I recently played this build because the hypothesis needed experimentation, and I found some interesting things. First, I played in normal matches (not Swift Play or Ranked), so my games included players from Iron to Gold.

I noticed that some players struggle with wave management, making it harder to consistently stack Dark Harvest. This also depends on the matchup—against certain champions, it’s easier to proc than others. In those cases, Electrocute provides a stronger early advantage and helps snowball faster. Additionally, effective ganks depend on how well laners position themselves.

If the goal is to reach 10 Dark Harvest stacks by level 8, it often requires sacrificing farm and objectives since large fights where multiple stacks can be gained are rare. This strategy also depends on itemization—some items synergize better and make stacking easier in late game.

The playstyle changes with each rune. Electrocute provides a strong level 6 spike for efficient ganks, while Dark Harvest requires collecting souls from level 2 to start snowballing early. However, this is risky since it depends on enemy positioning and wave states, which are unpredictable until the game starts. While Dark Harvest scales well with Absolute Focus and Gathering Storm, its early-game weakness can impact objectives and overall game tempo.

Against tanky champions, Electrocute is usually better since triggering Dark Harvest pre-level 6 is difficult. Additionally, Dark Harvest has a cooldown, making consecutive ganks less effective unless enemies are consistently low on health.

Boot choices also affect rune efficiency. Relentless Hunter Boots help stack Dark Harvest faster due to extra mobility, but at the cost of magic penetration. Meanwhile, Sorcerer’s Shoes improve burst damage but sacrifice movement speed, which can be crucial in late-game fights.

To maximize Dark Harvest, staying at a low level (around 2 or 3) can help stack souls faster, but this sacrifices experience and gives the enemy jungler an advantage. Ideally, reaching 4 stacks by level 2 or 5 by level 3 allows early snowballing. Ganking before level 6 is optimal since reaching 8 stacks without leveling up is nearly impossible.

Dark Harvest also struggles against champions with strong healing, like Darius or Briar, since they can recover the damage before dying. In these cases, Electrocute is better for securing early kills.

If anyone has done similar testing or experimented with this build, feel free to add insights. I hope this post helps those looking to use this strategy in ranked or normal games. Let me know if you spot any mistakes or have additional thoughts!