Smite Zhong Kui Build Guide: Mess with the Demon, You Get the Fat Man

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Smite God: Zhong Kui

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Zhong Kui Build

Core Build

Warlock's Staff

Shoes of the Magi

Obsidian Shard

Hide of the Urchin

Polynomicon

Rod of Tahuti

Replacement Items

Soul Reaver

Chronos' Pendant

Book of Thoth

Gem of Isolation

Ethereal Staff

Relics

Cursed Ankh

Heavenly Wings

Aegis Amulet

Purification Beads

Zhong Kui's Skill Order

Expose Evil

1 X

1 12 14 15 16

Exorcism

2 A

2 4 6 7 10

Book of Demons

3 B

3 8 11 18 19

Recall Demons

4 Y

5 9 13 17 20

1 12 14 15 16

Expose Evil

1 X

Zhong Kui pastes a card on all enemies in front of him, marking them as a demon, Slowing and damaging them each second while they are marked. If the card is removed, 75% of the remaining damage is done instantly.

Ability Type: Line, Slow, Damage
Damage Per Tick: 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 (+20% of your Magical Power)
Slow: 20%
Card Lifetime: 5s
Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Cooldown: 12s

2 4 6 7 10

Exorcism

2 A

Zhong Kui drives out the demons of his enemies, dealing damage as they leave the body. Demons exorcised from Enemies marked by Expose Evil will be absorbed by Zhong Kui, healing him per demon (up to 3), and will remove the card.

Ability Type: Cone
Damage: 75 / 125 / 175 / 225 / 275 (+50% of your Magical Power)
Heal: 15 / 40 / 65 / 90 / 115
Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Cooldown: 10s

3 8 11 18 19

Book of Demons

3 B

When fired, the Book of Demons deals damage and Stuns enemies, stunning marked enemies for 2x the duration and removing the card. Once this ability has been ranked, the Book of Demons flies nearby Zhong Kui, firing for 50% of Zhong Kui's basic damage.

Ability Type: Circle, Stun, Damage
Damage: 80 / 135 / 190 / 245 / 300 (+50% of your Magical Power)
Stun: 1s (2x for marked targets)
Radius: 20
Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Cooldown: 13s

5 9 13 17 20

Recall Demons

4 Y

Upon activation, demons pulse out from his bag at nearby players every second for 5s. They chase and accelerate over time, doing damage to enemies as they enter the body. Zhong Kui is immune to Knockback and Slows for the duration.

Ability Type: Circle, Buff, Damage
Damage: 80 / 95 / 110 / 125 / 140 (+25% of your Magical Power)
Radius: 40
Cost: 100
Cooldown: 90s

Method to my Madness

Zhong Kui was one of those gods that took me a while to experiment with and get down. The build I came up with now didn't actually take too long to come up with, but it did take a while to perfect. Zhong Kui is really more of a front line mage than a back. With this build, he can take a few hits and deal out some really good damage. Late game, you can really keep the enemy pushed back or have them running scared.

This build really clicks and works awesome for me and I hope it does for you too. So without further ado, allow me to explain the method to my madness.

Pros/Cons

Pros

+ High Survivability
+ Excellent Lane Clear
+ Solid Damage
+ Excellent Pressure
+ Great Support Character

Cons

+ Tends to get Focused
+ Low Mobility

Skills

Demon BagDemon Bag(Passive)
Gains 2 protections for each demon captured and protections are doubled when recall demons is activated
Zhong Kui's passive ability is really what makes him what he is. It's what allows him to take so much damage, and combined with this build, he becomes an incredible sponge.

Expose EvilExpose Evil(1st)
All enemies in front of you become marked that slows and damages over 5 seconds.
This ability is good, but not the best until later. This will be your main lane clear and ability stacker combined with your second ability throughout the whole game. Though it is a small ability, it's rather powerful. Catch fleeing enemies and lengthen your 3rd ability.

ExorcismExorcism(2nd)
Damage is dealt to all enemies in a cone in front of him. If marked, a stack is added to his passive and heals him per stack captured.
This will be not only your main damaging ability, but also your main stacking abaility when combined with your 1st. There are quite a few ways you can use this ability i a fight, but be sure to use it wisely.

Book of DemonsBook of Demons(3rd)
Damages and slows enemies. Marked enemies are stunned for twice as long. When not on cooldown, it fires on basic attack for half damage.
Great ability. Can end fights, start fights, and is your only real escape option. It's kind of like a second passive as well. The damage is not too shaby either. A powerful ability when it comes to team fights. Like your 2nd ability, use it wisely.

Recall DemonsRecall Demons(Ultimate)
Demons pulse out for 5 seconds dealing damage to all around you. You are immune to knockback and slows and all passive stacks are consumed and protections from are doubled.
Again, know when to use it. Can really change the tide of a late game match. This ability can allow your team to really push forward and have the enemy running scared. If you work with your team, a deicide can possibly be secured every time. I highly recommend you always have maximum passive stacks before using this.

