Nox - I See a Red Door and I Want It Painted Black (S7, All Modes, Patch 7.12 "The Legendary Tanuki")

Recent Updates: 2021/1/5Guide is current as of Patch 7.12, "The Legendary Tanuki." Updated code for mobile, updated builds. Revision History 2019/5/1: Guide is current as of Patch 7.4, "Witch of the Woods." Builds updated. 2019/2/12: Guide is current as of Patch 7.1, "Season 7." 2019/11/8: Guide is current as of Patch 6.12, "RWBY." 2019/8/30: Guide is current as of Patch 6.9, "Queen of the Underworld." Myrddin added as an offensive option. 2019/7/15: Guide is current as of Patch 6.7, "Ruler of the Heavens." Guide has been adapted from the original published by Tlaloc1050. Builds revised, various content adjustments made. 2018/8/14: Original publication by Tlaloc1050.

Hello everyone! My name is Branmuffin17 (PC IGN: Muffinman17, PS4 IGN: Branmuffin17), and I'm a SMITEFire moderator and casual SMITE player on PC. This guide was originally a collaboration between me and Tlaloc1050, with him publishing and controlling updates. He is sadly retiring from SMITE, and so I'm taking over.

I'll assume you know the basic gist of gameplay in the various modes, so I won't be teaching or talking much about rotating, minions, tickets, etc., except in the direct context of Nox's gameplay. If you want details on general info, I invite you to check out my other guides:


This is a work in progress, as it should be. I'm always open to new ideas and different approaches.


Nox is a utility mage, whose unique, CC-heavy kit allows her to disrupt enemy lines through Shadow Lock and Siphon Darkness. She has a unique dash/escape ability that can allow her to accompany (and safely hide in the shadows of) teammates, giving her some interesting synergies with select gods. She is great in a teamfight due to her ult's AOE ability to decrease enemy damage output.


This guide provides builds...one general mage/Mid-Lane build, and one used for off-meta Support and/or Utility. Interested? Step into the shadows with me.

Passive: Flame of the Night	Nox's candles gather energy from all abilities she uses. For every ability Nox casts a candle is lit. For every candle lit Nox gains +3% magical power. When Nox takes damage from an enemy god, one of her candles is blown out. Stacks up to 4 times, for a total of 12% bonus magical power. Discussion: You won't really think about this passive. However, this is a good reason to spam abilities and avoid damage, and supports a high power build, especially late-game. Tips: At the beginning of a match, cast abilities in base (other than Assault) to build up your passive stacks.
Skill #1: Shadow Lock	Nox extends her shadow, damaging enemies. If this shadow hits an enemy god it stops, rooting and crippling them in place and dealing damage over time instead. Nox must channel and stay within range to maintain hold on the target, but may cancel this ability early. Nox will continue to channel this ability even if she is hit by Crowd Control effects. While channeling this ability Nox suffers no directional movement penalty. CD 10 seconds. Leveling Priority: Prioritize this 2nd. General Use: Damage / Peel / Control Discussion: This is your main form of control, and most often will be paired as the follow-up combo ability to Siphon Darkness. A 2 second root is extremely powerful, allowing teammates to easily focus a single enemy. Tips: Common practice sees this ability cast immediately after using Siphon Darkness, to catch enemies in its AOE and deal massive damage. However, in a teamfight, you may want to show some restraint, and wait for the enemy to react before casting. This allows you to better predict the direction they will head to escape. Even if they escape the Siphon's AOE, confirming the lock is arguably much more important; with the help of teammates, it can set up an easy kill.
Skill #2: Siphon Darkness	Nox creates a void of darkness that silences all enemies within. After a short duration it explodes, dealing damage. CD 13 seconds. Leveling Priority: Prioritize this 1st. General Use: Damage / Minion Clear / Zoning / Ability Interruption Discussion: This is Nox's strongest and most defining ability, providing your main minion clear function, and a level of utility matched by few others. Anyone in the AOE is silenced. This means you can prevent enemies from casting any abilities, or interrupt enemies that are channeling abilities. Use this to cause massive disruption. When using this for wave clear, you can deploy this ahead to get an edge on the enemy mid-laner. Tips: More important than using this for damage, your main focus should be to use this for control. Initiate a 1v1 engagement with this (followed by Shadow Lock), or hold onto it in a teamfight specifically for its silence function. You can also use this for zoning purposes. E.g. In a narrow jungle path, drop it in front of a retreating enemy to make them think twice about running through it.
Skill #3: Shadow Step	Nox dashes forward, dealing damage to all enemies. If she hits an allied god, she leaps into their shadow, traveling with them. When Nox exits a shadow, she deals damage again in a radius around her. Nox may cancel this ability early to exit shadows. Nox can stay in an ally's shadow for up to 8 seconds. CD 15 seconds. Leveling Priority: Prioritize this last. General Use: Escape / Initiation / Damage / (Situational) Global Mobility Discussion: This is the most interesting and flexible ability in her kit. You'll generally hold onto this for use as an escape. However, when the situation is favorable / safe, you can: Dash through the minion wave for clearing function Initiate with this to close distance with the enemy Dash through an enemy for added damage Dash through an enemy for added damage, into a nearby teammate, then immediately cancel to exit their shadow and deal the secondary damage If trapped in Odin's Ring of Spears with an ally, dash into them to avoid taking damage Keep in mind, when you're in a teammate's shadow, you cannot be targeted / damaged. Tips: The greatest (but most situational) utility is through your ability to leap into a teammate's shadow. Dash into them, and you will go where they go. For massive burst function, dash through an enemy into a nearby teammate, then immediately cancel and you'll hit them in the secondary AOE. Situationally, you can use this to transport large distances, especially with global ults. Examples of Gods where Nox can hitch a ride: Apollo, Arachne, Athena, Chernobog, Jormungandr, Mercury, Ratatoskr, Thanatos, Thor. In addition, you can use this offensively for huge gank potential, particularly with gods that have teleports or stealth (.e.g. Loki, Izanami, Ao Kuang, Da Ji, The Morrigan).
Ultimate: Night Terror	Nox unleashes a vortex of dark energy that explodes on contact with an enemy god, dealing damage to all enemies in range 20 and applying damage over time. Enemies hit are also weakened, dealing 40% less damage for the duration. CD 90/85/80/75/70 seconds. Leveling Priority: Level this whenever it becomes available. General Use: Damage / Teamfights / 1v1 Kills / Kill Secure / CC Immunity Discussion: This ability has incredible range, allowing you to target retreating / damaged enemies. Kill secure is arguably its most popular (and satisfying) use. However, it provides arguably better utility (via the damage reduction) especially in teamfights, where the AOE burst can hit multiple enemies. Remember that the short charging animation provides you with CC immunity, so you can ult in an emergency to prevent things like an Ares / Cerberus / Da Ji ult pull. Tips: In teamfights, don't save this for kill secure. The 5 second damage reduction is incredibly useful, and can easily give your team the upper hand. When in the process of casting this, Nox can go through Janus' Portals.

