Bronze to Masters Bacchus - The Non-Supporter's Support

Have you queued ranked conquest since the hard reset, didn't get your role, and are now stuck with support? Or are you a support main who's tired of their team not killing the people you are ccing? Need a god that does the job of a support, jungle, and mid at the same time? Bacchus is probably that god! It's not uncommon to see a Bacchus end the game with more player damage than his carries, and more damage mitigated than his solo laner, at the same time - especially if you build to maximise both sides of the coin.

As for the quick spiel about me, I started playing SMITE in season 3, and have been consistently high masters / grandmasters for the last 5 or so seasons - I've played various amateur competitive tournaments, and I used to judge the SmiteFire guide competition (they didn't ask me back this year).

Bacchus strengths generally lay in all the things you want an aggressive support to do, but he has some downsides too.

+ High base damage on all his abilities
+ Very naturally tanky due to Drunk-O-Meter and Chug
+ Good CC with Belly Flop and Belch of the Gods
+ These, combined with his very distracting visual effects, and the movement alteration in Intoxicate makes him one of the best disrupting gods in the game

- No cc immunity means he can be punished by abilities like No Escape and Paolao (counterplay to this mentioned later)
- Belch of the Gods has a very long windup before its cc that can be cancelled by most hard cc (not knockups)
- Because of this, it's hard to peel gods with knockup immunities like Awilix and Da Ji off of your backline

Here's a quick rundown of all of Bacchus's abilities and their uses/combos:

Drunk-O-Meter

Drunk-O-Meter gives Bacchus progressively stronger buffs the higher you keep the meter. If over 30% bacchus gains 10 power and 5% mitigations passively, and when over 60% he instead gains 30 power and 10% mitigations. The stun on Belch of the Gods and additional slow on Belly Flop is conditional on the meter being over 30%, so it's very important to keep this meter up at all times.

Chug

Chug, primarily, is a button you press when Drunk-O-Meter is getting too low. It has a "rank 0" before you level it for the first time which does nothing but fill the meter by 40%. Once you do eventually level it up, using it also gives you a small power and protections buff, as well as a tiny heal.

Belly Flop

Getting into the meat of the kit now, Belly Flop is a jump which knocks up any enemies you land on. This is your main engagement or peel tool, as well as your mobility option if needed. If you have enough Drunk-O-Meter level (30%), anyone you hit will also be slowed for a short time after they are knocked up.

Belch of the Gods

The other main active part of Bacchus kit, Belch of the Gods is a cone shaped ability that deals damage over time, reduces healing, and obscures vision for any enemies in the area, and then stuns any that are hit by the last tick. This stun is contingent on having enough passive meter (30%), so don't forget to keep it topped up!

Intoxicate

Lastly, Intoxicate, Bacchus's ultimate, hits in a large area around him, dealing damage, giving him some bonus power, and intoxicating enemies - which causes them to swerve around wildly when they try to move for a few seconds. Generally you will use this either at the start of fight for a power boost and disrupt, or at the end of your main combo as a finisher. The bonus power boost will only apply if you have 60% or more on your passive meter.

Level 1-5:

3

>

2

>

2

/

(or)

3

>

2

/

(or)

3

>

4

(3, 2, 2/3, 2/3, 4)

Maxing Order:

4

>

2

/

(or)

3

>

2

/

(or)

3

>

1

(4>2/3>2/3>1)

So Do I Max 2 or 3 First?

This depends on how easily the enemy team can cancel Belch of the Gods. Enemy team has a Nox, Ganesha, and Agni? Max Belly Flop first. Enemy team has very little hard cc outside of knockups? Max Belch of the Gods first. This'll take a little figuring out, but maxing Belly Flop first is never inherently wrong as a starting point (and they are only ever 1 level apart anyway!)
Just make sure you start with Belch of the Gods first at level 1 as it is much better for level 1 camp clear.

Ideal / Close Range Combo:

3

>

Auto Attack

>

2

>

Auto Attack

>

4

>

Auto Attack

(3 > AA > 2 > AA > 4 > AA)

This is the ideal combo to use if you are within Belch of the Gods range to start with due to how DR (Diminishing Returns) works - this is too complex to explain here, but essentially the combo will cc someone for longer if done in this order.

Initiation / Long Range Combo:

2

>

Auto Attack

>

3

>

Auto Attack

>

4

>

Auto Attack

(2 > AA > 3 > AA > 4 > AA)

If you are not in range of Belch of the Gods when you want to engage on someone, you'll have to jump on them first with Belly Flop. The rest of the combo remains essentially the same.

Either of these combos can be done without Intoxicate if it is on cooldown or not needed.

This build in essence boils down to cramming as much damage as you can into a build that is still full protections. You forgo some auras in exchange for a lot more proc damage and utility in the form of an extra slow and protection shred.

War Flag and Horrific Emblem provide you with a lot of pressure in lane early, as well as good kill potential if you can catch the opposing lane off guard with the slow from Horrific Emblem.

