Janus The Ultimate Utility Mage For Your Team S3

Hey guys, diamond Janus here! PC in game is SubCanis if you feel the need to verify! I'm sure we all have had the pleasure of going against a fed Janus. Yes the one that seems to kill at least one unlucky soul with his ultimate. Janus does do a lot of damage mid to late game, even early game if built right. But get all these dreams of triples and Fire Giant steals out your head for one moment. Everyone can find a way to do damage with Janus, but are you using his utility to set your team at peak advantage. Yes I mean sometimes saving that ult to get your team out of a sticky situation might be better than sniping the enemy mid lanner recalling in tower. Using your portal to get an overextended jungler back to safety might be better then only using it under your enemies feet. Once you learn to know when to do damage as Janus, and when to provide your utility, you will notice that you are one of the most significant players in a conquest game. Play Video

cons:
*If he gets behind his damage is really low compared to other mages when behind
*Portals can sometimes mess combos up on your team
*Not the easiest god to play, aka portal and 2 combo isn't always guaranteed
*Main combo countered easily with Sanctuary
*If Cursed or CC'd often can not make it to portal escape in time



pros:
*Arguably one of the best team ultimates in the game
*Portals can get team out of really bad situations
*Does terrifying damage if ahead, especially if doom orb is online
*Hard to kill, aka portals and passive make him super hard to catch
*Can shut down enemy momentum, aka putting a portal down on there feet mid attack

AGGRESSIVE PAIN

This build is for those who have some Janus experience under their belt. The doom orb makes his 2 hit for 450 by about 7-10 minutes which is crazy good if you manage not to die. The reason I don't recommend this build to new Janus players is because you will fall behind early-mid game if you keep dying with doom orb. If you manage to max your stacks and make some good plays with Janus while running this build, this will be a one shot combo almost every time.


THE CONSERVATIVE JANUS

Don't get me wrong, you will still do a lot of damage with this build, not as much as the first one; however, the damage will be guaranteed even if you slip up and die a couple times. As long as you farm, you will hit hard with this build. Warlocks is good on Janus in certain situations because he already is almost impossible to corner and kill, so warlocks gives the player a little more time to escape.

It is a good idea to realize when Doom Orb is not a good idea in a game. There is nothing worse then dying with doom orb. If you get stuck in a situation where you keep dying with doom orb it sets you so much behind. So here are some tips when to pick Doom Orb or Warlock's Sash


Gods too risky to use Doom Orb against as Janus:
1) Thanatos
2) Anubis
3) Bastet
4) Poseidon
5)Ao Kuang
6) Loki

Warlocks is good against match ups like this against any of these junglers or mid laners

EARLY GAME TIPS(0-15 min)

Experienced smite players can tell you, in most cases games are won in the fist 15 minutes. Obviously the titan isn't taken but most veterans of the game can call a game a win or loss after 10-15 minutes. Lane pressure, farm, and stacks are key in this part of the game. Whether you go Warlock's Sash or Doom Orb farming will be key to your success. Getting kills in mid lane is a good thing to add to the mix, but your priority is gold and last hits on minions. In some cases early game a minion wave is worth more gold than a chased kill, so really ask yourself what is worth going in on. Going in to get one kill then loosing a minion wave and dying to the enemy jungler is NEVER worth it. Play smart and do your best to stay alive as the vulnerable Janus early game

MID GAME(15-25 min)
Now is your time to shine, Doom Orb is online, or Warlocks is almost if not completely done. This phase of the game is when you gank other lanes more often and hit harder then anyone is expecting, especially if you have a level on them with Doom orb at 50 stacks. Although you are doing reasonable damage at this stage you still can't hold your own against the enemy solo laner or carry normally, so be weary of roaming.
PRO TIP FOR ROAMING WITH JANUS
When roaming through the jungle looking to help your team in whatever way you can always have your 1 up so if someone jumps on you, the opportunity is there to get out immediately.

