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GRANDMASTER ISTHAR ADC GUIDE

26 10 91,188
7.2
by TottiGR updated November 26, 2024

Smite God: Ishtar

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Ishtar Build

Starting Items

Notes Gilded Arrow it provides you of a high auto attack damage during early game, extra gold and mana sustains that will help you get earlier into de mid game!

Spiked Gauntlet will evolve into Crimsom Claws.

Golden Shard it is always the best choice because will provide you of Golden Gooseberries passive so you will have a really good early push!

Notes

Gilded Arrow it provides you of a high auto attack damage during early game, extra gold and mana sustains that will help you get earlier into de mid game!

Spiked Gauntlet will evolve into Crimsom Claws.

Golden Shard it is always the best choice because will provide you of Golden Gooseberries passive so you will have a really good early push!

Build Item Gilded Arrow Gilded Arrow
Build Item Spiked Gauntlet Spiked Gauntlet
Build Item Healing Potion Healing Potion
3
Build Item Multi Potion Multi Potion
2
Build Item Golden Shard Golden Shard
Build Item Purification Beads Purification Beads

Full Build

Notes Ornate Arrow is insane for team fights in late game because it gives you attack speed, power and an additional critical chances that will work really good with a critical damage based build like this one!

Crimson Claws it is the perfect lifesteal choice because it gives you good ammount of power, attack speed and the passive gives you a shield that can save you in 1vs1 or in other circumstances like getting ganked by the enemy jungler or support!

Envenomed Executioner is a cheap item that enables you to decrease enemies' protections when you hit them with an auto attack and good attack speed stats. Later in lategame you should evolve it to the envenomed because it will decrease enemies healing and shields when they get hitted by an auto.

Rage it is a really good choices for early/mid game because it will provide you with critical chance and power that can be really important for winning trades and do snowball!

Dominance provides you with the essential stats that a hunter needs: attack speed, power, mana sustain and an incredible penetration percentage on basic attacks.

Devoted Deathbringer is a really good choice as last item. It fits perfectly on the crit build because will increase your crit damage and your critical chances. The glyph will also provide you of much power that will help you with the DPS into objectives or structures.

Temporal Beads provides you with immunity to CC and cooldown reduction.

Aegis of Acceleration provides you with immunity to damage that will help you peeling yourself and avoid enemies' ultimate skills or big damages.

This build is meant for competitive because your enemies are supposed to be in communication and playing smart so you will be in most of the cases only hitting tanks or junglers that are trying to kill you. Most of them will have more than 200 hundred physical and magical protections and more than 3000 HP so you will need to have bought penetration items for being able to kill them as quick as possible.

Notes

Ornate Arrow is insane for team fights in late game because it gives you attack speed, power and an additional critical chances that will work really good with a critical damage based build like this one!

Crimson Claws it is the perfect lifesteal choice because it gives you good ammount of power, attack speed and the passive gives you a shield that can save you in 1vs1 or in other circumstances like getting ganked by the enemy jungler or support!

Envenomed Executioner is a cheap item that enables you to decrease enemies' protections when you hit them with an auto attack and good attack speed stats. Later in lategame you should evolve it to the envenomed because it will decrease enemies healing and shields when they get hitted by an auto.

Rage it is a really good choices for early/mid game because it will provide you with critical chance and power that can be really important for winning trades and do snowball!

Dominance provides you with the essential stats that a hunter needs: attack speed, power, mana sustain and an incredible penetration percentage on basic attacks.

Devoted Deathbringer is a really good choice as last item. It fits perfectly on the crit build because will increase your crit damage and your critical chances. The glyph will also provide you of much power that will help you with the DPS into objectives or structures.

Temporal Beads provides you with immunity to CC and cooldown reduction.

Aegis of Acceleration provides you with immunity to damage that will help you peeling yourself and avoid enemies' ultimate skills or big damages.

