Sometimes it is even little changes in your approach how you play the game (tactics) or little adjustments on the mechanics that will boost your performance and ensure the victory.
Even though the following might be perceived as fundamental basics of gameplay they are still not applied by everyone all the time. So let's jump right into it and talk about how to improve.
Positioning (by class/role)
Positioning is a key element in Smite. While some classes can get away with bad positioning from time to time, others will get punished for it immediately. It is important to understand your role in every matchup and adjust yourself accordingly. If you are a warrior and idle behind your mage or hunter you are doing it wrong. As a warrior you want to aim for the enemie's backline (their mages/hunters) whenever possible. Unlike a guardian though you can't "stay in" forever and might need to get out after a couple of hits.
As a guardian you want to be in the enemies face and have an eye on your team at the same time. Most guardians have a variety of "defensive" abilities to protect your team or let the enemies focus you. When playing a guardian you are most likely the player with the largest healthpool and highest protections. Therefore you should be in-between the enemy and your team for most of the time. Body blocking enemy attacks so your team mates don't get hit is very important. Your job is to ensure that the rest of your team can maximize their damage output.
When it comes to damage mages, hunter and assassins are king. Nevertheless they differ in playstyle and effectiveness. As a mage or hunter you want to stay as far away as possible from the enemy while still be in range for all your damaging abilities. This means you will have to adjust your position constantly, because in nine out of ten times a team fight scenario is not stationary. Often players fixate on the closest target even if it is the enemy guardian or warrior. IF these players have low HP or a call to focus them instead has been made it is allright. But in general, your target should be the enemie's assassin, hunter and mage because those have a) the highest damage output and b) are usually the most squishy ones. Now if you are playing an assassin you can't stay on maximum range because you are a melee and need close combat in most cases. Keeping in mind that you have one of the lowest healthpools and always need an exit strategy will help you survive much longer. Playing an assassin is all about timing and opportunities. When you jump into the fight at the wrong moment you might get destroyed in no time. Patience is a virtue and one of the most important skills to master as an assassin. Spotting those low HP enemies and secure the kill with a final strike is where you shine.
I hope you enjoyed the little excerpt and and maybe someone of you finds it helpful.
For practical examples check out my Smite A-Z gameplay videos on YouTube
Best
Bensky
But I kinda wanna go back to play conquest again, maybe it changed a bit - if any of you guys wanna duo queue at one point let me know
Anyway, another question would be...at what stage are you referring to (e.g. start, early, mid, late?), and for what role?
For starting process, you can refer to the Conquest guide...each role's chapter details normal processes. As for the rest of the match, there are tips laid out, if you don't mind reading.
@Bensky, what times do you normally play? And do you only duo-queue, or are you open to larger groups as well? Just asking so people know your preference and availability.
In terms of the match itself, I feel like I'm the one who doesn't know what they're doing in terms of actual gameplay. I feel lost in the start, early, and mid game. In a perfect world, I prefer to be Support or Carry, but I'm okay with playing Solo too.
I know Solo Lane typically starts in the Lane, but what about Support and Carry? I've seen people start both in Lane or at Buffs. I am frequently late with Rotations, and don't when it's optimal for me to leave the Duo Lane to allow the Carry to Farm intensely.
I watch a lot of DM, Mast, and Smagann in an attempt to grasp all of what's going on in Conquest, but I just can't seem to apply it when playing. Like I said, I'm poor with Rotating, and when to generally go for Objectives like Gold Fury, and Portal Demon.
I just feel like I get pinged a lot because I'm not confident in my decisions.
So this is my understanding. Yes, you're seeing some start at buffs, and some start in lane. There is no specific meta for this right now, which is the reason for the variance.
Let's say you and the enemy start in Duo lane. If they've got significantly stronger clear, you might see them run past you after they finish their minions...and instead of being aggressive on you, they might head into the Jungle...they might take the two small minions at Purple, or they might even go deeper and attempt to steal the actual red buff. Red buff is usually available because these days, ADCs get them more than Mid-laners (at least depending on situation). Also, the Mid starts in their own lane, and their first priority after wave clear is often mid-camps.
So, if you're in danger of being seriously outcleared, you can start at the red buff, securing it but resigning yourself to losing the first minion wave. But both Support and ADC have to be on the same page there...can't clear on your own, of course.
On the Support rotation side, I talk about that also...many different things may determine optimal first rotation time (where you leave the ADC).
- Enemy Support leaves (not backs)...you should probably follow, make sure they don't go to gank Mid (and ADC should stay safe until wards are up in this situation...you might get baited to Mid, while Support circles back around for a gank on the ADC).
- Enemy Support backs or dies, and the enemy ADC is playing very safe...at this point, go ahead and rotate to give your ADC farm, and you might be able to gank Mid.
- Your ADC has an escape and can easily clear (means they won't lose minions to the wave, and can at least force a stalemate...if the enemy Support stays while you leave, the ADC is splitting farm while your ADC gets everything.
- Your Mid is being pushed hard and really needs the help (and the Jungler's not helping, or they have **** clear).
- Your Mid is winning lane or gets a kill, and you can work on stealing camps together or securing other objectives.
If anyone disagrees, please advise...I think that covers a lot of it, but I'm not the foremost authority...I'm sorta book smart on this more than super-experienced.As for objectives, you obviously never take them by yourself. Usually you go for the more key objectives when you see most enemies are way far away via wards, or you get an outnumbered situation from kills so there's less chance of stealing...or if there was a nearby teamfight, and you guys sent them packing (so they need to heal up) and the objective is right around the corner.
Best
Bensky
At any rate, thanks for the tips!