Amumu is one of the simplest and most effective junglers in League. His kit revolves around one goal: get into the middle of the enemy team and press R. Everything else — farm, ganks, objectives — is in service of setting up that game-winning ultimate.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Cursed Touch
Passive
Amumu's basic attacks Curse his enemies, causing them to take bonus true damage from incoming magic damage.
Cursed Touch shreds MR on basic attacks — auto between ability casts to amplify your magic damage.
Q
Bandage Toss
Skillshot · Dash · Stun
Amumu tosses a sticky bandage at a target, stunning and damaging the target while he pulls himself to them.
CD: 3 · Cost: 50
Two charges means you can Q a minion to close distance, then Q the champion. Use charge 1 for gap close, charge 2 for the stun.
W
Despair
Toggle · AoE · %HP
Overcome by anguish, nearby enemies lose a percentage of their maximum Health each second and have their Curses refreshed.
CD: 1 · Cost: 8
Toggle W off between camps to conserve mana early. Only leave it running during fights or when clearing grouped camps.
E
Tantrum
AoE · Damage Reduction
Permanently reduces the physical damage Amumu would take. Amumu can unleash his rage, dealing damage to surrounding enemies. Each time Amumu is hit, the cooldown on Tantrum is reduced.
CD: 9/8/7/6/5 · Cost: 35
E passive reduces physical damage taken — max it second for tankiness. The active burst is great for camps.
R
Curse of the Sad Mummy
AoE · Stun
Amumu entangles surrounding enemy units in bandages, applying his Curse, damaging and stunning them.
CD: 150/125/100 · Cost: 100/150/200
Flash + R is your bread-and-butter engage. Practice the range in practice tool — it's slightly smaller than you think.
Skill Leveling Order — Max W first, then E, then Q · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take W — best first camp clear | ||||
| 2 | Take Q — gap close and stun online | ||||
| 3 | Take E — AoE burst + damage reduction | ||||
| 4 | Level W | ||||
| 5 | Level W | ||||
| 6 | R — Curse of the Sad Mummy unlocked | ||||
| 7 | Level W | ||||
| 8 | Level E | ||||
| 9 | W maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level E | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level E | ||||
| 13 | Level E | ||||
| 14 | E maxed ✓ | ||||
| 15 | Start leveling Q | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level Q | ||||
| 18 | Q maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter Items
Scorchclaw Smite
Burn damage helps with early clear and adds damage to ganks.
450g
Refillable Potion
Sustain through the first clear.
150g
Core Build
Sunfire Cape
Immolate passive synergizes perfectly with W — double AoE burn while standing in fights.
2700g
Sorcerer's Shoes
Magic pen amplifies W and E damage significantly.
1100g
Abyssal Mask
MR shred aura stacks with Cursed Touch passive — enemies near you take massive bonus magic damage.
2700g
Randuin's Omen
Crit reduction + AoE slow. Essential vs crit ADCs.
2700g
Situational
Thornmail
Grievous wounds + armor. Rush vs heavy healing comps.
2700g
Force of Nature
Best MR item vs sustained AP damage. Movement speed helps positioning.
2800g
Frozen Heart
Attack speed slow cripples auto-attackers. Good vs Kog'Maw, Jinx.
2500g
Sunfire first always. Then build MR or Armor depending on the biggest threat. You want to be unkillable while your W burns everyone around you.
AP Core — Snowball Build
Demonic Embrace
Burns enemies based on max HP — stacks with W for devastating DPS.
3000g
Sorcerer's Shoes
Magic pen for damage.
1100g
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
W permanently slows all nearby enemies. They can never escape.
2600g
Spirit Visage
Increases healing and shields. Pairs with Conqueror sustain.
2900g
Only run AP when ahead early. If behind, default to full tank — you're more useful alive with R than dead with damage.
Runes
Resolve Primary
Aftershock
Triggers on Q stun — gives free resistances during your engage window and deals AoE damage.
Font of Life
Your Q and R CC marks enemies — allies heal when attacking them.
Conditioning
Free armor + MR at 12 minutes. Scales your tankiness for free.
Unflinching
Tenacity when low HP — critical for staying in fights long enough to get R off.
Precision Secondary
Triumph
Heal on takedown keeps you alive through extended teamfights.
Legend: Tenacity
Stacking tenacity — essential so you can't be chain-CCed before ulting.
Shards
Ability Haste · Armor · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Amumu
01
Early Game
Farm Safely, Gank with Double Q
- Start Blue Buff → Gromp → Wolves → Raptors → Red Buff → Krugs for a healthy full clear by 3:20.
- Your level 3 ganks are strong with double Q. Look for overextended lanes after your first clear.
- Avoid 1v1s with early game junglers like Lee Sin or Elise. You lose every time pre-6.
- Ward your second buff if you suspect the enemy jungler will invade.
- Scuttle is free if no one contests — your Q stuns it for easy secure.
02
Mid Game
Force Fights Around Objectives
- Level 6 is your massive power spike. Immediately look for a gank or teamfight with R.
- Flash + R into 2+ enemies is always worth it if your team can follow up.
