Passive - Heart of gold
Heart of Cold is a really good passive for clearing waves and jungle camps. Since the exploding crystals do extra AOE(area of effect)damage, this helps to contribute a small portion to close combat team fights by damaging multiple enemies at once. Building attack speed on
Chernobog is a must to really benefit form this passive.
1 - Crystallized curses
Crystallized Curses is
Chernobog main combo when tied with
Vicious Barrage.
Lead your target with
Crystallized Curses for maximum accuracy for it is slow to hit the ground. You will do initial damage then use
Vicious Barrage to detonate the crystal causing double damage and rooting any enemy with in range. When this combo is coupled with any form off CC your teammates have, hitting the combo becomes even easier.
You can throw this ability over walls meaning you can stay in lane to receive xp and gold from you teams Blue buff, witch I'll get into more at a later point.
Crystallized Curses is also a really good way to push the enemy back in a choke point or slow them from chasing you. Trying to secure the Red buff this becomes handy.
Using this as a poke can be really useful instead of always trying to root. If you focus on just rooting you will get frustrated, its okay not to root every time. For Joust this is the first ability you focus on upgrading. So just remember
Crystallized Curses -->
Vicious Barrage (got the root? Good!) Auto attack them to death.
2 - Vicious Barrage
Vicious Barrage is simply an upgraded auto attack that detonates
Crystallized Curses passes through all enemies, applying a stack to your passive and giving you in my opinion the best speed buff steroid in the game. It applies the same damage as one auto attack so clearing waves and camps is no problem.
Vicious Barrage nice advantage is that it can go through walls. So
Crystallized Curses -->
Vicious Barrage over the wall while your in lane and your team is on your blue buff will help you get to the wave quicker. If your feeling sneaky sneaky, you can do this while the enemy teams on their blue buff. Watching that little green marker on the mini map come up in there camp is so satisfying.
For joust this is the second ability you focus on upgrading. So remember, the root inst everything. Using
Vicious Barrage as long range poke or just that last auto you cant seem to land (65 is the range BTW) could mean life or death for your opponents.
3 - Into Darkness
Into Darkness is chenobogs way of saying screw your ult, DOT (damage over time) damage and any attack that sticks to you (ie
Fenrir 
Brutalize ) ill just wait it out for three seconds. The main use with this ability is to dash into a wall ( or any structure a player creates ie
Ymir wall or
Anhur pillar) and take no damage while in the wall. Lucky for you, no one will be able to see which way you plan to dash out giving you a tad bit more survivability.
Any enemy you use
Into Darkness into will cause damage and a slow witch last for 2 seconds. I bring this up (even tho you can hover and read) because I want you to remember and understand this is not just a defensive ability. If your chasing an enemy and your 1 and 2 is down, using this as an attack can help slow and finish them off with autos. In joust there is plenty of walls to help you catch up to someone or try and retreat.
Now to avoid some ability's like
Poseidon 
Whirlpool ult combo, you will have to beads and hope your next to wall or you'll become kraken food. Just keep this in mind for any characters that silence/cripple your ability's. No beads? Well more than likely your dead.
If
Ares ults you are still able to dash into wall preventing you from being pulled.
For joust this is the third ability you focus on upgrading. So remember, you have a slow to help you escape or to be aggressive. But, if your being attacked to death and your support isn't there to sacrifice for you being out of position and fenrir is looking at you like a snack,
Into Darkness and hope you live long enough to not get VRR VRR VRR.....VER VVX VVGN VVX.
4 - living nightmare
Living Nightmare, the entire reason for playing
Chernobog. You zip to any enemy alive, you slow them, mitigate damage and increase your movement speed. If you just kit dumped someone, all your ability's ( 1,2 and 3 ) are rest instantly. Only down side is you better have enough mana to at least escape if you land into a team fight.
Now your wondering how do you utilize his global ult in Joust. Its really useful for getting to the 3v2 if you died and re-spawned in time. If the enemy team is on bull demon swooping in and taking the buff for your team. But the main use for me is chasing effectiveness.
Ill use
Poseidon again. He is dumb fast sometimes and if for some reason misses all ability's or really low on HP when he is trying to escape from your team fight. You
Living Nightmare slowing him (and all enemies at that) and receiving movement speed with some mitigation advantage, finishing him off should be no problem once you land.
I have used
Living Nightmare multiple times in a 1v1 situation to chase and finish off my opponent. Just know that your landing doesn't do any damage and you will land just behind them.It is not completely instant.
