
- Gank Power
Your main strengths against him:
- Counterganking
- Objective Control
VS
Kha'Zix
Easy
His main strengths:
- Snowball
- Raw damage
Your main strengths against him:
- Clearspeed
- Counterganking
- Objective Control
VS
Nidalee
Medium
Her main strengths:
- Extremely fast clear time if played correctly
- E̶a̶r̶l̶y̶ ̶m̶a̶p̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶s̶s̶u̶r̶e̶ --> Not anymore after the nerfs.
- Snowball
Your strengths against her:
- Gank Power
- Countergank
If you play correctly and keep an eye on her, you can shut her down by counterganking and applying pressure on her jungle. Just by telling where she is at a given moment can be enough to save an ally, as his ganks are highly dependant on her landing her 
.
.VS
Poppy
Hard
When gaknig her be aware that her 
W - Steadfast Presence blocks your E - Devastating Charge. Your channel lasts more that her's, so you should be able to hold it long enough until her W - Steadfast Presence goes off.
Take care not to get much too focused (or to be able to get away at least) during ganks as she can burst you surprisingly fast if she is able to 
E - Heroic Charge you into a wall.
E - Heroic Charge you into a wall.Patch Notes! Back to Top
--PATCH 6.11:
More nerfs to our Swiftness Boots ( 55 movespeed from 60).
Swiftness Boots ( 55 movespeed from 60).This means the difference between 
Mercury's Treads and Boots of Swiftness is only 10 flat movespeed (sigh). If lots of CC and no slows, pick mercs. If no CC, then swiftness.
Mercury's Treads and Boots of Swiftness is only 10 flat movespeed (sigh). If lots of CC and no slows, pick mercs. If no CC, then swiftness.--PATCH 6.5:
Big changes in this patch! Our little pony gets buffed! (<3)
Hecarim's E - Devastating Charge has receivied a pretty important change, that overall rounds up as a buff:
E - Devastating Charge has receivied a pretty important change, that overall rounds up as a buff:- E - Devastating Charge: Bonus movement speed is now multiplicative, not additive. This is actually a revert on some old chages riot did so as to tone down his early power with homeguard.
- Knockback distance now scales with the distance travelled ( min. 250 - max. 450). Now both knockback and damage scale (feels just about right).
These changes help your overall damage, making our hybrid pony even more bursty!
--PATCH 6.4:
And yet again we get our precious Boots of Swiftness nerfed (Bonus movement speed nerfed from 65 to 60). If the enemy team has lots of CC but not very impactful slows, it would be probably better to pick up Mercury's Treads. If enemy team is not CC heavy just go for the regular Boots of Swiftness.
Boots of Swiftness nerfed (Bonus movement speed nerfed from 65 to 60). If the enemy team has lots of CC but not very impactful slows, it would be probably better to pick up Mercury's Treads. If enemy team is not CC heavy just go for the regular Boots of Swiftness.--PATCH 6.3:
Ok, so our loved Boots of Swiftness have been nerfed a bit (Total cost up for 100g), and while 
Boots of Mobility got the same cost nerf, the bonus movement speed out of combat is better now (Buffed from 105 to 115). So now its actually ok to buy these if you want to play assassin Hecarim. I dont recomend it (you know, kha is buffed now and all), but you are free to try. Also, ill be on the look for the new assasin item, but dont get too excited since it will probably be nerfed soon.
Boots of Swiftness have been nerfed a bit (Total cost up for 100g), and while Boots of Mobility got the same cost nerf, the bonus movement speed out of combat is better now (Buffed from 105 to 115). So now its actually ok to buy these if you want to play assassin Hecarim. I dont recomend it (you know, kha is buffed now and all), but you are free to try. Also, ill be on the look for the new assasin item, but dont get too excited since it will probably be nerfed soon.TL;DR: ( Boots of Swiftness are still better, Mobies are now ok to buy if you go 200% rogue)
Boots of Swiftness are still better, Mobies are now ok to buy if you go 200% rogue)Let's talk about Hecarim and Jungling Back to Top
- 10/04/2016
This may or may not be outdated, since with the last patches I feel like the jungle has been balanced. Read with consideration!
Hecarim on the meta
With the latest changes ( more like since allways) the jungle has been divided into two main groups: There are the early oriented, strong dueling champions (
Rek'sai, 
Lee Sin, 
Elise, 
Jarvan...) that latter fall off as tanks to peel for your carries, and there are the late game oriented, scaling champions (
Master Yi, 
Udyr, 
Jax, 
everyothergoddamned devourer user, etc.) that tend to have a powerspike latter in the game, which in fact, after the changes league has gone through the last preseason, come much earlier than we were used to on previous seasons. Things which lead me to the next point;
Rek'sai, 
Lee Sin, 
Elise, 
Jarvan...) that latter fall off as tanks to peel for your carries, and there are the late game oriented, scaling champions (
Master Yi, 
Udyr, 
Jax, 
everyothergoddamned devourer user, etc.) that tend to have a powerspike latter in the game, which in fact, after the changes league has gone through the last preseason, come much earlier than we were used to on previous seasons. Things which lead me to the next point;Hecarim stands on a weird spot.
