Prepare for Doom- The Morrigan guide

Hello all, Welcome to my build guide for The Morrigan.

I just hit Level 10 with her and my stats are here . I am shooting to give a short, sweet and simple explanation on how/ why these items work well with . I will assume you know the basics to Smite like, Buff camps, minions, rotating etc. If not feel free to check out any of the Overarching Guides done by Branmuffin17 to get a feel of the tactics used in Smite.

is mostly an ability based mage who can burst down her opponents with her kit late game. She does have some good things about her, but also some bad things.

..... Pros .....

- Can turn into a god that suits the situation
- Can burst down squishier gods
- Decent escape

.... Cons ....

- Squishy
- Can be Mana hungry
- Long cooldown on her Ultimate
- Early game is just terrible

Abilities

Doomsayer

Every 3rd attack will proc regardless of other attacks hitting the target or not. When it hits an enemy it deals damage to all enemies within range. Enemies afflicted will take additional damage over time as well. Unsure if this is before or after damage mitigation. If it is before mitigation, this passive will deal quite a bit of damage. If it is after mitigation, then it is slightly underwhelming.

Doomsayer

Deadly Aspects

Her main damage option. It produces a stun for 1 second which allows for you to escape if needed or to finish the enemy god off. The cooldown is medium in duration.

I max this first in most game modes because it is the main damage output for her and with already having a short cooldown, you would want this on line quicker as well.

Deadly Aspects

Ability Video

Dark Omen

This is your poke ability. It causes enemies to be doomed which in turn they will take more damage from the next damaging ability from The Morrigan.

I max this second. I might max this first in Conquest, as this would be your main minion clearing move or in joust if you do not have a hunter teammate so you can clear the wave faster. It has a short cooldown if you have some CDR built so you would not need the cooldown scaling as much as you would for which is why I choose to upgrade this second.

Dark Omen

Ability Video

Confusion

Either your initiator or your escape move. She sends out a clone of herself while you can move freely invisible. Getting hit or attacking removes the invisibility as well as if affected by DoT before casting. Use this to move to get into position to surprise attack. Or when you retreat, as you will have additional movement speed when cast. This has a relatively long cooldown

I max this third.

Confusion

Ability Video

Changeling

Her most unique move. She can turn into any god on the field. This can be a game changer, but can also be underwhelming. The cooldown is really long and only helps if you are familiar with multiple gods. Tip: You can preselect a god while walking, to give yourself a quicker cast time. Some of the best gods to turn into in my opinion are: . I'm sure others as well just didn't want to list them all.

Max this when available, unless you do not have gods you like to turn into. Then put points towards other abilities first.

Changeling

Ability Video

Quick Combos Revamp

Combo #1-Consistent Damage

BASIC ATTACK

Consistent Damage Explanation

Combo #2- Max Damage

BASIC ATTACK

Consistent Damage Explanation

Combo #3- Close the gap

BASIC ATTACK

Explanation

I am not going to include any combos with because it is to dependent on team makeup and comfort. I am sure there are more combos at well, but they are her main ones where you will use them the majority of the time.

Combo Comparison

TL:DR Combo Comparison

A case for Polynomicon or not

I consider basically core for . With her stun from , you can hit its passive often and easily, producing a large chunk of damage as shown in the combo comparison section above. Let's compare some builds without to one with it and see the difference has on it.

Without Polynomicon- Soul Reaver substitution

Stats

Without Polynomicon- Ethereal Staff substitution

Stats

With Polynomicon

Stats

Let's now pit against herself with the builds and combos from above and with her at 1900 or 2100 health.

Combo#1- Consistent Damage

- 805 + 190(Reaver passive) + 229 + 412 + 229 = 1865
- 795 + 95 (Ethereal passive) + 226 + 408 + 226 = 1750
- 780 + 223 + 450 + 400 + 223 = 2076 damage w/ 1 hit from Poly

Combo #2- Max Damage

- 412 + 190(Reaver passive) + 229 + 805 + 412 + 229 = 2347
- 408 + 95 (Ethereal passive) + 226 + 795 + 412 + 226 = 2162
- 400 + 780 + 400 + 223 + 450= 2253 damage w/ missed first Poly

As you can see, adds solid damage overall, but still comes up short on combo #1 but barely beats on combo #2. is a little weaker than but you gain some health and the passive has a shorter cooldown. Other factors to consider is price and passive use. 's passive can hit every 3 seconds while 's can only deal extra true damage every 40 seconds and every 10 seconds. Making it less appealing than . Lastly is the price. is an extra 650 gold while is an extra 350 when compared to . That with all the other factors makes a better item for her.