Chernobog is also CC immune during his channeling period. Allowing you to avoid things like
Ares,
Medusa and
Da Ji ults just to name a few. Little tip here, if you try to use this as an escape it is really risky. If your just buying time for any reason even if the whole team is under you, still select a shadow to go to. This will give you a tiny bit more time for your support to come to your need because the landing is not instant. If your teammate is in trouble and is being chased by all three, pop your ult to help slow them down. Now its up to you to dash in but more than likely you'll both die.
For Joust upgrade
Living Nightmare when you can. It is okay to skip this ability if you need
Vicious Barrage for more attack speed or
Crystallized Curses for wave clear and poke. So remember, If you don't select an enemy or cancel your ult you will instantly teleport to the ground. Great tactic for using
Living Nightmare for the slow and mitigation. Pop ult then cancel to go straight back to the ground and continue pounding damage into the enemy's buttox.
Hunter's Blessing
Attacker's Blessing
Healing Potion
Mana Potion
Purification Beads
Horrific Emblem
Aegis Amulet
Devourer's Gauntlet
Ninja Tabi
The Executioner
Silverbranch Bow
Qin's Sais
Bloodforge
Transcendence
Brawler's Beat Stick
Toxic Blade
Poisoned Star
Rage
Deathbringer
Jotunn's Wrath
Titan's Bane
Soul Eater
The Crusher
Y
Items
Asi
Odysseus' Bow
Thanatos
Ra
Scylla
I don't mind all this commotion honestly. If it wasent for Kriega then I'm not sure this guide would have as many comments. I wouldn't have learned alot of people differing information or thought about different situational varbiles as in what to consider and what to exclude in certain builds.
So the most important part isn't that we agree on everything, it is just making sure we stay open minded.
Kriega, At first I found your comments...aggressive to say the least. But atleast you took the time to explain your motives in better detail. I do appreciate that. Now that I have got to know you a bit better I understand your not personally attacking anyone.You'er trying to explain why the builds are trash and not the author. Personally I want you commenting on my guides because I'll know when I screw up. You'll be here to point it all out. Plus again you start up conversation and others to input their ideas and I like that.
So every guide I do (which honestly will all probably be on hunters), I hope you all read and trash me to death till I get better.
Thank you to everyone input good bad or ugly.
So don't listen to kreiga and listen to yourself, make the choice to listen to a suggestion or just tell that person that "It is a good idea, but I'm keeping this".
Just because you claim the build is "up to date" doesen't mean it's good.
Also known as ignoring valid criticism. I think everyone here can learn from your mistakes.
Except, here, im not being toxic.
Are you still going on about this? Thought we already settled this.
No, no of course not. That's why your Chernobog build received criticism and we had to convince you that
Dose eerything look better, built better and work better?
Also Silverbranch gives flat pen but then again for that build I would swap it for Crusher or Asi instead for more flat pen.
@bran
Starting a new thread here since you two seem to have massive disagreements about this guide. Kriega, what exactly do yiu disgaree with? Write it out point by point and give bran a chance to refute or agree.
Only one that i've seemed to notice:
"I might even get Silver after Tabi, then rush Qin's Sais or crits...or bypass Silver if going crits and rush Rage. Lots of options there."
Silverbranch after Tabi? since when was this a thing? Or since when was building Silverbranch with crit a thing?
Rushing rage after boots, not sure about that one. Also if you're rushing crit, it means you don't have your lifesteal online ready soon, and you don't want to be counter built that early now, do you? Or have only your Tabi and Rage if you're behind?
Your lone crit build has no lifesteal which is a problem in itself. Don't think I need to explain why as it should be plainly obvious?
Also Anti-heal build 1 surely looks like it's losing out on dps compared to other builds. Im not quite sure you need both
"Im a causal/ranked Joust player" - Gold this season and Silver last season? Is this with a full pre-made team? Explains the builds.
If you read anything in my guide you would see why
I might actually remove the crit build for one reason, I don't build crit really at all and I made this guide based on my knowldge and in game experience. Not fair to the reader for my lack of knowledge.
I am a causal/ranked Joust player, About the only thing you read I think. I usally run solo queue so pre-made team I think not. When I'm playing with buddies they play what they like all I do is use what ever CC they have to my advantage. But you are right Gold is my highest rank.I have potential for higher rank but I dont care to sweat that hard atm. Hence the casual.
I do respect your opinions don't get me wrong. But actual thought out cristim like Bran has shown rather than slandering peoples builds with barely any context is a bit better learning experience for the newer/unfimlar players to smite.
Me getting out of hand? The only one here getting out of hand is you with your nonsense.
Creativity with builds? What is this, art? I don't think so. This isn't the game where you build all purple items in your build because it looks pretty or you build 6 physical defense items because you want some sort of mini-armour collection.
If you want to have "creativity" you should go to jungle practice and do it there.