WARDING
It is a must to ward as Janus, although you have great mobility, a little CC in mid lane can catch you and leave you not enough time to make it to a portal out the lane. Ward in front the left and right mid harpies near Gold Fury and Fire Giant. Eyes on the jungler is key in conquest, and you warding middle will help your team in the long run.

ONE SHOT WONDER
Finally the time is here. Late game Janus. A portal, and a toss of the 2, and you might as well drag that god to the recycling bin because that's where their health just went. Position is key in team fights. There are 3 different phases of team fight, allow me to explain how to play in each phase.

INITIATION
This is the phase where the two teams are squaring up showing off who they got on their frontline. 5v5 mid lane waiting for someone to make a move. No one is doing anything, someone do SOMETHING! Ever feel that way? Very carefully as Janus you can initiate a team fight. Stay in the back line and wait for an enemy god to step too close. Portal them and you've now initiated a team fight, because at the fall through the portal your team will most likely make an offensive move, while the enemy team makes a defensive move. Be careful in this stage of Team Fights because if you miss your portal you are left with no escape unless you have to ult.

Offensive/ "The Chase"
Ah yes, you have fire giant, and your team is ready to push titan. This is when Janus is fun. You can either save your ult for if things turn south, or use your ult to get your team behind the enemy. If the enemy team is in a full retreat you can ult through the jungle and lead your team to a complete flank and deicide of the enemy team. His ult is also great to lead a team in to backdoor titan. A good spot to do that from is their speed or damage camp wall. Also take advantage of your third ability in the Team Fight to slow your enemies and give your teammates a speed buff.

The Retreat! "RUNNNN!"
Oh no, you lost your tank and the enemy jungler has made his way in the backline. They are moments away from wiping everyone. This is when Janus claims his spot as the King of utility and escape. Signal your team to retreat, speed them up with your 3 and ult everyone out. It sounds easy but the longer you wait to ult everyone out the worse it could get. If you are not gonna win the fight, secure the retreat with your ult. If ult is not available, portal the ADC or Jungler to safety while you get out yourself.

ABILITY BREAKDOWN

Using the passive
15% Magic scaling if you have passed through a portal or walked across his threshold. May not sound like much but often if someone is low, especially early game, you can put your threshold down to slow them, walk across it, and 2 them. If your Soul stone passive is up as well Janus can hurt more then you'd expect early game with this passive.

You get a portal you get a portal everyone gets a portal!
This ability is what makes Janus who he is. An escape for a team mate or a fall of doom for an enemy god. Learn when to use this ability and watch as no one will even attempt to get in range of you.

Unstable Vortex "Wait, where did my health go?"
That what the enemy mid laner will be asking himself if you angle it to hit him twice. This is your wave clear and the damaging bullet of Janus.

Threshold
A lot is going in with this ability, Simply putt it speeds you up, slows the enemies down, and buffs your damage on the enemy if they are effected by it. All in all, you want to be using this a lot.

Through Space and Time "WTF just hit me"
Anyone ever say that, I know I have been hit by one on an occasion or two. This has multiple purposes and is an AMAZING ult. This ability is used to initiate all out ganks, lead retreats, and yes.... even though it shouldn't be only used to do this, yes I give you permission to snipe people with this ult. I am not gonna lie, it feels good to hit a snipe.



COMBOS

BEGINNER
Ability Sequence: 1-2

INTERMEDIATE
Ability Sequence 3-1-2

MLG ADVANCED TOWER DIVE COMBO
Step 1 - Portal wall by tower
Step 2 - Enter Portal
Step 3 - 2 into the tower from behind them recalling and laugh as you walk back to lane

If they are still alive and no one is in danger you can ult to finish off kills

Janus is one of the best mid laners in the game. That's why in almost every pro league game you see someone picking up Janus. His ultimate is a game changer in many scenarios. Use this guide and you will become a better player with him. Remember, USE HIS UTILITY. His damage hits like a truck but what makes Janus top tier are his portals, be looking for opportunities to save team mates with your portals. Map awareness is SO SO SO important with Janus. Now what are you waiting for, it's time to carry your next conquest game.