Smitefire logo

Join the leading SMITE community.
Create and share God Guides and Builds.

Create an MFN Account






Or

Vote received! Would you like to let the author know their guide helped you and leave them a message?

Banner for Apollo guides

Grandmaster Apollo ADC GUIDE

43 8 67,637
7.2
by TottiGR updated November 26, 2024

Smite God: Apollo

Build Guide Discussion 0 More Guides
TottiGR's Featured Video
Show
Tap Mouse over an item or ability icon for detailed info

Apollo Build

Starting Items

Notes Gilded Arrow it provides you of a high auto attack damage during early game, extra gold and mana sustains that will help you get earlier into de mid game!

Spiked Gauntlet will evolve into Crimsom Claws.

Golden Shard it is always the best choice because will provide you of Golden Gooseberries passive so you will have a really good early push!

Notes

Gilded Arrow it provides you of a high auto attack damage during early game, extra gold and mana sustains that will help you get earlier into de mid game!

Spiked Gauntlet will evolve into Crimsom Claws.

Golden Shard it is always the best choice because will provide you of Golden Gooseberries passive so you will have a really good early push!

Build Item Gilded Arrow Gilded Arrow
Build Item Spiked Gauntlet Spiked Gauntlet
Build Item Healing Potion Healing Potion
2
Build Item Multi Potion Multi Potion
2
Build Item Golden Shard Golden Shard
Build Item Purification Beads Purification Beads

Full Build

Notes Ornate Arrow is insane for team fights in late game because it gives you attack speed, power and an additional critical chances that will work really good with a critical damage based build like this one!

Crimson Claws it is the perfect lifesteal choice because it gives you good ammount of power, attack speed and the passive gives you a shield that can save you in 1vs1 or in other circumstances like getting ganked by the enemy jungler or support!

Envenomed Executioner is a cheap item that enables you to decrease enemies' protections when you hit them with an auto attack and good attack speed stats. Later in lategame you should evolve it to the envenomed because it will decrease enemies healing and shields when they get hitted by an auto.

Envenomed Executioner is a cheap item that enables you to decrease enemies' protections when you hit them with an auto attack and good attack speed stats. Later in lategame you should evolve it to the envenomed because it will decrease enemies healing and shields when they get hitted by an auto.

Rage it is a really good choices for early/mid game because it will provide you with critical chance and power that can be really important for winning trades and do snowball!

Dominance provides you with the essential stats that a hunter needs: attack speed, power, mana sustain and an incredible penetration percentage on basic attacks.

Devoted Deathbringer is a really good choice as last item. It fits perfectly on the crit build because will increase your crit damage and your critical chances. The glyph will also provide you of much power that will help you with the DPS into objectives or structures.

Temporal Beads provides you with immunity to CC and cooldown reduction.

Aegis of Acceleration provides you with immunity to damage that will help you peeling yourself and avoid enemies' ultimate skills or big damages.

This build is meant for competitive because your enemies are supposed to be in communication and playing smart so you will be in most of the cases only hitting tanks or junglers that are trying to kill you. Most of them will have more than 200 hundred physical and magical protections and more than 3000 HP so you will need to have bought penetration items for being able to kill them as quick as possible.

Notes

Ornate Arrow is insane for team fights in late game because it gives you attack speed, power and an additional critical chances that will work really good with a critical damage based build like this one!

Crimson Claws it is the perfect lifesteal choice because it gives you good ammount of power, attack speed and the passive gives you a shield that can save you in 1vs1 or in other circumstances like getting ganked by the enemy jungler or support!

Envenomed Executioner is a cheap item that enables you to decrease enemies' protections when you hit them with an auto attack and good attack speed stats. Later in lategame you should evolve it to the envenomed because it will decrease enemies healing and shields when they get hitted by an auto.

Envenomed Executioner is a cheap item that enables you to decrease enemies' protections when you hit them with an auto attack and good attack speed stats. Later in lategame you should evolve it to the envenomed because it will decrease enemies healing and shields when they get hitted by an auto.

