There are five classes in SMITE and you can master them all.
The gods may greedily want as much individual worship as they can get but on the “battlefield of the gods” they must know their place if they want to taste victory. SMITE, like all MOBAs, is a game heavily dependent on teamwork and on knowing and properly executing the duties of the five main roles. While players in casual matches can sometimes specialize in a single specific role or god and carry their team to an enemy surrender, true success in SMITE, especially at higher levels of play (like ranked), comes from knowing how to play each role and be competent in at least a handful of effective gods for those roles. If you are looking for the strongest gods in each of these classes, look no further. The gods listed below, if selected and mastered, can give you a significant advantage in nearly any Conquest match with nearly any team composition.
These rankings are primarily based on the core mechanics of the gods’ kits, putting less emphasis on the current item meta and balances. The intent of this is to provide a list of gods that are strong and relevant for a long period of time. Items are balanced in every patch added to the game while god balancing is usually centered around tweaking some numbers without dramatically altering the mechanics of their abilities. Please also note that each class of characters is being evaluated against their standard role for the purpose of this list. This means mages are evaluated as mid-laners, assassins as junglers, hunters as ADCs, warriors as solo-laners, and guardians as supports.
MAGES: WHY DON’T YOU JUST MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE?
3. DISCORDIA: CHAOS UNLEASHED
SMITE - God Reveal - Discordia, Goddess of Strife
In a game where coordinated teamwork is tantamount to success few things are as effective as sowing chaos in your enemies’ ranks. No goddess in the game creates as much chaos as the Goddess of Discord herself. She’s elusive, can make you hit your own allies, and even make you spew toxic taunt’s at your own team (one of the funnier aspects of this game). And before you get your bearing back she hammers you with unreal damage.
Why Discordia is OP:
- Her damage is incredible, confirmable, and consistent. Her 1, Unruly Magic, is a wide range high damage ball cast in front of her that can be smoothly paired with her 2, Strife, which is in turn an easy-to-hit damaging root that can hit multiple gods. The combo of these two abilities can do up to 555 base damage and 145% of your total magical power making it one of the deadliest combos in the game. Also her ult, Apple of Discord, is a long range high damage orb that will ricochet off walls until it hits an enemy god or disappears.
- Her crowd control is insanely disruptive and can ruin a coordinated team fight. Her 2 is a large rectangular blast that, if it hits multiple enemies, literally turns them against each other, forcing allies to face and throw auto attacks at one another for a full second. When an enemy is tagged with her ult they are stuck running erratically and actually flooding their teams audio with taunts and jeers. On top of this when the ult explodes it will pass to any nearby enemies and cause them to do the same. Both of these abilities are massively disruptive in the midst of a pitched team fight and can cause all kinds of chaos.
- Beyond standard cooldown reduction she can bring her abilities to bear quicker than most gods in the game. Her 3, Erratic Behavior, aside from being a solid escape and stealth ability allows her to rapidly regenerate her 1 and 2 while standing within the circle it creates. This allows her to continuously throw disruption and damage unless killed or forced from the circle.
2. JANUS: WHEN LIFE CLOSES A DOOR, OPEN A PORTAL
SMITE - God Reveal - Janus, God of Portals & Transitions
Janus is broken. The term “broken” gets tossed around a lot when discussing video games, usually by salty players who just got stomped by a better team (guilty), and is often interchanged for overpowered. But broken in the realm of video games more accurately refers to a mechanic or aspect that goes outside the normal parameters of the game. The mechanics of Janus’s portals are completely outside the normal ways of movement found everywhere else in SMITE. It allows unexpected and hard to counter methods of transportation about the map and while you’re busy trying to track his movements… he absolutely eats your lunch.
Why Janus is OP:
- His damage scaling is unparalleled. His passive, Passages, provides 15% magical scaling whenever he passes through a portal or his 3, Threshold. If an enemy crosses over his 3 they are marked and when next hit by one of Janus’s abilities they take up to 60% increased scaling on that ability as a separate damage tick. That means that a highly skilled Janus player, with his passive activated and an enemy marked by Threshold, could hit an enemy god with both vortexes on his 2 and beyond the base damage they would take a cumulative 167% of Janus’s current magical power.
