Players who trySmitefor the first time might realize that the Gods they choose actually fall under a particular Class. At first glance, players can quickly identify the main points that “determine” a God’s particular Class. For instance, magic-oriented glass cannons usually fall under Mage. Meanwhile, tanks and initiators fall under Guardians, and melee fighters often become Warriors. InHi-Rez’s hit MOBA, knowing and understanding how to maximize these Class options can help a God reach its full potential.
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Interestingly, the Class system also becomes a handy way to “divide"Smite’s 130+ Gods. However, newcomers might feel slightly overwhelmed as to how these Class archetypes interact with the rest of the game - such as Roles inside game modes. Thankfully, a better understanding of a God’s Class can help players get an easier understanding of a diety’s core gameplay elements. Where should players begin, though?
The Class Archetype System
Despite not being an RPG,Smite’sClass Archetype Systemdoes follow “trends” associated with these Classes as though they exist in other games. Essentially, a God’s Classdictates at first glance how players should expect their core game mechanics to play out.Granted, each God has unique sets of abilities and even secondary resources. However, knowing their Class at least gives players an idea of where best to use or even train a particular God.
With this in mind, just how should players best approach the idea of Classes? First, it might help to give a quick rundown of what to expect from each particular Class Archetype:
Assassins: Anti-God, Speed, Mobility
Assassins like it fast and loose. Whereas other Gods have the means to last in team fights, Assassins work best by going in, killing a target, and moving away in a flash. Unlike other Classes, Assassins rely on auto-attacks with Physical Power to deal massive damage. However, Assassins often need the power of Jungle buffs to fully augment their abilities. Despite their massive damage output, Assassins tend to lack protections, making them a bit squishy when caught.
Guardians: Defense, Protect, Initiate
Guardians often rely on Magical Power to increase the strength of both their attacks and defenses. They can come in the form of Gods that offer melee ranged attacks. And while their overall damage output is lower than other Gods, they do have massive damage mitigation and crowd control potential. Unlike other Classes, Guardians often protect their teammates and initiate combat instead of becoming massive damage dealers.
Hunters: Distance, Damage, Carry
Hunters usually maximize their Physical Power to increase the potency of their ranged abilities and attacks. As with Assassins, Hunters rely on auto-attacks, with their abilities often boosting the chances of these basic attacks proccing various effects. As a result, strong Hunters tend to rely a lot on Items and builds.
Mages: Glass Cannons, AOE, Range
Mages more often than not utilize ranged attacks that get boosted with Magical Power. Most of their damage comes in the form of various offensive abilities that often secure high DPS. Their damage either wreaks havoc across a large area or across a massively short period of time. As a tradeoff, Mages tend to lack protections that help them withstand powerful abilities, which in turn forces Mages to be extra careful or at least come with backup.
Warriors: Offense, Attack, Engage
Warriors are as straightforward as they could be - they love using Physical Power to augment their melee attacks and abilities. They lack the punching power of Hunters and the defensive capabilities of Guardians. However, they do offer a healthy balance of these two characteristics that they often hold out on their own and perform decently in team fights.
What About Power?
Aside from Class Archetypes, players also need to take note of the kind of Power their Gods utilize. While not deeply tied into their Classes, knowing their God’s Power allows them to have a general idea as to how their abilities interact with their nature as a member of a particular Class. Essentially, Power can be subdivided into two primary categories:
Physical Power:This kind of Power relies on melee attacks and abilities to trigger various abilities and benefits. Gods with Physical Power often rely on non-magical melee or ranged combat to build their strengths.
Magical Power:This kind of Power relies on magical attacks to activate various buffs and abilities. Gods with Magical Power rely on long-ranged spells and magical attacks to proc their skills.
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Interestingly, Power also plays into secondary statistics that Class Archetypes can maximize depending on their effects and the benefits they provide. Each Power source plays into:
Lifesteal:This secondary statistic elaborates how a certain God can “steal” HP from opponents. Physical and Magical Lifestyle rely on non-magical and magical attacks to acquire lifesteal, respectively.
Penetration:This statistic declares just how much protections are ignored whenever a God tries to do damage. The higher the Penetration, the higher a God’s chances of their attacks getting through. Physical and Magical Penetration talks about attacks being able to bypass physical and magical defenses, respectively.
Protection:This statistic helps identify just how much damage can a God withstand instead of simply taking an attack full force. Physical or Magical Protection helps shield Gods against non-magical and magical attacks and effects, respectively.
Assassins: Become A God-Killer
Assassins form the core foundation ofSmite’s version of a hard PVP environment. Unlike other Classes, Assassins specialize in abilities that allow them to constantly pursue enemies and punish them whenever they get near. As a result, Assassins tend to be some of the fastest Classes around - with abilities that further enhance their attack speed, chase enemies, or even incentivize extended battles with one opponent.
The Assassin Playbook
A lot of players consider the Assassin as one of the most complex Classes inSmitedue to the level of battle awareness they demand from players. Interestingly, this caveat is due to the fact that players need to be exactly aware of who they’re with and who they’re fighting in a match. In turn, players whostudy how other Gods generally workcan find weaknesses they exploit in the long run. Thankfully, players can develop better plays as an Assassin with some tips:
Study the enemy.Perhaps the best advice for new Assassins is to take time to study the enemy composition. For instance, identifying the enemy Assassin can help players stay aware of potential strategies they can use against their team. Likewise, players can identify strategies the opposing team might use that they can exploit.
