Playing with Udyr on the map right now can be a frustrating experience. Sure, there are the flavor-of-the-week players who pick him because they’ve heard he’s OP, but there are also a lot of good players exploiting his recent buffs for big IP gains. I put together this quick guide to help you shut down your opponent’s Udyr to get a solid win.
It’s all about lane control
I never like to pick toons just in case the other team has an Udyr, but until the nerf comes I think it’s a wise choice. Everyone, and I mean everyone on your team should be rolling with some sort of disable. Get stuns, get snares, get silences (yes, silence prevents stance dance). Take two stuns to your lane and focus your harassment on Udyr. It’s critical to use your spells and auto attacks when turtle form is down. Early on it doesn’t prevent a lot of damage, but it gets tough to penetrate fairly quickly. If he’s playing defensively, you’ll have a very hard time killing him once he reaches level five. That shield only lasts three seconds, though, so get your hits in when it’s down. This forces him to spam shield, wasting the mana he would otherwise use to wtfpwn you. The harassment also keeps him from farming too quickly, which puts his attack speed at unmanageable levels.
If he’s not in a lane, you have to gank him. No exceptions. Udyr has become the best jungler in the game because of the phoenix buff. Unless you want him steamrolling your team, you better get to their jungle and stop his farm. How? Clairvoyance. Someone on your team should spec into improved Clairvoyance. That gives you enough time to see where he is and figure out where he’s going. It’s always a good bet to check Dragon around level five or six.
Mid-game counters
Udyr’s major disadvantage is that he can only close the gap with bear form or flash. Granted, once it’s closed you’re in trouble, so you need to be aware of his map position at all times. Buy sight wards. No one likes to hear that, but it is necessary. Have everyone spend 180g every 5 minutes early game, less if you have a Clairvoyance user. It will help you avoid ganks and slow down his farm.
If everyone is still laning, focus on your farm. Udyr can be killed just like anyone else, and if you outfarm him, you will beat him. Be cautious about lingering too close to enemy towers. If your creeps push too far, back off and go grab a golem buff or check Dragon with 3 people.
Team fights, it’s Udyr first. Your ranged DPS (you better have a lot) should blow nukes and stuns on him in succession. Set up a chain of action (Ashe always opens, followed by Sion, followed by Annie) and burn him down fast. From there you can worry about the rest of the team.
Late game: towers need magnum-sized protection
Udyr becomes a serious BD threat as early as level 11 or 12. If your outside turrets are low, assume that he will BD them. Try sneaking a 5-man BD yourself and then push to inner or inhibitor turrets. If he’s trying to BD you, he’s put his team in a penalty box situation, offering the chance for a strong push. Take advantage of cocky Udyr players by coordinating team attacks while he tries to make his solo game work.
In late game team fights you should focus burst damage on Udyr, just check your greed at the door. Nuking him to 1/4 health might feel like a waste, but it usually sends him running, especially if you’ve been harassing well all game. Really, if they have a farmed up Udyr late game, you’re in trouble. Start at the beginning of this guide and read again if you get to that point.
Post Script: solo players need not apply
I play solo queue a lot, so my heart goes out to those of you with a string of frustrating defeats as a result of careless teammates. You will have trouble with Udyr. Period. Try to get communication started early with your team and you might be able to avoid a few headaches. If they have a smart jungler, you’re going to be in trouble. Coordinating hero choice and summoner spells is the key to beating Udyr, and those things rarely happen in solo play. If you want to be successful against him until his nerf, find at least two other players you can trust and play arranged games.