Core Combo

This is your main combo. Initiate with Siphon Darkness to prevent enemy ability use. This will typically trigger 1 of 3 reactions: The enemy will try to escape by running out of the AOE It will force the enemy to use Purification Beads The ability's silence will trigger a Magi's Cloak passive In most cases, the first will occur. Follow up Siphon Darkness with Shadow Lock. If you connect before they leave Siphon's AOE, you will deal damage from both abilities. Tips: In most cases, you will try for max damage, meaning you want to cast Shadow Lock immediately after Siphon Darkness, to trap them while they're still in the AOE. You need to pay attention to the direction the enemy is heading. It is easier to hit the Lock if you're very close to them, but if they're further away, you'll need to lead your aim a bit ahead of them. However, you may decide a bit of patience is preferable, possibly allowing the enemy to escape the AOE but allowing for a higher probability of connecting with the Lock. Remember, Siphon Darkness is first and foremost a setup tool, and although it has higher burst damage potential, Lock is really your most important ability. If you have teammates with you, it will allow them to more easily connect on their damage.

Initiation Combo

This is your chase and 1v1 kill combo, without using your ult. Initiate and close distance with Shadow Step. If the enemy is retreating and has some distance on you, you'll likely only use this to get close enough to connect with Shadow Lock. However, if you're fighting a 1v1 and are confident in your ability to get a kill, you'll use this within closer range to connect with it for the damage. Follow it up with the standard combo of Siphon Darkness and Shadow Lock. Since you're going for damage/kill, you'll pretty much always use Shadow Lock immediately after Siphon Darkness to keep them in the AOE...your close proximity to the enemy should help you confirm the Lock. Remember that you're blowing your escape, so use this combo with discretion and awareness.

Teamfight Ability Use

This is your teamfight "combo," used when multiple enemies and teammates are likely present. Both Night Terror and Shadow Step are used situationally; your core is still Siphon Darkness to Shadow Lock. Considerations: Night Terror: Understand that Night Terror doesn't technically have to be used at the onset of a fight. Use your ult when you feel it has the most potential. That potential is usually best seen early in a fight, to give your teammates an advantage with the damage reduction it provides. Watch for enemies to bunch up, to hit multiple targets. If you have specific teammates with the ability to draw enemies to one area (e.g. Ares, Cerberus, Da Ji, Odin), you may wait for them to use that first. You may also use this defensively, if the enemy has predictable hard CC (remember you get CC immunity during the casting animation). Shadow Step (Defensive): Your first priority for this is always for escape or avoidance of damage. Remember that you can hide in teammates' shadows to avoid damage. Shadow Step (Offensive Burst): With teammates around, remember that you can use their presence for burst damage, if the enemy is in the right spot. Look for tanky teammates initiating on enemies to help them take their target down, or for squishy teammates that are getting jumped and could use some help. Remember you can get two hits of this ability, if you dash through the enemy into a nearby teammate's shadow, then exiting their shadow for the secondary burst.