- His base damage is confirmable and massive. His 2, Unstable Vortex, blasts forth two swaying vortexes that hit very hard and if aimed correctly can double hit at half the abilities distance or at its full distance. Although the targeter for this ability looks difficult once you get used to the speed of the activation you can begin reliably hitting. His ultimate, Through Space and Time, is a global, straight-line, blast of energy that deals devastating damage. This ability is great for sniping fleeing enemies or even sending a surprise attack across the map to help an ally. Oh and his ult scales another 100% of his magical power at distances over 800 units.
- His portals are game breaking. The utility of his 1, Portal, and those created along the path of his ultimate is unmatched in SMITE. Janus can use his Portal ability to catch an enemy, escape through a wall, dodge an attack by dropping through himself, or even create an escape route for an endangered ally. His ultimate rips a pathway of portals through any walls it encounters and allows any teammates to pass through at least once. This can allow a Janus to transport his entire team across the map in nearly the blink of an eye.
1. PERSEPHONE: ALL HAIL THE QUEEN
SMITE - God Reveal - Persephone, Queen of the Underworld
Persephone is, without a doubt, the god with the most bloated kit in SMITE. What I mean by “bloat” is that her kit does wayyy too many things. Because of this, I personally believe she is ripe for a nerf, however; even if some of her functions are stripped away she still has plenty of capability and will likely always remain a relevant Mage. She is most likely the most difficult goddesses in the game to master as she requires excellent map and cooldown awareness and intimate knowledge of the functionality of the many facets of her kit. But, in the hands of someone who truly understands how to utilize her kit she can almost guarantee a victory for any team she is on.
Why Persephone is OP:
- She brings death from beyond the grave. Her passive, Pomegranate Seeds, allows her to pick up seeds from her other abilities and when she has enough seeds accumulated if she is killed she remains on the battlefield for an extra 5 seconds. This is particularly powerful as even if she is focused and bursted down in a team fight, which she should be due to how dangerous she is, she can then remain in the fight for another 5s and continue to drop all kinds of damage on the enemy team.
- Her 1, Bone Rush, does high damage, has a long range, and can be shot through walls. Although it has a narrow targeter Bone Rush rewards a skilled shooter with having high confirmable damage, great wave clear, and in placing a skull on the map. Which leads me to my next point…
- Her 2, Harvest, is one of the most overwhelming and devastating abilities in the game. Persephone can plant skulls on the map with this ability (or through her 1) that she can then activate through her auto attacks or her jump. The skulls do the following things:
- At beginning level they heal her when activated
- At their second level they explode dealing significant AoE damage
- At their third level they turn into unkillable stalking plants that run to the nearest god and chomp them for even greater damage
- Her 3, Flourish, not only allows her to jump forward or away from danger but it activates and levels up any skulls planted nearby. A well seeded garden of skulls can turn into a murderfield for an enemy team if Persephone jumps and activates them.
- Her ult, Grasp of Death, allows her to shoot a tangle of vines that will travel until it hits an enemy god or a wall and then will explode vines outward damaging and ensnaring all nearby enemies. This has a massive AoE and can serve to lock down entire teams, either forcing beads or CC-immune ults or causing a teamwipe.
ASSASSINS: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
3. SUSANO: HERO OF THE STORM
SMITE - God Reveal - Susano, God of the Summer Storm
Susano is hands down one of the most frustrating junglers to face in a Conquest match. He sticks to you better than most gods but he’s also impossible to catch. His kit allows him to zip in and out, drop devastating damage, and never let a kill escape. He deals high damage, has great mobility, and has a surprising amount of CC for an assassin. Many a keyboard has met its demise beneath the furious fists of the player who is repeatedly ganked by a skilled Susano.
Why Susano is OP:
- He clings to you. Susano’s 1, Storm Kata, comes in three sequential damaging forms: a cone attack, a PBAoE, and a dash. Between any of these he can auto-attack and cycle back to the next ability. This lets a skilled Susano hit you several times then dash after you when you attempt to escape. Should you escape his immediate range his 2, Wind Siphon, allows him to yank you back to him with a relatively long range and easy to hit target cone. If by some miracle you evade him through both of these abilities he still has his 3, Jet Stream, in his back pocket. This ability allows him to jump to a target location or whatever god has been hit by the ability. It is damn near impossible to flee from this god.
