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By GamGem ResearchLast updated 18 Oct 2026

Wukong Jungle Build, Runes and Counters · Patch 26.20

the Monkey King

Patch 26.20 · Stats from the 26.18 Master+ sample (3,279 games).

Wukong, the Monkey King, leaves a decoy behind as he vanishes and spins through enemies with Cyclone. Conqueror was on nearly all of his counted Master+ games, mostly jungle and some Top, and his single printed path is Trinity Force, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance. Talon, Hecarim and Nidalee beat him most often. Xin Zhao and Kindred he did better against.

FighterTank

Patch 26.18 · Jungle · Ranked Solo/Duo · Master+ · EUW · KR · NA · 3,279 games · Preview sample

League of LegendsPatch 26.18JungleRanked Solo/DuoMaster+EUW · KR · NA3,279 gamesPreview sample

Role snapshot (Jungle)

CTier

Win Rate: 47.1%
Pick Rate: 5.0%
Ban Rate: 0.9%

3,279

Games

High

Confidence

Win rate by lane

Jungle47.4% · 2,751 games
Top47.0% · 447 games · small sample

Most common path

665 games

54.9%Win Rate

Start

Flash

Smite

Runes

Patch 26.18

This exact page: taken in 29.4% of games·48.1% win rate over 964 games.

Primary

Precision

Conqueror

Gain stacks of adaptive force when attacking enemy champions. After reaching 12 stacks, heal for a portion of damage you deal to champions.

Triumph

Takedowns restore 5% of your missing health and grant an additional 20 gold.

Legend: Alacrity

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Attack Speed.

Last Stand

Deal more damage to champions while you are low on health.

Secondary

Inspiration

Cosmic Insight

+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste

Magical Footwear

You get free boots at 12 min but you cannot buy boots before then. Each takedown you get makes your boots come 45s sooner.

Shards

Attack Speed
Adaptive Force
Health Scaling

Other keystones taken

Grasp of the Undying2.0% taken · 41.5% win65 games
Stormraider's Surge1.8% taken · 55.9% win59 games
Electrocute1.7% taken · 44.6% win56 games

Tree pairs

Precision + Inspiration79.1% taken · 47.3% win2,593 games
Precision + Resolve8.2% taken · 48.5% win268 games
Precision + Domination6.8% taken · 41.7% win223 games

Skill Order

Which ability to max first, and the level each point goes in — Wukong's most common path.

Crushing Blow

Wukong's next attack gains attack range, deals bonus damage, and reduces the target's armor for a few seconds.

Cooldown 8/7.5/7/6.5/6s · 20 Mana

Warrior Trickster

Wukong becomes Invisible and dashes in a direction, leaving behind a clone that will attack nearby enemies.

Cooldown 22/21/20/19/18s · 60/55/50/45/40 Mana

Nimbus Strike

Wukong dashes to a targeted enemy and sends out images to attack enemies near his target, dealing damage to each enemy struck.

Cooldown 10/9.25/8.5/7.75/7s · 30/35/40/45/50 Mana

Cyclone

Wukong's extends his staff and spins it around repeatedly, gaining Move Speed.

Cooldown 130/110/90s · 100 Mana

Max Order

QEW

Max Q first, then E, then W. Take R whenever available (6 / 11 / 16).

Level-up Order

QCrushing Blow
WWarrior Trickster
ENimbus Strike
RCyclone

Ability	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
QCrushing Blow		Q		Q	Q		Q		Q
WWarrior Trickster			W											W	W		W	W
ENimbus Strike	E							E		E		E	E
RCyclone						R					R					R

Matchup map (Jungle)

How Wukong performs against enemy jungle laners

Levels 1 – 18 · Master+40%60%Wukong's win rate

≥ 60%Very favorable

55 – 60%Favorable

50 – 55%Even

45 – 50%Unfavorable

40 – 45%Hard

< 40%Very hard

Conditional build matrix

Recommended items by enemy team composition

Master+ · Patch 26.18

Mythic / CoreFirst major item

Core 2Second item

Core 3Third item

BootsBoot slot

SituationalPick as needed

Scaling — minute 10–30

WukongJungle average

Gold

102030

Damage to champions

102030

Counter plan — how to beat Wukong

Avoid extended fights — its sustain grows with every trade it survives
Build percentage damage — flat penetration falls off against the stats it stacks
Punish the cooldown — Wukong is exposed while its rotation is down
Ward the flank — vision is what turns its best opening into a worse one
Respect the spike — Riot rates the kit 3/10, so a practised player gets more out of it than the average

