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The Overarching Arena Guide (Y11, Patch 11.1 "Year 11")

92 11 479,589
8.9
by Branmuffin17 updated January 25, 2024

Smite God:

Build Guide Discussion 131 More Guides
Tap Mouse over an item or ability icon for detailed info

Introduction & Hat Tilt (TormentedTurnip)

Recent updates:

2024/1/25: Guide is current as of Patch 11.1 "Year 11." Martichoras, Ix Chel, Charon, Maman Brigitte and Bake Kujira added. Tier list updated.

Revision History


Artwork by Getsukeii via DeviantArt


Introduction


Hello everyone! My name is Branmuffin17 (PC IGN: Muffinman17, PS4 IGN: Branmuffin17), and I'm a SMITEFire admin and casual SMITE player on PC and PS4.

Welcome to my general guide for SMITE's Arena mode, designed to apply on a high level to gameplay and tips, rather than focusing on individual gods or builds. It contains significant influence and content from the absent TormentedTurnip, whose guide, Pffft, Minions: A General Guide to Arena, is outdated...which is why I've created this in the first place.

This guide targets the following players:

  • New players familiarizing themselves with gods or general gameplay mechanics of SMITE

  • Regulars looking to improve with or try new gods but dread risking the wrath of jerks in Conquest

  • Regulars looking for a refresher or to possibly learn a helpful tip or two

  • Regulars that enjoy providing feedback, suggestions, and thoughts (thanks!)

One of the most popular modes of SMITE, the Arena is a perfect place to learn the mechanics of a god you're unfamiliar with. This mode often has the shortest matches (<20 minutes), so is also a great pick if you don't have much time to play.

Arena provides some unique experiences that you won't get in other modes (especially Conquest), which also makes it a great mode for beginners:
  • No worrying about the jungle and getting ganked from around a corner
  • You don't have to ward or hope that others will ward
  • The base is extremely close, so you can go back to base anytime without worrying too much
  • You don't need to know rotations for mid-harpies, Gold Fury, Fire Giant, etc.
As a final thought before we begin, understand that I'm not the best player (or anywhere close to it!). With time and experience, I have found the following to be helpful to me, and hope it may help others.

If you get something out of this, hopefully it will help increase your enjoyment of this awesome game. Keep in mind, though, that nothing beats experience. Keep an open mind to what you're doing correctly, as well as what you need to work on, and it's inevitable that you'll improve.




The Importance of Minions

The Importance of Minions


(If starting out by discussing minions is good enough for Turnip, it's good enough for me! The main thought process in this section is taken from his guide.)

Before we even get into the main discussion of Arena, this concept needs to be pounded into your head.



Minions are an EXTREMELY important aspect of Arena!!!


Why? Understand this:
  • 1 point is deducted for each enemy minion that your team last-hits (minions killing opposing minions deducts 0 tickets)
  • 1 point is deducted for each friendly minion that reaches the enemy portal
  • Each wave contains 7 minions = 7 tickets
  • One wave spawns every 20 seconds = 21 tickets each minute.
  • Killing a god deducts 5 tickets from the other team.
What does this mean? Let's do some simple math.
  • 7 tickets (1 minion wave) > 5 tickets (1 enemy god)...1 minion wave is worth more than a god kill! And it's significantly more difficult (and not guaranteed) to kill an enemy god, while it's practically impossible NOT to kill minions.

  • When you allow a minion wave to hit your portal (up to 7 tickets lost), you lose the opportunity to deduct 7 tickets from the other team...a net loss of up to 14 tickets!!!
(Taken from Turnip's guide) "So what have we learned? Simple: if you ever leave a sight like this to chase an enemy down, please report yourself for incompetence." (His words, not mine!!!)

Now that that's cleared up, on to the juicy stuff!




Arena Overview

Arena Overview

Legend:
  • Mana Camp: +25 MP5 regen + 10% CDR

  • Damage Camp: 20% damage + 10 mag power / 5 phys power

  • Attack Speed Buff Camp: 15% Attack Speed + 15 magical basic attack damage / 12 physical attack damage

  • +Phoenixes: Invulnerable phoenixes & minion spawn locations
  • 5 vs. 5 deathmatch, 6 jungle buff camps, no lanes

  • All gods (from those you own, plus the standard, free rotation) are available to choose.