This build is meant for competitive because your enemies are supposed to be in communication and playing smart so you will be in most of the cases only hitting tanks or junglers that are trying to kill you. Most of them will have more than 200 hundred physical and magical protections and more than 3000 HP so you will need to have bought penetration items for being able to kill them as quick as possible.

Build Item Ornate Arrow Ornate Arrow
Build Item Crimson Claws Crimson Claws
Build Item Rage Rage
Build Item Envenomed Executioner Envenomed Executioner
Build Item Dominance Dominance
Build Item Devoted Deathbringer Devoted Deathbringer
Build Item Temporal Beads Temporal Beads
Build Item Aegis of Acceleration Aegis of Acceleration

Crit Choices

Notes Bladed Boomerang fits really good in the critical item build, it provides you with good power, attack speed and critical chance. Insane for dueling the other hunter during early game and wining trades. You should always look to buy it instead of Qin's Sais as a third item, always after Executioner.

Fail-Not provides you with multiple insane stats like critical chance, penetration, CD and power. It is also good because having some critical chance will be essential for late game fights and more important, doing more DPS to objectives like Fire Gigant, Gold Fury or Pyromancer.

Notes

Bladed Boomerang fits really good in the critical item build, it provides you with good power, attack speed and critical chance. Insane for dueling the other hunter during early game and wining trades. You should always look to buy it instead of Qin's Sais as a third item, always after Executioner.

Fail-Not provides you with multiple insane stats like critical chance, penetration, CD and power. It is also good because having some critical chance will be essential for late game fights and more important, doing more DPS to objectives like Fire Gigant, Gold Fury or Pyromancer.

Build Item Bladed Boomerang Bladed Boomerang
Build Item Fail-Not Fail-Not

Attack Speed Choices

Notes Griffonwing Earrings is the best choice for dueling against the other ADC because it gives you a lot of power and attack speed. I would really recommend it to buy it as second item before Executioner ---> instead of Qin's Sais.

Odysseus' Bow is pretty cool for farming damage and dealing high amount of damage during team fights in late game. The only problem that it has is that it doesn't provide of any power stat so you will have less DPS.

Silverbranch Bow it provides you really good stats like attack speed, penetration and physical power. The most important thing about this item is the passive, when you hit 2.5 attack speed, every 0.1 plus over the attack speed cap gives you 3 power. I would really recommend to build this item with hunters that have attack speed booster in their skill set. This item should be bought in late game when you are able to cap the attack speed.

Qin's Sais you should always buy this item if you don't know exactly what do build next because of its passive, it is really strong for killing supports and solo laners (tanky gods).

Hastened Fatalis it is a good item for new ADC players, improves your ability of chasing enemy ADC for solo kills.

Notes

Griffonwing Earrings is the best choice for dueling against the other ADC because it gives you a lot of power and attack speed. I would really recommend it to buy it as second item before Executioner ---> instead of Qin's Sais.

Odysseus' Bow is pretty cool for farming damage and dealing high amount of damage during team fights in late game. The only problem that it has is that it doesn't provide of any power stat so you will have less DPS.

Silverbranch Bow it provides you really good stats like attack speed, penetration and physical power. The most important thing about this item is the passive, when you hit 2.5 attack speed, every 0.1 plus over the attack speed cap gives you 3 power. I would really recommend to build this item with hunters that have attack speed booster in their skill set. This item should be bought in late game when you are able to cap the attack speed.

Qin's Sais you should always buy this item if you don't know exactly what do build next because of its passive, it is really strong for killing supports and solo laners (tanky gods).

Hastened Fatalis it is a good item for new ADC players, improves your ability of chasing enemy ADC for solo kills.

Build Item Griffonwing Earrings Griffonwing Earrings
Build Item Odysseus' Bow Odysseus' Bow
Build Item Silverbranch Bow Silverbranch Bow
Build Item Qin's Sais Qin's Sais
Build Item Hastened Fatalis Hastened Fatalis

Actives

Notes Phantom Shell is a strong option when the enemy team has an auto attack jungler like Mercury, Kali or Bakasura... instead of buying Aegis as second active (mitigations will save your life while you can use autos). It is also good to counter walls like the Ymir or Cabrakan ones.