Ability details

P
Stone Skin
Wukong gains stacking armor and max health regeneration while fighting champions and monsters.
Passive — never cast
Q
Crushing Blow
Wukong's next attack gains attack range, deals bonus damage, and reduces the target's armor for a few seconds.
Cost 20 ManaCooldown 8/7.5/7/6.5/6sRange 250/275/300/325/350
W
Warrior Trickster
Wukong becomes Invisible and dashes in a direction, leaving behind a clone that will attack nearby enemies.
Cost 60/55/50/45/40 ManaCooldown 22/21/20/19/18sRange 275
E
Nimbus Strike
Wukong dashes to a targeted enemy and sends out images to attack enemies near his target, dealing damage to each enemy struck.
Cost 30/35/40/45/50 ManaCooldown 10/9.25/8.5/7.75/7sRange 650
R
Cyclone
Wukong's extends his staff and spins it around repeatedly, gaining Move Speed.Enemies struck take damage and are knocked up.
Cost 100 ManaCooldown 130/110/90sRange 315

Wukong balance history

Riot's notes from patch 25.S1.1 to 26.20 change Wukong in 2 patches. The latest is patch 26.10, published 2026-05-12.

Patch 26.102026-05-12
WWarrior Trickster
- Clone Damage30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%to40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60%
- Clone Duration 3.25to4
ENimbus Strike
- Bonus Attack Speed35 / 40 / 45 / 50 / 55%to40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60%
Why, in Riot's words
Across roles, Wukong has been struggling to find success as of late. We’re looking to help him turn things around by empowering his trickster playstyle to reward clever and creative uses of his clones.
Patch 25.202025-10-07
QCrushing Blow
- Bonus Damage Bonus AD Ratio55%to50% bonus AD
WWarrior Trickster
- Cooldown20 / 19 /18 / 17 /16to22 / 21 / 20 / 19 / 18 seconds
- Clone Damage35 / 40 / 45 / 50 / 55%to30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%
ENimbus Strike
- Base Damage80 / 110 / 140 / 170 / 200to80 / 120 / 160 / 200 / 240
Why, in Riot's words
Wukong has been performing quite well at the highest levels of play despite not being particularly strong at lower skill levels. We're looking to bring his ceiling down and floor up a bit by moving some power away from his pro skewed abilities and distributing it throughout the rest of his kit.

Wukong skins (10)

Riot's data lists 10 looks for Wukong with their own art, the base skin included and 26 chroma variants.

ARAM performance

EstimateB

Win Rate: 51.3%; ▲ 0.5%
Pick Rate: 3.0%; ▲ 0.6%
Ban Rate: 0.4%; ▲ 0.0%

Damage dealt: 96.3%
Damage taken: 106.7%
Healing: 105.0%
Shielding: 95.5%
Ability Haste: +14

Best ARAM build

Patch timeline

Riot’s notes

This champion’s win rate on each patch the preview sample spans, over its own games there. What actually changed each patch is in Riot’s own notes.

26.1948.4% over 1,047 games+0.5
26.1846.9% over 1,679 games+0.6
26.1744.7% over 539 games · small sample—

Wukong's base stats against all 173 champions

Wukong's base attack speed of 0.69 is the 15th-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 4 others).

Stat	Wukong	Rank	Median
Base health	610	=98th	620
Health per level	99	=126th	104
Base armor	31	=77th	30
Armor per level	4.7	=42nd	4.6
Base magic resist	28	=160th	32
Magic resist per level	2.05	=4th	1.55
Base attack damage	66	=14th	59
Base attack speed	0.69	=15th	0.656
Attack speed per level	3%	=42nd	2.5%
Move speed	340	=37th	335
Attack range	175	=87th	175

Wukong at level 1 and level 18

Wukong reaches 2293 health at level 18 — 610 at level 1 plus 17 × 99, the 36th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 2.
Wukong reaches 1435 mana at level 18 — 330 at level 1 plus 17 × 65, the 10th-highest of 145 mana users on patch 26.20.
Wukong reaches 110.9 armor at level 18 — 31 at level 1 plus 17 × 4.7, the 62nd-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 2.
Wukong reaches 62.85 magic resist at level 18 — 28 at level 1 plus 17 × 2.05, the 78th-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 6.

Stat	Level 1	Per level	Level 18	Rank at 18
Health	610	+99	2293	=136th of 173
Mana	330	+65	1435	10th of 145
Armor	31	+4.7	110.9	=62nd of 173
Magic resist	28	+2.05	62.85	=78th of 173

Riot Data Dragon 16.20.1. Growth curve: League of Legends Wiki — Champion statistic.

Riot's tips for Wukong

Playing Wukong

Decoy and Nimbus Strike work well together to quickly strike your enemy and get out before they can retaliate.
Try using Decoy near brush to make an enemy overreact to your movement.

Playing against Wukong

Wukong will often use Decoy after Nimbus Strike. Try delaying your abilities by a short amount of time to ensure that you're hitting the real Wukong.
Wukong becomes tougher to kill when surrounded by his enemies. Try to isolate him to gain an advantage.

