Sleight of Hand: Merlin Season 6 Conquest Mid Guide

The newest mage added to SMITE, Merlin is a triple-stance AoE and burst god with great mobility and range. True to his lore, he is best used in the backlines, shielded by his tougher allies but still influencing the battlefield from the behind the scenes. Because of this, his CC is small and risky, and fits into compositions that can lockdown opponents down for him.
Balanced, as all things should be.

Pros: AoEs at long ranges Instant teleport escape/initiate High burst and DOT combos Great clear Power spikes very early in the game

Cons: Locked down easily Relatively high cooldowns Hard/too many combos to master Low CC Mana Hungry

Now Merlin's most unique attribute is that he has three. His three stances are not all that hard to grasp, but it still is a lot at face value. Don't get consumed.


Passive: Overload
After using an ability, your basic attack will get an electric visual effect, which will apply extra damage, for a maximum of 3 basic attacks for 3 abilities used. This is just a neat little perk that can help bring up your damage by a small amount or chasing enemies.


Clear
Eclipse is a deployable AoE that grows in radius the further away from you target it. Enemies take damage from coming in contact with it, as well as tick damage for staying in the area.
Radiate is a channel ability that still allows you to move. In front of you, a ray of fire is transmitted, dealing tick damage from the ability and as a DoT after being hit. The channel lasts 4 ticks over 2 seconds, as does the DoT damage.
Frostbolt is a projectile that explodes upon contact with an enemy. All enemies hit by either the initial bolt or the explosion take the same amount of damage, and all enemies slowed beforehand will take 20% more damage.


Crowd Control
Vortex is an AoE that pulls targets in after a short time. Best used in conjunction with Eclipse or to punish out of position enemies.
Dragonfire summons two dragons across from each other that will breath fire in an area, dealing tick damage 12 times over 3 seconds. Enemies caught in the center of the Dragonfire will have their protections reduced by a percentage for 4 seconds.
Blizzard is an AoE that damages 8 times over 4 seconds. Enemies that stay in the area will be progressively slowed, stacking up to 5 slows for a 40% slow. Best used in conjunction with Frostbolt, and works great in a team fight.


Escape: Flicker
This is a short teleport in front of you that can be used in combat, but is still disabled by CC, like Cripples and Silences. This is a great engage/chase tool, but its high cooldown ensures that you use it only when you must, such as when you are escaping.


Ultimate: Elemental Mastery
This is how you switch stances. Upon activation, you will explode, applying the effect of your current stance, then implode, applying the effect of your next stance.
Arcane will knock opponents up, Fire will apply a burn, and Ice will slow.
To choose a stance, press the number corresponding with that stance. Arcane is 1, Fire is 2, and Ice is 3. If one is not selected, it will go in order. Arcane>Fire>Ice>Arcane...
This ability is available to you at level 1, but no effects will be applied to enemies until you level it once.
A great combo to best apply effects and damage to enemies it to Flicker first then do switch into either Arcane or Ice, as their effects are CC, and contribute to the teamfight.

Merlin was birthed in a new era of SMITE, but mage builds are as old as magic. As he is a mainly tick/DoT kind of spellslinger, the following options will help you maximize the damage you can deal while also controlling the battlefield and keeping yourself in the best condition possible.
To briefly talk about the core items listed, Book of Thoth is essential towards your power spike and early-to-mid game pressure. Chronos' Pendant is also needed, as Merlin has relatively high cooldowns for abilities that he would like to spam very much so, especially his Flicker and Elemental Mastery.


Spear of the Magus

Prince of Flat Penetration. 65 power, 15 pen. Also, any damaging ability reduces the protections of enemies hit by 10, for a maximum of 5 stacks. This effect can be applied multiple time by one ability, i.e. tick and DoT damage like Radiate and Dragonfire. Therefore, you gain 65 penetration against enemies. This is the penetration item you want, because you are able to always keep its passive active.


Spear of Desolation
Another great penetration item. 100 power, 15 pen, and 10% cooldown. Also, after getting a kill or assist, all your abilities get one second off their cooldown. This item is great to pickup for the mid game where the game starts to get more action-packed. It pairs great with Chronos' Pendant.


Divine Ruin
A more counterpick item than anything. 80 power and +15 pen. Anybody hit by a damaging ability will receive 40% healing from all sources for 8 seconds. This includes HP5, ability healing, lifesteal, health healing like Meditation, and even reduced fountain healing. This would mainly be picked up against healers and lifesteal users in the mid lane.



