Ao Kuang - Pure Power

Howdy everyone...

I have been playing smite since Aug 2012, and play everyday so I got some experience with me.
This build is mainly for Conquest. Have over 500 Games with Ao Kuang when I write this build.

Also I streaming each day at http://www.twitch.tv/lokimadness

This is a long guide that explains in detail about a lot of stuff and why. If you want some short guide go read some other guide.

Skill Priority Order
Spirit's Tempest ==> Tornadoes ==> Squall ==> Slither

Graceful Winds Graceful Winds

Squall Squall
It will take a while before you actually shoot it, So after you press this skill, keep aiming till you see the shot been fired.

Slither Slither

Tornadoes Tornadoes

Spirit's Tempest Spirit's Tempest

These items are really nice starting gear.

Rank 2 - Nice with some Mana reg at start.

Rank 1 - Always nice to have vs some gods with hard ulties, or if you get ganked.
TRUST ME IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE

Two - Always nice to have some health pots for when you take some damage.

And at start help left or right jungle with some camps. Who ever needs the help most.

Stay in lane until you have 750 Gold, usually around level 5. As soon as the enemy creep way comes, kill it ASAP with Spirit's Tempest, and recall to base, upgrade/finish your doom orb, and run back to lane FAST if level 6 use Slither. If you do this well, you will be back in lane before next enemy creep wave comes to your tower.

The sooner you upgrade your gear, the sooner you can grow strong, you should not try and wait as long as you can in lane. Because if you wait longer, that means that the enemy will also have more money.
You should recall when YOU have the gold you want, not later when enemy wants.

First the 5 core items.

Trust me, with this build you will have TWICE the amount of Magical power that the enemy magical player will have. Try this build before you doubt it...

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These items are written in same order as you should buy them.

- Perfect starting item its really cheap and it has Mp5 (Mana reg) what makes you stay in lane a lot longer.

- This is usually all the magical penetration you will need.

Warlock's Sash - Life, Mana and Magical Power, all the things you need.

- One of the most powerful items you can get on Ao Kuang.

- 25% Extra Magical power... Its best item in game for most magical user.

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Warlock's Sash or before the other one ?
Book of Thoth give you Mana Regain. So if you are running out of mana fast then get this item before sash. If you are oki with mana get Warlock Sash instead, since it has a max of 100 stacks.


Then you have one/two spot open for other things. If you are facing hard Physical Carry on enemy team, then get , if you HAVE to get some magical def then get Magi's Blessing. Personally I never get Magi's blessing, but if you feel like you MUST get something, then that is the probably the best option by far.

Here is the list over the best gear you can complete your build with, besides the core item written earlier.

- Physical Protection
It is by far the best physical defense item you can get on Ao Kuang. Also 550 Mana ==> Graceful Winds

Magi's Blessing - Magical Protection
Prob the best choice of magical protection for Ao Kuang. The passive on this item is so damn good. Since this item also gives 350 Mana ==> Graceful Winds

- Extra Slow
I used to always run this item when I played Ao Kuang, since it does add a slow on all your damage spells. But since Squall already does a slow, it is not that needed. And other gear is more worth the item slot. But still worth thinking about.

- Magical Penetration
Same here, I used to always run this item. But since the boots give you all the Magical Penetration you will need. Think of it like this, the carry on enemy team will not buy magical protection, mainly only the tanks will buy magical protection, and you are not meant to try and take down your attacks on the tanks anyway so why buy this gear ???

- Extra HP
Works really nice with Warlock Sash, and its a nice boost of Health if you would need it.

- Auto Attack Damage
Makes you auto attack do A LOT of damage after use of any spell, personally don't use it, but could be nice. Should put it to some test someday...

Winged Wand - Problems with CC ?
Prior to the huge boots patch change, I used to use Winged Wand, and never buy boots. But after the patch boots are so nice, but if you are against a heavy CC team, then this item could be worth getting. Facing Poseidon? Then get this Wand, it works really nice vs Poseidon whirlpool.

At level 4 and level 8 you should not place you skill point but rather save it to level 5 and 9.

Because once you hit level 5 you can choice between placing one point in either your Tornadoes level 3 or Spirit's Tempest level 1. Both are really nice, but if you save your point from level 4 then you can place one point in level 3 Tornado AND one point in Spirit's Tempest (ultimate).

Same dilemma is preventing itself at level 9, and that is why you save the point from level 8.

This works on all champs, and not only Ao Kuang.
(Now up vote this build and come say thx on my stream)

Be mana conservative. If you are new, sure get Meditation, but is not a good build. Learn to save mana and have money for other things and have the option to get something else.