Quick answers about Wukong

How does Wukong do against Talon?: Wukong won 39.4% of 137 counted Master+ games against Talon. Talon is one of the opponents that beat Wukong.
How does Wukong do against Hecarim?: Wukong won 37.8% of 90 counted Master+ games against Hecarim. Hecarim is one of the opponents that beat Wukong. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Wukong do against Nidalee?: Wukong won 39.3% of 61 counted Master+ games against Nidalee. Nidalee is one of the opponents that beat Wukong. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Wukong do against Lillia?: Wukong won 39.3% of 56 counted Master+ games against Lillia. Lillia is one of the opponents that beat Wukong. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Wukong do against Shaco?: Wukong won 34.1% of 41 counted Master+ games against Shaco. Shaco is one of the opponents that beat Wukong. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Wukong do against Xin Zhao?: Wukong won 63.6% of 44 counted Master+ games against Xin Zhao. It is a matchup Wukong wins more often than not. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Wukong do against Kindred?: Wukong won 60.5% of 43 counted Master+ games against Kindred. It is a matchup Wukong wins more often than not. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Wukong do against Kha'Zix?: Wukong won 52.0% of 125 counted Master+ games against Kha'Zix. It is close to even.
What class is Wukong?: Riot classes Wukong as Fighter and Tank. This site files the champion under Jungle.
How hard is Wukong to play?: Riot rates Wukong's difficulty 3 out of 10.
What resource does Wukong use?: Wukong's abilities spend Mana.
What is Wukong's attack range?: 175 units — the 60th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 27 others).
What are Wukong's abilities?: Passive — Stone Skin, Q — Crushing Blow, W — Warrior Trickster, E — Nimbus Strike and R — Cyclone.
How many skins does Wukong have?: Riot's data lists 10 skins with their own art, the base look included, plus 26 chroma variants.
How much health does Wukong have at level 18?: 2293 — 610 at level 1 plus 17 × 99 per level, Riot's own values, before items and runes.
What is Wukong's ultimate cooldown?: Cyclone (R): 130/110/90 seconds by rank, before ability haste, in Riot's Data Dragon 16.20.1.
When did Riot last change Wukong?: Patch 26.10, published 12 May 2026 — the latest of 2 patches that change Wukong in Riot's notes from 25.S1.1 to 26.20.

Wukong at a glance

Wukong, the Monkey King, is a Fighter and Tank champion in League of Legends. Riot rates the kit 3/10 for difficulty, 8/10 for attack, 5/10 for defense and 2/10 for magic. Wukong spends Mana and has 10 skins with their own art. Wukong's base attack speed of 0.69 is the 15th-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 4 others).

Attack8/10
Defense5/10
Magic2/10
Difficulty3/10

Wukong's story

Wukong is a vastayan trickster who uses his strength, agility, and intelligence to confuse his opponents and gain the upper hand. After finding a lifelong friend in the warrior known as Master Yi, Wukong became the last student of the ancient martial art known as Wuju. Armed with an enchanted staff, Wukong seeks to prevent Ionia from falling to ruin.

— Riot Games, Data Dragon 16.20.1. League of Legends Universe

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Methodology

Data window: Preview sample — a one-time snapshot of 65,406 ranked games (Master+, EUW/KR/NA, patch 26.18), counted by GamGem while our Riot production key is under review. Figures will update daily once it is approved. Counted 26–27 Sept 2026; patches 26.18 (35,477) · 26.19 (18,580) · 26.17 (11,048) · 26.16 (293) · 26.15 (8); by server EUW 22,382 · KR 21,922 · NA 21,065 · EUNE 20 · TR 17. 642 games without a result — remakes ended by vote in their first minutes, and games recorded with no winner — were not counted.
Rank aggregation: Master, Grandmaster and Challenger, pooled — the three ladders the count read its players from. Splitting further leaves samples too small to separate a real effect from noise.
Role assignment: A champion is filed under every lane that holds at least a tenth of its counted games — the position the match itself reports, not the champion’s class. Its headline win rate is across all of them; each lane’s own win rate and games are counted too, and a lane’s tier list ranks by them.
Counters: The two champions in the same position on opposite teams, over that pairing’s own counted games — ranked on the edge pulled toward zero by its sample size, printed raw.
Minimum sample: None — no figure is hidden for being thin. Every rate prints its games, and the confidence band is its 95% margin: Very High within ±1.5 points, High ±2.5, Moderate ±3.1 (1,000 games), Low wider.
Why a build is not a cause: An item is counted when the match ENDS with it, so late items show long games and an item bought when already ahead shows games that were being won. Correlation is what a rate can show; it is not evidence that buying the item caused the win.
Where the numbers come from: Names, classes, abilities, items and runes are Riot Data Dragon. Win, pick and ban rates, builds, keystones, spells and matchups are counted by GamGem from Riot's ranked match records. An estimate, not a count: this panel is not in the preview sample, and is labelled so.