Notes

Phantom Shell is a strong option when the enemy team has an auto attack jungler like Mercury, Kali or Bakasura... instead of buying Aegis as second active (mitigations will save your life while you can use autos). It is also good to counter walls like the Ymir or Cabrakan ones.

Build Item Phantom Shell Phantom Shell

Ishtar's Skill Order

Imbue Arrows

1 X Y
Imbue Arrows
1 4 6 7 10

Rolling Thunder

2 A B
Rolling Thunder
8 11 12 14

Jolt

3 B A
Jolt
3 15 16 18 19

Blades of Retribution

4 Y X
Blades of Retribution
5 9 13 17 20
Imbue Arrows
1 4 6 7 10

Imbue Arrows

1 X
Ishtar imbues her arrows with heavenly light, enhancing her Basic Attacks in one of three ways for 5s. The three varieties include Strike Shot, a lobbed explosive arrow, Spread Shot, a volley of five arrows, and Storm Shot, a fast-paced long range snipe. Ishtar cannot hit Structures during the duration.

Ability Type: Buff
Duration: 6s
Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Cooldown: 10s
Rolling Thunder
8 11 12 14

Rolling Thunder

2 A
Ishtar calls down four strikes of lightning in a line, damaging Enemies within their area. Ishtar may aim which direction the strikes travel. If an Enemy is hit by more than one strike, they are mesmerized.

Ability Type: Ground Target
Strike Damage: 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 (+40% of your Physical Power)
Mesmerize: 0.75s
Radius: 15
Cost: 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 / 75
Cooldown: 14 / 13.5 / 13 / 12.5 / 12s
Jolt
3 15 16 18 19

Jolt

3 B
Ishtar draws her blades and charges forward, striking all Enemies in her path. If she hits an Enemy God, she stops and roots them for 1s as she backflips off of them. As Ishtar is in the air, she fires her bow, dealing damage in an area around the affected God. This shot may Crit and trigger Basic Attack item effects.

Ability Type: Dash/Leap
Charge Damage: 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 / 240 (+60% of your Physical Power)
Arrow Damage: 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 (+120% of your Physical Basic Attack Power)
Root: 1s
Range: 55/25
Cost: 60
Cooldown: 15 / 14.5 / 14 / 13.5 / 13s
Blades of Retribution
5 9 13 17 20

Blades of Retribution

4 Y
Ishtar becomes CC-immune and summons five swords of light, firing them out in a cone in front of her. Each sword damages and cripples enemies for 1.25s. When the swords reach their destination, Ishtar may recall them to her location within 3s. If an Enemy is hit by both the initial fire and the recall, they are stunned for 1s. Each sword hit after the first deals reduced damage, resetting before recalling.

Ability Type: Cone
Sword Damage: 90 / 115 / 140 / 165 / 190 (+55% of your Physical Power)
Damage Reduction: 40% per sword, up to a max of 80%
Cripple: 1.25s
Stun: 1s
Range: 80
Cost: 100
Cooldown: 90s

Ishtar Threats

Tap each threat level to view Ishtar’s threats

Max
5
Major
0
Even
0
Minor
0
Tiny
0

Ishtar Synergies

Tap each synergy level to view Ishtar’s synergies

Ideal
4
Strong
0
OK
0
Low
0
None
0

Introduction

Hey, this guide is brought to you by TottiGR! I started playing Smite on PC in February 2014. I have been playing competitive since 2016 and I have been a professional Smite player between March 2020 to July 2023. I have played in different teams like JustF6, Gilded Gladiators or Tartarus Titans this last year in the Smite Pro League (You can always check the SmiteVod Youtube Channel where there's my proffesional games recorded). I have peaked 3500 MMR GrandMaster/Masters in Ranked Conquest on PC plataform every season since 2017 (SEASON 4). I also made Smite Masters (LAN) 4 times in 2022 so I really think I have the knowledge in guiding about the ADC role in SMITEGAME. I hope you find this guide as a useful learning resource for playing Isthar as an ADC.