This is ok tho, since many junglers are kind of on the same situation as Hecarim. This is an issue Riot has been trying to solve. Look at the shiny new item they have made for assassins - Duskblade of Draktharr - which leaves us Pony users in the same place as before. I dont think Hecarim will benefit much from this item, probably even this should come as bad news for him, since it benefits directly a set of junglers he is not in. What I'm trying to say here is that Hecarim falls a bit compared to top tier junglers of the moment. But do not fret my comrades! Don't let this take aback our honorable demeanor of carrying (or riding, if i may) our teams to victory! Hecarim is still pretty strong, and let me explain why.
Hecarim. This is an issue Riot has been trying to solve. Look at the shiny new item they have made for assassins - Duskblade of Draktharr - which leaves us Pony users in the same place as before. I dont think Hecarim will benefit much from this item, probably even this should come as bad news for him, since it benefits directly a set of junglers he is not in. What I'm trying to say here is that Hecarim falls a bit compared to top tier junglers of the moment. But do not fret my comrades! Don't let this take aback our honorable demeanor of carrying (or riding, if i may) our teams to victory! Hecarim is still pretty strong, and let me explain why.How to be a good Jungler Back to Top
We all know how to diferentiate a good jungler from a bad jungler don't we? While a bad junger is afk killing monsters and doesn't gank you because "you don't need help", a good jungler has lots of pressure over the map and is a constant threat to the enemy team, right? So let's get this idea clear: A good jungler makes every second spent worth. This doesn't mean that if you dont get a kill every minute you are a bad jungler, that is a general misconception. Your main focus as a jungler should be assisting your team to take advantage over the enemy, and there isn't only one way to do so. You've got to think of the game on a wider scale; Your ultimate objective is to get to see that sweet explosion animation at the enemy nexus. To do so, first you have to get rid of several obstacles that defend it. By default rules of the game you have to destroy turrets and inhibitors in order to be able to latter destroy the nexus. These structures are being protected at the same time by enemy champions and minions. The meta has arranged teams in a way that each lane is protected by one laner or another, and since you have no lane you are left with the role which has the most freedom of decision making of the team. This is a huge responsibility left to you, the jungler. In your position, you are required to be on the look for opportunities to take Objective Control and Game Progression.
═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ══════╬══════ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═
═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ══════╬══════ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═
Taking into account your ultimate goal, your role is to make it easier for your team to get to their base, and you do so by eliminating the obstacles that stand between your team and the enemy nexus. There are several ways of dealing with enemy structures;
Before getting access to these structures there are champions and minions in the way, so you must render them useless to get to their tower. You do this by ganking lane, which if done correctly leaves their tower unprotected and scores some extra gold to you and your laner. Often times just hurting the enemy laner is more than enough, since you handicap his ability to stand his ground against your ally. Enemies cant be allways protecting their turrets, so it is very important to be there at the right time and to push lane when you know a tower can't be defended. There are also other ways of delivering access to enemy structures to your teammates. I'm talking about buffs here.
All of the buffs can help to get to thier structures and take them with ease, you should not think of them as a mere stats buff, but rather as a tool for you to take leverage on the game. So how important are they for the game?
- Everyone knows (or should know at least) the power that Baron buff has for closing a game. It's been declared officialy by riot as a siege tool, meaning that it's main purpose is to take down structures. Seek for windows of opportunity to take the buff and get those towers.
- The next buff that comes to mind is the Dragon buff, which actually is five buffs in one objective. Each time your team kills the Drake you get a different buff, and each helps you in one way or another to easen your path to their nexus.
- The next one is the less-popular-strongest buff, the Rift Herald buff, which is the best tool for snowballing the game. It gives dueling stats to one champion which makes them a big threat to the enemy team for, 20 whole minutes! Those three are not the only buffs that serve you to take on enemy structures tho.
- Red and Blue buff also have a thing or two to say on this, since they can situationally be very usefull for contesting. Them being easier to take doesn't mean anything, rather than the fact that you should abuse the advantage they bring to your team for taking enemy structures.
╔══════════════════════════════
- Red buff is a true damage DoT that is applied by your AA and affects turrets. Imagine the potential this has on a toplaner.