If you feel you can't hit the skill shot to use 's passive consistently, I would consider over due to the passive being shorter on and the cooldowns of her abilities line up with the passive cooldown of Staff better. (20% CDR= 9.6 seconds for Deadly Aspects). Making it synergize with each other.

Items for Non-Conquest

Note: Most of this could work in Conquest, just probably in different orders. I have yet to play Conquest with so I can not give a good explanation for item choice in that mode

Boots

	Provides the most power and some flat penetration along with your movement speed. I usually don't go with these, because I like the CDR on the other boots, but still solid otherwise
	Slightly less power than Shoes of the Magi and no penetration, but it has 10% CDR which is extremely beneficial for her. The mana increase is also vital since she is ability based.

Good items to pick up for The Morrigan

	I love Polynomicon on The Morrigan as you can tell from previous chapters. With her stun from Deadly Aspects, it makes it easy to hit the passive consistently. Resulting in heavy damage for the enemy late game. This is usually built later when you have more power to make the passive stronger, but I like to get it second as her early game is terrible and with the little bit extra damage from the passive helps mitigate that a little bit.
	With the recent decrease in cost (2600 now), this is definitely an easier item to get mid game. +80 power, 20 Magical Penetration and also some CDR makes this item a go-to for her. I usually pick this up 3rd or 4th depending on my earlier items, which is easier to do in other game modes than Conquest. I feel this wouldn't be item 3 for Conquest, since gold is harder to come by then. For Conquest, Item 4 or 5
	Reasonable cost (2300). Gives a lot of power (+100) as well. Gives you more lifesteal, which she needs especially if you do not build any defensive items on her. With this and Polynomicon you would have between 32-52% lifesteal (depending of health), which if you kill the minion chain, it replenishes most of your health. I usually get this after Spear of Desolation in Joust/Clash/Arena to give me more sustain. It you do not want to do double lifesteal, substitute this out with Gem of Isolation perhaps.
	Decent price and gives good power (+60). But also provides some % penetration. This will help more with tower damage, but also could help against some of the tankier gods. This is usually item 4,5 for me but with the recent decrease in price, you could get this at item 3 instead. You could bypass this if facing squishier gods as the penetration from Spear of Desolation and Shoes of the Magi would be enough for true damage on squishier gods.
	+100 power and +300 Mana, but the passive is the best thing about it. Basically when you hit a god with an ability, they will take normal damage but also 10% of their maximum health in true damage. However, it does have a long cooldown between uses, but an effective item nonetheless. This would be item 5 or 6.
	Basically a given to get for a mage. It is pricey (3300) but it is worth it. +125 power, some MP5 and a passive that also increases your magical power by another 25%. When fully built, you will be able to combo kill squishy gods with Deadly Aspects and Dark Omen along with the additional damage from Polynomicon. This would be item 5 or 6. Item 5 in Arena since you would not probably be able to build it fully if item 6.

Alternative Items

	I used to pick Book of Thoth as item 3 (after defensive item), but it recently has fallen out of favor for me. It takes awhile to get online with the stacks, especially early game Morrigan is pretty bad, so it would take even longer to get online. But once it is fully stacked, it is an effective item, but I think now there are better items. I would probably only consider this for Conquest now.
	A useful item against healers. Relatively cheap and gives +80 power and +10 penetration. Would sub this in for one of my penetration items.
	Gives good power (90), some health and some CC reduction. The slow from the passive is nice as you can potentially hit the Max Damage combo easier. After Dark Omen they would be slowed so you could hit your basic attack for Polynomicon easier, then move in closer to finish with Deadly Aspects
	A good alternative to Bancroft's Talon especially when in more team fights. Gives some power, CDR, Mana and lifesteal. In team fights, allied Gods within 70 units will gain lifesteal and power depending on their class.
	Pricey, but gives quite a bit of cooldown reduction. Gives +80 power and +25 MP5. But you mostly just want it for the CDR. I am not to keen on it as I don't think full CDR on The Morrigan is needed, but is always an option.
	With the rework of Shaman's Ring, it could become viable for The Morrigan in replacement of Bancroft's Talon. It is relatively cheap, with decent power. It gives you some additional movement speed as well which could be nice. The downfall is that the passive would take some time to get online as you have to deal 5000 damage total while you have the item fully built. The 10% increase in damage from abilities is nice and you don't have much drop off in total damage within the combo damage listed above. With this being new, additional testing would be needed so proceed with caution if you get this item.