- Prioritize dragon — your AoE damage and tankiness make solo dragon easy at 2 items.
- In skirmishes, always Q the carry, not the tank. Your job is to lock down damage dealers.
- Group with your team. Amumu is not a split-push champion.
03
Late Game
Land the 3+ Person Ultimate
- Your R is the most important ability in teamfights. Wait for the right moment — don't waste it on 1 person.
- Flank from fog of war for surprise engages. Walk through the jungle, then Flash + R from an unexpected angle.
- Peel for your carry if the enemy has assassins. Q + R on the diving assassin saves your ADC.
- You can solo Baron with Sunfire + Thornmail at full build. Ward it and take it when enemies are elsewhere.
- In elder dragon fights, position between the dragon and the enemy team to zone with W + R threat.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Amumu
Amumu's entire teamfight identity is his R — Curse of the Sad Mummy. A well-placed 3+ person ult wins fights instantly. Everything you do should be setting up or executing this moment.
1
Pre-Fight — Find the Flank
Before engage
01
Position in fog of war before the fight starts. Amumu's engage is strongest when unexpected.
02
Count enemy CC cooldowns. If the enemy just used their stuns, your R window is open.
03
Identify the cluster. Wait for 3+ enemies to group before committing.
Do NOT Q in when the enemy team is spread out. A 1-person R is almost never worth it unless it's the fed carry.
2
Engage — Flash R or Q into R
Fight opening
01
Flash + R is the gold standard. Flash into the center of the enemy team and immediately press R. No delay.
02
If Flash is down, Q → R. Use Q to close the gap, then R immediately on arrival.
03
W should already be on. Toggle W before engaging — the burn damage starts ticking immediately.
04
E immediately after R. The AoE burst hits all stunned enemies for free damage.
3
Aftermath — Stick to Targets
Mid-fight
01
After R, stay in the middle. W burn + Sunfire is your sustained DPS. Don't chase stragglers.
02
Save second Q charge for peeling. If an enemy dives your backline, Q them off your carry.
03
You're the frontline. Absorb damage, keep W running, and let your team clean up.
If the enemy has QSS or Cleanse, bait it out with Q stun first, THEN use R. Don't waste R on someone who will instantly cleanse it.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Amumu.
Basic
Double Q Gank Pattern
Use Q1 on a minion or wall to close distance, then Q2 on the champion. This gives you nearly double the gap close range of a single Q.
Basic
Toggle W Between Camps
W drains mana constantly. Turn it off while walking between camps and toggle it on only during combat. This prevents going OOM before your first back.
Intermediate
Flash + R Range
Practice Flash + R range in practice tool. The R radius is 550 units — slightly less than flash range. You need to Flash INTO the enemy group, not at its edge.
Intermediate
E Passive Abuse
E passively reduces physical damage taken every time you're hit. Against AD-heavy teams, you're deceptively tanky. Stand in the middle of auto-attackers and let E passive stack.
Advanced
R Timing in Teamfights
Don't R immediately on arrival. Wait 0.5s for enemies to use their dashes/flashes in panic. Then R catches everyone who already committed their escape.
Basic
Scuttle Q Trick
Q stuns scuttle crab, removing its shield instantly. Always open scuttle with Q for the fastest kill.
Intermediate
Objective Control
Your W deals %HP damage to monsters. Combined with Sunfire burn, you shred Baron and Dragon faster than most tanks. Always be the one tanking the objective.
Advanced
Q Through Terrain
Q can pull you through thin walls if the target is on the other side. Use this to surprise enemies over dragon pit or Baron walls.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Amumu struggles against early invaders and champions who can dodge or cleanse his R. He excels against melee-heavy teams that group tightly.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Lee Sin invades Amumu at level 3 and wins every 1v1. His mobility lets him dodge Q and his R kicks you away from his team before you can ult.
Start opposite side. Ward your camps. Never fight him alone. Play for team and outscale.
Nidalee's early game damage and mobility let her invade your jungle freely. She clears faster than you and can chunk you with spears before you're in Q range.
Give up camps if she invades. Farm what's safe. You massively outscale her after 15 minutes.
Shaco places boxes in your jungle to slow your clear and tilts you with constant invades. His clone wastes your R if you ult the wrong one.
Sweep your jungle entrances. Track him on the map. Group early and force 5v5s where he's useless.
Wins Against
Yi needs to auto-attack to deal damage. Your R stops him completely and E reduces his physical damage. He can't Meditate through your team's burst during your ult.
Save R specifically for Yi when he uses Q. The moment he appears from Alpha Strike, R him immediately.
Karthus has no mobility and no way to escape your Q + R combo. You can invade him freely and he can't contest objectives against your engage.
Invade at level 3. Steal his raptors. Force fights he can't walk away from.
Hecarim runs into your team — exactly where you want him. Your R stops his charge and he's stuck in the middle of your team with no escape.
Let Hecarim engage first, then R his entire team while they follow up on his charge.
Mirror tank matchup where Amumu wins because W deals %HP damage. You shred her tankiness faster than she shreds yours.
Fight her freely. Your sustained damage outpaces hers. Focus on who has the better R in teamfights.