  • You start with 1,500 gold at level 3. You gain 10 gold per second throughout the match.

  • Each side starts with 500 tickets. Killing an enemy god deducts 5 tickets. Killing an enemy minion (7 per wave, 1 wave every 20 seconds) deducts 1 ticket each. Friendly minions that reach the enemy portal deduct 1 ticket each. Once a team is down to 10 tickets, killing standard minions (Melee and Archers) will no longer deduct tickets. Killing Brute minions and escorting friendly minions through the enemy portal still deducts tickets.

  • An arena Minotaur spawns for every 10 team kills. The Minotaur pushes with the regular creep wave and has a large health pool and strong melee attacks. It will stop marching forward if an enemy god is nearby, targetting it with its attacks until the target is dead or they move away from it. If the Minotaur reaches the enemy portal, it will deduct 15 tickets from the enemy team.

  • Teams respawn in waves. There is a single timer for an entire team constantly ticking away. Thus if a player dies just before the team timer goes off they will respawn almost immediately. The team timer increases in length the further ahead in score that team is, up to 60 seconds.

General Arena Details


Minion Spawn and Path:

Minions spawn from alternating sides of each base near the Phoenixes every 20 seconds, and head through the center of the map toward the enemy team's portals.

Buff Camps:

Each buff camp spawns a single special minion at the start of the game (time 0). These minions are inactive until they are attacked. When they are killed, they have a 240 second (4 minute) respawn time. The buffs last for 2 minutes.

Typically, mages will get the Mana and/or Damage buffs. ADCs (hunters or Freya) will usually get the Basic Attack buff, but if no ADCs are present, this will go to an assassin or basic-attacking warrior (like Ravana).

Respawn Timers:

Teams respawn in waves. There is a single timer for an entire team constantly ticking. If a player dies just before the timer ends, they will respawn almost immediately. A team's timer increases in length (up to 60 seconds) the further ahead in tickets they are.

10 or Less Tickets:

Once a team has 10 or less tickets, killing standard minion waves no longer deducts tickets against that team. Killing large minions and escorting friendly minions through the enemy portal still deducts tickets. Barring god kills, only 1 ticket is deducted every 20 seconds.

As such, DO NOT TURTLE (play fully defensive) if your team is ahead. You will lose tickets at the normal rate (until you reach 10), while the enemy team barely loses any. Instead, you should be pressuring the enemy team as a group. You can either force them to back off so you can push the minion wave, or try to get just 2 god kills to finish the match.




Team Composition & Build Effectiveness

Team Composition & Build Effectiveness


It is extremely important to consider the effects of a team's composition...yours and the enemies'. Here are some things to consider.


God Considerations


  • Magical/Physical Balance: Since you can choose your gods, there is no excuse to have an imbalanced team. Having 4 or more magical or physical gods on one team makes it extremely easy for the other team to counter build with protections. (This isn't to say that a 5-guardian team can't be fun, of course!)

  • Class/Role Balance: Each class has something that excels better than other classes...guardians have a lot of CC and can take a lot of damage, mages have a lot of burst, hunters have immense late-game damage, etc. Given that, class diversity can (but not always) make things easier for your team to handle a variety of situations.

  • Burst vs. Sustained Damage: Another aspect of balance, this has to do with how quickly gods deal damage. Burst damage is great for finishing off an injured enemy, but if it's applied to an enemy at full health, it may just allow them to retreat and heal. Sustained damage, though not as immediate, can provide constant health drain, getting enemies to the point where burst damage can complete the job. It's best if you have some of each in your team.

  • Ability Synergies: If you're into strategizing even before the game starts, you might want to consider which gods have abilities that work well in combination (usually ults associated with pulls, traps, and large AOEs. Check out my spoiler at the bottom of this section for a list of gods with these abilities.

  • Arena Isn't Balanced: The developers focus on balancing the game for competitive Conquest. Essentially, this turns some average Conquest gods (e.g. Odin, Ares, Xing Tian) into huge threats, while making other top-tier gods (e.g. Athena) a bit less effective. You can take a look at my Tier List section for further information and ideas, if you want to take advantage of this fact.