Protection items

With being squishy, sometimes a little protection is needed. The best defensive items for her would be dual protection ones in my opinion.

	Depending on the match up and how you are doing, I would get Spirit Robe later if needed, like at item 5 if doing okay without it. It provides solid magical and physical protections, some cooldown reduction and also some crowd control reduction. You also gain some additional damage mitigation when hit by hard crowd control. It is a little pricier (2500) but it is a solid item for her.
	This item is best when gotten 2nd after boots. It is cheaper than Spirit Robe and also provides more protections (after some stacks) +250 health and mana. I would get this early if you are behind.
	The more expensive brother to Spirit Robe. It provides a bit more protection and also 10% cooldown reduction. The passive can help you get out of some situations. This would be best gotten late game if needed, but I feel there are better options.

Relics

	Solid relic that protects you from damage for 2s. Can help you get away. The downfall is that you can't use any actions.
	Use to get away after Confusion is over or if it was on cooldown. Just something to help you get away.
	Use against CC heavy opponents. It may keep you alive....maybe

Alternative Starts- Non-Conquest

Listed up top are alternative ways you can start out for . Now let's explain when to use each start.

Sands of Time start

Explanation

Early Poly

Explanation

Mid Poly

Explanation

Late Poly

Explanation

So which start to use? The best start would be either start if you want to run early. If you do not want to do that, late poly is probably the best as your power is there for a stronger passive for . I prefer early Poly with , but that is just me. No matter what you start with, will always have a terrible early game. There is no way around it, besides grinding through it. at item 2 is probably the strongest early game you can get, but it is a little pricier.

General Gameplay- Joust/Clash/Arena/Siege

has a terrible early game. It really is one of the worst. So it is best to play conservatively early in my opinion. If you can escape the early game with just a death or two, that would be considered a win in my book. After you get to the point where you have 3 items or so, that is when you can play a little more aggressive. shines mid to late game, when she gets her damage online, but with her being squishy, it all depends on the early game.

Early game

Mid Game

Late Game

Changeling tier list

Alright so I put together a tier list for good gods for to turn into. This could fail miserably because it is based on my opinion and god familiarity, which can be debated on and changed. I am mostly focusing on team fight capabilities and not necessarily 1 vs 1 fights, since her Cooldown is so long, you mostly want to use in team fights.

I know everyone's tier list could be different due to their knowledge of certain god kits, or on the builds of gods in match. I mean if you have an Auto attack build on , he won't be as good of an option since you basically want him for combo, which wouldn't have as much damage due to the build focus. So take this with a grain of salt, with a basis of optimal builds for each god. I am going to put them into 3 categories: Always, Situational and Better options available.

So when is used, you have 10 seconds as another god to wreak havoc on the opposing team. She copies all of their stats and can use all abilities. However she keeps her own relics. Also the rank of her abilities will match the skills of the god you copy. So in my normal progression, I level up first, which then if you turn into his will match the same ranking as . Something to keep in mind when turning into a god. Certain abilities won't necessarily be as strong due to the level ranking you do.

Always:
These are the gods that, when available, you should always change into with your ultimate . Changing into these gods will almost always give you a solid advantage over the enemy team.