Bancroft's Talon
A critical part to your sustainability. 100 magical power, 15% lifesteal, and 150 mana. As your health gets lower, the lifesteal and power stats get higher. At 25% health remaining, the item's effect caps, with your total gain from Bancroft's Talon being 200 magical power and 35% magical lifesteal. No matter how good your positioning, you will get damaged, so having a comeback tool will keep you in the fight.



Soul Gem
An old starter turned under picked lifesteal item. 65 power, 150 health, 12% lifesteal, and 10% cooldown. Every ability cast that hits an enemy god equals one stack. After four stacks, your fifth ability cast will deal 30% of your magical as extra damage, and heal you and allies very close to you for the same amount. The heal is really icing on the cake, and puts you into a support position. With the amount of cooldown you will have, this will activate often, and keep your team alive while the other team won't be.


Doom Orb
Recently reworked, the new item now gives the highest amount of magical power. A staggering 135 magical power, 200 mana, 25 MP5, and even 6% movement speed. Killing or gaining an assist on a minion will provide one stack, while an enemy god will give you all 5 stacks. Stacks last 15 seconds. One stack provides 1% more movement speed and 6 more magical power, for a total 5% movement speed and 30 magical power when fully stacked, meaning the item as a whole gives 165 power and 11% movement speed. This is great to keep up the momentum in a teamfight.


Rod of Tahuti
A staple burst mage item since day one. 150 magical power and +30 MP5. If you are damaging an enemy with 50% or less health, then you will gain 25% more power. To elaborate, the value of your power will increase by 25% only so it may contribute to the scalings of the next ability cast. Your actual power will not increase. Also, tick damage abilities that might decrease the target's health to lower than 50% in the middle of the duration will not benefit from the increased power scaling midway through the duration. Basically, the less health they have, the more damage they deal.


Shaman's Ring
A great item in the current meta. 100 power and 10% extra movement speed. Once you buy this item, dealing 100 damage to enemies will build up 1 stack. Consequently, an ability that deals 500 damage will build 5 stacks, and stacks will only be built in full stacks. After reaching 50 stacks, the ring evolves. The new passive will make enemies hit by your abilities take 10% extra damage from you. Take for instance your Eclipse: after the first tick, each consequent tick will deal 10% more damage, certainly does add up. Suggest building if your damage or effectiveness in teamfights throughout the game has been underwhelming.

Now it is time to take Merlin into the Middle Lane. The purpose of a MidLaner is to be the most influential in a fight. Either through massive damage output or insane CC setup, they are meant to be the one packing a punch. That is why the middle lane is the literal center of the map, meant for the centers of attention. Here is how to play in this area. Walls of text incoming.
Side note, when talking about the early stages of the game, starting is up to preference, but they all have varying levels of clear and it will most likely take both your Clear and CC ability to clear the minion waves up until at least either your second item or around level 9.

The Laning Phase is the first point in the game where everyone is in their lanes, farming up as much as possible. The Laning Phase goes on until 10 minutes, or level 10. Here are some vital steps in that process.

1. First, there are one of two starts to go. The more popular one is to help clear the Yellow Speed Buff Camp with the jungler. This provides a good amount of early gold and xp that, if the other midlane did not take advantage of, can put you at level 2 after about a wave and a half. You can also start straight in the midlane, clearing the wave as fast as possible before the enemy comes. The minion wave gives the most xp in the early game, so it can help get you online earlier.
2. Next, you would go to your red camp after clearing your wave. Ping your jungler to help you, as it is not wise to do so by yourself or you will have to back after. Securing your red buff is crucial, as it gives extra power by a flat and percentage amount. After your buff, go back to lane and clear wave.
3. At this point, the mid Harpies should still be up if not already done by the jungler. If done with wave, check the left one, because that is the side opposite of the opponent jungler. This is because the jungler will always look to either shut down the solo or mid, and they do this with the assistance of their speed buff, on the right side of the map. If it is there, clear quickly and get back to wave. If not, return to lane. Also, your jungler might lead you to his Harpy camp. This is again to XP and Gold share, helping you both and providing assistance if a fight does start. Return back to lane afterwards.
4. Now we are fully in the laning phase, only leaving when there is no wave and camps are up. Once you reach level 5, you should be looking towards poking your enemy and calling/going for ganks.
   • Calling your ganks involves using VGS and pinging your jungler to aggress on the enemy mid laner. Wait for the greenlight response from your jungler and start to either back off if they are by your tower, or push up if they are by their tower. No matter what, when preparing for a gank, switch stances as to keep the enemy guessing to what you will do, not paying attention to their surroundings. I suggest Arcane stance for the Vortex pull. This results in setup for your jungler for their whole kit combo, and should result in either a relic burned by the enemy, or a kill. However, the enemey jungler could be doing the same on you, so a 2v2 in midlane can happen, and the jungle will most definitely look to shut you down.
   • Additionally, you can also gank at this point. Usually, you should be looking to gank the duo lane. Do this by calling VGS to gank the duo lane, and ask for help from the jungler to come with you. Your best CC combo is Blizzard> Flicker> Elemental Mastery> Vortex. From there, have the duo lane push up for a chain CC and a kill on the ADC or support. Once you have left the midlane however, it will become obvious to the enemy midlane and jungler that you are ganking the duo lane, so they will look to gank on you. Be prepared for a team fight in the duo lane. Once you do land a CC and some damage, rotate onto your own support in case this happens.