- He has many modes of damage, and they all hurt. As mentioned before his 1 can hit you 3 times (up to 350+125% of your physical power). His 2, though primarily a pull, also deals mild damage (up to 180+60% of your physical power). His 3 clings to you dealing DoT (up to 240+100% of your physical power). And his ult, Typhoon, which is a large tornado that he charge then launches forward can utterly flatten an entire enemy team (up to 475+125% of your physical power). And due to the aforementioned clinginess of an overprotective significant other he can pepper you with auto-attacks between his punishing abilities.
- His CC and movement are frustrating to face. He has a slow, a knock up and a pull which he can employ to continually disrupt an enemy team. Built right into his kit is both a dash and a blink where most gods find themselves lucky to have just a single movement ability. His evasiveness causes many a missed skillshot.
2. THOR: LET’S GET HAMMERED?
SMITE - God Reveal - Thor, God of Thunder
Thor has been a quintessential jungler since SMITE’s launch. While god kits have gone further and further afield as the game has pushed well over the 100 god mark Thor’s kit is almost an artifact of the game’s humble origins. It is simple, it is effective, and it is powerful. Thor is perhaps one of the most well-represented gods in all of modern culture and he is almost universally depicted as a thick-skulled bruiser and in SMITE he does not disappoint. The mechanics of Thor’s kit will always be relevant no matter how the game is balanced and are very unlikely to change due to him being a flagship character.
Why Thor is OP:
- He has some of the best mobility in the game and it is particularly suited to ganking. Thor’s 1, Mjolnir’s Attunement, beyond being a very powerful offensive attack, allows him to throw his hammer and, if reactivated, teleport to its location. Due to the Mjolnir’s long range he can jump quite a distance nearly instantly, teleport through walls, and immediately close the gap on an enemy god who he has struck with the hammer. Thor’s ult, Anvil of Dawn, is the ultimate ganking ult. When activated Thor rockets into the sky and can then choose a target location anywhere within a very long range to come crashing to the earth. This ult allows for incredible surprise attacks, as enemies are not often looking at the sky, and also allows him to travel great distances across the map in a very short period of time.
- His damage is very high and longer ranged than most assassins. His 1, as mentioned above, though it has a narrow targeter has a very long range and deals 3x damage if you strike an enemy god with it twice on the same throw. This allows Thor players with excellent aim to blow up any fleeing enemy god. Similarly his ult also deals devastating damage with an extreme range. And both of these abilities can let Thor rapidly close the gap to deal the rest of his damage in his 3, Beserker’s Barrage. This ability is a PBAoE hammer spin that deals incredible damage to any enemies in close proximity to Thor. Lastly Thor’s passive, Warrior’s Madness, gives him bonus physical power when close to enemy gods which lends him additional punch for his 3 and his auto-attacks.
- His CC is game-changing and incredibly potent in both team fights and 1 on 1’s. Thor’s 2, Tectonic Rift, is perhaps the most underrated part of his kit to new players but it is the glue that holds the rest of his kit together and escalates him to the upper levels of assassin play. Thor’s 2 allows him to slam the ground and create a long, impassable wall that stuns any enemy that it strikes. This is a quick-activation stun that can stop enemies mid-ability or escape but it also allows Thor to control enemy movement by putting a barrier between them and allies or an escape path. A canny Thor can use this to save allies, split an enemy team, and even funnel enemies into certain death.
1. 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 is built to excel in the jungling role. Her jungle clear is fast, her gank and chase is reliable, and her ult is one of the best in the game for team fights or escaping.
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: auto-attack). And even though auto 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 very hard to escape and is great in pitched team fights. 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. Oh and even if you don’t pull off a team yank this ability is great for burning enemy Purification Beads or for providing a safe escape.
