Which gods will become the champions of the Arena?
All men may be created equal but when it comes to gods, nothing is further from the truth and nowhere is this more evident than the “Battleground of the gods.” SMITE’s Arena mode, although not it’s flagship game mode, is by far one of its most popular. The casual atmosphere, fast pacing, and constant team fighting eliminates some of the more complex aspects of MOBA gaming and boils it down to pure player-vs-player slaying. In other words: trade rage quitting for pentakills.
Arena is an excellent game mode for anyone new to the game, looking to rank up certain gods, who simply wants to melt the competition and rack up the kills. Due to the small, unobstructed design of the circular map players are able to see end to end making it ideal for team fighting, and more importantly: taunting. There is no better game mode for flaunting global emotes in the face of a defeated foe, and nothing says “you’re a noob” like detonating party horns and confetti over the defeated body of an opposing god.
The designers of SMITE strive to build balance into the over 100 gods in their game but, as with any roster that large, there are always gods that excel over their counterparts. Whether it is due to current items in the game or just a particularly powerful skill set, it is key to understand the current god meta if you want to consistently succeed. However; since the gods are designed and balanced around the Conquest game mode there are some characters that are downright broken in the Arena.
Gods that excel in team fights and chasing kills tend to absolutely run the competition in Arena. And since your selection is not a back and forth draft you do not know what characters your opponents will be entering the match with until it starts; not unlike a blind date (albeit one with pissed off deities). For this reason it is key to pick the best performing gods in this mode if you want to keep your win record high and your trash talking untouchable. The ten gods listed below are absolute gladiators in the Arena and in the right hands can completely turn the tide of a match.
Please note that this list is based primarily on gods and their kits being specifically useful in the Arena game mode and generally disregards the current item meta such that it can be applicable with any item balancing in the game. However; please note that occasionally a particular item or two will be unusually busted within the game and thus shoot gods that utilize such items into the upper tiers.
10. HERCULES: BULLY OF ROME
SMITE - God Reveal - Hercules, Champion of Rome
Hercules is perhaps the most physically present god in SMITE and the best use of his muscular physique is to make like the largest kid at recess and absolutely bully everyone in sight. Hercules can not only take an immense amount of punishment but can also dish it out.
Why Hercules is OP:
- His passive, Strength from Pain, grants additional physical power with each piece of damage he takes from an enemy god. In Arena you are in near constant team fights which means at max level you will likely have +75 physical power in any engagement.
- He has not one but two physical displacement abilities. Physically displacing an enemy god is huge in Arena since you almost always have an ally or two ready to jump on the alley-oop you are throwing them. Hercules’s 1, Driving Strike, and 2, Earthbreaker, shove and toss enemy gods around the map.
- Driving Strike may be the single most devastating non-ultimate ability in the game. It pushes the victim, stuns them for up to 1.5s, and has immense base damage.
- His ultimate is a long range, easy to hit, devastating damage dealer. Herc’s ultimate, Excavate, dunks a boulder of earth on any in its path meaning it can hit every god on the map with good timing and a little luck. It also has a substantial range for nailing any runners.
9. HOU YI: HOU YI THINK YI ARE?
SMITE - God Reveal - Hou Yi, Defender of the Earth
Hou Yi is a safe hunter with an insane amount of burst damage. Burst damage is key in Arena since any wounded opponent can quickly scurry back to their nearby fountain and return to the fray in short order with full health and mana. When you leap on an enemy in Arena, you want to make sure they go down hard and go down fast. Hou Yi’s robust damage allows him to be immediately viable in the short, dense, andfast Arena matches.
Why Hou Yi is OP:
- His 1, Ricochet, is an easy to hit, high damage, straight line shot that can penetrate multiple enemies. This unique ability can also be skillfully (read: luckily) bounced off walls to cause extra damage and can even be paired with his 2, Mark of the Golden Crow, to have a 1s stun.
- His 3, Divebomb, is one of the quickest and safest escape abilities in the game. Immediately upon activating Hou Yi leaps out of danger, can evaluate the situation and either jump away or back into the fight. A skilled user can dodge incoming damage and re-engage a surprised foe. When paired with his 2 this can provide a nice bit of CC by knocking up an enemy.