Items

Warlock's SashWarlock's Sash
This is a very good and very easy item on Zhong Kui. With the way he builds stacks with his passive, you will have no trouble getting max stacks quickly. The majority of matches, you can get max stacks by later mid game if you're consistent. A very important item to have.

Shoes of the MagiShoes of the Magi
Pretty straight forward. The penetration is nice to have. Not really much to say.

Obsidian Shard
Again, another easy item. Power and penetration. Once you get this item, you can finally start to get some solid damage.

Hide of the UrchinHide of the Urchin
This is a very powerful item to have on Zhong Kui. Your protections are already strong, but this item is really what makes him a sponge. Once you have this, you can finally start playing more near the front lines.

Polynomicon
AKA, "Party time." Such a good combo tool and a good tool to have in general. The passive is what you'll mainly be going after here. Though the lifesteal and mana is a nice bonus. Not a requirement but a nice item to have

Rod of Tahuti
Simply a must have item on any mage. And on Zhong Kui, now is when you can start really putting the hurt on the enemy.

Replacement Items

Souls Reaver
If you just want some straight up damage earlier, a very nice item to take. Soul Reaver can really bring the pain when in comes to abilities, and on Zhong Kui, it can be crucial in certain situations.

Chronos' Pendant
A pretty solid item on any mage. I don't really recommend it, but it can do well for you in this build depending on how you play.

Book of Thoth
If you want to bring more hurt than take a lot of hurt, replace this with your warlock's sash. Is an excellent item if you want to play more of a back line mage more than a front one. A pretty solid item to have on Zhong Kui

Gem of Gem of Isolation
I solid item especially when paired with his ultimate and makes him a little more tanky, if you'd like. Plus if you usually use curse strictly when using his ultimate, this will free up an extra relic slot.

Ethereal Ethereal Staff
Pretty good if you just want raw damage on top of being more tanky. I won't build it often, but it has it's uses.

Relics

CurseCurse
Pretty simple item. Zhong Kui doesn't have a great escape, so with this, keep your pursuers behind you or slow them all down when you use your ultimate.

SprintSprint
Same but opposite of curse. Outrun your enemy, or chase them down with your ultimate to keep any from getting away.

SanctuarySanctuary
Not necessary, but it has its uses. There have been those few times that it has really saved my life.

PurificationPurification
Being that Zhong Kui doesn't have a solid escape, it's not a good idea to let anything or anyone slow you down.

Summary

Zhong Kui is the definition of a sponge in Smite.He can be played as a front or back line mage depending on how you build him. With this build specifically, you will be the biggest target and biggest threat on the battlefield. Zhong Kui is not one to be underestimated. In general, he is a really solid and balanced character. The rushdown potential he possesses is incredible and can really turn the tide of a match depending on how and when you use his abilities. A patient and powerful god.

As always, please feel free to rate, comment, and give me any feedback. Cheers, mates!

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Collapse All Comments

(50) |

I would recommend for his ultimate, allowing him to basically slow the entire enemy team. Good for a bruiser like mage like .

(16) |

I agree, as I mentioned in my comment below this one. The passive on is second to none especially on a Mage like where his abilities are cast relatively close to himself i.e. melee range.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've given that a go recently and it works surprisingly well. I'll add that to the build.

(16) |

Nice build! I just started using him but, I've been building:

Warlock's Sash or - Sustain or More Damage just depends who my teammates are.
- Early Penetration.
- Lowers Protections + added Penetration but, I use if facing a Tankier Team.
- Added Sustain, Passive which Slows Enemies on damaging abilities.
- More Health = Magical Power, what else can I say, it's a great item on a tanky mage.
- Situational, doesn't have to be this.

I haven't tried just yet but, I will definitely give it a go!

Not bad, I like it. I definitely recommend you try hide of the urchin. In combination with ethereal staff, it's pretty tanky.

(46) |

Your Pros/Cons section is broken. Probably missing a bracket.

I also notice that you build protections before penetration. Also, I don't consider to be core on Zhong Kui, but then again, I usually build him tankier than this.

Something else, I have never tried or on before. I will make sure to test them next chance I get.

One last thing, I like your style of writing. Thank you for making a guide that includes the most important information without going too much in-depth.

Thanks for the feedback. Fixed the pro/cons. When it comes to tankier mages, I like to find a perfect balance between power and protections. Keeps them feeling more mage-like, I suppose. I'm glad you enjoyed the guide. I write them how I like to see them written. Short but very informative.

(46) |

Your pros/cons still looks broken. Did you remember to click publish?

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Mess with the Demon, You Get the Fat Man

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Table of Contents

Method to my Madness

Pros/Cons

Skills

Items

Replacement Items

Relics

Summary

Mess with the Demon, You Get the Fat Man

Smite God: Zhong Kui

Zhong Kui Build

Core Build

Replacement Items

Relics

Zhong Kui's Skill Order

Expose Evil

Exorcism

Book of Demons

Recall Demons

Method to my Madness

Pros/Cons

Skills

Items

Replacement Items

Relics

Summary

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