HUTNERS: CARRY ON MY WAYWARD GODS
3. IZANAMI: ZOMBIE BOOMERANGS FTW
SMITE - God Reveal - Izanami, Matron of the Dead
Izanami has one of the more unique designs of the Hunter class and the facets of her kit make her very relevant at all stages of the game and particularly the laning phase. Due to the unique nature of her auto-attacks she can utterly out push most other hunters in lane and causes enemy teams to shift more of their Jungler’s focus to assist their duo lane. She is a very fun god to play and one that, if mastered, can tip the scales in your favor in almost any Conquest match.
Why Izanami is OP:
- Her auto-attack mechanic is difficult to evade. Unlike every other god in SMITE, Izanami's auto-attacks shoot out and return to her like deadly boomerangs. They pass through any targets in their way making body blocking impossible when facing her and allowing her to shred all the minions in a wave at the same time. This allows her to outpush most other Hunters and nullifies a tank’s ability to body block incoming damage to their weaker teammates or structures.
- She’s even slipperier than Rama. Her 3, Fade Away, is one of the better movement abilities in the game. Although it has a long activation time (relative to movement abilities) it allows her to jump to a target location and become stealthed. This allows her to have some of the safer escapes in the game and set up for some of the most devastating ganks as it pairs well with her burst damage.
- Her burst damage comes with strings. Her 2, Spectral Projection, is a wide, long, skill shot that deals significant damage and slows her target. This slow becomes heavier and heavier for each enemy she kills in the match while slowed. Her ult, Dark Portal, is a large diameter circle that deals heavy damage and silences an enemies hit, leaving them extremely vulnerable to further damage. Both of these abilities become even easier to hit when approaching enemies while stealthed. This allows her to have some of the most devastating and confirmable damage in the game.
2. HOU YI: BEWARE THE MARK OF THE GOLDEN CROW
SMITE - God Reveal - Defender of the Earth
Hou Yi, as stated in the Arena power rankings, is one of the top gods in all of SMITE, in particular due to his significant presence in team fights. He deals very heavy burst damage, is a very safe duo laner, and has ample crowd control. In the hands of a skilled ADC player he can sway the tide of nearly every team fight and snowball during the laning phase.
Why Hou Yi is OP:
- He has one of the best escapes in the game. His 3, Dive Bomb, allows him to quickly leap into the air, assess a situation, and dive to a target location. He can use this to dodge incoming damage, flee over walls, or chase kills. When coupled with his 2, Mark of the Golden Crow, he can knockback enemies in the landing zone.
- He has devastating burst damage. His 1, Ricochet, and primary damage dealing ability is a straight line ability that can rapidly clear a minion wave and deal significant god damage but it can also be shot to rebound off walls or other geometry gaining additional damage for each ricochet. This ability is lethal in the tight confines of parts of the Conquest jungle as it can pass through enemy gods allowing them to be struck multiple times. A perfectly aimed (and lucky) shot could feasibly do almost 1200 damage + 127% of your physical power on an unlucky enemy. When coupled with his 2, Mark of the Golden Crow, it will stun an enemy hit. His ult, Sunbreaker, is as awesome as its name suggests and is perhaps one of the most damaging team fight ults in the game. Hou Yi can select a huge target area and bombard it with suns that deal upwards of 1000+ base damage to any enemies in the range long enough. Enemies marked with his 2, Mark of the Golden Crow, are slowed and thus end up typically taking additional hits.
1. HEIMDALLR: ALL-SEEING, ALL-KILLING
SMITE - God Reveal - Heimdallr, the Vigilant
Heimdallr is one of the most dominant Hunters ever introduced to SMITE. Even after almost 10 rounds of developers nerfing his kit he still sits head and shoulders above all other hunters. His answer to any situation or threat is damage, damage, damage, and more damage in true ADC fashion. And, due to the design of his kit incorporating a lot of vision, he avoids one of the greatest weaknesses of Hunters: vulnerability since, if played right, he can detect enemies well before they can cause him harm.