Take a good look on this. Red buff is not just a dueling advantage, it can serve different purposes. Say we have a 
Tryndamere top. It's minute 17 and you look at his score: 1/4/0. He has fed the enemy which now is roaming around the rift, hasn't helped your team in any way, and just sits there toplane, farming. You think "Bah, this guy is totally useless." right? He hasn't won lane, that is clear, but you, as a jungler, have to ask yourself this question: How can I make him usefull again? Now, imagine you give him Red buff. Instead of just farming for latter, he has an opportuinity now to push lane and apply pressure of his own. Had you taken Red buff for yourself, how would it benefit the team? Yes, you'll probably farm faster and get your items earlier, but those serve a pourpose; to win the game, and first you must take structures for that. You must think of buffs as tools for your team to contest structures and objectives. The same philosophy goes for Rift Herald.
Tryndamere top. It's minute 17 and you look at his score: 1/4/0. He has fed the enemy which now is roaming around the rift, hasn't helped your team in any way, and just sits there toplane, farming. You think "Bah, this guy is totally useless." right? He hasn't won lane, that is clear, but you, as a jungler, have to ask yourself this question: How can I make him usefull again? Now, imagine you give him Red buff. Instead of just farming for latter, he has an opportuinity now to push lane and apply pressure of his own. Had you taken Red buff for yourself, how would it benefit the team? Yes, you'll probably farm faster and get your items earlier, but those serve a pourpose; to win the game, and first you must take structures for that. You must think of buffs as tools for your team to contest structures and objectives. The same philosophy goes for Rift Herald.- Blue buff gives tons of mana regeneration and 10% extra cooldown reduction. This buff helps mainly your casters on the team.
The stats it gives are crucial for those mana hungry teammates that shove lane by abusing their spells. Blue buff gives them lowered cooldowns and mana sustain to keep pushing lane, while also amping their potential threat to the enemy, which in return comes as more pressure over objectives such as towers, inhibitors or other buffs.
All this wall of text is just me trying to point out that a good jungler is not defined by its dueling strength, but rather on its capabilitty to assist the team in getting to the enemy nexus with the greatest advantage by taking Objective Control and Game Progression in its pocket.
╝
I know this is a lot to take into, so i'll just try to sum it all up now (sorry about that wall of text).
TL;DR:
- Make every second you spend worth.
- Your role is to assist your team by making life easier for them. Help your teammates win by pushing, ganking, correct buff management, etc.
- Objective Control and Game Progression are key. Be on the look for opportunities or force them yourself, and then take advantage of them. Repeat.
How to be a good Pony Back to Top
Now with all that knoweledge in our head, and your role in the team clear, let's focus on how Hecarim fills this position. To see how can he bring the said Objective Control and Game Progresion to the table, lets focus on his main strengths. These are quite a few, and mainly his clear time, potentiall map pressure, gank power and utility. His clear time is one of the best of the game, paired with some of the strongest junglers out there like Lee Sin and Elise. Still, his early game pressure is not as high as those two, since both of them have easier time ganking with 
Sonic Wave, 
Safeguard, 
Cockoon, 
and Rappel, respectively. Also their dueling potential is stronger than yours, meaning if you blindly fight them ( heh), chances are you will lose.
This is not were your strenght lies. Instead, you have to think on what can you do better than them. As Hecarim, keep in mind what your main strengths are, and use them acordingly. In this case, you arguably have more utility than both of them, since you can get much faster to any place in the rift. You'll have to focus more on their movements and mistakes, and play game around those, since you can't directly fight them, and cant risk to make many mistakes yourself. Counterganking, splitpushing, pressuring objectives, etc.
Hecarim, keep in mind what your main strengths are, and use them acordingly. In this case, you arguably have more utility than both of them, since you can get much faster to any place in the rift. You'll have to focus more on their movements and mistakes, and play game around those, since you can't directly fight them, and cant risk to make many mistakes yourself. Counterganking, splitpushing, pressuring objectives, etc. Since you wont be always playing against the same junglers, you shouldn't allways have the same strategy. To excell at Hecarim, you must be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the enemy's.
Hecarim, you must be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the enemy's. ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ══════╬══════ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═
If you play against a jungler with really slow clearspeed, then abuse yours to have more pressure on the map all the while keeping on par with farm. Gank a lot, pressure objectives he can't reach because he is too far behind to catch up. If you play vs a jungler that you are confident you can counterjungle, do so! Be bold and take action, steal his buffs and cripple his game. If the enemy jungle has a hard time ganking, be prepared. Countergank and follow all of his movements. WARD his jungle. If you know he will struggle to pull off a good gank, to know his whereabouts at all times is a huge advantage that will be crucial for your team, and theirs. As a jungler, your job is to know what to fight, when to do it and how does it affect your game. Be aware of your strengths at every game.
The End Back to Top
So, that's about it! Thank you for reading my guide and remember to share your thoughts on it down below.
Liked the guide? Don't forget to hit the like button! Didn't like the guide? Then please tell me how to improve! I'm still new to this, so feel free to give me some advice.
See you on the rift!
~ Qaz
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