Hit and run:Due to their lack of defenses, Assassins should always rely on speed to get their rotations in and get out fast. Thankfully, most Assassin Gods have abilities that help them build damage, attack speed, or movement speed the more they engage in battle. Gods like Loki excel in disappearing, which works great for surprise attacks that can kill escaping enemies.
Always have an exit.While they boast a lot of damage, Assassins don’t enjoy a lot of defenses. In turn, being stuck in a fight will almost always get them killed. To solve this, players should always keep an exit strategy in mind whenever they engage in a team fight. Thor, for instance, has Mjolnir’s Attunement (S1) that can work as a handy teleport or exit. Meanwhile, Nemesis has Swift Vengeance (S1) that can act as a dashing exit instead of a dash attack.
Never get greedy.A lot of Assassin players suffer from kill greed, especially if they want to ramp up that Deicide count. Unfortunately, a missed hit can easily set up Assassins for a counter-kill. Instead of focusing on pure damage, Assassins should make sure their hits always count. Why strive for the kill when allies can kill enemies after Assassins wipe out their defenses? Gods like Ne Zha have abilities that grant protection debuffs on her opponents. Sometimes, Assassins work best crippling an enemy’s defenses instead of simply killing them.
How Do Assassins Work With Roles?
Most Assassins fall under theJungle Roleconsidering their knack for early-game damage. Due to the Assassin’s reliance on attack speed and sheer attack power, they make great candidatesto eliminate Elite monstersfor buffs and even secure early-game ganks.
Who Are Great Assassins?
Assassins can be one of the most complex Classes to play, primarily because they work best when players know exactly when to chase buffs and chase enemy Gods. In turn, beginners should rely on Assassins that give them a lot of movement options to help them diversify their play. Here are some options for beginners:
Da Ji:The Nine-Tailed Fox remains a player’s go-to choice for an Assassin that is perfect for stalking and chasing targets. Her Torture Blades (Passive) adds damage-over-time to foes in the form of bleed whenever she attacks. Meanwhile, Horrible Burns (S1) give her auto-attacks bonus damage while boosting speed. When surrounded, Da Ji can unleash One Thousand Cuts (S2) to attack everyone around her, yet again giving her movement speed. Moreover, her Trickster Spirit (S3) is a handy teleport she can use to go to an ally or an enemy. Lastly, Paolao (Ultimate) not only gives her a ranged attack, but she can also drag enemies to another location - perfect for setting-up team fights.
Thor:The Norse God of Thunder’s bulky appearance hides the fact that he’s one of the best pursuers in the game. His kit allows him to stay far away and still protect defenses, but at the same time have handy mobility abilities to get into the fight. Warrior’s Madness (Passive) buffs Thor whenever he’s near Gods, incentivizing battle. Mjolnir’s Attunement (S1) not only gives Thor a ranged attack but also a handy teleport to let him engage in battle. If not, Tectonic Rift (S2) gives Thor a mean ranged attack to deter opponents. Berserker Barrage (S3) gives Thor a nifty AOE attack around him if he’s surrounded. Lastly, his Anvil of Dawn (Ult) allows him to teleport a great distance away - great for escapes, aiding allies, or initiating combat.
Guardians: Dominate Defense
Guardians serve asSmite’s frontline defenders and initiators. They serve as the equivalent of an MMO’s tanks, and they dominate defense in both their damage mitigation and crowd control abilities. Due to these perks, players who use Guardians often protect damage dealers such as Hunters and Assassins. Likewise, they often protect their lanes from unnecessary infiltration and attacks. Despite their low damage output, Guardians remain important in any team composition for their ability to initiate fights and outlast all teams.
The Guardian Playbook
Thanks to their damage mitigation potential, Guardians often serve as front liners to the team. Essentially, teammates expect them to know when to start the battle and when to help others get out. Usually, Guardians serve as first in-last out. With the right build, Guardians can very well take the brunt of the enemy’s damage. Likewise, they can boost their teammates to live longer in battle. Here are essential tips for Guardians:
Stay with damage dealers.As a tank, Guardians need to help damage dealers get fed as soon as possible. In turn, Guardians often assign themselves to protect Hunters and giving them the last kill. Likewise, Guardians should learn how to use their abilities to take on hits instead of their allies. That way, a Guardian’s ally can get rid of threats while the Guardian distracts them.
Maximize ally support abilities.Most Guardians have a means of boosting the team’s defenses or attack ability. These come in the form of an Item synergy or even ability. If possible, Guardians should always proc abilities that give defensive and offensive buffs to give the team an edge regardless of the enemy. For instance, Yemoja’s Riptide (S3) knocks down enemies and gives her allies additional Protections and Movement Speed.
Get crowd control to stop enemy attacks.A lot of Guardians have the means to deter enemy attacks due to CC abilities. If timed properly, players can stop an enemy God from unleashing an Ult or a deadly attack. With this strategy, the team can easily secure kills as Gods can’t proc their abilities in time. For instance, Ares’s No Escape (Ult) stuns enemies and lets him drag them in a particular direction - mostly to his allies.
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