Ability Considerations


  • Crowd Control: In a teamfight situation, CC can be a game-changer. Having gods that have hard CC (e.g. freezes) or zoning capabilities (e.g. Odin's Ring of Spears) can allow your team to control the field and single out vulnerable enemies. It can also be used defensively to allow teammates to escape. Soft CC (e.g. slows) is also effective against retreating/chasing enemies.

  • CC Immunity: Somewhat counter to general CC, having an ability that allows you to cancel anticipated CC (such as Ares' No Escape provides a tremendous advantage, especially with the long CD of relics like Purification. Chaac, Ne Zha, Nu Wa and Rama, and Vamana have ults that are often used offensively, but these can be triggered defensively to get out of otherwise deadly CC. Even better, gods like Chang'e and Ravana have regular abilities with lower CD that provide them the same safety.

  • Escapes: Especially for squishy gods, having an escape (e.g. jumps/teleports) is a huge advantage, though it's also important to know WHEN to use it, and to recognize deadly situations and extract yourself before you hit the event horizon.

  • Minion Wave-Clear: As discussed previously, it's important to be able to quickly and efficiently clear the minion wave. Have at least 1 god on the team that can do so, and that knows it's one of their main responsibilities, so that you don't fall behind or get pushed back too easily.

Build & Item Considerations


  • Unnecessary Stats: Examples include HP5 (healing sustain), lifesteal and mana pools (in some situations). With the base so close, many aspects of sustain are rendered unnecessary. HP5/health regen from items like Stone of Gaia, and even Mail of Renewal are almost useless. Lifesteal is only really important for 1v1 boxing gods with high damage output (e.g. crit-built hunters) to help keep them alive. Some gods can still eat up mana, but mana regen is almost a completely useless stat. Don't EVER get Meditation!

  • Cost Effectiveness: In Conquest, build efficiencies with regard to build order and power spikes are important. In Arena, you also really have to consider the cost of items in a full build, because matches are so short. It's almost absurd to even consider buying Spear of Desolation, and even crit items can be too costly in some cases. Think early about how you plan to build.

  • Stacking Items: It can be really frustrating if you've got a stacking item (e.g. Transcendence) and you've got another teammate screaming at you because THEY need to stack too. Just be careful, so you're not all fighting for the same shared minion wave and getting upset.

Ability Synergies



The following is a simple list of gods whose abilities (usually Ultimates) work well when combined with teammates' abilities, or otherwise help others secure kills. Some of these are traps, some pull or otherwise gather gods into one area, and others are simply wide AOE damaging abilities. Most considered are ones that are able to affect multiple gods at once when in a teamfight, so you won't find mention of Fenrir's Ragnarok in here, even though it can secure a kill. Hun Batz's Fear No Evil also isn't included, because it disperses enemies in the area.

Ability Synergies




General Gameplay & Tips

General Gameplay & Tips


Gameplay Stages



Starting Process & Advanced Starting Tips

Early Game

Mid-Game

Late-Game


Gameplay Tips



Initiating A Teamfight

Where Should You Fight?

Who Should You Fight, and When?

Minotaur Strategies

Random Tips




Arena Items & Example Builds

Arena Items



The purpose of this section isn't to provide a step-by-step build order list for all gods/roles/situations. If you are looking for a more comprehensive overall items guide, you can find that here:




In this section, I will give some emphasis on specific items that can be very functional in the Arena mode due to auras or enhanced effects for teamfights, and then provide some example builds utilizing some of these items. This is not an exhaustive list, and will NOT focus on all items...only those that see enhanced function in teamfights.

Keep in mind, Arena is a close-in teamfight mode. The fountain is nearby, so stats like HP5 and MP5 aren't quite as helpful as in other modes. On the other hand, items such as those that have AURA effects, or Relic Dagger for those looking to use Blink Rune often, or stats like CDR, have increased potential in this mode.

Always look to the strengths of your particular god to get the most out of them.


Key Magical Items




Key Magical Offense Items




Key Magical Bruiser / Utility Items


Key Physical Items




Key Physical Offense Items




Key Physical Bruiser / Utility Items


Key Universal Utility / Defense / Counter Items




Key Universal Defense / Counter Items




Personal Tier List (PERSONAL, I SAID!)