Mid-Lane - Start & Early Game

Standard (Mid-Lane) Start: You will typically help your Jungler get an quicker start by helping clear their Speed Buff (1). Note that it spawns at 00:20, slightly earlier than other jungle camps. Use your wave-clear ability and then head directly to lane (2) and clear the first wave.

Mid-Lane - Mid-Game

As Siphon Darkness is leveled close to max, it should be able to handle a minion wave fairly easily. When you get Chronos' Pendant online, you'll start wanting to be a bit more aggressive, and going for your 2-1 combo anytime you can, to get good poke damage and put the enemy on their heels. If they stick around too long at low health, you can go for a kill with your ult as well.

You will be teaming up with the Jungler and/or Support here and there, and should also be focusing more on objectives. Look for opportunities to secure the Gold Fury or the Fire Giant & Pyromancer. Work with them to secure together, and look for gank attempts whenever possible.

Mid-Lane - Late-Game

Although she can deal pretty good damage, her best use is via her CC, which provides incredible utility for your team. Lock down enemies with Shadow Lock, interrupt enemy abilities with Siphon Darkness, and use Night Terror at the start of any teamfight, as the damage reduction is more important than kill secure potential.

You'll mostly want to stick near the back line, but if your team is close, look to be more aggressive in the front line (or even surprise them from behind) as you can always dash to a nearby teammate for safety.

Mid-Lane - Early-Game Warding

• Green: Safe as long as you're not pushing your lane, giving vision of the entrances to your lane so you can see incoming ganks. Best if you are playing conservatively and are looking for an early stalemate.
  
  
• Yellow: Slightly more risky from the Duo side, since the enemy can approach from around the Damage Buff without being spotted. However, you gain a better view of the left harpy camp and earlier warning of enemies incoming from that side.
  
  
• Red: Risky, and most effective if you've got support or are pushing your lane hard.
  
  
• Magenta: (Thanks to Estidien (IGN Salad) for this tip): You can also place a ward directly in front of the enemy tower, which can give you a lot of information if you keep an eye on the mini-map. If they are sitting on the ward in mid, you know where they are. If their icons push further into the lane, you can assume they are pushing. If they go towards the right or left jungles you can make early calls on "Be Carefuls" or "Enemy Incoming" or you can assume they are doing their buff camps. If their icons move backwards towards their tower you can generally assume that they are going to one of the back pathways into the jungle, likely to clear camps.

Standard Start (w/ ADC): The most common start will see both the ADC and Support together in the Duo lane. In these scenarios, the object is to clear the wave as quickly as possible to gain an upper hand on the enemy, providing you with a variety of options. This will be covered immediately below.


If you're continually outclearing the enemy, you can play more aggressively and look to venture a bit further, going as far as to clear the Oracle Harpy camp (2) in-between waves. Be aware in the reverse situation, as you may want to contest if the enemy is trying to steal (or stay clear if they've got a clear advantage in early game damage and levels). If your Mid-Laner isn't clearing their Damage Buff (3), you may want to do so for them. And as you get a bit stronger, you can then start looking to clear the Alpha Harpy camps (4 & 4*).

From this point forward, you'll mostly stay in lane with the ADC in the early game, but will need to choose a time to start rotating, where you will likely spend most of your time between the Duo and Mid-lanes.



With some protections, you can now tank enemy damage to the extent that you can play more aggressively and go for kill secures. You'll likely be rotating between lanes, grabbing an occasional jungle camp, but mostly looking to disrupt the enemy jungler, or gank the Duo or Mid lanes.

You need to make sure your teammates know you're ganking, and to have them be with you, because you'll need their damage to help secure the kills.

Pay more attention to warding, covering common jungle paths, and dropping Sentry Wards on key objectives (or common defensive ward locations of enemies to help you surprise them).



Tanking towers won't hurt too much now. Like sugar, it's good in moderation. Tank objectives like the Fire Giant and towers. Either you or your solo laner will do it.

Remember to always keep a ward on the Fire Giant and phoenixes that are down.

Stick with an ally at all times and remember to play with a Support's mindset. Others' lives are the priority, and you need to use your abilities to control a teamfight.



Placing 2 wards at a time is your best bet to warn you of incoming enemies from multiple locations. Below are color-coded locations for pairs of wards depending on your aggressiveness in-lane. (note locations for Support are shown on the left portion of the map)

• Green: Locations for safest play. Gives you a good view of the main entrances to your lane to warn you of incoming ganks, but you won't have much advance warning.
  
  
• Yellow: Same offensive ward location, but the defensive ward is pushed out a bit to give you a bit earlier warning from normal enemy jungle paths However, it will not help you spot an aggressive jungler that approaches from behind, near the buff camps.
  
  
• Red: This provides you with great early warning in the offensive zone when pushing your lane. It doesn't cover your backside, however, so you'll be relying on your own skill and good communication with teammates to keep you alive.