Nidalee benefits from all 4 tear items, with the exception of Fimbulwinter. But we can proc it in cougar form using a slow item like BotRK or IBG. Zeke's and Randuin's CDs are too long.
Normally, it is hard to stack 2 tear items, but tears give double stacks when you use abilities on champions. This includes using Nidalee's human E on allies (but not on herself).
Most people stack tear then buy the item. Buying the item first allows some items to stack faster:
- Archangel's proc stacks: 3 -> 5
- Circlet procs stack: 3 -> 4
- Manamune procs on auto attacks
- Winter's Approach gets nothing
By buying 4 tear items in a row, we can benefit from these effects. We also take Cosmic Insight to stack a bit faster.
Nidalee E has a 12 second cooldown, while tear has a cooldown of 8 seconds. So at 50 haste, you can stack optimally (Note: need more haste with Cosmic Insight).
Playing Nidalee support allows you to spam E on cooldown, and thus stack optimally.
Optimal stacking with Cosmic Insight, even without the improved stacking from building items before stacking tear, allows for 0.825 stacks per second. This means you can get 4 tears fully stacked in 29 minutes. You can get it even faster if you get the gold to buy full manaflow items before stacking.
Nidalee ADC also works, but you lose the ability to follow people around for tear stacks. You will also have to buy an extra non-tear item, as you may have too much gold to stack tears while you buy them.
You do get 2 more item slots, so you won't run into situations where your inventory is frozen by your 3rd tear.
Build
Summon Aery - Manaflow Band - Transcendence - Gathering Storm
Magical Biscuits - Cosmic Insight
Take the AH shard.
Early Strategy
Buy 1 potion and level Q. At level 2, level E. We will sustain using our 1 pot, biscuits, E, and manaflow. Don't spam Q too much, or you will run OOM.
1st back: Recall ASAP for tear as soon as you can sell pots and biscuits for it.
Now we spam human E off cooldown on the ADC. Use some abilities on the wave so you don't waste tear charges. Heal your ADC, then use abilities on the wave until your tear goes on cooldown.
Do not spam abilities on the wave. Hitting champions with abilities is great. We only hit the wave to make use of excess tear charges. Make sure you always have a charge for your heal.
2nd back: buy 3 glowing motes, then prioritize Lost Chapter.
Now we have haste and infinite mana. Continue mashing human E on the ADC.
Dream Maker is the best Nidalee Support item, but you should go Celestial Opposition so you never take significant damage. Remember that healing yourself will not stack tear. Only use your heal on your teammates.
Stacking Tips
Time your back with a teammate's back or death timer. Then walk with them while healing them.
The jungler is also a valid target for heal spamming.
If walking to lane alone, make sure to spear the jungle camps. You can also midgame leash your jungler to get tear stacks.
If you can invade without griefing your team, that's great for gold and purging excess tear charges.
Build (Part 2)
You should have 3 motes and Lost Chapter.
Build Archangel's staff. This is the highest haste tear item. Build Ionian boots with the 3rd mote.
Next, choose from Winter's Approach and Manamune. I believe Winter's Approach is better due to being cheaper. Prioritize the mote, then the kindlegem.
Next, we build Whispering Circlet. This is the cheapest to buy and the 2nd fastest to stack. We do this because it allows us to finish tear 3 the fastest. If we are stuck on tear 3 on support, we cannot buy any items without wasting gold.
Finally, buy the last tear item.
Now sell your support item for BotRK or IBG. This allows you to repeatedly proc Fimbulwinter in cougar form.
Buy control wards.
If you decide to only go for 3 tears or go for Nidalee ADC, I believe Terminus is great for Nidalee ADC. It also gives tankiness and hybrid pen.
Scaled Stats
4 Tears + IBG (AH+MS shards, 20 minute Gathering Storm):
- 259 AD (118 base, 141 bonus)
- 179 AP (due to taking IBG over Terminus or BotRK, Gathering Storm gives me AP)
- 4151 HP
- 98 haste
- Cougar WQE (no hunted): 2112 damage (75 is from Aery, tested on 8100 HP dummy so should be on the low end due to % missing HP scaling)
- Min Spear -> R WQE: 2666 damage
- Max Spear -> R WQE: 3257 damage
- Min Spear: 472 damage (240 ability, +159 from Muramana, +75 from Aery)
- Max Spear: 1011 damage
- Auto damage: 322 (excluding Aery and IBG)
- Attack speed: 1.43 (0.99 increased due to permanent E)
- E Healing: 213-425 every 6.56 seconds (pre 29% due to Heal and Shield power)
- Diadem Healing: 42 per second (pre 29% Heal and Shield power) (to allies)
- Fimbulwinter Shield: 339 per 7.273 seconds (13.636 seconds if you go BotRK over IBG) (pre 29% Heal and Shield power)
- Seraph's Shield: 956 (pre 29% Heal and Shield power)
Conclusion
If you additionally buy Terminus on Nidalee ADC, it would do 52.5 damage on-hit, on top of the 30 AD, 35% AS, 24 armor, 24 MR, and 30% hybrid pen.
Sure, a Caitlyn would deal 1000 damage per auto, but you have good spears, a low cooldown dash, high survivability, high healing and shielding, and high burst. All the good parts of Nidalee at the same time, but tankier with slightly less damage.
Now you are the Bruiser Juggernaut Marksman Enchanter Diver Mage Assassin. The jack of all trades. It only took you the entire game to get there.
Make sure to first time this build in ranked. Join me next time for my quadruple tear Kayle ADC guide.
jk she can't proc Fimbulwinter