Why Heimdallr is the best Hunter:
- He has significant built in vision. One of the greatest weaknesses of Hunters/ADCs is their susceptibility to being ganked by enemy junglers and rotations. One great counter to this is buying wards and placing them in the jungle to allow warning of incoming ganks but Heimdallr has significant warding built right in. Due to his passive, the Vigilant, he continues to see enemy gods on the map for 4s after they would normally pass out of sight, whether that be moving behind a barrier, stepping out of a warded area, or stealthing. His 1, Piercing Sight, allows him to throw his sword in the air and reveal a large area underneath where it is cast. This allows a wary player to throw the sword over his nearby jungle during each casting and potentially detect incoming enemies. Lastly his 3, the Bifrost, allows him to place two Bifrost beacons which, although they can also allow travel between, are more tactically put to use as a signal tripwire. Any enemies that pass across the line between his two beacons are revealed to Heimdallr. A savvy ADC player will place these across avenues in his nearby jungle.
- Damage. That’s it.
- Heimdallr’s auto attacks are slow but very damaging, hitting for 1.25/1.25/1.5x damage of a standard auto attack with the first two dealing AoE damage when they strike. This allows for quick lane clear and punishing boxing matches so long as you hit the slowly-timed shots.
- His 1 allows him to launch the revealing sword to a target location up to a very long range and although slow to hit can cause devastating damage (310+85% of your physical power)
- His 2, the Gjallarhorn, is a long range cone ability that ticks 5x and ends with a knockback blast. If you hit everything on this ability it can deal insane damage (370+180% of your physical power). It is also key to note that while enemies that are hit are slowed, Heimdallr is not and it has a range just longer than the standard auto-attack range in SMITE. This means against an enemy ADC you can apply much of this damage from outside their range.
- His ult, Through the Realms, is one of the most damaging abilities in the game. Heimdallr dashes forward and smacks an enemy into a portal to the Norse realms. As long as you hit the dash the ability deals ludicrous damage (830+145% of your physical power). It also reveals where the enemy will land upon returning allowing you to prepare any of your previously mentioned high damage abilities for a vulnerable enemy, if they are still alive (which most of the time they won’t be). The ult can also be used to dash to safety or, for the quick fingered, can be flicked to place the return location backwards towards your teammates or your own towerline.
WARRIORS: COME OUT TO PLAY-Y-Y-Y
3. HERCULES: BULLY OF ROME
SMITE - God Reveal - Hercule, 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.
2. KING ARTHUR: HAIL TO THE KING
SMITE - God Reveal - King Arthur, Weilder of Excalibur
King Arthur is perhaps the most well known legendary figure in human history. Whether he was a real figure, a national myth, or something in between what is undisputed is his dominance in SMITE. Paired as a release with Merlin to ring in SMITE’s 100th god release Arthur lives up to the hype and ceremony by delivering a god who brings a non-stop onslaught of damage and disruption. Due to the design of King Arthur’s kit he essentially has double the amount of abilities of most gods in the game and expert use of these abilities can overwhelm an entire team. You do not want to be on the receiving end of Excalibur.
Why King Arthur is OP:
- Overwhelming damage. As mentioned above due to his passive, Steadfast, all of Arthur’s abilities have two forms and are designed to be combo’d together in order to feel different than any other god in the game. As a result he has EIGHT damaging abilities (two forms for his 1, 2, 3, and ult). As a secondary result of this he can also draw heavy benefits from items that proc on damage causing abilities (anti-heal items, bonus damage items, items that heal upon dealing damage).
- Overwhelming CC. Among his eight unique abilities he has a cripple, a slow, a protection shred, a stun, and a move that launches an enemy into the sky and holds them there for several seconds. This large amount of CC allows him to utterly shred through a single target or even a full team’s CC immune abilities and beads and allows him to control or affect enemies in a wide area for a long period of time.
- Overwhelming survivability. Due to the design of his kit Arthur is constantly in motion and is therefore inherently hard to target, even his auto-attacks pull him in swings of movement unlike all others in the game. The onslaught of CC also allows him to lock down foes and further evade damage.