Prophetic Cloak is the aura option of choice for aggressive supports, as it rewards aggression and fighting over sitting and lane and soaking minions like Gauntlet of Thebes would.

Mystical Mail, Reverent Pridwen (from Pridwen), and Void Doumaru are your proc damage and utility items - these provide a lot of supplementary damage to your combos while also providing a lot of protections, health, and a shield when you ult.

Eldritch Dagger (from Relic Dagger) is kind of a filler/default last item, it provides you with more benefits after ulting (protections and ward/stealth vision), as well as extra relic cooldown, but this will likely be the item you swap out if you want a situational item, listed below.

War Banner over Spartan Flag is a little debatable, and you could swap it out if you prefer. War Banner provides a bit more for your team in my opinion, so I lean toward it a little.

Quickly listing the situational items and when you should get each one, as well as what item you would swap out:

Defensive Situational Items:

Absolution

Absolution is the hard counter to your hard counters - in particular Ares and Da Ji. This item cleanses and immunes you and all your teammates around you from any cc after you use your ultimate - including No Escape and Paolao's pulls. It can take a couple of tries to get the timing down, but once you have it this will be your best friend into those matchups. Note - you do need to be able to cast your ultimate to get the immunity, so this won't be helpful into gods like Nox. Get this instead of Void Doumaru if you need it.

Erosion

Erosion is a bit more situational and up to your judgement than Absolution - it's very solid into gods that rely heavily on shields, such as Yemoja, Charon, or Geb. You'll have to use your own judgement here as to whether the shields are enough of a problem to buy this. Get this instead of Eldritch Dagger if you need it.

Mantle of Discord

Mantle of Discord is a "well i'm dying too fast" cure. Struggling not to die early in fights? Probably a useful pickup. It provides almost no benefit for your team, so try to avoid getting this as a crutch item if you can. Get this instead of Eldritch Dagger if you need it.

Shogun's Kusari

Shogun's Kusari is a good pickup pretty much exclusively when your team is very reliant on auto attacks - gods like hunters, Bakasura, Kali, Bellona and the like. Get this instead of Void Doumaru if you need it.

Spectral Armor

Spectral Armor (or armour if you speak proper english), is the crit counter. If the enemy team is running multiple crit items such as Deathbringer and Demon Blade, and you are dying to them too easily, pick this item up for more survivability. Get this instead of Eldritch Dagger if you need it.

Offensive Situational Items:

Divine Ruin

Divine Ruin is the only pure damage item I recommend currently - it's a strong damage item on it's own but it's also super strong against healing and lifesteal focused teams - gods like Aphrodite, Hel, and Anubis for example. Stacking this item with the anti healing on Belch of the Gods and/or Horrific Emblem makes you an anti healing machine in team fights. Get this instead of Eldritch Dagger if you need it.

Archdruid's Fury

Archdruid's Fury adds that litle extra oomph to your combo. If your team isnt following up well off of your cc you can consider picking it up to finish those kills off yourself. You must be auto attacking in your combo to use this item. Get this instead of Eldritch Dagger if you need it.

Stone of Binding

Stone of Binding is a solid option to increase your team's damage generally, although I think it's hard to justify over the other options for this slot. If you really want a little more team damage, pick it up over Eldritch Dagger.

Bacchus has a few different choices of relics, but some I find to be much stronger than others.

Level 1 Relics:

Horrific Emblem

Horrific Emblem is, in my opinion, the single best support relic right now. The slow is super strong and easily secures you kills if the enemy team uses their mobility unwisely, and now it also comes with anti healing and shielding. I don't think there's a single situation where I wouldn't go this relic first on Bacchus.

Sturdy Shard

Sturdy Shard is the only shard you should buy on 90% of supports (notable exception for Yemoja getting Horn Shard) - the aoe protections helps both you and your team massively in fights. You also don't need to worry about utilising it properly, just buy it and you get the benefits passively.

Second Relic Options:

Second relic, however, is a lot more open with a few solid choices.

Heavenly Wings

Heavenly Wings should probably be your "default" second relic - it counters the slow from Horrific Emblem (which the enemy support probably has), as well as any other large slow such as Winds of Shamash or Regurgitate. Also comes with some free bonus attack speed for your team, which never hurts!

Magic Shell

Magic Shell since losing its reinforced upgrade has become a bit of a one trick pony - you buy it if your team is struggling with an enemy wall - most common culprits of this are Odin, Yemoja, and Ymir. No walls? Don't bother.

Purification Beads

Purification Beads is a purely selfish relic, so ideally you don't want to pick it up unless it's strictly necessary. Sadly though, sometimes it is. If enemy cc is causing you lots of trouble, and Absolution isn't enough to save you, you might have to pick this up. Particularly useful against Nox and Fenrir if they are focusing on you.

