Grandmaster Charybdis ADC GUIDE

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 the ADC role. I hope you find this guide as a useful learning resource for playing Charybdis as an ADC in your ranked or competitive games!


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Passive - Raging Tides Passive Attack Speed: The first part of Charybdis' passive is a tide bar that fills up the more she auto attacks. It will fill by 2% for every 1 basic attack, up to 100%. As the bar fills, Charybdis gains passive attack speed, up to 10% + 0.75% per level at 100% tide; this would be 25% bonus attack speed at level 20 at max tide. Item Effect Proc Reduction and Attack Chain The second part of Charybdis' passive is that ALL of her basic attacks deal 30% less damage with item effect procs, not just the 3 fast ones. This primarily affects Qin's Sais and Odysseus' Bow. To clarify, this does not mean her autos do less damage with items or she gets less power, or she crits for less, etc., all it means is that the damage from item effect procs (yellow numbers) is decreased. HOWEVER, she does deal less damage and crit for less on her 3 fast autos, but her first 2 autos do 100% damage each and her 3 fast autos together do 120% damage. This 30% reduction is only talking about ITEM EFFECT PROCS. What does that mean? Imagine a normal hunter having Qin's Sais. They auto 3 times for 300% item effect proc damage because 1 auto does 100%. Now imagine in Charybdis case. In the same time it takes a normal hunter to auto 3 times, she autos 5 times but every auto only does 70% item effect proc damage. If you hit every auto, Charybdis will do 350% damage. However, if you miss even one, she will do less than the 3 autos of a normal auto.

Ability 1 - Spike Shot This ability gives Charybdis autos that are similar to Izanami's or Rama's when he has Astral Strike activated. The difference is that it passes through minions, camps, etc., but it stops on enemy gods and splinters in all directions. This ability is mainly used to clear waves, camps, etc., and maybe poke the enemy if they are too close to the wave while you are clearing. This ability does give Charybdis a lot of space because anytime the enemy ADC steps up to clear you can hit them and the wave at the same time. This ability is also very good for building tide. For every enemy hit, you get 2% tide. So hitting all 6 minions even once with this stim gives you 12% tide. It's also good to use in teamfights because of the splinter damage and it also gives you normal autos instead of her 1/1/.4/.4/.4 chain. The splinter damage isn't significant but it's useful.

Ability 2 - Capsize This ability is good for clearing waves, camps, etc., as well as dealing damage and shredding protections, slowing, and damaging enemies. The range of this ability is relatively short so you have to be closer to get the damage off, but the protection reduction especially is VERY good, especially against tanks. You only get 40% protection reduction and slow for 4s if you use the full 40% tide required. This requires a longer winding up time as well because the cone has to grow to full size. I will do the math for you real quick: 10% tide consumed: 10% slow, 10% protection reduction, lasts 1s. 20% tide consumed: 20% slow, 20% protection reduction, lasts 2s. Damage scales +10% 30% tide consumed: 30% slow, 30% protection reduction, lasts 3s. Damage scales +20% 40% (max) tide consumed: 40% slow, 40% protection reduction, lasts 4s. Damage scales +30%

Ability 3 - Whirlpool Form Charybdis's movement skill. I already said it but this is, in my humble opinion, the BEST ability in Smite. This ability literally makes you untargetable for up to 3 seconds while moving at 20 - 40% increased movement speed. If you are being Neith ulted, Ares ulted, Da Ji ulted, etc., all you have to do is press 3 and they are removed. Normally, if you pass through a tower and then exit the bolt is like a homing missile with a grudge. If you use Whirlpool Form under a tower, it immediately forgets you exist and you will not be hit with a tower shot once you exit the 3. Same with Neith ult, normally it is waiting for you to land from wherever you are. If you go into Whirlpool Form the Neith ult just disappears. Also, this ability does crazy damage for no reason. It is an amazing escape but it's also good to aggro, especially if you have enough tide to amplify it. This ability will not do the knock-up exit damage unless it is amplified but even the munch damage is crazy, especially because they cannot do anything about it. You are untargetable and undamageable while doing damage to them and then knocking them up with burst damage at the end. This ability makes her extremely hard to gank or tower dive. It is an amazing ability and that is why you want to max it 2nd to get it off cooldown faster! REMEMBER! This ability can go through player-made walls - Yemoja ult, Anhur pillar, Ymir wall, Odin cage, Cabrakan wall, etc.

Ultimate - The Maw Hungers This ultimate is good for the 6 seconds of CC immunity as well as the increased movement speed. It can be used for escaping, chasing, or doing damage off someone else's setup. What this ability is NOT good for is trying to kill enemies, especially in front of the entire enemy team. The reason for this is (sometimes) you have to stand still to cast it, and you are also standing still the entire duration of the animation. This makes you a giant, fragile, still target that can be one-shot by anyone. You can definitely use this ability in the laning phase when it's just you and one other enemy, but even that is unsafe depending on the matchup. Any enemy can just beads and then get multiple free autos on you while you are stuck in animation. If they are Anhur or something they can just ult your ult and murder you because you are STILL and tanking every single shot. What I would suggest using this ability for primarily is the 6s of CC immunity and the increased movement speed for escaping. You can also use it to secure objectives when there is another carry doing damage (jungler or mage probably). You can also use it when you have a good setup and you are safe enough to stand still for a little while - Ne Zha ult, Kumbhakarna ult, Ymir freeze, etc., all keep the enemy in place long enough for the ult.

Main Combos:

Capsize > Spike Shot > (If you want to chase the enemy) Whirlpool Form > Knock Up > Basic Attacks > If you haven't killed the enemy you should use as your last opportunity to get a kill your ultimate The Maw Hungers

Spike Shot > Capsize > Whirlpool Form > Basic Attacks > The Maw Hungers
Whirlpool Form > Knock Up > Capsize > Spike Shot > If needed, use your ultimate The Maw Hungers.

I do not recommend to use your ultimate while dueling because is so easy to avoid by using dash or simply moving while it is getting casted so take care of this IMPORTANT INFORMATION before trading the other hunter.

• 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 Whirpool Form so you will have an skill that can be used for escaping or for starting a duo lane fight, dashing offensively at get into mele stance so your passive will make you do more damage so definetively will increase your chances of killing the enemies during 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. If someone comes to contest, you should always try to fight them because you have a good early fighting god with the basic attack damage boost with the Spike Shot, in case you are low because you got poked by the enemy duo lane, just do minis and go back to lane for winning pressure with your high early push.
  
  
• 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.

• 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.
  
  
• 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)

• 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.
  
  
• Remember to insta dash if someone engages on you, while you do time in the Whirpool Form tell your teammates all the information about the enemies position, skills used on you, relics, etc... so they will be baited by your inmunity to damage and CC. Conclusion: they are going to die in the 90% of times.
  
  
• 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!

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.



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.



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] .



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.