Apollo- God of Music

Apollo is a ranged physical carry, and is very powerful when played correctly. He focuses (for me at least) on attack speed, physical power, and lifesteal. This makes him the assassin that he is cut out to be and makes him effective at ganking/jungling with his ultimate. This guide will show you effective ways to play Apollo.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a professional Smite or Apollo player. I am merely and avid player of both and would like to help out the community.

Pros:
High attack speed
High damage when built right
High Mobility (Ult and 3)


Cons:
Fairly Squishy
Focused Often
"Meh" at team-fights.

Audacity (Passive)
After 10 successful basic attacks, Apollo gains Audacity, attacking with both hands and increasing his attack speed by 100% for the next 5 attacks (hit or miss) he makes.

So Beautiful (Skill 1)
Apollo strums a single chord on his Lyre. It's so beautiful it hurts, and all enemies in a long range line take 80/135/190/245/300 (+80% of your physical power) physical damage.
Cost: 60/65/70/75/80 mana.
Cooldown: 15/14/13/12/11 seconds.


Serenade (Skill 2)
Apollo uses his amazing voice to mesmerize all nearby enemies for .7/1.1/1.5/1.9/2.3s. Any damage done breaks the effect.
Cost: 75 mana.
Cooldown: 17/16/15/14/13 seconds.


The Moves (Skill 3)
Apollo runs forward and slides on his knees, dealing 50/85/120/155/190 (+50% of your physical power) physical damage, knocking aside all enemies and adding a stack of Audacity for each enemy hit. At the end of the slide, the movement speed is decreased for enemies and increased for himself and allies by 5/10/15/20/15% for 2s.
Cost: 70 mana.
Cooldown: 15 seconds.


Across The Sky (Skill 4/Ultimate)
Apollo rides his chariot across the sky, choosing when to land, dealing 60/75/90/105/120 (+30% of your physical power) physical damage every .2s for .8s and knocking back enemies when he lands.
Cost: 10 mana + 50 mana per second.
Cooldown: 110/105/100/95/90 seconds.

Apollo's skills all work very nicely together and should be used together for maximum effectiveness. For example, take a look at this combo:

Combo 1: "The Poke"
This combo utilizes two or three of Apollo's abilities, depending on the situation. First, initiate the fight with The Moves and then stun the enemy with Serenade. If you are going for a kill or a very heavy poke, then throw a So Beautiful in between the two. Do not use So Beautiful after the stun, because Serenade is broken by damage.

If you're looking for a more damaging effect, then take a look at combo number 2:

Combo 2: "The Finishing Touch"
This combo is for killing an enemy or leaving them with nothing but scraps of health left. First, use your ultimate Across The Sky and dive onto the target, then, cover the missing distance (if they moved or you missed) with The Moves. After that, pop So Beautiful. If the enemy is not dead yet, follow up with your basic attacks and then Serenade. That way a you or a team-mate can secure the kill.