Shield of Thorns

Shield of Thorns got a rework coming into season 11, and I think it's an interesting choice currently. If you find yourself getting focused by the enemy team when you jump in, you can pick this up for some mitigations and return damage. I think there's potential here, I just haven't had a chance to really try it out.

Blink Rune

Blink Rune is a classic pickup to help supports and junglers engage fights better. Bacchus doesn't really need the help though, as Belly Flop is plenty engage on it's own. You can consider it if you need that extra help getting in there.

I wouldn't even consider picking up Cloak of Meditation, Bracer of Radiance, Sundering Spear, or any other relic not mentioned currently. Possible exception being Divine Barrier which I haven't had a chance to properly test yet, but I'm not optimistic.

This section is going to assume you are playing support in conquest, but some fundamentals will apply to other roles/modes too.

Make sure to use Chug a few times in base, and when waiting for buffs to spawn, so that you stay at the max level of Drunk-O-Meter. At level 1, you and your ADC will be starting on the green and purple buffs. One of you pull one, the other pulls the other (preferably you pull purple, ADC pulls green). Meet all the minions together and hit all of them at once with Belch of the Gods. Try to kill the green buff first, as it heals the other minions around it while alive. Grab the green buff and head to lane. DROP YOUR WARD AT YOUR FEET AS YOU WALK TOWARDS LANE FROM THE BUFFS. Early duo ganks are very common at the moment and this ward will save you many times.

The bottom line here is aggression. Use Belly Flop and Belch of the Gods to hit the wave while also trying to hit the enemy ADC to disrupt their clear at the same time. Starting by jumping on the enemy ADC as the waves meet will cause the enemy minions to run towards you, allowing you to use Belch of the Gods on both them and their minions.

Keep this aggression up during laning phase to give yourself control over the lane, allowing you to take the neutral camps (shield buff is slightly better to get than the naga camp), and possibly look to invade their purple buff when it spawns - just be careful of jungle rotations if you push too far up!

I'm using "mid game" here as a term for the time after your first back, when you have Prophetic Cloak online, until about 20-25 minutes. The classic new / lower level support move here is to follow your mid laner around like a lost puppy for the next 15 minutes - please don't just do this, especially not in season 11!

ADCs are really important at the moment, you should look to try and get yours a lead, so try to play around duo a little longer than you would have last season, I'd stay around duo until around level 8-9. Try to 8==D the enemy ADC so that yours can get a lead - but don't just sit around in duo lane soaking up EXP and gold - pressure the enemy jungle camps and help your ADC secure the neutral farm. This is also a good time to try and get as many physical stacks on your Prophetic Cloak as possible, as normally you will only be able to get magical stacks while around mid lane.

After around level 9, you should start to look to roam more around the map, either rotating to lanes to assist them or try to get a kill, or pressuring enemy jungle camps, like the blue buff in solo lane. Use this time to get your magical Prophetic Cloak stacks from the enemy mid & support too. If you have time, pick up your green buff when it's on the floor - preferred tiki would be blue > green > red > others.

REALLY IMPORTANT: Be around mid lane at 12:00 on the game clock for the beacon! Beacon is one of the most common objectives for people to just forget to be on time for - don't make the same mistake! Beacon control is a great way to build a lead mid game.

If your team builds up a decent gold & EXP lead, you can also look to take the gold fury and pyromancer (I'd wait until around 15 minutes before doing either of these), you will be the one tanking it, don't make your carries tank it!

You should be buying Sentry Wards during this time, to place around the entrances to mid lane primarily, especially on the beacon.

Remember to keep Drunk-O-Meter stacked at all times, Chug doesn't cost much mana until you level it up so you shouldn't run out.

Late game essentially refers to two distinct phases of the game - Fire Giant "dances" and tower/phoenix sieges - please don't make the rookie error of just starting random fights all over the map, particularly this happens a lot in the middle of mid lane for some reason.

Your job for both of these situations is essentially the same - look to jump on an enemy that is pushed up too far to try and secure a kill for your team when they follow up - and tank the objective for your team, whether that be hitting the Fire Giant first, or standing in the phoenix to tank its damage so your ADC can kill it.

Also make sure you are buying Sentry Wards to place around the fire giant, as well as around phoenixes so you don't get ambushes over walls when trying to take them.

For general teamfights, you should try and strike a balance between engaging on the enemy team, and helping your carries when the enemy team engages on them. Belly Flop is a strong tool for both, and different situations require you to act differently - there's no magic rule here, you'll just have to get used to striking the right balance.

If you can grab it without compromising your team by being away from an objective, feel free to pick up your green buff! Use the green tiki at this point.

Remember to use your relics in fights too, they are very strong teamfighting tools!

Hopefully by this point you're no longer that guy who gets stuck with support and instalocks full damage Anubis - or maybe you'll be the 1 in 100 people that voluntarily queue support! As always I'm open to feedback and discussion in the comments if you have follow up questions about anything I've talked about here!