Personal Tier List


I'm probably going to get a lot of feedback (read: flame) just having this section in the guide, but by golly, I'm doing it because Turnip had it!

The biggest thing you'll want to understand with this list is that this is a guideline only. Consider at your own risk. I welcome feedback and am open to adjustment, as long as you convince me.

This is how I am organizing, and what attributes I consider.
  1. 3 categories for each class: Overpowered (S-Tier), Balanced (A-Tier), and Underpowered (B-Tier). True effectiveness depends on player/teammate/enemy skill, team compositions, teamwork, etc. Some gods in S-Tier might actually be hard-countered by gods in B-Tier, etc.

  2. There are obvious synergies between some gods that increases their effectiveness, but I can't cover each variation, and there are no guarantees on what gods your teammates choose (or how well they play). As such, all gods are considered on their own merit only.

  3. Abilities with mobility/escapes, CC, AOE, and strong general teamfight presence push gods toward S-Tier. Gods with a lack of these push them toward B-Tier. Healing and sustain in Arena is slightly less important than in other modes, where you either can't go back to base (Assault) or going back to base and returning is a time-consuming process (Conquest/Siege).
One other thing...the ability to secure a kill by itself isn't enough. Thanatos and Loki are great at getting kills...but having the capability of getting out alive is also important. You're not really doing much for your team if you're going 10/10/15.




Assassins

Guardians

Hunters

Mages

Warriors




Quick Definitions & References

References & Tools


Abbreviations & Terms



Here is a quick list of some of the abbreviations/terms used in this guide:
  • ADC: Attack Damage Carry. Refers to a god (usually a Hunter) whose main form of attack is the basic one (left click!), and whose effectiveness usually peaks late-game, from having a full item build centered around max damage potential.
  • AOE: Area Of Effect. Refers to abilities that have the ability to hit an area, rather than a single target.
  • CC: Crowd Control. An effect from an item or ability that limits or prevents an opponent from moving or taking action. Examples include slow, cripple, freeze, and silence.
  • CDR: CoolDown Reduction. Usually from items, this reduces the time it takes for your abilities to become available again after previous use
  • HP5: Health (Hit Points) regenerated per every 5 seconds
  • MP5: Mana (Mana Points) regenerated per every 5 seconds
  • RNG: Random Number Generator. Term used for abilities (especially crit items) that have a percent chance to activate. Sometimes frowned upon as this brings a bit of luck into an otherwise skill-based game.
  • Tank: generally of the Warrior or Guardian class, built mainly with protection items
  • Bruiser: generally of the Warrior or Guardian class, built with both protection and damage items. Can also include an Assassin built with protections.
  • Squishy: Low HP gods (usually Assassins, Hunters, and Mages)
  • Magical (gods): Guardians and Mages
  • Physical (gods): Assassins, Hunters and Warriors
  • Penetration: A stat that helps bypass an enemy's inherent or item-based protection. I tend to lump penetration (e.g. Jotunn's Wrath) and protection reduction (e.g. The Executioner) in the same category for ease of consideration regarding general function. It's a lot more complex than that, so I suggest reading this article by Professor Proxy in your spare time.




Some Of My Guides



If you liked this guide, check out my other ones below!


The Overarching Series



The
Overarching
Assault Guide

The
Overarching
Conquest Guide



Individual God Guides



Bacchus:
An Alcoholic's Chugging Guide

Freya:
Pulsing to
the Beat

Ganesha:
Selflessly
Gifting Kills

Shifu Guan Yu:
The Battle
Master

Loki: The Backstabbing Bastard

Medusa: Getting Everyone Stoned

Conclusion

Conclusion


So that's it! Thanks for reading! I hope it's been helpful and enjoyable. Please feel free to provide feedback...let me know if I've missed an essential or helpful tip, or if you would like me to add some specific content, or have suggestions of any other sort.

Peace!


Brandon / PC IGN: Branmuffin17



Main original thanks to Bullfrog323 and boogiebass for their knowledge and feedback on the Arena mode. Also thanks to everyone else who's provided feedback in the comments!