Rage it is a really good choices for early/mid game because it will provide you with critical chance and power that can be really important for winning trades and do snowball!

Dominance provides you with the essential stats that a hunter needs: attack speed, power, mana sustain and an incredible penetration percentage on basic attacks.

Devoted Deathbringer is a really good choice as last item. It fits perfectly on the crit build because will increase your crit damage and your critical chances. The glyph will also provide you of much power that will help you with the DPS into objectives or structures.

Temporal Beads provides you with immunity to CC and cooldown reduction.

Aegis of Acceleration provides you with immunity to damage that will help you peeling yourself and avoid enemies' ultimate skills or big damages.

This build is meant for competitive because your enemies are supposed to be in communication and playing smart so you will be in most of the cases only hitting tanks or junglers that are trying to kill you. Most of them will have more than 200 hundred physical and magical protections and more than 3000 HP so you will need to have bought penetration items for being able to kill them as quick as possible.

Build Item Ornate Arrow Ornate Arrow
Build Item Crimson Claws Crimson Claws
Build Item Rage Rage
Build Item Envenomed Executioner Envenomed Executioner
Build Item Dominance Dominance
Build Item Devoted Deathbringer Devoted Deathbringer
Build Item Temporal Beads Temporal Beads
Build Item Aegis of Acceleration Aegis of Acceleration

Other Choices

Notes Hastened Fatalis it is a good item for new ADC players, improves your ability of chasing enemy ADC for solo kills.

Bladed Boomerang fits really good in the critical item build, it provides you of good power, attack speed and critical chance. Insane for dueling the other hunter during early game and wining trades. You should always look to buy it instead of Qin's Sais as a third item, always after Executioner.

Odysseus' Bow this item is pretty cool for farming damage and dealing high amount of damage during team fights in late game. The only problem that it has is that it doesn't provide of any power stat so you will have less DPS.

Titan's Bane it is always a good choice if you need more penetration in your build but I think it is enough if you have bought Executioner and Dominance.

Phantom Shell is a strong option when the enemy team has an auto attack jungler like Mercury, Kali or Bakasura... instead of buying Aegis as second active (mitigations will save your life while you can use autos).

Silverbranch Bow it provides you really good stats like attack speed, penetration and physical power. The most important thing about this item is the passive, when you hit 2.5 attack speed, every 0.1 plus over the attack speed cap gives you 3 power. I would really recommend to build this item with hunters that have attack speed booster in their skill set. This item should be bought in late game when you are able to cap the attack speed.

Qin's Sais you should always buy this item if you don't know exactly what do build next because of its passive, it is really strong for killing supports and solo laners (tanky gods).

Fail-Not provides you with multiple insane stats like critical chance, penetration, CD and power. It is also good because having some critical chance will be essential for late game fights and more important, doing more DPS to objectives like Fire Gigant, Gold Fury or Pyromancer.

Notes

Hastened Fatalis it is a good item for new ADC players, improves your ability of chasing enemy ADC for solo kills.

Bladed Boomerang fits really good in the critical item build, it provides you of good power, attack speed and critical chance. Insane for dueling the other hunter during early game and wining trades. You should always look to buy it instead of Qin's Sais as a third item, always after Executioner.

Odysseus' Bow this item is pretty cool for farming damage and dealing high amount of damage during team fights in late game. The only problem that it has is that it doesn't provide of any power stat so you will have less DPS.

Titan's Bane it is always a good choice if you need more penetration in your build but I think it is enough if you have bought Executioner and Dominance.

Phantom Shell is a strong option when the enemy team has an auto attack jungler like Mercury, Kali or Bakasura... instead of buying Aegis as second active (mitigations will save your life while you can use autos).