1. ACHILLES: HERO OF HEROES
SMITE - God Reveal - Achilles, Hero of the Trojan War
For a figure known far and wide for his greatest weakness, a figure who indeed has part of the human anatomy named after it, Achilles’s sure does not have an “Achilles’s Heel” in SMITE. Achilles is the purest form of a Warrior that has ever been introduced into the game. His kit and play style was designed to feel like the competent, powerful warrior of myth and it succeeds. Whether he is dodging your attacks, harrying your retreat, and bludgeoning you down Achilles makes his presence known as the greatest warrior of myth and pixels.
Why Achilles is OP:
- He has great sustainability. His 2, Radiant Glory, is one of the best Warrior and Solo laner stims in the game. Popping this ability instantly gives him a scaling increase in power, additional protections, and CC reduction allowing him to weather much of the punishment an enemy god may be about to throw his way and return it with a sting. On top of the inherent buff this ability also allows him to heal off any abilities he hits while it is active. This ability therefore allows him to weather damage and recoup any lost health he may have. A skilled Achilles will pop this in response to an enemy offensive or in offense themself to bully the opponent out of lane since you can heal in the midst of pitched combat.
- He can barrage you with damage and evade you at the same time. Achilles, even when built defensively, can deal heavy damage due to the high base damage on his abilities and in his passive, Gift of the Gods, which at max rank grants him 6% movement speed and an automatic 43 physical power (greater than half the physical power items available in the store). His 3, Combat Dodge, is one of the best boxing moves in the game. This ability allows him to dash in any direction and then thrust with his spear and if it hits an enemy god he can dash and thrust again and there is a window between dashes where he can throw out auto-attacks and additional abilities. This allows a talented Achilles to jump in, hit you, dodge your attack, jump back in and skewer you again. Due to his built in movement speed and additional damage he is very hard to escape and punishing to continue fighting.
- His damage is very confirmable. His 1, Shield of Achilles, is a large cone, that if close enough stuns all enemies hit. Not only does this ability deal devastating damage but comes with a significant stun that allows for immediate follow-up damage. His ult, Fatal Strike, beyond being a CC-immune dash for escapes, is the only example of a Warrior with an execution in the game. Executes are highly effective in SMITE as it is a guaranteed kill as long as an enemy is below a certain threshold. This allows removal of tank characters whose last third of health takes precious time to burn through and can even trump Khepri’s resurrection ultimate ability.
GUARDIANS: WE GOT YOUR BACK
1. GEB: SOLID AS A ROCK
SMITE - God Reveal - Geb, God of Earth
Geb is one of the most frustrating gods in the game to play against, and when it comes to Guardians the more frustrating to the enemy they are, the better. He has, without a doubt, one of the most powerful non-ultimate abilities in the game in his shield and he can be extremely disruptive in team fights. Geb is, and always will be, one of the most solid team choices in the game.
Why Geb is OP:
- He is one of the most mobile Guardians in the game. Being tasked with supporting an entire team across a large map is no easy task since often teammates will be spread across it. Due to Geb’s 1, Rollout, he can traverse large segments of the map faster than any other Guardian without the aid of teleport or ultimates.
- He is extraordinarily disruptive. Geb’s 2, Shockwave, and his ult, Cataclysm, are fast activation, hard-to-miss, large area hard CC abilities. They knock-up and stun respectively and though they do not deal much damage they are excellent at stopping enemy gods in their track or prematurely terminating channeled abilities. They are particularly useful when defending or attempting to steal objectives on the map as they can cause a momentary disruption in the enemy team’s damage output.
- The shield. This could be Geb’s only ability and he would still be relevant. Geb’s 3, Stone Shield, is a long range shield he can instantly place on an ally or himself that not only provides a massive bonus health pool (in the form of a shield) but also cleanses them of any status effects such as stuns or mesmerizes. This can effectively save a teammate from certain death and turn the tide of a pitched teamfight by keeping a damage dealer in the fight or drawing out enemy abilities.
2. ATHENA: WITH GREAT WISDOM COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
SMITE - God Reveal - Athena, Goddess of Wisdom
Unless her kit is majorly reworked (which is highly unlikely) Athena will always be one of the best gods in SMITE and certainly one of, if not, the best Guardian in the game. She is the quintessential support with a kit built around bolstering allies and peeling enemies. Although her abilities are straightforward she is one of the more difficult gods to truly master as timing and knowledge of not only your allies kits but the enemy team’s kits are required to make her highly effective, as is befitting the Goddess of Wisdom. However; the more familiar you are with the meta, god kits, and strategy the more exponentially useful Athena becomes.