Gods you should always change into

	The ultimate, No Escape, is reason enough to always change into this god, especially if your team already has an Ares. What's better than one Ares? That's right, two. Side note: Since relics are not copied, it might be harder to hit without Blink Rune
	Nothing better than flinging exploding corpses around. Ah Puch has a high burst damage and his Empty the Crypts can turn the field for you.
	Anubis is very easy to use and has high damage output.His simple combo of Grasping Hands into Mummify into Death Gaze can wreak havoc on the opposing team.
	Her Calydonian Boar can stun multiple gods while you clean up using Vengeful Assault to basic attack them to death. I would suggest using her late game since that is where she shines.
	You don't necessarily Share The Love when opposing gods see you turn into Cupid. Using Fields Of Love and Heart Bomb will cause opponent's hearts to skip a beat while you burst them down while stunned.
	Watch out Chicken little because the sky is falling with Hou Yi's Sunbreaker. This ultimate drops 9 suns in a target area slowing and damaging gods in an area. He also has a great escape with Divebomb
	Not much beats a fed Kukulkan. His ultimate Spirit of the Nine Winds deals massive damage when it hits the enemy. It is sometimes hard to pull off, but when it hit, it hits hard.
	The Morrigan doesn't always have to be about offense. She can turn into a team player. So why not pick probably the most frustrating guardian to go against Kumbhakarna. This would be a good pick when you need someone to disrupt the enemy team, setting them up for teammate's ultimate and to just be a pest to them.
	Nothing more frustrating than having to worry about two Loki's on the field. With his Assassinate he can basically get a for sure kill, then escape with Vanish
	A well timed Petrify can turn any battle around. Medusa is a top tier hunter this season in my opinion with the buff of Hastened Fatalis she can turn you to stone then burst your down.
	One of my favorites to turn into is Poseidon. Say you are coming late to the team battle nothing is more frightening for an enemy team than hearing Whirlpool being cast because you know Release The Kraken! is coming for you.
	One of the highest burst combos comes from Sic 'Em Crush combo. Also her I'm a Monster deals massive damage when you connect with it. Plus if you kill someone with it you can use it again. The tiny terror Scylla is always an option.
	Vulcan can be bursty and annoying with his pet Inferno Cannon. His ultimate Earthshaker can hit multiple gods at once while also possibly hitting a god that thinks they are safe from harm since it has a long range. Best to use hiding behind a wall.
	Xing Tian's Whirlwind of Rage and Steel is a great team battle game changer. By tossing hooked enemies towards your teammates, it sets them up for using their ultimate's or basic attack them down. Along with his other root Hook Slam he can root a god in place to set them up for your teammates. Side note: You won't be able to use Blink Rune to get in close to use his ultimate, so that could pose issues.
	Zeus brings the lightning with his ultimate Lightning Storm. Damage done by that and his Chain Lightning charges up enemies which then he detonates with Detonate Charge dealing damage.

Situationally:
These are the gods that are niche picks to change into. Before changing into one of these, assess the situation (e.g. who are our enemies?) and then pick one of these gods that would make for a good counter to them.