Silverbranch Bow it provides you really good stats like attack speed, penetration and physical power. The most important thing about this item is the passive, when you hit 2.5 attack speed, every 0.1 plus over the attack speed cap gives you 3 power. I would really recommend to build this item with hunters that have attack speed booster in their skill set. This item should be bought in late game when you are able to cap the attack speed.

Qin's Sais you should always buy this item if you don't know exactly what do build next because of its passive, it is really strong for killing supports and solo laners (tanky gods).

Fail-Not provides you with multiple insane stats like critical chance, penetration, CD and power. It is also good because having some critical chance will be essential for late game fights and more important, doing more DPS to objectives like Fire Gigant, Gold Fury or Pyromancer.

Build Item Hastened Fatalis Hastened Fatalis
Build Item Qin's Sais Qin's Sais
Build Item Bladed Boomerang Bladed Boomerang
Build Item Odysseus' Bow Odysseus' Bow
Build Item Titan's Bane Titan's Bane
Build Item Silverbranch Bow Silverbranch Bow
Build Item Fail-Not Fail-Not
Build Item Phantom Shell Phantom Shell

Apollo's Skill Order

So Beautiful

1 X Y
So Beautiful
1 4 6 7

Serenade

2 A B
Serenade
3 9 13 14 15 16

The Moves

3 B A
The Moves
2 8 10 11 12

Across The Sky

4 Y X
Across The Sky
5 17 18 19 20
So Beautiful
1 4 6 7

So Beautiful

1 X
Apollo strums a single cord on his lyre. It's so beautiful it hurts, and all enemies in a long range line take damage.

Ability Type: Line, Damage
Damage: 90 / 150 / 210 / 270 / 330 (+90% of your Physical Power)
Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Cooldown: 11s
Serenade
3 9 13 14 15 16

Serenade

2 A
Apollo uses his amazing voice to mesmerize all nearby enemies and bolster himself with additional Protections. Any damage done breaks the effect.

Ability Type: Circle, Mesmerize
Mesmerize Duration: 1.5 / 1.7 / 1.9 / 2.1 / 2.3s
Protections: 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30
Buff Lifetime: 5s
Radius: 20
Cost: 60
Cooldown: 15 / 14.5 / 14 / 13.5 / 13s
The Moves
2 8 10 11 12

The Moves

3 B
Apollo runs forward and slides on his knees, dealing 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.

Ability Type: Dash, Buff, Damage
Damage: 70 / 115 / 160 / 205 / 250 (+60% of your Physical Power)
Movement Speed Buff/Debuff: 15 / 17.5 / 20 / 22.5 / 25%
Buff Duration: 5s
Cost: 70
Cooldown: 15s
Across The Sky
5 17 18 19 20

Across The Sky

4 Y
Apollo rides his chariot across the sky, choosing when to land, dealing damage every .15s for .6s as he lands. Enemies hit by the last tick of the landing will also be knocked up.

Ability Type: Circle, Knockup, Damage
Damage Per Tick: 70 / 95 / 120 / 145 / 170 (+25% of your Physical Power)
Range/Radius: 60/20
Cost: 20 + 35 / 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 per second
Cooldown: 110s

Apollo Threats

Tap each threat level to view Apollo’s threats

Max
6
Major
1
Even
0
Minor
0
Tiny
0

Apollo Synergies

Tap each synergy level to view Apollo’s synergies

Ideal
2
Strong
0
OK
0
Low
0
None
0

Introduction

Hey, this guide is brought to you by TottiGR! I started playing Smite on PC in February 2014. I have been playing competitive since 2016 and I have been a professional Smite player between March 2020 to July 2023. I have played in different teams like JustF6, Gilded Gladiators or Tartarus Titans this last year. I have peaked 3500 MMR GM/Masters in Ranked Conquest on PC every season since 2017. I also made Smite Masters (LAN) 4 times in 2022 so I really think I have the knowledge about guiding about the ADC role. I hope you find this guide as a useful learning resource for playing Apollo as an ADC.