Which way is that, may I ask? Because if im being honest, it sounds like you're conjuring ********.
and decide that if a build does not fit your thinking, you always say "terrible build"
Sometimes I overuse/exaggerate the phrace "terrible build", but when I say it, there is a reason.
"this item isnt good enough, here switch it with this"
It's called being helpful. Something you don't appreciate.
but I know for a FACT that you don't even test the builds you comment on.
Why would I waste my time testing those builds? I still have my own to update which people can look forward to, and many already appreciate.
Stop following the meta, and actually look at what people are doing to make the game better
Look at what people are doing to make the game better? What's that supposed to mean? You just assume so much because you received some criticism on YOUR build on THIS website.
you are at the top of the list on the smite toxicity group.
If you think im at the top of that list then you'r dreaming and clearly ignorant. There was a point I was almost banned from PlayStation Network due to Smite-related toxic messages, but i've toned down since then (and even at that point I was still willing to help people , e.g. Sending item builder screenshots if they needed help etc...).
So by your logic, if people disagree with me, they're toxic? You are so delusioned it's unreal.
2nd question: I never said that if they disagreed with you they are toxic and the only reason I play joust is because I always get terrible teammates that have no idea what to do. For example: medusa jungle that played mid lane? Yeah that actually happened. Jungle that doesn't come and help do lane at all, yup. Terrible solo and/or mid lane that doesn't do their job. And the huge amount of toxicity in a conquest game, I mean I met a toxic guy that I actually became friends with because we had terrible teammates. So yeah I play joust all because of that, but if I play a conquest game, I have to make sure that I actually have a team before I queue for it.
As for ranked, hell I was level 30 and started ranked from their, the VERY first ranked game I was against anubis,ymir, and Artemis, and guess what? They were all diamond, over 4 stars and I wasn't happy with that so we lost that game.
Other ranked games were simple games but I lost most because I didn't pick chernobog. I did finally meet a joust ranked team but I have not played with them in a couple months. As I played 3 games with them and only 1 I lost.
Anyone told you it's not good to be a one-trick?
I honestly can’t say I’m surprised to know about this.
But again, I sent a few “not so friendly” messages myself.
I do want to put in my two cents here. As with Shini, I don't always agree/approve of how Kriega says things, as there is a better (read: nicer) way of teaching and talking when it comes to other individuals, and that method often creates better results with people being more willing to listen and learn.
That said, he has a very, very accurate point about the use of the word "creativity." I agree with Kriega here. This game is based on mathematics, not art. You have a set god with a specific kit, and a limited number of items to choose from. Yes, there is a very high level of variation from game to game, with different players having different skill levels, playing different gods each game. But these are all still based in a finite realm, and the purpose of trying to optimizing builds is based on maximizing your chance of success.
Due to the great variability of the game, there are always builds that can work that are outside of what the currently considered meta is, and there are off-meta ways to try to take advantage of specific situations. But even then, it's based on set stats and properties.
What Kriega really wants here is to have this site provide the best information to help others, and in most situations, that means being as efficient and appropriate as possible with regard to build types. In that, I'm very appreciative, because this site has been ridiculed for a long time by a good amount of the SMITE community. Why? People without knowledge come here and are able (and it's their right) to post their builds. Some builds are bad because they just don't have enough knowledge, and think it's good because in their low-skill games, they've had some success. Other people come here and post troll builds to have fun with a specific build, or to mislead others. In the end, though, a bad build is a bad build.
And then there are the builds in the middle...those that aren't terrible, but aren't really great either. In any case, when we comment, the end purpose is to have those builds be improved, so that when others look at them, they have a better opportunity for success.
One more thing...with the concept here that build knowledge is a mathematical thing, I will honestly say that I don't test most of the builds I've commented on either. Why? You may disagree here, but I feel I've got enough knowledge of the mechanics of the game to know what is going to work better, and what is going to work poorly. There are some builds that I feel are clearly not optimal, even if the build creator has had success. I don't think I need to try each build before I comment on it, but in essence, it's just a comment. The person can take it or leave it.
When I present my builds, I give a couple of build examples, and usually explain the thought process behind them. I never just give a single build, however. I always provide options, and explain THOSE as well. Each build's optimization is going to have some variation from match to match. But underlying that, it's the knowledge of how to adjust builds, and know which items are going to be better for a god, and which items are not.
My best suggestion for you in this case is, if you don't like Kriega's comment on a specific thing, ignore it. He's not technically doing anything against the rules (usually), and this site is a place for conversation/discussion. You're not always going to agree with everything everyone says.
But I agree with everything you say and I apologize, I just don't like how kriega goes on his own path with other people's builds.
What is it then? Alchemy? Sounds like it the way you're describing it. "mixing different effects that makes their power better" - what does that even mean? Do you speak English?