Why Athena is OP:
- She has the most powerful non-ultimate ability in the game. Athena’s flagship ability is her 2, Taunt, a wide moderate range cone that can taunt enemies into auto attacking her for up to two full seconds. This ability is nearly impossible to miss and is useful for setting up kills, peeling enemies off a weak ally, or interrupting an enemy god mid-fight. It can pull enemies out of position and cancel their escapes if timed perfectly.
- She is near omni-present on the map. Her 1, Preemptive Strike, is a very long range dash that allows her to chase enemies and eat up the long distances of the map very quickly, however her true omnipresence comes in the form of her ult. Athena’s ult, Defender of Olympus, allows her to jump to any ally on the map and slam to their defense. This amount of movement is very potent on a large map and when coordinated properly can set up a perfect gank or save a troubled ally. Athena’s ability to rapidly defend and support allies across the map makes her one of the most effective supports in the game.
1. YEMOJA: DON’T MESS WITH A RIVER
SMITE - God Reveal - Yemoja, Goddess of Rivers
Yemoja is currently the most broken goddess in SMITE. By broken I do not just mean overpowered but actually in the sense that she breaks the commons norms and playstyles of the game. Her abilities are very powerful in creating CC, healing allies, moving players about the map, and in dealing damage and she essentially has no cooldowns. If you want to assure victory for your team mastering and playing this god is almost a free ride, though that is why she is banned in nearly every competitive or ranked match.
Why Yemoja is OP:
- She has devastating crowd control. The second form of Yemoja’s 1, Moonstrike, is a moderate range, easy-to-hit, stun. Because its targeter is a moderately sized circle it can stun multiple enemy gods and halt them in their tracks. Her ult, River’s Rebuke creates two massive, impassable walls of water that can trap enemies in tight quarters and prevent escape or chase. If aimed correctly this ability can funnel entire teams and lock them out of defending objectives or escaping to safety while Yemoja and her allies can pass freely into and out of it.
- She is great at keeping allies alive. Yemoja’s auto-attacks if shot at an ally provide healing which means while sitting in lane or between fights she can constantly be trickling health back to her allies with absolutely no mana cost. Her 2, Mending Waters, also is a ranged shot that will heal and provide a shield to any allies his. This essentially allows her to have a Shell ability in her back pocket with a much shorter cooldown.
- Few other gods can match her ability to move players. Yemoja’s 3, Riptide, while it may appear unassuming can be highly impactful over the course of a match. It can be spammed to rapidly move herself and allies about the map and even, if placed perfectly at max range, launch enemy players toward Yemoja and her teammates for an ambush.
- Omi. Yemoja’s omi system takes what is already a very potent kit for a support role and utterly breaks the game. Instead of consuming mana like every other god in the game, Yemoja consumes omi when she casts an ability (aside from her ult). She has up to 10 omi that are consumed when casting abilities but otherwise this is the only limit on her abilities. Her abilities have no cooldown (again aside from her ult) and can be cast instantly as many times as she likes as long as she has omi to spare. That means she can cast multiple stuns, heals, or team movement abilities in extraordinarily short order. Due to this she is impossible to counter and very hard to plan against as you cannot rely on any of her abilities being on cooldown.
Because SMITE is a game that requires both excellent team coordination and excellent understanding of the roles in the game, learning all roles and mastering a handful of gods in each role is highly recommended. If you ever intend to play at a high level you must understand how each role operates, even if you do not main that role, and be able to competently play it. If you take the time to study the above listed gods and master them within their roles you will become a highly effective SMITE player and see your win percentage (and ranked placement) grow to reflect that.
There are many other relevant gods in each role however the intent of this list was to identify the top performers for each role and detail just why they are so effective. If you notice effective characteristics that these gods have listed that apply to other characters there is a good chance that that character is also highly relevant in Conquest. As always please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.