Here are my socials:

Abilities

Apollo's Abilities


Passive - Audacity

This passive helps you cap your attack speed even before the late game which allows you to make more use of items that have on-hit effects such as Qin's Sais or Odysseus' Bow as you start to cap your attack speed limits.

Remember that the more enemies you hit with your damaging abilities, the more stacks you get for the activating Audacity.


Ability 1 - So Beautiful

This ability is Apollo's one and only wave clear ability. You should be leveling up this ability first and maxing it out first. This ability is often underestimated by most of the Smite players but it does so much unexpected damage.

I do recommend using this skill for securing buffs or kills, but it can also be used to steal objectives like Gold Fury, Fire Gigant or Pyromancer, jungle camps.

- Remember it goes through walls -


Ability 2 - Serenade

This ability can be used both aggressively and defensively depending on the situation. It has a short range around Apollo.

You should use this ability to cancel the channeling abilities from the enemy gods. For example: Guan Yu uses his Taolu Assault on you, You can stop him with this ability.

Channelling ability examples: Nike's Rend or Cabrakan's Tremors. You should always try to maintain this ability available as long as you can and not waste it early. In case enemies try to collapse on you or the jungler does a usual early duo gank.

It also provides you of physical protections, this are really important when you are doing a 1vs1 against the enemy ADC because having extra protections will make you difficult target to kill.


Ability 3 - The Moves

The Moves can be used both aggressively and defensively as well. It is a dash that deals damage to enemies also slows them. It also increases your and your allies' movement speed.

Remember that hitting minions or gods with this skill will stack your passive Audacity.

Try not to use this ability aggressively when you can't make sure whether it's safe or not. You should be always aware of possible ganks, that's why you should always place wards around duo lane.

Do your best to hit as many enemies as possible with this ability as it increases your Audacity for each enemy hit.


Ultimate - Across The Sky

His ultimate ability can be used in so many different situations: for chasing the enemies down, ganking other lanes, going back to your lane, rotating, escaping, avoiding enemies ultimates ( Ares, Cerberus, Yemoya, etc.), objective stealing, objective defending (Fire Gigant, Gold Fury, etc.), split pushing towers, phoenixes or even enemies titan.

Remember to not dive in multiple gods even when you guarantee a kill it would most likely not be worth it in most of the situations.

When you are about to land your ultimate on an enemy god, do not hurry! Wait for them to use their dashes, leaps then land your ultimate.

You should always use this skill to to distract enemies while they are doing objectives such as fire giant or try to steal it!

And finally but not less important, be aware about your mana before ulting, your ultimate costs mana every second and you are forced to land when you run out of mana and possibly find yourself surrounded by enemies depending on where you will be touching the ground.


Example Combos:

Main Combo:

So Beautiful > The Moves > Serenade > Basic Attacks -> If needed because you haven't killed the enemy, you can use as last skill Across The Sky for chasing the enemies and securing kills.

Other combo:

Serenade > So Beautiful > The Moves > Basic Attacks > Across The Sky
The Moves > Serenade > Basic Attacks > So Beautiful > Across The Sky
Across The Sky > Serenade > So Beautiful > The Moves this last skill can be used for escaping or chasing the enemy depending on the situation.

How To Play

Gameplay Start / Early Game:
  • Start at the Gold Fury side Green buff. When it spawns, hit it with an auto attack to leash/aggro the camp and pull it towards the exp camp, meanwhile the support deals damage to the camp, after doing both things, you two will go to the purple buff, do it and then come to lane to push the minions.

  • After these camps are cleared you will be level 1 so will need to take 1 minion of the first wave to get level 2 and level up your The Moves so you will have an skill that can be used for escaping or for starting a duo lane fight, dashing offensively and stacking your passive will increase your chances of killing the enemies in the first waves.