And who said you should follow "one simple build"? Because I've only seen YOU say that so far.
That's just too bad then, isn't it? Get used to it.
Some examples:
Mystical Mail is typically not built on 
Guan Yu. It's expensive, doesn't have any of CDR, mana, or MP5 (which Guan really wants). However, it works really nicely around minions to quickly max 
Painless stacks. Getting it can really take advantage of his weaker clear, and gives all of his other abilities added effect.
- Lotus Crown is an item I prefer only on gods that have AOE healing abilities, to more easily apply its passive protections to multiple teammates at once. However, as Vini and I have discussed (a few times since I apparently have super short term memory), although it's not exactly "optimal" in that sense,
Aphrodite can consistently maintain the passive with her ticking healing from 
Love Birds. In the past it didn't do that, as Lotus had a CD to the effect, but it no longer does, and so at least for her and her soulmate, she can pretty much always have the boosted effect. At the same time, the other stats still make sense...some magical power for increased healing, physical protection against physical jungler ganks (or the ADC), and MP5 for mana sustain.
Silverbranch Bow has recently become pretty meta, due to ImpishCoconut's theory-crafting and extensive testing. This is one I don't like, because it's usually being built early, and with regard to the passive, that means you're not getting ANYTHING out of the passive through most of the game. I don't like what is technically an inefficiency, since you're not getting the item's full effects. But I can't argue that the base stats are solid and it can make sense for a build.
I can agree with concepts going outside the norm / meta to gain a very specific advantage. I'm perfectly okay with that concept, especially in non-Conquest modes, but I think it's important to make it clear (especially to newer players that don't know better) that it's not something you'd always build, and that while it promotes certain strengths in a build, it also exposes weaknesses. And when you do build like that, I also think it's important that the person building it actually understands.You still haven't explained why you think that. And there's a reason, you can't.
Thats what you want, but it's not going to happen.
I do give suggestions, sometimes. I don't care about "good first impression" this isn't some sort of social gathering.
Thats because it was terrible LOL. You didn't even know that
SMITE is Kriega's life.
Kriega, our lord and savior.
Tongue in cheek, people.
SMITE is Kriega's life.
I've barely played Smite this season.
Some feedback (in addition to my one below about not really liking PS):
- For your writeup about choosing Devo's vs. Trans, I think part of that consideration should also depend on team healing. If you've got a
Hel or 
Ra or something on your team, then you might need the lifesteal less, allowing you to choose the Trans route, and also possibly skipping 
Asi.
Toxic Blade is an interesting item, and usually considered pretty weak, but I'm glad that when I see it being used in an example build, it's always with 
Qin's Sais and not with crits.
- I like your ability writeups. Shows you're very familiar/comfortable with the god.
- Solid tips. Very nice.
- Bunch of grammatical/spelling errors so you might do a read-through sometime and fix the various things.
+1I figured most would see
The next two points I appreciate the complements!
Now, I'm bad at this grammar stuff but I went through and fixed alloooot of word issues.
Thank you,
+1
Did we see the same builds?
I don't fully agree with the builds in all cases. I should probably go into those a bit, for Fallen and others.
I might even get Silver after Tabi, then rush
PS again isn't probably going to be that great, at least mid-game, and shouldn't be prioritized before
"Crit for da squishy should be taken more seriously in Joust, IMO. Specifically because often, Joust comps will have 2 squishy gods and 1 tank, and Qin's isn't always going to be as good in those situations, IMO." - I know it likely matters less since OP's actual level of ranked, but im pretty sure higher level Joust teams use double tank composition as to which Qins builds hold relevance.
Self-advertising hmm?
Also, YOUR crit builds is some of the last builds I would ever suggest to someone.
Your offer to help my crit build was nice btw. I'm a bit uneducated on crit builds as I personally don't build many. I'm sure you could tell too.
Thank you Lukatomic,
Is that why I have supported some non-meta builds, and made my own before? Im not focused on what is considered "Meta" by the commmunity, as opinion on that can vary. But yes I am focused on meta builds, there is a reason for that, and it's simply for what meta means: "Most Effective Tactic Available".
What I don't find effective is non-lifesteal crit builds considering opponents can build
Like who?
Oh really? Since when?
Other considerations:
Instead, I feel you're best rushing
Thanks again,
Joust edition from a noob to a noob
LOL, I would give you an +1 just for this (god I laughed a lot).
I'm just not sure about
I know Silverbranch is in all builds but one. I cant seem to replace it just yet. I do really well with this item every game. It's hard to dismiss it.
Take all constructive critics we have here and ignore the negative ones.
Let's not make more work for Bran right now. Thanks.