- Hou Yi’s ultimate, Sunbreaker, is a massive AoE that drops NINE flaming suns into the target area; they don’t make an SPF high enough to endure this ability.The suns not only damage but slow enemies hit making it harder for them to escape the barrage. When paired with his own built in crowd-control or a skilled ally this ability can turn a full enemy team into a skidmark on the Arena floor..
8. GANESHA: “GOD OF SUCCESS” IS RIGHT
SMITE - God Reveal - Ganesha, God of Success
The ultimate team player. Any ally will be pleased to see you lock in Ganesha as he is the ultimate helper god. When paired with even mildly skilled teammates he is a force multiplier. Heavy CC and a surprising amount of damage tip the scales in any competent Arena team’s favor. And, c’mon, who doesn’t love a giant rumbling elephant?
Why Ganesha is OP:
- His passive, Good Fortune, awards any of his kills to an ally if nearby. In Arena an ally is always nearby and this sharing of kill xp/gold immediately puts your damage dealing teammates at an advantage over the other team and allows them to get their abilities and items online sooner. Arena games are quick and a skilled team can then turn this slight advantage into a relentless snowball.
- He has rapid-fire, easy to hit, CC abilities are on relatively low cooldown when paired. His 3, Remove Obstacles, grapples a foe and locks them down while his 2, Ohm, immediately silences foes in front of him and provides protections to nearby allies. In Arena, where bursting down enemies is the name of the game, the ability to absolutely counter an enemy team’s assault by silencing several gods at once or locking down their assassin is huge.
- His ult, Dharmic Pillars, summons four enormous pillars with punishing fields of lightning between them, it’s like having the fence from Jurassic Park right in your back pocket. This ability can split a team, trap their squishies or even save an ally on the run. In Arena where the field is generally wide open a disruptive cage provides an immediate advantage to any allies and can send enemies rocketing through the air faster than Tim off the T-Rex cage
7. MERCURY: FASTEST PENTAKILL ALIVE
SMITE - God Reveal - Mercury, Messenger of the Gods
Mercury has been a staple of SMITE and the assassin class since its early days and his forte has always been speed. He moves fast, he kills fast, he wins fast. As stated above Arena is a much abbreviated game mode that favors bursty gods. In other words: speed kills.
Why Mercury is OP:
- Between his base movement speed and the passive effect on his 2, Maximum Velocity, Mercury is one of the fastest gods in the game making him perfect for chasing kills and escaping sticky situations. Oh, and he gets bonus power for the faster and faster his movement speed becomes.
- He has a physical displacement ability. Merc’s 3, Special Delivery, while it can be used to dash to safety or chasing a kill, is more expertly used to snag an out of position enemy and toss them to his waiting allies or his own deadly fists.
- His ult is essentially global on the Arena map. Merc’s ult, Sonic Boom, aside from being one of the coolest looking abilities in the game is a straight line dash that deals devastating damage that can easily extend the entire diameter of the Arena. Anyone limping to the fountain when this ability is up is vulnerable to being spun right into a respawn.
6. DA JI: CHAINS AND CLAWS EXCITE ME
SMITE - God Reveal - Da Ji, The Nine-Tailed Fox
Da Ji, aside from being a BDSM trigger, has one of the most unique kits in the assassin class and one that absolutely shines in Arena. Her burst damage is solid, her chase is reliable, and her ult is one of the best in the game for team fights and setting up team wipes.
Why Da Ji is OP:
- She has reliable burst damage. Da Ji’s passive, Torture Blades, and her 1, Horrible Burns, both inflict devastating DoT with a simple touch (read: basic attack). And while basic attacks are close range…
- She’s one of the best assassins in the game for closing the gap on a foe. Her 3, Trickster Spirit, is an unmissable teleport to a foe that allows her to follow up with a quick application of her basic attacks and damaging abilities.
- Her ult is simply the (second) best ult in the game for setting up Arena kills. Her ult, Paolao, allows a savvy wielder to snap chains on enemies within a moderate range and yank them into a damaging pillar. If communicated correctly this ability allows a team to dump all their damage into a single spot and potentially wipe even the tankiest team. In other words: 50 Shades of Pain.