It's the middle part of the game, and now it is time to start mobilizing with your team. You will still be in your lane from time to time, farming up what you can and need for gold and xp for that extra point in your ult and such. However, you must always be looking for a new and important gank.

1. When talking about ganks, not only should you keep pressure on the duo lane, but start looking towards the solo lane too. The solo laners have been farming all game, and it will be clear who has been trouble. If your solo laner is ahead in level and gold, then the gank should be looking for a tower or Pyromancer kill. Don't forget to ping for both the solo laner and the jungler for assistance before committing. If the solo laner already has killed a tower, then go for Pyromancer and immediately back. The movement speed buff it gives when exiting the base can help towards a second rotation towards Gold Fury or a mid tower.
2. When looking for Gold Fury, first ensure you have vision on it. This can be done through the oracle camp or some wards. Then, start to look for a gank on duo. Pressure onto either their purple or red buffs. These are crucial for you because your CC works the best in tight spaces that are the same amount of space as your AoEs. Focus the mid and ADC, as they are the damage dealers that can be able to actually down the Gold Fury if the fight breaks out early. The jungler will try to backline, which means you must stay behind your support, but not too stranded by yourself so you can get picked easily. After a kill or two, the enemies will back off as they will not have enough damage or steal potential to contest.
3. Most importantly, ward up. The most beneficial places to ward are
   • The mid lane in front of the first tower. This covers three pathways: the mid lane, the left jungle, and the right jungle entrances. Through the map movement of the enemies, you can see if they are going for a buff or a gank.
   • The Red Buffs of both you and your enemy. Your red buff means you are watching your backline. The enemy red buff could signify a gank to mid if you see the jungler and support going down from the red towards the mid camps.
   • Near the Pyromancer. This signifies if the solo lane has left lane to rotate into mid, which does happen and usually means a team fight to secure a tower, and also where the jungler is, as that is their side of the jungle mainly. It can also notify the solo laner if he is about to get ganked or his blue buff taken.
   Don't forget to ping VFF (Enemy missing) and VII (Enemy incoming) if you do spot something on the map.

This is the most important part of the game, as it decides who wins or not. If you have been playing well and doing what you should, then this part of the game is most fun. Around 30 minutes in, you should be at level 17 or higher, and midway through item 5.

1. This point in the game is where the Fire Giant becomes the main focus. MAke sure there are at least two wards by it: One sentry on the actual pit so the enemy doesn't have vision, and one by the blue or speed camp, to see if people are incoming or grouped up. For a teamfight to start, wait for the initiation by your support. This will usually be a Hard CC like a stun. From this, use your ult-stun combo over a wall to catch two people, meaning your solo laner can go in and frontline most of the damage. Save your dash and relics to be able to get out. Most likely, almost, if not all, ults and relics will be on cooldown by the end of the fight. If you guys did win the fight, and there are still three or four of you, go for Fire Giant. If not, rush towards either mid or solo lane for a Tier 2 tower. This opens up a phoenix for the next push. After the phoenix, you can either end the game or pressure even more for complete obliteration.
2. When killing phoenixes, look for more than just a phoenix. If you have the time, go for two. The ones on the side lanes are better to get because the fire minions are often overlooked until too late. The mid phoenix should be killed after a good teamfight, so you can apply greater pressure and get some damage on the Titan. If looking for the duo lane phoenix, try to fight by their back harpy camps, as that tis the best place for your bomb stuns, and provides a lot of cover by the red buff and escapes into Gold Fury pit or middle lane. Lastly, ward up by their left and right phoenixes, in those little crevices that lead into their jungle. If pushed back to your phoenixes, ward in your own spaces.

Merlin is one of the funnest god SMITE has released in the last few. He does require some training to getting used to, as most of his mastery comes from little tricks here and there. I hope you find as much fun playing him as I did making this guide for you.
This has been IceColdPappsi, and this drink tastes magical.