Grandmaster S9 Hunter Guide (Apollo)

Hello Again, thought i'd make another guide after my last one was so well received ( check out my cthuhlu guide) was so well received, honestly with the mask changes and the vamp shroud and helm nerfs i presume that guide still holds up, thank you for the support.

On to ADCS, just for some background I am not a ADC main but i have mastered all 5 roles, Statistically ADC is my best role as I am undefeated in ranked this split and I have a couple of points explaining why i Think that is and how it applies to you.

The first is I think the Carry role has the biggest impact in the game right now and can flip a game, a good carry will instinctively know when to split push, when to do objectives, and when to commit its a carry's job to be the tank killers as well as taking out the other carries, essentially a bit of everything.

With this guide I hope to help aspiring Carry players learn the role to a high level, with a focus on APollo as a focal point and maybe experienced players can learn something new too.

These are the items I think work best to make Apollo a success, I don't think he's top tier or this will necessarily be the meta build. All I can promise is it is a fun and competitive build you should do well with

Lets go over the levelling order.

1st Ability - So Beautiful

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

Max this first it is your lane clear and your main source of poke. the pass through effect is very useful.

2nd Ability - Serenade

Apollo uses his amazing voice to Mesmerize all nearby enemies and bolster himself with additional physical protection. Any damage done breaks the effect.

Max this second as the increaeed protections and duration on the mesmerize will be more useful than ether levelling his 3rd ability or his ult.

3rd Ability - The Moves

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.

Try to run into the enemy when you do this, hopefully you can knock them away and you aspply a movement speed debuff while gaining movement speed yourself.

Ultimate - Across The Sky

Apollo rides his chariot across the sky, choosing when to land, dealing damage every .2s for .8s as he lands. Enemies hit by the last tick of the landing will also be knocked up.

Levelling it up seems pretty good right? you get bonus damage so what gives? Unfortunately due to recent nerds the mana cost is too high right now to level it up even with cowl you will want the sustain from dominance and the cowl upgrade before maxing this one.

Where does Apollo's strength come from?
tranquilly and calmness of mind "familiarity with one's surroundings The issue here is that most people don't perceive Apollo as a pressure character, which is a tremendous mistake. Somewhat smaller in base damage, but more powerful in hand due to high in-hand base damage at level 1, he's a force to be reckoned with in the early game. In addition, he is very difficult to gank for junglers, giving him greater momentum into the mid game."



Pressure early is crucial in this meta, the combination of his early base damage and the steroid provides him with a lot of early lane pressure. When combined with an aggressive support, it can provide significant pressure in lane, especially if his ultimate is up. With a bit of forethought, you can pull yourself out of many dangerous situations and prevent many ganks. Apollo's passive is a good tool to use to limit your opponent's ability to apply pressure.



In the late game, Apollo has an extremely situational ultimate. The fact that all of his other abilities are somewhat indicative of his having a powerful late game but this is not the case.

Ults are often decisive in games. late game you ult in and get killed instantly alor of the time the only option is to strive to be more creative when employing it. Look for 1v1 duels, enemy 1v1 duels left alone, or as a chance to get a Fire Giant. As with other late game options, getting mileage out of this Apollo option is vital. Always bear this in mind when thinking about how to use it well. Even being in the air can cause distruption and panic so use it well.

The ultimate is beneficial to the early to mid game for rotations and the like , but doesn't benefit your team much in the late teamfight most of the time Using it when the situation calls for it can be the difference between life and death, but it is situational. Most of the time, it's better to split push with him before the rest of the team rotates over to a teamfight.



A good power spike is Key
By using his steroid and utilising his early base damage, you'll be able to do this, as well as obtain an aggressive start. Avoiding ganks in the early game will mean a lot of success for you.
Without a large, spectacular ult, the lack of a combat ult for Apollo is going to hamper his squad. Lane pressure, clearing, and invading are critical components of your strategy. To effectively engage an opposition team's Apollo, you want to have that Apollo draw their attention to you while isolating you from your opposing Hunter. Catching a gank in the early game is a skill that must be learned, because squandering a jungler's time is a massive waste of resources."

Rest assured, this build will be good to go for a good while, the next major patch has no changes to this build or Apollo and I do not see him getting nerfed or his items changed in the near future, I hope this guide helped and as always take care. With this guide you will be dominating games in no time with one of thec most fun and exciting roles in Smite.