Here are my socials:

Abilities

Isthar's Abilities


Passive - Mark of Vengeance

Ishtar's passive skill. It drops when she is below 75% Health, she marks the Enemy God that most recently damaged her for 10s.

Each time Ishtar deals damage to the marked God with a Basic Attack, she gains a stacking Attack Speed buff.

If Ishtar receives a kill or assist on the marked God, she gains a Movement Speed buff. This passive has a 20 second cooldown.


Ability 1 - Imbue Arrows

Ishtar's main clearing skill -> buffs and waves. Ishtar imbues her arrows with heavenly light, enhancing her Basic Attacks in one of three ways for 6s.

The three varieties include Strike Shot, a lobbed explosive arrow, Spread Shot, a volley of five arrows, and Storm Shot, a fast-paced long range snipe.

Ishtar cannot hit Structures during the duration. This skill gives you the chance of doing the first three buffs at the same time, giving you a lot of pressure in the early game.


Ability 2 - Rolling Thunder

Ishtar's main poke skill, you can use it for pushing (not needed when your Imbue Arrows is up).

It calls down four strikes of lightning in a line, damaging enemies within their area. Ishtar may aim which direction the strikes travel.

If an enemy is hit by more than one strike, they are mesmerized.


Ability 3 - Jolt

Ishtar's dashing skill. It can be used offensively to do damage and root the enemies or escaping. She draws her blades and charges forward, striking all enemies in her path.

If she hits an enemy god, she stops and roots them for 1s as she backflips off of them. As Ishtar is in the air, she fires her bow, dealing damage in an area around the affected god. This shot may Crit and trigger Basic Attack item effects.


Ultimate - Blades of Retribution

Ishtar's ultimate skill. She becomes CC-immune and summons five swords of light, firing them out in a cone in front of her. Each sword damages and cripples enemies.

When the swords reach their destination, Ishtar may recall them to her location within 3s.

If an Enemy is hit by both the initial fire and the recall, they are stunned for 1s. Each sword hit after the first deals reduced damage, resetting before recalling.

I do recommend to use your ultimate as an engage because you will cripple the enemies so they won't be able to dash if they have no immunity or Temporal Beads available, this will help your teammates in killing the enemies.

How To Play Isthar

Gameplay Start / Early Game:
  • Start at the Gold Fury side Green buff. When it spawns, hit it with an auto attack to leash/aggro the camp and pull it towards the purple buff, meanwhile the support deals damage to the green camp into the purple and then, you two will do three buffs at the same time thanks to the Imbue Arrows using the Spread Side Damage stance.

  • After these camps are cleared you will be level 2 so will need to level up your dash Jolt so you will have an skill that can be used for escaping or for starting a duo lane fight by rooting the enemies.

  • After pushing 3 wave, shield buff will spawn so your support and you will go for it depending of the pressure wave; if you have no wave pressure you will need to ask your jungler for coming to fight it or just leave it, but if you have hardly won the push of the wave you should use your attack speed shard to do it as quick as possible. Anyways, I do recommend as a hunter that if someone comes to contest, you should always try to fight them instead of securing the buff because you have a really good god for early fighting with an offensively dash in your kit.

  • After picking it up make your way back to the centre of the lane. If you think it's going to be hardly difficult to secure the buff, just run back into the lane and pressure the enemies by pushing the wave quickly.

  • From here you will usually fight the enemy ADC and support during wave pushes in lane with your own support. Most of the fights you should take are around shield buff and depending on yours and their early pressure/clear around your own purple buff or theirs (remember you can pull the Purple buff wherever you want so if you have no pressure / you are low hp ask your support to be in the pit before it spawns and tell him to leash it as far as needed to not get invaded by the other duo lane)

  • This hunter has a really good fighting kit of skills so you should be always looking to fight 1vs1 the other ADC (if you are ahead). Don't try to risk your life so you can poke the enemy ADC from the distance by using Imbue Arrows in the Storm Attack Speed stance into the enemy hunter and then trying to hit the Rolling Thunder to stun him out, this will poke him out and easily convert him into an easy kill for your teammates. I need to clarify that if you don't wave any wards spotted on the map remember you should always take care of it. Just be confident during laning phase, your confidence will play a really good paper on succeeding, so just try it out. If you don't risk you will never achieve :p.