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Collapse All Comments

1
Damrosche | May 5, 2021 2:45pm
this is cool and indepth, thank you :)
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | May 5, 2021 5:55pm
Hi Damrosche, glad you found it helpful!

Comment has been deleted

1
Branmuffin17 (400) | December 23, 2019 8:55am
Huge damage, chain lightning able to affect multiple enemies. Yes, he doesn't have an escape, and yes, he's reliant on teammates, but not necessarily for their ults as you've said. He needs them for peel more than for bunching them up. But Joust is a team game, so that's okay.

You don't need to apply max charges to deal a lot of damage. One or two charges still deals good damage. Couple of questions:
  1. What type of build are you typically using for him?
  2. Just confirming you know you can extend the range of your chain lightning by hitting your thrown shield with it, right?
1
Revenant7755 (1) | December 23, 2019 11:15am
No I didn't know about the extended range on zeus.I run book of thorth>magi shoes> spear of desolation> bancrofts>divine ruin>rod of tahuti. I copied it from a player who is very good with him.
Load more comments (2 more replies) →
1
Revenant7755 (1) | December 20, 2019 1:25pm
I've been following your guides since I started playing smite a month ago and I find them extremely helpful. Could you make a joust guide? I feel that there is some very important things that people should know and not a lot of guides cover it. Also in case you didn't know, the newest god Heimdallar needs to be added to the tier list. Other than that its really good. +1 definitely

(EDIT) I just now realized that the morrigan is also not on the tier list.
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | December 21, 2019 11:55am
Hey Rev,

Thank you! Glad they have been of help. (Also, thanks for spotting Morrigan isn't in there...Heim isn't because I haven't updated it for the newest patch, so I'll do that at the same time.)

I've thought about a Joust guide for a while. I just don't have the time to dedicate to creating yet ANOTHER guide and trying to keep it updated. I've thought about retiring the Assault guide also, which was my first one.

The Joust map is going to see a significant change in S7 also, and I'm not sure how that's going to play out. If you'd like, I can write up some basics for Joust based on my experience and preference. Let me know if you want me to do that, and give me some specific topics to discuss if you have certain things in mind.
1
Revenant7755 (1) | December 21, 2019 4:18pm
Sure I think the important things that should be covered is tier list, the best team composition, and bull demon king. Everything else seems to be the same in most other modes(towers, titans ect.) but you can add it in if you want.
1
Devampi (105) | November 30, 2019 12:47am
Just wanna throw up 2 points of discussion.

how do you feel about the different blessing starts over t2 boots? I have taken quite a liking in [attacker's blessing] because of how quickly it's stacked in arena. (haven't really tried the others tbh)

Also in your start you say the mage should continue clearing camps, however I have noticed with gods with good early game wave clear (think gods like Kukulkan with a well placed Whirlwind) it can be a big advantage to help blue and red and then go mid (since when red is cleared the wave will clash when you arrive). This allows your team to collapse while the enemy has to deal with the still remaining first wave. the 1-2 seconds your team is later does not provide a lot of minion clear of your opponent from what I have noticed myself.
1
Gulfwulf (81) | November 30, 2019 7:08am
I think Attacker's Blessing would probably be the only blessing I'd recommend, but it'll still put your build a bit behind, which means you may not be able to afford a 5th or 6th item before the game ends. I personally don't build blessings in Arena because of that.
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | November 30, 2019 12:28pm
So I'll jump on Gulf's comment, and say that I agree that Attacker's Blessing would probably be the only blessing I'd consider getting (though in some unique cases for someone like Hel or Aphrodite, I might consider Specialist's Blessing.

But for most gods, at this point I prefer skipping any blessings. Usually I'll go Combat Boots or Magic Shoes. If I'm a mage, for example, I'll often rush Chronos' Pendant, so since Lost Artifact is cheap (550 gold), I'll get that and a Mana Potion, and try to stay out as long as possible before backing so I can get a head start on levels and gold. That mana potion can really help, as the mage, for example, can use their clearing ability on the 1st and 3rd camps, making it very quick to get through the buff camps.

I will disagree with Gulf though, and say that even if you get a Blessing, you should (in almost all cases) be able to finish all 6 regular items before the match ends.

