Tricks & Strategies on How Agurin Reached #1 SoloQ in Korea
July 31, 2023
League of Legends is a game of strategy and skill, requiring intricate knowledge on your champion's abilities and a keen instinct for making the right decisions in any given situation. That is what made Agurin, an extraordinary jungler, reach rank 1 in Season 13 Split 2's SoloQ in Korea, the hardest ranked server in the world. He's been on the top spot in EUW and now took his prowess to the Korean server. This article dives into Agurin's playstyle and strategies that put him in the rank 1 spot.
The Choice of Champions
Agurin mostly played Jarvan IV (J4) and Elise, occasionally picking Nocturne and Kha'Zix. These champions are often overlooked in the banning phase, giving him a consistent pool to draw from. Additionally, his teammates generally understand the strategies and expectations with these picks, adding to the team cohesion.
The Playstyle: Consistency over Swag
Agurin is known for his reactive jungling. Rather than being the proactive jungler, pushing for plays, Agurin maintains a steady pace, often seen doing full jungle clears and focusing on consistent gold income. He avoids flashy, risky "coinflip" plays, choosing instead to optimize success over a large number of games. He goes against the established meta of aggressive early game bot lane ganks, instead opting for a safe, reliable gold farming strategy.For instance, given a 33% success rate on ganks for a potential +300 gold versus a 100% success rate for farming two monster camps for +200 gold, Agurin will always choose the latter. Over 100 games, the farming strategy yields an average of +200 gold each game. This approach aligns with Agurin's focus on maximising the chances of success and maintaining high gold income, increasing his overall carry potential.
Unconventional yet Effective Builds
Another notable aspect of Agurin's gameplay is his item builds. For instance, he popularized building Frozen Heart on J4, diverging from the common damage-centric builds. He employs Frozen Heart, which is not just cost-effective (2700g), but also aids in his approach of diving backlines to slow the enemy ADC's attack speed. This strategy is particularly effective in high ranks where he can rely on his team to follow up on the pressure he creates.
Maximizing Jungle Efficiency
One of Agurin's defining attributes is his ability to maximize jungle efficiency. His focus lies on clear speed, and his early purchases prioritize damage to enhance that. He prefers Lucidity boots, providing him with both the early tier 2 boots for ganks and map mobility, while also maintaining his damage to maximize clear speed. Defensive items like Merc Treads or Steelcaps, he argues, can often slow the overall gold and XP generation in the jungle.While his playstyle has faced criticism, especially from more aggressive players like Dantes, Agurin remains undeterred. He sticks to his farming-oriented, safe playstyle that optimizes gold income, giving him the upper hand in the long run.
Conclusion
Agurin's rise to the top of the ladder is proof that there are many playstyles to be successful in League of Legends. His consistent, steady approach provides a fresh contrast to the high-risk, high-reward strategies that many, more flashier junglers employ. Whether you're a fan of Agurin's playstyle or not, there's no denying its effectiveness, given his success. He may not always go for the spectacular play, but his consistent farming and reliable pressure on the map have proven to be a winning formula in the competitive landscape of Korean SoloQ.