  • An important advice as an ADC main is to be active in communication, always try to tell all the information you can to your team like your own purple, shield and their purple timer (if possible), if there is any one spotted in the wards you placed, if someone is trying to dive you, if they are doing Gold Fury... This type of information will make your jungler and support pathing to gank your lane easier and make you having bigger chances of getting a lead over the other hunter.

  • REMEMBER to always buy wards, warding correctly with aggressive Sentry Wards will determine half of the game around the Gold Fury objective and warding defensively will make you be more aware about possible ganks so you will be safer in lane.

Mid Game:

  • As the match goes towards the mid game, other than the usual farm opportunities you'll be looking to rotate over the Stygian Beacon for your team and try attempt, contest and steal (if the enemy is attempting to kill them) the Gold Fury.

  • Remember to rotate when there is no duo jungle remain like purple or shield buff and to have the wave pushed before rotating because you will fall much behind in farm compared to your enemy ADC. (DO NOT ROTATE IF YOU ARE 2 OR MORE LEVELS BEHIND THE OTHER HUNTER!)

  • When the Beacon spawns often both teams will try rotate over to control it, especially the mid, support and jungle. You will need to think about who is more likely to have their teammates to rotate over first to impact your decision if contesting the beacon will be worth it and if there is any kill potential around the objective.

  • As for Gold Fury opportunity they will vary on factors such as: your team's overall objective shred, your ADC's current objective shred / build, your team's map pressure, how strong each team's teamfight is, where on the map everyone is (i.e. if one team is doing Gold, the other may decide to do Pyro as a smaller trade), if any members of the enemy team are on a respawn timer, etc...

  • It is so important to have warded (with Sentry Wards if possible) the Gold Fury during the Mid Game because it is the principal objective between minute 10 to 20 with the Pyromancer.

  • Stay aware of rotations (jungle and support) during this minutes because your death as ADC will be a really good factor over pulling Gold Fury or even burst it. So your team won't have any chance of contest.

  • Not dying over rotations, map awareness and warding are highly important over the games. You will always need to position yourself beside de midlaner for peeling each other over team fights (call who is doing engage on you, relics and this type of stuff that is going to make an easier way to make your team win the team fight)


Late Game:
  • As for late game teamfights, most often you will be positioned in the "backline" (behind your team's solo and support - who generally are the "frontline") and will play around your midlaner to deal with the enemy frontline and jungler, while making sure to put out as much damage as possible to the highest threats on the enemy team.

  • Make sure you have upgraded Temporal Beads and Aegis of Judgement before going into the Fire Giant. I really good advice is to use actives as soon as the solo laner, support or jungler engages on you to try to avoid as much damage and crowd control as possible, if you stay safe as an ADC on a late game teamfight, your team will have enough DPS to do Fire Giant or if you kill all your enemies, you can even finish the game.

  • When it comes to Fire Giant opportunities, often there can be stalemates where both teams will try to force a teamfight or look for lone picks in order to gain an advantage, sometimes involving one team going for a non fully committing attempt at doing the objective to bait the other team to step up.

  • Remember if someone engages on you, use Jolt] on him, this will stun your enemies while you dashing out of the teamfight, then use your ultimate [[Blades of Retribution to cripple them and facilitate your escaping way, costing most of his HP or actives. ¡THIS HAS A LOT OF VALUE FOR YOUR TEAM OVER THE LATE GAME TEAMFIGHTS AROUND OBJETIVES OR STRUCTURES!

  • BE CONSTANTLY CALLING ALL THE INFORMATION: WHEN THEY ARE ENGAGING ON YOU, BE ALWAYS SURE ABOUT YOUR DECISION MAKING, IF YOU DOUBT YOURSELF OR EVEN YOUR TEAMMATES YOU WILL NEVER SUCCED!