As for the start, depending on how quickly they can clear, I VERY strongly suggest all 5 gods just blow through the 3 buff camps ASAP, and all head together to the middle. When the mage leaves early, it slows the other people down with clear (sometimes the basic attacker gets left alone to clear theirs because everyone else is stupid)...AND if they clear before you're in range, the others miss out on some XP/gold. When the mage DOES leave, it's usually after the 1st camp, though. They get their buff and head right to the middle, because they're selfish and say "hey, I got what I needed, see ya."

Depending on how willing people are to use abilities on the camps, you can get through all 3 very, very quickly. I've been in groups where it takes less than 20 seconds, and in others where it takes over 40 (sometimes because people take forever to buy items). The more efficiently you can clear, the quicker everyone gets to the middle, clears the first wave, and immediately pressures the enemy team. THAT should be the goal, IMO.
Load more comments (6 more replies) →
1
livejamie | October 19, 2019 2:00am
Raijin seems to be missing.
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | October 20, 2019 9:53am
So he does. Thanks for pointing that out. Not sure how he got lost.

Added back, Yemoja added also, updated for 6.11.
1
Qryzag | September 24, 2019 3:26am
Hi! Im new in game but why for phys dmg not use crits? it seem to make much more dmg output then just boosting atack.
1) boots
2) Wind Demon quite balanced stats gives atack, atack speed, crit and enough crits for keeping buff upp
3-4) Deathbringer after it crits every second hit and crits are really powerfull
Malice may be taken instead or as next item. Also its cheaper and gives ability to stam non-ult skills. If constantly atack it give like ~50% CDR

Rest depending on class..
also with good crit rate Poisoned Star + Runeforged Hammer gives also good dps and slow\weakness for low price

Against tanks its not so cool but still makes some good dmg.. Or i missing something?
2
Branmuffin17 (400) | September 25, 2019 2:30pm
Hi Qryzag,

Just going to put in my two cents here...some of what I say will probably align with others. And in this discussion, note that my comments are specifically about building in Arena or other non-Conquest modes.

I do want to clarify that I don't specifically say not to use/buy crit items in the guide (at least to my recollection). In fact, I do list Fail-Not as a functional item (due to its ability to crit-debuff an enemy for your teammates to take advantage).

The main points why you might choose crits or Qin's routes for basic attackers often have to do with the god in question, as well as the enemy comp. For hunters, either route can be okay, but it's often best IMO to go crits when you use a god with an attack speed steroid, like Art or Rama. This allows you to build a bit less into attack speed items, and concentrate on power and pen (since crits scale from your power/basic attack damage). This isn't to say that crits can't have both...Wind Demon and Poisoned Star obviously have AS. I do feel PS is on the weaker side right now, and its passive really makes it less suitable for a teamfight mode.

Cost and Power Curve: But some of the items that work best with crit builds are more expensive. Deathbringer is the most expensive item in the game, Fail-Not isn't cheap, and you'll often see it alongside other items such as Bloodforge (expensive), Wind Demon (moderate), etc. In a shorter mode like Arena, getting your build online as soon as possible is important...you've got a limited time, and being able to optimize your damage potential ASAP is key. Of course, if you get a lot of early kills, you can build more quickly. But note also as Kriega pointed out that crit builds don't really become more effective until you've built at least ~50% crit chance...and that means your build doesn't really come online until like, item 4/5. (And no, you don't want to get WD 2nd and DB 3rd or 4th...your build list doesn't even include

Negatives about crits: Crits, can be partially countered by things such as Geb (passive), Hide of the Nemean Lion, Spectral Armor, and Shield of Thorns. It also relies on RNG (random number generation), which means it's a roll of the dice as to when you get a crit. This isn't a big deal if you're building more than, like, 70%, but sometimes the dice won't roll your way and you'll get 3 hits in a row without crits, for example. Makes it slightly unreliable.

Qin's, on the other hand, focuses more on attack speed to take advantage of the item's passive damage bonus. The more often you hit, the more bonus damage you get. A lot of the items that pair well with Qin's in a high AS build are cheaper...things like Odysseus' Bow, for example, and the O-Bow passive is also functional for teamfights. And of course, you're talking about consistent damage...no random chances here.