Gods you should situationally change into

	3 Ultimates (possibly), good CC and CQC and ranged combat potential. The downside is that hard CC is his kryptonite, so only pick Agni as a changeling subject when the enemy team lacks hard CC.
	Her ultimate Dazzling Offensive can hit numerous gods at once and if you hit at least one for first two hits, the third strike will stun them, setting them up for teammates to finish them off. Pick her if need a good stun in a team fight.
	A bursty mage assassin who can get a for sure kill with King of the Eastern Seas execution then escape. He is situational to me because of unfamiliarity and also being mostly a 1vs1 god. I could see him as being on the line of always and situational.
	If in trouble, you can always use her ultimate Undying Love and save yourself and a teammate if locked with Kiss
	Teammates need help but you are halfway across the map? Use Across The Sky to jump in the fray. Because it takes so long to use all of his kit, is why I label him as situational.
	She has great pressure in a team fights and can use numerous abilities in a short amount of time. Would be a decent pick to turn into to turn the tide of battle if needing someone to take a bunch of damage
	She can get you to battle if need be. Her ultimate takes awhile to initiate which then shortens the time you can use her other abilities but if you need to get to a spot in a hurry she can do the job.
	Not many guardians have as high of damage output as Bacchus. With Intoxicate and Belch of the Gods he can do serious damage or stun gods in a team fight. If things go bad, he can escape with Belly Flop.
	Early game there is not many gods that is better than Bastet With her Pounce she can jump in use her other abilities and finish with cat call and jump back to safety while her cats do all the work. She is situational as she tails off in late game.
	Bellona can be a situational god to turn into as she has good disruption with her ultimate and can also silence someone with Scourge. She can output some decent damage as well.
	With his sustain, Screech and Vampire Bats, he can be in the position to do major damage while finishing them off with Bat Out of Hell
	He can be dominant god on a team which could make him a late game pick for Changeling. His ultimate is still underwhelming and hard to hit gods after their transformation, but his Bramble Blast and his different glaives can shred through gods if built well.
	She can heal herself and allies while also dealing good damage while doing so. Her Waxing Moon ultimate can stun multiple gods at varying amounts of time.
	Would only turn into him late game when he is fully online. His abilities can be hard to hit but if you do hit them some major damage can occur. His ultimate could also get you out of sticky situation and give you full health again.
	Fafnir brings a lot to a team fight when in dragon form. He can buff allies, heal himself and also stun enemies setting up teammates. I put him situationally because of how long his ultimate lasts. Once it finishes you are stuck in place for some time, then when Changeling expires there is another small delay that could lead to your death.
	Basically you would use Fenrir for his ultimate to grab a god and run them back to your side. You can only grab one god, so not the best in a teamfight
	One of the best at bursting gods down after setting them up with Banish. After her combo she can use Valkyrie's Discretion as an escape and damage option. Situational, because I don't see her in matches to often and some unfamiliarity
	Borderline situational to not recommended. He can be very disruptive with his silence and knock up abilitiies. His ultimate can be helpful during team fights, but you won't actually be credited with any kills while transformed.
	Hades is a god set up for other AoE ultimate's like Zeus's Lightning Storm and Poseidon's Release The Kraken!. I classify as situational because it can set you up to die pertty
	Borderline always and situational in my opinion. His ultimate does a lot of damage and also his other abilities as well. I am just unfamiliar with him so it knocks him down a peg for me.
	His combos can be tough to hit, but his ultimate can do massive damage late game. A double Hercules ultimate (if on your team) can do massive damage to enemy team. He also can tank some damage and also heal.
	She has a stun and can heal/damage allies and enemies with her ultimate. I put her situational because I rarely see her, and she is pretty squishy as well.
	His ultimate is the only reason to turn into him. It can be really effective if cast well and surprising the enemy team. Other than that, I am unfamiliar with him so I don't really choose him.
	Borderline always and situational, his Portal and Unstable Vortex can be lethal to many squishy gods if he is built right. His Through Space and Time is a great ultimate to snipe people from a great distance but hard to connect. Can also be used as escape or to move around the map.
	Would only turn into her late game when she becomes a hyper carry. Her ultimate could be used to escape if need be as well.
	Great if need someone with some CC if your team doesn't have any already. He can also save yourself or a teammate if needed.
	Could be a nuisance with his NeNe Kappa while reflecting damage back with Shell Spikes. Could use Confusion to get behind enemy team then transform and use Watery Grave to surprise them and push them towards teammates.
	He can move across the map fast with his ultimate, while being attack speed/crit based he can deal massive damage in a short amount of time. He is squishy and I am unfamiliar with him.
	Basically use for her ultimate. Use it to hit fleeing gods that would otherwise be safe.
	One of my most familiar gods to turn into. Sentinel of Zeus is perfect for starting the fight and Rend to finish it. She can then escape with Valiant Leap. Situational because the damage output is low and Rend can be interrupted.
	Her ultimate has great distance and she can be disruptive with her Shadow Lock and Siphon Darkness
	She can burst some down with her clay soliders, but her ultimate would be the only reason to mainly use her since it hits everyone on map. It could score a few kills possibly.
	Ring of Spears can be a great ultimate to use to control the field, but it takes good team coordination and precision to utilize it
	His ultimate Searing Pain does a lot of damage, but can be hard to hit, which is why I place him in this column.
	High damage, with his kit. His Taiko Drums can take down multiple gods, but can be hard to aim. I also have unfamiliarity with him which also factors in.
	This is just based on my experience with her. She is not much in a team fight but with Last Breath she could pull off a couple kills if the poison spreads.
	Stellar Burst and Supernova are the two main moves to use with her if changed into her. Stellar Burst can do some good damage. Supernova is hard to get consistent damage to your targets which is why she is situatioanl.
	He is tough to use if unfamiliar which I am, but his Typhoon is worth it if no one better to turn into.
	His kit can be hard to hit with his grab. Could be decent in team fight atmosphere, but his damage wouldn't be there.
	His ultimate does deal really good damage when powered up, but it can be hard to hit anyone and also is slower since you have to charge it up. Would only change into him late game where his power is fully online and can be lethal.
	His ultimate can take awhile to fire and aim and land, but the rest of his combo can be quick and should be able to get off in the 10 seconds you have in Changeling. A double Thor ultimate could do serious damage if coordinated well.
	His CC and damage is good, not quite as disruptive as Kumbhakarna but his Frost Breath Shards of Ice Glacial Strike can do damage to gods caught in it.
	His early game is great and can possibly secure multiple kills with his kit, I put him situational because his ultimate can take up a lot of time, which could make you transform back in an inopportune time.
	Good team fighter if you need some health and to use her ultimate, otherwise that is it. Would use her if starting to lose a team battle, then her ultimate could help turn the tide.
	His ultimate Darkest of Nights can freeze the enemy team into not moving or stun them, while you barrage them with your Branching Bola and escaping with Rising Jaguar. Situational because he is not chosen by many people.

