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Janus, The First Uber Driver (Y10)

1 1 10,695
by IllmaticXVII updated May 29, 2023

Smite God: Janus

Build Guide Discussion 0 More Guides
Choose a Build: Jungle Janus
Jungle Janus Mid Janus
Tap Mouse over an item or ability icon for detailed info

Build Summary

Start

Build Item Bumba's Dagger Bumba's Dagger
Build Item Lost Artifact Lost Artifact
Build Item Healing Potion Healing Potion
2
Build Item Multi Potion Multi Potion
2

Full Example Build

Notes Sell Bumba's Dagger late game for Rod of Tahuti.

Notes

Sell Bumba's Dagger late game for Rod of Tahuti.

Build Item Perfected Rod of Tahuti Perfected Rod of Tahuti
Build Item Chronos' Pendant Chronos' Pendant
Build Item Spear of Desolation Spear of Desolation
Build Item Doom Orb Doom Orb
Build Item Staff of Myrddin Staff of Myrddin
Build Item Soul Reaver Soul Reaver

Janus's Skill Order

Portal

1 X Y
Portal
2 15 16 17 19

Unstable Vortex

2 A B
Unstable Vortex
1 3 6 7 9

Threshold

3 B A
Threshold
4 8 10 12 13

Through Space and Time

4 Y X
Through Space and Time
5 11 14 18 20
Portal
2 15 16 17 19

Portal

1 X
Janus creates a portal in the world. If placed on a wall, the portal will create a passage through to the other side of the wall that Janus or any ally may use. The portal may be entered from either side, but closes after 1 use.

If placed on the ground, enemies and Janus will fall into the portal, being teleported into the air above it. Enemies take damage upon landing, and are considered banished during the fall.

Ability Type: Circle, Banish, Damage
Damage: 80 / 135 / 190 / 245 / 300 (+60% of your Magical Power)
Banish Duration: 1.5s
Wall Portal Duration: 5s
Wall Portal Range: 100
Range/Radius: 55/10
Cost: 70
Cooldown: 12s
Unstable Vortex
1 3 6 7 9

Unstable Vortex

2 A
Janus creates two tethered unstable portals, far too small to fit into, and flings them forward dealing damage to enemies in their path. Enemies hit by both portals take 15% damage on the second hit.

Ability Type: Area, Damage
Damage: 100 / 165 / 230 / 295 / 360 (+80% of your Magical Power)
Range: 70
Cost: 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90
Cooldown: 9s
Threshold
4 8 10 12 13

Threshold

3 B
Passive: Janus increases the movement speed of himself and allies each time they go through a portal or over a Threshold (max 3 Stacks).

Active: Janus opens a multi-dimensional rift. Enemies who pass over the rift are slowed, and marked with Phase. Targets in Phase take additional Magical scaling damage when hit by Janus' damaging abilities.

Ability Type: Line, Buff
Phase Slow: 25%
Additional Scaling: 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55
Rift Duration: 3 / 3.5 / 4 / 4.5 / 5s
Movement Speed: 15% per Portal
Passive Duration: 6s
Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Cooldown: 12s
Through Space and Time
5 11 14 18 20

Through Space and Time

4 Y
Passive: Janus gains increased % Magical Penetration.

Active: Janus becomes CC Immune and blasts a ball of multi-dimensional energy across the battlefield, burning a portal into every surface it encounters within range 500. These portals last 10s, may be used by allies, and do not vanish after the first use.

Enemies hit take damage, increasing in Magical scaling the further the energy travels. Enemy gods cannot take more than 75% of their maximum Health as damage.

Ability Type: Line, Damage
Damage: 300 / 375 / 450 / 525 / 600 (+80% of your Magical Power)
Distance Scaling: 100% of your Magical Power at distance greater than 800
% Magical Penetration: 10 / 12.5 / 15 / 17.5 / 20%
Range: Global
Cost: 100
Cooldown: 110s

Janus Threats

Tap each threat level to view Janus’s threats

Max
3
Major
0
Even
0
Minor
0
Tiny
0

Extended Build

Core

Build Item Chronos' Pendant Chronos' Pendant
Build Item Spear of Desolation Spear of Desolation
Build Item Doom Orb Doom Orb
Build Item Staff of Myrddin Staff of Myrddin

Situationals

Build Item Obsidian Shard Obsidian Shard
Build Item Soul Reaver Soul Reaver
Build Item Polynomicon Polynomicon
Build Item Divine Ruin Divine Ruin

Introduction

Hello, my name is Butcher and I'm a PC player. I've been playing Smite since 2015 but only started taking ranked seriously in Season 8, and have been consistently in the High Diamond/Low Master MMRs ever since. I have written Guides for Set and Cthulhu.
Janus is my 2nd favorite god in the game, but was also my 1st Diamond God back when I wasn't sure what I was doing with the character. Now with 13k Worshippers under my belt, I believe I have enough experience to write a comprehensive guide for those looking to install the Uber app.

Pros and Cons

Pros

High Mobility
High Potential Burst
Huge Secure/Steal Potential
Great Utility
Huge Teamfight Potential
Great Rotation Potential
Best "Farm Until Late Game" Mage
 Cons

Very High Skill Floor
Inconsistent Damage/Burst
Short Range on Non-Ultimate Abilities
Requires Wards to Play Properly
High Map/Game Awareness
Loses most 1v1 match-ups
Reliant on out of Lane Farm

Skills


Passages
Type: Buff

Passages increases Janus's Magical Scaling by 15% after going through a Portal or a Threshold.

Tips
Portal
Type: Circle,Banish,Damage

Portals can be opened on walls and on the floor. Enemies who fall through it are banished and take damage: 80/130/180/230/280 (+60% of your Magical Power). Janus or one of his allies can go through the wall portal. Duration is 5 seconds. Cooldown is 12 seconds.