  • After pushing 3 wave, shield buff will spawn so your support and you will go for it depending of the pressure wave; if you have no wave pressure you will need to ask your jungler for coming to fight it or just leave it, but if you have hardly won the push of the wave you should use your attack speed shard to do it as quick as possible, for securing the buff you should always maintain your So Beautiful available. If someone comes to contest, you should always try to fight them if you have your passive stacked instead of securing the buff because you have a good early fighting god but in case you don't, just do minis and go back to lane for winning pressure.

  • After picking it up make your way back to the centre of the lane. If you think it's going to be hardly difficult to secure the buff, just run back into the lane and pressure the enemies by pushing the wave quickly.

  • From here you will usually fight the enemy ADC and support during wave pushes in lane with your own support. Most of the fights you should take are around shield buff and depending on yours and their early pressure/clear around your own purple buff or theirs (remember you can pull the Purple buff wherever you want so if you have no pressure / you are low hp ask your support to be in the pit before it spawns and tell him to leash it as far as needed to not get invaded by the other duo lane)

  • An important advice as an ADC main is to be active in communication, always try to tell all the information you can to your team like your own purple, shield and their purple timer (if possible), if there is any one spotted in the wards you placed, if someone is trying to dive you, if they are doing Gold Fury... This type of information will make your jungler and support pathing to gank your lane easier and make you having bigger chances of getting a lead over the other hunter.

  • REMEMBER to always buy wards, warding correctly with aggressive Sentry Wards will determine half of the game around the Gold Fury objective and warding defensively will make you be more aware about possible ganks so you will be safer in lane.

Mid Game:

  • As the match goes towards the MID GAME, other than the usual farm opportunities you'll be looking to rotate over the Stygian Beacon for your team and try attempt, contest and steal (if the enemy is attempting to kill them) the Gold Fury.

  • After having at least 4 or 5 items completed, you can start thinking about doing some rotations with your ultimate over the midlane if your team needs you for securing Stygian Beacon or winning a team fight (DO NOT ROTATE TO SOLO LANE IF IT'S NOT LATEGAME).

  • Remember to rotate when there is no duo jungle remain like purple or shield buff and to have the wave pushed before rotating because you will fall much behind in farm compared to your enemy ADC. (DO NOT ROTATE IF YOU ARE 2 OR MORE LEVELS BEHIND THE OTHER HUNTER!)

  • When the Stygian Beacon spawns often both teams will try rotate over to control it, especially the mid, support and jungle. You will need to think about who is more likely to have their teammates to rotate over first to impact your decision if contesting the beacon will be worth it and if there is any kill potential around the objective.

  • As for Gold Fury opportunity they will vary on factors such as: your team's overall objective shred, your ADC's current objective shred / build, your team's map pressure, how strong each team's teamfight is, where on the map everyone is (i.e. if one team is doing Gold, the other may decide to do Pyro as a smaller trade), if any members of the enemy team are on a respawn timer, etc...

  • It is so important to have warded (with Sentry Wards if possible) the Gold Fury during the Mid Game because it is the principal objective between minute 10 to 20 with the Pyromancer.

  • Stay aware of rotations (jungle and support) during this minutes because your death as a hunter can be a really good reason for the enemies over pulling Gold Fury or even burst it. So your team won't have any chance of contesting it up.

  • Not dying over rotations, map awareness and warding are highly important over the games. You will always need to position yourself beside de midlaner for peeling each other over team fights (call who is doing engage on you, relics and this type of stuff that is going to make an easier way to make your team win the team fight)


Late Game:
  • As for LATE GAME teamfights, most often you will be positioned in the "backline" (behind your team's solo and support - who generally are the "frontline") and will play around your midlaner to deal with the enemy frontline and jungler, while making sure to put out as much damage as possible to the highest threats on the enemy team.

  • Make sure you have upgraded Temporal Beads and Aegis of Judgement before going into the Fire Giant. I really good advice is to use actives as soon as the solo laner, support or jungler engages on you to try to avoid as much damage and crowd control as possible, if you stay safe as an ADC on a late game teamfight, your team will have enough DPS to do Fire Giant or if you kill all your enemies, you can even finish the game.