How To Ward As ADC

Low Pressure Warding:

Here are warding spots for ADCs if you are behind with gold or experience compared to the other hunter. If the enemy team has your purple timer you should always try to Sentry Wards your purple buff and make sure to call your teammates at least 1 minute before spawning.


In case you have low pressure god but none is invading purple you can also ward like in the photo below. You will always know when someone is coming and you won't have to outposition yourself to ward so you will be safe.


Normal Pressure Warding:

Over here is shown the ideal normal pressure warding spots around duo lane, you should always look to Sentry Wards defensively and use a normal ward on the offensive position. Enemies could Sentry Wards your normal ward so you should call your support for warding there.


High Pressure Warding:

In case you have a high pressure duo set up (hunter with good clear and fighting capability and a support with crowd control, push and mobility) you should look to invade purple buffs. This type of wards will make an easier way for you and your teammates to come over purple pit before spawning and being ready for stealing it [you will always know who is coming to gank you so you must be prepared for getting ganked over duo] .


Late Game Warding:

When you start fighting around Fire Giant, you should always look to ward in the same places as a midlaner because you two (ADC and Mid) form what we call as "backliners" (the roles who are supposed to deal DPS and damage to enemies), you will be sharing the responsibility for this rather than handling it alone, especially when it's not safe for you to step up to place deeper wards. Any wards placed closer to the objective within the Fire Giant pit tend to get destroyed by Sentries more often than not, so they tend to not be reliable.

Remember, minions act as moving wards in the lanes, and are able to spot nearby gods. If your towers are down, keep your minions pushed up as much as possible to provide an extra set of eyes and pressure.


  • White Circles: These are all offensive locations that allow you to spot enemies near to or approaching objectives, and are helpful in covering multiple approaches. The closer you get to the Fire Giant, the more contested those spots will be and the more likely enemies will try to counter-ward. The ones closest to the enemy base can give you very early notice.

  • Red Circles: Fairly obvious, but it's always good to have vision on the main jungle objectives, especially the Fire Giant. Sentry Wards are key here, as they allow you to spot and remove enemy wards. You can place wards directly on top of the objectives, or put them slightly to one side to try to spot enemy wards or protect yours from being detected.
Counter-Warding: Enemies may drop wards on your defensive side in similar (opposite) spots to where you would place yours. If the Fire Giant is already covered and you have a spare Sentry Ward, place them in these spots to limit the enemy's vision on your team.

Defensive Warding: If you're pushed back to your phoenixes or inside your base, locate your wards in the nearby jungle and general approaches.

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1
Rogue Storm | September 13, 2024 6:36pm
How about Death Temperance, Asi, Rage, Fail Not, Devoted Deathbringer, and Dominance. That would give cooldown. Or what about Deaths Embrace, Asi, Rage, Demon Blade, Malicious Deathbringer, Dominance? Would that be good if you want the lifesteal from embrace but still keep cooldown from malicious and attack speed from demon blade?
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | September 14, 2024 8:52am
In your first build example, you're looking to drop a high pen item (that also provides great glyph function and AS), for a CDR item. Fail is a great item, but when fully committed to basic attacks, the CDR is a secondary consideration. You can do it, and it's not like it won't be functional, but I think most would definitely prefer Exe.

In your second build example, well, the healing function from Embrace is good, but you're again dropping an extremely effective pen item. Do you not like Exe? Again, I would say you can do it and it'll still be a functional build, but a basic attack-focused ADC build should almost always have Exe.
1
Nicnac57 | February 3, 2024 7:26pm
The lategame section here uses Hou Yi abilities instead of Ishtar.
1
TottiGR | February 4, 2024 12:16pm
Nicnac57 wrote:
The lategame section here uses Hou Yi abilities instead of Ishtar.

Thanks you Nicnac57 for the comment, I didn't notice. Now all should be perfect!
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