Use only one Tornadoes per creep wave. A level 2 Tornado if placed well will kill the 3 archers.

Do not fall into the trap of attacking enemy with a lot of Squall, save your mana. It is better to stay in lane longer and gain XP. The damage the Squall does early game is usually not worth it.

There is two ways to do this, aggressive or defensive.

Aggressive Play style
Learn the location where the Archers stop, this is about the same place where the enemy comes out from the red buff into the lane. That is the location where the archers stop to fight your creep wave. If you know this location place the tornadoes there just as the 1st melee creep is about to enters that location.


Defensive Play style
Let enemy kill your creeps and just place the tornado so all enemy creeps passes through the tornadoes and get the DOT on them.

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And always, when you are about to place the Tornadoes on the creep waves, try to get the enemy player also in the tornado, get there HP down...

The area of the Tornadoesis so large that you can make it max to one side and still its gonna place DOTS on the creep waves.

So use this to zone out the enemy player, another tip is to let there just be amount of space so he can squeeze through on one side, and be ready to hit him with your Squall skill, either he takes the hit or sidesteps into the Tornadoes, or both.

Ao Kuang is extreamly strong in jungle, never forget that.


Tight narrow paths are extreamly nice for Tornadoes placements and mainly Ao Kuangs ulti. Learn how to place your Spirit's Tempest ultimate and you will turn around most team fights to your favor. Dont use ulti at "pointless" things that enemy can see coming. Learn to use them in team fights, where A LOT of spells is going down at one time and they wont hear/see the dragon coming.


Often enemy team attack you, place a Tornadoes where you stand, and run in one direction, either enemy follows you or he dosn´t. If he follows, then just do a turn around and run through the tornado to the other side, then turn around and attack with Squall. And enemy usually dies or give up chasing. If needed just do Slither and you are safe.


Another trick if you need to save your *** because someone is close to you doing melee damage. Place a Tornadoes on the ground, turn and run towards safety/your base, then place your ultimate Spirit's Tempest in the path you gonna try and escape, then hit Slither and run towards base. People are often to greedy and follows, gets hit by your ulti. This does VERY often kill the enemy. Also if you have Health that you feel safe, if so, turn around do a well placed Squall on them and see them die.

Graceful WindsAo Kuangs passive skill is often forgotten by many players.
Graceful Winds = Increases magical power by 5% of maximum mana. And if you get then its a total of 8% of you mana is converted to Magical Power.

This means any item that gives you mana, also gives you extra magical power, for example Breastplate of Valor's 550 mana gives you an extra 27.5 Magical power.

AP = Ability Power/Magical Power (with Book of Thoth)

Listed good items that give mana.
- 200 Mana = +10 AP (+16 AP)
- 250 Mana = +12,5 AP (+20 PA)
- 250 Mana = +12,5 AP (+20 PA)
- 300 Mana = +15 AP (+24 PA)
Magi's Blessing - 350 Mana = +17,5 AP (+28 PA)
Warlock's Sash - 400 Mana = +20 AP (+32 PA)
- 550 Mana = +27,5 AP (+44 PA)
- 625 Mana = +31,25 AP (+50 PA)

Here Im gonna list gear that I see other build suggest and why I think they are really bad for Ao Kuang.

- Terrible!
You are not in the middle of the fight and that means the "Magical resistance reduction by enemy close to you" will usually not happen that often. And in other words you pay full price for some gear and only use half of it = Really bad investment.

- Breastplate of Valor is better.
Some people want CD reduction when playing Ao Kuang, that is nice, but Breastplate of Valor gives the same amount of CD reduction and get tons of armor at the same time. And also the 550 Mana also gives you more Magical Power. So get instead it does the job a lot better. Even if you are not meant to take damage, there will always be times when you will get attack.

Meditation - Only for noobs
If you are new to the game and you cant learn to play mana conservative, then sure get it, otherwise there is always better active gear to get.

- DO NOT SELL DOOM ORB !!!
Do not sell Doom Orb, unless all other slots are taken. This item gives Ao Kuang 50 Magical Power without any stacks. If you sell the item you are not gonna gain more then 50 Magical power for that amount of money. So ONLY sell this item endgame when all other slots are full and you need a new 6th item, that will be better.

Ao Kuang is not the god that will get tons of kill early game.

He just farms and is really strong midgame / lategame.

Nieth 100% HP, Ao Kuands ulti one shots her, doing 2065 Damage. Play Video

(Now upvote this build and come say hi on my stream)

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Also I streaming each day at http://www.twitch.tv/lokimadness
Also stream on http://www.twitch.tv/smitefire 3h on weekdays.