Talk:Poacher's Knife/@comment-973379-20141115231755/@comment-25688877-20141118215223

Each jungler will be different in terms of what they want to buy. WW will almost always go Skirmisher/Devourer for example, but Trailblazer is a consistent buy for most. Poacher's knife's effectiveness has yet to be fully determined and is probably only a must buy on one Jungler at the moment (Nunu). However, with the changes made to the jungle, it may be a much more effective purchase than you think. If you're saving your smites for champions, you're clearing slower and reaping less benefit from the jungle.

If all you consider as relevant is late/mid game, then by all means, go for the others. Some people swear by the early game though and will want the Poacher's/Ranger's build path.

As for laner's wanting to take smite for the Champion Smites, I'm not saying it's impossible, just that you're putting yourself at a disadvantage early in hopes of achieving an advantage later. Which is acceptable, but a gamble to do so. Again, if that's how you play, by all means go for it, but it's not such a superior advantage that it overrides other build paths. It's just another build path. Cloth/5, Boots, Doran's or Longsword starts still have their own strengths.