Practically never:
These are the gods that you should avoid changing into as much as possible. Of course, if there aren't any other gods available you might as well, but always opt for an option of one of the above 2 tables first, before looking to change into one of these.

Gods you should stay away from

	Unless you're playing Assault or Joust, this guy is a no-go. He has some nice buffs on Hive, but has no form of escape and almost no CC at all. His ultimate is also single target focused and easy to read, making Ah Muzen Cab a god you should avoid changing in to.
	She could be situational if you know her kit and have a lot of teammates who can knock up gods, but she has to get in close to deal damage and that could be to dangerous.
	High single target damage, but not much in a team fight.
	He could be good in the right situation, but I feel it would be rare. Plus he does not get chosen to often either.
	Could be situational, but right now he is pretty weak. I don't think you could get his passive up in time to use which is where he much stronger. At this time, I would stay away from him if possible.
	She doesn't bring much to a team fight. Her ultimate is hard to hit and she is squishy, making her not the greatest god to turn into.
	Tough pick, because he could be good depending on his build. He can do damage and be disruptive with his ultimate. He would be my pick if no one from other groups are available.
	His ultimate can make you regain health, but otherwise not much of a teamfight presence. Could be okay in 1vs1 situations.
	Could be okay..but I just think there would have to be better options available.
	In the right situation maybe, with his heal and ultimate he could be beneficial, but exteremely situational.
	Tough to gauge Hel. With her heal she could be important but she is squishy and lacks escapabilitiy.
	She could burst down with attacks but her ultimate is tough to land because of the small delay.
	With her being nerfed.. she has fallen quite a bit. Also I am unfamiliar with her.
	I just really don't like Ravana. So entirely prejudiced here. He could be situational, because he is pretty strong. But wouldn't be much in team fight aspect.
	It pains me to say it but Skadi is not a good choice to turn into. I have turned into her but I had issues with Kaldr so I never tried again.
	Again could be situational, but feel like there would have to be someone better to use Changeling on.
	Unfamiliarity leads to me to downgrade him. Also don't think he is the greatest in a team fight.
	He could be situational..could be. His abilities are strong, but you can miss them to easily is why I say he is a no go.
	Doesn't have a true Ultimate, and his other abilities are easy to dodge.
	With his ultimate he could be considered situational, but I am hardly familiar with him, so hard to gauge on how good he can be.
	He could be okay late game. But he lacks an escape and is not very mobile.

So I know these are up for debate and are contingent on numerous things like familiarity and god builds, but I feel strong about the "Always" group and could see some from each category move up a category. I will take into account people's opinions as well if they convince me otherwise.

Thanks