  • When it comes to Fire Giant opportunities, often there can be stalemates where both teams will try to force a teamfight or look for lone picks in order to gain an advantage, sometimes involving one team going for a non fully committing attempt at doing the objective to bait the other team to step up.

  • BE CONSTANTLY CALLING ALL THE INFORMATION: WHEN THEY ARE ENGAGING ON YOU, IF YOU ARE ULTING SOMEONE, OR IF SOMEONE USE HIS ACTIVES. THIS INFORMATION CAN MAKE YOU AND YOUR TEAM WIN EASILY A Fire Giant TEAMFIGHT.

  • BE ALWAYS SURE ABOUT YOUR DECISION MAKING, IF YOU DOUBT YOURSELF OR EVEN YOUR TEAMMATES YOU WILL NEVER SUCCED!

Warding

Low Pressure Warding:

Here are warding spots for ADCs if you are behind with gold or experience compared to the other hunter. If the enemy team has your purple timer you should always try to Sentry Wards your purple buff and make sure to call your teammates at least 1 minute before spawning.


In case you have low pressure god but none is invading purple you can also ward like in the photo below. You will always know when someone is coming and you won't have to outposition yourself to ward so you will be safe.


Normal Pressure Warding:

Over here is shown the ideal normal pressure warding spots around duo lane, you should always look to Sentry Wards defensively and use a normal ward on the offensive position. Enemies could Sentry Wards your normal ward so you should call your support for warding there.


High Pressure Warding:

In case you have a high pressure duo set up (hunter with good clear and fighting capability and a support with crowd control, push and mobility) you should look to invade purple buffs. This type of wards will make an easier way for you and your teammates to come over purple pit before spawning and being ready for stealing it [you will always know who is coming to gank you so you must be prepared for getting ganked over duo] .


Late Game Warding:

When you start fighting around Fire Giant, you should always look to ward in the same places as a midlaner because you two (ADC and Mid) form what we call as "backliners" (the roles who are supposed to deal DPS and damage to enemies), you will be sharing the responsibility for this rather than handling it alone, especially when it's not safe for you to step up to place deeper wards. Any wards placed closer to the objective within the Fire Giant pit tend to get destroyed by Sentries more often than not, so they tend to not be reliable.

Remember, minions act as moving wards in the lanes, and are able to spot nearby gods. If your towers are down, keep your minions pushed up as much as possible to provide an extra set of eyes and pressure.


  • White Circles: These are all offensive locations that allow you to spot enemies near to or approaching objectives, and are helpful in covering multiple approaches. The closer you get to the Fire Giant, the more contested those spots will be and the more likely enemies will try to counter-ward. The ones closest to the enemy base can give you very early notice.

  • Red Circles: Fairly obvious, but it's always good to have vision on the main jungle objectives, especially the Fire Giant. Sentry Wards are key here, as they allow you to spot and remove enemy wards. You can place wards directly on top of the objectives, or put them slightly to one side to try to spot enemy wards or protect yours from being detected.
Counter-Warding: Enemies may drop wards on your defensive side in similar (opposite) spots to where you would place yours. If the Fire Giant is already covered and you have a spare Sentry Ward, place them in these spots to limit the enemy's vision on your team.

Defensive Warding: If you're pushed back to your phoenixes or inside your base, locate your wards in the nearby jungle and general approaches.

Leave a Comment

You need to log in before commenting.

Collapse All Comments

Loading Comments...
Load More Comments
League of Legends Build Guide Author TottiGR
Grandmaster Apollo ADC GUIDE
Table of Contents

SMITEFire is the place to find the perfect build guide to take your game to the next level. Learn how to play a new god, or fine tune your favorite SMITE gods’s build and strategy.

Copyright © 2019 SMITEFire | All Rights Reserved