5. BARON SAMEDI: GOD OF LIFE AND DEATH (BUT MOSTLY DEATH)
SMITE - God Reveal - Baron Samedi, God of Life & Death
Baron Samedi brings life to the Arena party in arguably the most stylish way. While not the safest god in the game he is rather unique among the mage class for being able to be built with damage, tankiness, or anything in between. His kit, no matter how built, has several specific strengths in the Arena game mode.
Why Baron Samedi is OP:
- His 2, Consign Spirits, is one of the most influential team fight abilities in the game. When it hits an enemy god, made all the easier when paired with his 3 (Wrap It Up), a root, it not only deals damage but provides a significant heal and speed boost to any allies nearby. Just one of these benefits is enough to turn a neck and neck team fight but the two combined are simply deadly in any coordinated fight, and in Arena, that’s the name of the game.
- His ult, Life of the Party, is a wide cone physical displacement ability. By now, unless you’ve been skimming (shame on you), you’ve realized the importance of physically displacing enemies in this game mode. Baron’s ult can be twisted and spread to disrupt and pull a whole team or just one particular target which allows for a solid team to mop up stragglers or burst down a problem god on the opposing team.
4. SCYLLA: THE MONSTER (S)MASH
SMITE - God Reveal - Scylla, Horror of the Deep
Scylla, despite her tip of the iceberg appearance, lives up to the title “Terror of the Deep.” She is one of the safer mages in the game and her kit has damage oozing from every pore. Any wizened SMITE player must take note of an enemy Scylla even in a noob’s hands since getting hit by any of her kit is like stumbling in front of an eighteen-wheeler.
Why Scylla is OP:
- A solid escape. Scylla’s 3, Sentinel, allows her to quickly jump to a target location in relative safety and has a long enough range that if executed properly should allow an untouched return to the fountain.
- Unbelievable damage. Scylla’s 2, Crush, is a large AoE damaging ability that can nearly one shot assassins and mages if built correctly. It’s fast, easy to hit, hard to dodge, and packs one helluva punch for a pint size little girl. Her 1, Sic’ Em, also does reliable damage (on top of a 3-man root). Both of these abilities (and the ult to come) continue to ramp up in power exponentially in the match due to her passive, Quick Learner, which grants a power boost for each ability trained to its max level.
- Her ult is the ultimate snowball. Scylla’s ult, I’m a Monster, as you might guess: reveals her for the monstrosity she is and allows her to strike a moderately large target location for insane damage. This ability, like her 2, is able to one-shot many squishies in the game when maxed out. But here’s the kicker: if she gets a kill with this ability she can then strike again. And again. And again. As many times as she gets a kill she remains in monster form. When paired with excellent CC and a confident aim you could feasibly strike several members of the enemy team and even strike several of tanky gods several times. I have personally snowballed this ability into several pentakills within the walls of the Arena.
3. ZEUS: FRAGILE MASCULINITY
SMITE - God Reveal - Zeus, God of the Sky
Zeus is known far and wide as perhaps the horniest deity in human history and although his exploits in the carnal arts do not take the forefront in SMITE he is still quite potent. Experienced gamers may be familiar with the term “Glass Cannon” and those that are not need look no further than the God of the Sky himself. A glass cannon is a character who is built for damage, pure and simple, but is weak as glass. No god in the game can dish out a more devastating wave of damage than Zeus. Despite being perhaps one of the most vulnerable in the game his damage potential in Arena so far outweighs the risk that its worth building a team around.
Why Zeus is OP:
Damage. That’s it.
- As stated previously burst damage is the name of the game and no god can apply it more easily or reliably than zeus. His 2, Chain Lightning, automatically spreads deadly charges to all nearby enemies when you hit a target. His 3, Detonate, allows you to then detonate charges built through chain lighting, his auto attacks, or…
- His ult. Zeus’s ult, Lightning Storm, is an immediate target AoE that deals ridiculous damage. All enemies within the range are struck with massive amounts of damage and begin building charges, any unlucky enough to remain within the range are most likely turned to ash. This ult can lead to many a team wipe when paired with reliable setup.