Tips

Unstable Vortex
Type: Area,Damage

Janus creates two tethered unstable portals, and flings them forward dealing damage to enemies in their path for 110/175/240/305/370 (+80% of your Magical Power). Enemies hit by both portals 126/201/276/351/426 (+92% of your Magical Power).
Youtube

Tips

Threshold
Type: Line, Buff, Debuff

Janus increases the Movement Speed of himself and allies by 20/25/30/35/40% each time they go through a portal or over a Threshold (max. 2 Stacks). Enemies who walk through are slowed by 25% and marked with Phase. Targets in Phase take additional Magical scaling damage 20/30/40/50/60 when hit by Janus' damaging abilities.

Youtube

Tips

Through Space and Time (Honda Civic)
Type: Line, Damage, Utility, Passive

Janus gains passive % Magical Penetration for leveling this ability by 8/10/12/14/16%.
Janus is CC immune while using the Uber Driver App, sending a Honda Civic into the battlefield. Enemies who are hit by the vehicle will receive damage 300/375/450/525/600 (+80% of your Magical Power) that increases with distance traveled (800 units = 100% Magical Scaling) effectively turning enemies in its path to roadkill. Allies are free to use the portals to engage or disengage.

Youtube

Tips

Itemization

On Janus you're looking for these stats in order:

CDR (Cooldown Reduction) - Allows for ability spam.

Example Items: Chrono's Pendant, Spear of Desolation, Staff of Myrdiin, Soul Gem

High Power - Bread and Butter for most mages, maximum damage output.

Example Items: Rod of Tahuti, Doom Orb, Staff of Myrdiin, Spear of Desolation

Pen - Flat pen for low protection squishies.

Example Items: Spear of Desolation, Divine Ruin

%Pen - Since Through Space and Time has passive %Pen, you can pick this up last to deal with Tanks.

Example Items: Obsidian Shard, Staff of Myrdiin, Rod of Tahuti, Doom Orb

Stages of the Match


Jungle

Janus in the jungle has been a bit of a sleeper in my opinion. I've played it in most of my matches since the added passive %Pen on Through Space and Time and it's honestly underrated. Your farm potential beats most assassins, and in most games (as long as you're confident, understand jungle routes) you will out-farm your enemy.


Do your normal jungle routes, and remember to clear using Unstable Vortex's extra damage as it will 1 shot smalls making you more effective at clearing early.
You also will be mana hungry so don't hold back on buying Multis or Mana potions.
Focus on farming until level 5, Through Space and Time will then be used as a rotation ability. Use it to secure camps. If the enemy team is invading, use it to invade. If your team lost a fight in a side lane with the enemy jungle present, use it to turn fights around by rotating.
Once you get Spear of Desolation online, your fights will go much smoother.
It's important to remember, a Honda Civic has 5 seats, and you are the driver. Enemy team rotates to solo? Drive your team to Gold Fury or a huge 4 man rotation to back up your solo laner.

ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is possible but DO NOT FORGET to farm.

Always use Threshold for movement speed plus damage buff to clear. ALWAYS get your camps on TIME. Making it to late game is priority.

Late game Janus plays as any jungler, but he has something that most other do not have. The ability to engage and disengage using Through Space and Time, Portal, Blink Rune.

With this in your glove box, you can harrass the backline like no other assassin can.
Remember when I said, avoid using Through Space and Time for snipes? Buy some wards and throw that out the window. Use wards for vision not only to set yourself up, but to keep yourself safe. You can also get 1 shot. Your job in the late game, is to read the situation. FG Siege by the enemy but your whole team is down and losing Teamfights? Try to steal, most times you will be able to. Even match but you need that pick? Use your movement to get a good angle and just go for the snipe. You miss 100% of the shots you do not take. Sieging left phoenix, but the enemy team isn't making it easy? Take your team on a joyride Through Space and Time to the right phoenix and contest it easily.

So many possibilities, but it's up to you to read the traffic signs.

Disadvantages

You should avoid 1v1ing assassins, as they will kill you in the early to mid game.
You can be CC'd and effectively 1 shot since this playstyle is very aggressive.
Expensive Build, since selling Bumba's Dagger for Rod of Tahuti or any other high power item is 100% recommended.
Requires you to have very good game sense.
Requires to have a lot of practice with Janus.
Mid

Not much to say here about Janus Mid. You will lose 1v1 match-ups in lane if you are not careful, don't rely on in lane farm as you can move around the jungle fairly fast and get farm anywhere. Go for rotations, that is mostly where you will get kills/assists, do not use Portal aggressively. You do not have the luxury of being forced to back and miss a whole wave.

To summarize: Play for Rotations and Objectives. Get to late game and play with the team. Try to stay in the backline, if you're winning a fight, then you can be aggressive and push. Remember you can use Portal to save allies as well as making it easier for them to engage.
Through Space and Time is now more of a secure ability since a mage's job is to secure objectives but you can still snipe with it.
Being safe in the backline means you can use Portal for extra burst with Unstable Vortex but again, this isn't recommended.

Conclusion



Hope you enjoyed the Guide, I plan to go further in-depth in the coming days with gameplay clips, more tips and new builds.
Thank you for your time, I tried to make a unique guide here on an off role Jungle pick that I've been really enjoying while also putting in some overall tips for Janus.
If you want a Set guide per chance, I also have one up on here.

THANK YOU

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League of Legends Build Guide Author IllmaticXVII
Janus, The First Uber Driver (Y10)
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Pros and Cons
Skills
Itemization
Stages of the Match
Conclusion

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