Whack-a Mole! - Sobek guide

Pros: Good Sustain, Good utility, High Defense and is capable of High Area damage or High Single Target Damage
Cons: Takes VERY fast reflexes to perform well, and must keep his eyes out for opportunity at all times. Also, Sobek is required to get close to enemys to deal damage. Death is imminent, at least 2 or 3 deaths, and may be highly targeted.

(This is my first guide, i hope you like it! - Zackeryss)

Why play Sobek? Well, first off, he is a tank, and tanks ARE a very important edition on your team. They lead a charge on the opponent, and help others retreat, constantly able to take hits, but able to get out of the situation alive and ok. Sobek though, I play him as a kind of magical bruiser, kinda how you would see odin. He has a nice utility, able to toss around opponents, keeping them in range of his allies or towers. He also is one of the few gods in the game with the ability to snatch opponents from safety, allowing his allies(or himself) to make the kill. Also, his ult is a nice way to help his team, applying a slow to them and making him a big "Hit me or i'll kill you!" Making way for your team to kill your opponents off, while they will be focused you or running away from you(making this move a great one to pull off on a gank). This guide is gonna help you master sobek, and give you a great god to have in your arsenal of gods(Its good to have a couple, since everybody you play with might take your god, and not very many people tanky these days ) anyways, on to the guide!

First of all, im going to tell you right now, you will probably die as sobek. Its ok, as long as your deaths were meaningful and helped your team. Second of all, you must know that you may or may not get kills at all. You shouldn't aim for kills, just aim towards taking the other team out, even if you dont get to do it yourself. Third, by doing this, you will make yourself a HUGE target for the enemy team. A god who is going to get you killed if you stray even for a SECOND, mess up just ONCE, that is a HUGE target!

Time to go over the items to buy! :D

1st:Plated greaves. This is because you NEED speed as a tank, if you wanna run away and live, or if you wanna chase them down and kill, youre gonna need to outrun your opponent. Plus, some HPS and some protections can never go bad with a tank/bruiser.

2nd:Mystical Mark. This item i buy second, because there will most likely(90% chance) of there being a phys attacker on your opposite side, which means phys prot is good. The health is also a good bonus, but the main thing about this item is its passive, dealing damage to all nearby enemies is sweet! Lets you get in the crowd and deal damage just by standing around! also, at this point the mark will deal about 50% of your basic attack damage, so that is a nice edition, since it helps you to deal a bunch of damage. Trust me, it adds up over time.

3rd:Focused Void Stone. This item is always third, since there is likely to be a mage on their side attacking you. It gives ok power, ok prot, but LOTS of penetrations. Though, you should buy a normal void stone if someone your with has one as well, since it reduces their prot by 15. 15+15=30, which is more than 25. Also, that boosts the effect of your Mystical mark, but that is up to you.

4th:Wall of absolution. This item i buy 4th. Gives you some magical power, which is nice, but mostly because of its physical protection. If you have ever been attacked by people like Ah Muzen Cab, then this item is essential.

5th and 6th: This is up to you. The possible items you could buy are listed above, Either Magical power set, the Even Defense set, or the High Magical/High Phys Defense. These are all based on situation. If you want more damage, go damage. if you want more def, go the other 3. those are all just reccomended, you can mix and match if you want to. I mostly go Power set, but if times get rough i go for defensive sets

Now that you know about the items, lets talk about gameplay as Sobek!

In Domination

This is where I love being sobek. Its all about towers, and this is where i'd say Sobek shines the most. Use Your Charge Prey to either get close to your opponents, Snatch them in/ out of tower range, or to make a good getaway. Its an incredibly fast move, you can snatch up an assassin or a mage, and they're good as dead. If they somehow survive, use your Tail Whip to keep them in the tower range. Just know, if you Whip them, you whip them away from you, meaning if you get them behind you, theyre done for. if you whip them in front of you, you may have missed your kill though you can maybe use yourSickening Strike to maybe help finish the job. Use yourult when you see there is a bunch of gods at 1/2 or less hp. Stalk them, dont right click! when you come back from your soak, youll see a dead god!

In Arena

Basically the same concept. But, use yourTail whip and yourSickening strike for minions. Use your basic attack if you miss, but dont stay for too long. But, if you see that gods are charging you, and your alone, its best to wait for your team and temporarily retreat.. Use your Charge prey to Launch a 1/2 hp god into your team, but tell them who youre aiming for and when youll use your move, so they can be prepared. Also, you may have to use your moves to save your teammates, even if you may die in the process. they will come and finish the kill, just set them up. Use your tail whip if they crowd on you, and use your ult if they kinda keep away, or switch it up(whichever you like).

In conquest

This, i would have to say, is where I do the worst. a ganked sobek will do good, since you can tail whip them away and charge prey out of there. Snatch them up from safety, tail whip, then use your ult. It is the best combo to pull, since he naturally does good damage. But, it isnt reccomended when its you and only 1 god against 5, at that point just tower hug. When youre not PvP'ing, Tail whip and Sickening strike on their minions, and whack their tower down. Always try to lane with a hunter or a mage, since they do good damage from afar and are normally targeted, letting you snatch them up and get ready for a combo.

I must add this chapter, since a bad sobek can wreck your team pretty easily. Every move of sobek(exept sickening strike) affects your enemies position.

Look out for what people say in chat. If they say their ult is ready, Snatch up a god and hurl that god their way, AFTER you warn them. IF you dont warn anybody, and randomly snatch up Zhong Kui or someone like him, it may not end well for your team.

Be careful when you use your ult. Using your ult when gods are at about 70% hp could make them scram, and even if you hit, you may not be able to seal the deal, since they will be long gone.

Also, take a hit for the team. IF you see someone like Ao Kuang getting shot down by Freya or Artemis, step in between the two. Take one for the team, and they will be more likely to get levels faster than your opponent. Besides, you got lots of health to spare ;).

Then, be careful with your hp. even though you should take some for the team, dont Rambo in on a team, for thats saying: "Aye! I wanna die and feed you and your friends!" Be careful, and spam your Sickening strike, since it heals around 300 hp each time.

Last but not least, Listen to your team. if they say to try and snatch a certain god, aim for that one. Team work is an essential part of Sobek, if you dont listen to them, expect no support when you sntach a god. Their support is valuble, since smite is NOT a solo game.

Well, that about wraps up my guide. Be supportive, and a team player, but dont listen to a guy who tends to complain too much about stuff. Thats what a mute button is for. Build your sobek in your way of chooseing, just remember the 4 essential items to a great sobek! Well, see you in my next guide!

-C you in SMITE!
Zackeryss