Qin's, in addition, is great against tanks that build high health. Often as a hunter, you're going to be in the backline, and your main contact is going to be against their frontline (usually tanks).

One final thing is with regard to Assassins rather than Hunters (since I don't know if you're talking about a specific class). Depending on the assassin, they'll have a stronger function with one or the other. Mercury can crit with his 1. Serqet can crit (up to 3 times) with her 1. Ne Zha has crit activation in his 2, and has (essentially guaranteed) crits in his ult, which makes Deathbringer quite nice. Most other assassins won't build crits.

But some are basic attackers, and those usually want Qin's over crits. Why? In the case of Arachne and Kali, for example, both have quick attack progressions (where at least one of their hits is faster but deals less damage). In those cases, you'll get more Qin's procs in the same amount of time...but if you were to crit on a shorter attack, you'd get reduced damage multipliers and thus lower potential damage. And while Bakasura doesn't have a variable attack progression, his Butcher Blades wants to hit as often as possible, so you want to build high AS, and this goes hand-in-hand with what Qin's wants.

In the end, as I said at the beginning, most of my build direction preference depends on enemy comp and the god I'm using.
1
xmysterionz (72) | September 24, 2019 5:38am
For arena, I may agree that Crits can be better because there you gain gold easily, people there are usually ****ting if they are countering the enemy or not and people love get squishy dps and go for kills so Yeah, specifically talking about Arena, crit builds tend to be better in normal conditions, however, for the main game mode, the conquest, there are several points that differ a build using crits and non-crit builds, each one providing stats that are useful in just some situations, so you have to analyze the match and think about it before choosing your route.
1
Kriega1 (143) | September 24, 2019 4:06am
Qryzag wrote:
Hi! Im new in game but why for phys dmg not use crits? it seem to make much more dmg output then just boosting atack.


High attack speed is to get the most out of Qin's Sais passive.
1
Qryzag | September 24, 2019 4:31am
But total dps is seems weaker. On test zone its like 600-700dmg crits vs 400+100 dmg hits with near same atack speed
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1
GaseousClay (1) | September 24, 2019 3:56am
In a nutshell It's not don't use crits, it's should I.
As you said critical is very strong against but it's also more expensive and even then you've to rely on RNG.
In most cases crit is built on God's with AS steroids. When you build into crits % you lose on other important starts like power and speed. Also in most cases you want to build death bringer if you build crit for the damage boost

Nowadays with fail not being such a great crit item must ppl build it in non crit build too
1
Qryzag | September 24, 2019 4:22am
but most of crit items also got some power. And stars gives atack speed and boost on atack speed/ So tottal stats output is preatty good.
I tested Heartseeker + Qin's Sais and trying maxing atack power and atack speed but crit items still looks better.

After building 3 crit items non crit hits are quite rare and with Wind Demon and boots it is decent atack speed. Deathbringer is expencive but rest things are cheap enough. Only one real downside i see is CDR for ult but for normal skills Malice is really cool
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1
silentshell (5) | May 22, 2019 10:22am
excellent job Bran. So much frustration in arena would be assuaged if people even only took your simple tips and strategies and applied them. You did a great job of covering everything though.
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Branmuffin17 (400) | May 22, 2019 10:25am
Thanks silent. Now to get you to branch out into other modes before you turn into Gulfwulf XD
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silentshell (5) | May 22, 2019 10:40am
lol, i am getting there. I want to have a good stable of gods i am comfortable with in each class before getting back into joust, and then from there, who knows?
1
Gulfwulf (81) | May 22, 2019 10:30am
There's nothing wrong with being an Arena main; besides, real men play Ranked Arena. :P
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1
Kriega1 (143) | December 1, 2018 2:28pm
"Consider as an alternative of sorts to Rod of Tahuti. Another pure offense item, every 40 seconds you deal an extra burst of true damage to your target, which can help burst them down to nothing. Passive isn't very reliable if you're constantly hitting enemy gods, though." - a bit outdated?
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | December 1, 2018 4:41pm
Oops yup. Will fix.
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | July 12, 2018 10:45am
Added some additional wording on builds here and there for options/alternatives, altered the Arachne build a bit, and changed the presentation of the entire section. Thoughts?
1
boogiebass (46) | July 12, 2018 10:48am
Yes
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | July 12, 2018 10:52am
Also mentioned you at the beginning of the guide.
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1
boogiebass (46) | July 11, 2018 6:53pm
I'd consider Warrior Tabi a potential first item for Odin since his bird bombs hit harder at the early game.