2. ARES: GOD OF WAR, SAY NO MORE
SMITE - God Reveal - Ares, God of War
The God of War needs no introduction. The ancients sought his blessing for favorable outcomes in battle and so too should you. Ares is simply the best setup god in the game for Arena and beyond that a very reliable tank.
Why Ares is OP:
- His passive, Blessed Presence, grants additional power for every aura item he builds. This is highly efficient in Arena since any aura items you build will almost always be benefiting an ally since you are nearly always in their presence.
- His 1, Shackles, while tricky to hit, are a long range lock down that can tee up perfect kills. Any enemy hit is crippled and slowed and therefore unable to escape. A talented Ares can keep an enemy perpetually on a leash for his allies to burst down. This is also useful to prevent slippery gods from escaping to the fountain or for stripping assassins off of your own squishy allies.
- His ult. If this was the only ability in his kit Ares would still rank in the top 10 of this list. His ult, No Escape, auto-hits all enemies in a PBAoE around Ares with chains and several seconds later yanks them to him. This is the best physical displacement ability in the game (it can even yank enemies out of the fountain) and allows for incredible setups and team wipes. It also has a relatively low cooldown which allows you to force enemies to burn their Purification Beads or CC immune ults.
1. THANATOS: I AM BECOME DEATH, AND YOU CAN TOO
SMITE - God Reveal - Thanatos, Hand of Death
Let’s be honest: the real reason any of you queue Arena is to pad your kill stats and who better to deliver mountains of kills than death himself. Thanatos is simply the fastest god in the game and his entire kit is built of blitzkrieg warfare. Strike hard, strike fast, get out. If you’ve been paying any attention to my rambling in this list you’ve gathered those are the key facets of a successful Arena god.
Why Thanatos is OP:
- He is the fastest god in the game. His 2, Scent of Death, is an instant speed stim that can provide up to a 30% movement speed increase (mind you most boots provide +18% movement speed and you feel like a slug without them). BUT if he is approaching an enemy god near his insta-kill (yes insta-kill, we’ll get to that) threshold he can double this speed boost for an eye-bleeding 60% movement increase. If you are bleeding, you will not be escaping the Hand of Death.
- He has potent burst damage. His 1, Death Scythe, while a narrow skill shot, does immense flat damage and a percentage of its target’s health. This means it is viable against squishies and tanks alike. His 3, Soul Reap, while slightly less harmful is nearly impossible to miss (it’s a giant cone) and provides a silence. His 2, if popped, also provide additional penetration for utterly sundering any foe.
- His ultimate allows insta-kill and covers nearly the whole Arena. Thanatos’s ult, Hovering Death, allows you to take to the skies and plummet onto foes and due to the small size of the Arena allows you to chase all but the most evasive gods. If gods are below a certain health threshold they are immediately executed upon being hit (even with Khepri’s blessing on them). If gods are not; it briefly stuns them allowing you to plug an easy Death Scythe into them and likely mop up the kill.
Now, before you start typing an angry, typo-ridden response to this article please read the below list of Honorable Mentions.
These are gods that are, in most people’s opinion (including my own), overtly viable in nearly all facets of the game. The purpose of this list was to specifically note those whose kits had key features that made them highly effective in the Arena game mode. The gods listed below have kits that make them effective no matter where and how they are played:
- Thor
- Athena
- King Arthur
- Ymir
- Neith
- Geb
- Janus
- Merlin
Please note most of these selections were chosen based on hours of my personal experience and in evaluating their win percentage, kills, and overall performance in the Arena game mode.
If you'd like to browse the Arena statistics yourself here is a good resource.Please also note that Arena is much more casual and flexible than some of the other modes in SMITE and is meant to be a fun grab bag where any god can be viable. This makes it fertile grounds for players to test and perfect their personal favorite gods and nearly any god can be made into a hyper-carry in this mode if mastered to the Nth degree. I myself would make you weep if you faced my Nemesis play.
I hope you enjoyed this list and please feel free to provide your feedback.