For Thanatos, consider Heartseeker instead of Titan's Bane if enemies aren't tanky and you need a bit of extra umph to kill something without using your ult.
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Branmuffin17 (400) | July 12, 2018 12:11am
I can only provide one example. I would also consider Warrior as you know from my Odin Arena guide, and in most cases it would probably be my standard choice. In this case I went for reinforced because it got a recent mini buff and I did call the build a tank rather than bruiser.

As for Thanatos, yeah that also works. Again, can only provide one example but I can add further comments. Just don't want the comments too be too complex. Good thoughts.
1
boogiebass (46) | July 11, 2018 6:44pm
I don't like your Arachne build. My preferred build:

1. Warrior Tabi
2. The Crusher - I don't like Qin's Sais here. Enemies haven't built up health for you to utilize the passive.
3. ( Hide of the Urchin or Mantle of Discord or Magi's Cloak) || Stone Cutting Sword
4. ( Hide of the Urchin or Mantle of Discord or Magi's Cloak) || Stone Cutting Sword
5. Qin's Sais
6. The Executioner

Sell Warrior Tabi for Ninja Tabi

Of course, the defensive item is a flexible pick up (unless it's Hide of the Urchin), but I usually end up picking it 3rd or 4th cuz that's when I see the most focus.
1
boogiebass (46) | July 12, 2018 11:22am
@kriega

In your opinion, Who has the more functional arachne build for arena? Me or bran? Brans build is in the guide itself, under the items section, physical god builds.
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Branmuffin17 (400) | July 12, 2018 11:43am
I like my build just fine, thank you. =)

Like I said, SCS is a great item, BUT...it's better if you're facing more physical threat. It's an example build, so I don't account for all things. Also, your build is more forgiving. Earlier protections are just fine, but it means you won't be doing as much damage. It DOES mean you can survive more, even if you make mistakes.

Depending on enemy comp and whatnot, I've gotten Hide of the Urchin as early as 2nd item.

My example build takes better advantage of Qin's passive at an earlier stage, which also pairs well with her passive, Predator. It also requires more awareness (only go in once the most threatening abilities are on CD) and helps if you have good tanks/CC on your team to help set you up.

(Also, I added a burst ability build for her as well.
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1
Branmuffin17 (400) | July 11, 2018 11:59pm
I'm actually okay with Crusher after Tabi. The flat pen will also help her ability damage which will be more important early game, and the AS will also help with Qin's. I'm also okay with SCS after that, but only situationally because the protection it provides is physical, and magical threats might be bigger. But I maintain that, high health or no, Qin's provides a higher DPS jump than any other item. I'd still build it after crusher. 5th is way too late for my taste.

In this case I'd also just start Ninja just to more simply set the build up for Qin's. But I still like my original build just fine. It's one example. But I appreciate the feedback and I'll probably adjust and get crusher earlier.
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | July 12, 2018 12:14am
Also next time we play you're playing Arachne.
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1
boogiebass (46) | July 11, 2018 4:35pm
Pestilence isnt just a counter pick item, its a fantastic mag protection item. Phenomenal amounts of mag def and good amt of health. I find myelf picking this up more often than bulwark simply because most hunters and mages, and a few assassins, will build some form of lifesteal. From my personal experience, mages and assassins are the most played, followed by hunters and warriors, with guardians played the least. So in every single game, you're very likely to see at least 2 gods building some form of lifesteal.

Ofc, pestilence offers a fantastic counter to healers as well.
1
Branmuffin17 (400) | July 11, 2018 5:10pm
"Great against magical damage, and specifically useful against enemy healing of all types."

Lifesteal is technically a form of healing, but yes, you're right, and I do always consider Pest to counter lifesteal builds.

Keep in mind also that pestilence is in the tank slash counter item grouping. It was never stated as just a counter item.
1
boogiebass (46) | July 11, 2018 5:37pm
Ahh my mistake!
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