SMITEFire Community Guide to Hades (Solo)

Hey everyone, welcome to the SMITEFire Community guide to Hades. In this guide, we'll be going over all the essential info you'll need to get started with Hades.

This guide was written by community members like you! Thank you to the following SMITEFire members for contributing to this guide:



Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions if you have feedback on the guide. Without further ado, let's get started!

Blight

• Blight is applied not only by Death From Below and Shroud of Darkness, but also from basic attacks.
• If you have limited abilities currently available, try to hit the enemy with a basic attack so you can still get the Blight effect from other abilities you use.
• If an enemy is chasing you and you’re looking to escape, they should be heading straight for you. This makes it easy to hit them with a basic attack, and then you can use Shroud of Darkness to fear them and create further space.

Death From Below

• This is the first part of the main god damage combo (1-3). Use of this skill to clear the wave is not recommended; instead, use Shroud of Darkness. Use 1 for initiation to close distance with enemies and create a stack of Blight. You can also save it to use as a chase ability to catch up to a fleeing enemy.
• This is your only mobility ability. If the situation is unclear, save it for a potential escape because it can go over (under) walls.
• When targeting an enemy with this, try to land behind them. This is harder to react to, forcing them to turn around, while you can follow up with Devour Souls without turning around yourself (it applies in a radius around you).
• Although this skill provides damage, it’s your last priority. The longer CC from Shroud of Darkness is helpful, and your main damage / heal of Devour Souls is more important. Also, upgrading this early means you might kill minions before you can heal.
• This ability has a delay, so lead any targets to have a better chance of connecting.
• Warning: This skill is considered a leap, which means Awilix’s ultimate CAN pull you, even below ground.

Shroud of Darkness

• Can be used as silence or as a fear if you have hit the enemy with a basic attack or Death From Below.
• Usually your second upgrade due the CC time and because you can use this + Devour Souls to kill a minion wave, healing yourself entirely.
• Can be used to break the bubbles easily ( Magi's Cloak).

Devour Souls

• Your first priority is to hit all minions with a basic attack (or Shroud of Darkness) to apply Blight, and cast Devour Souls in the midst of the wave to get a significant heal.
• Increase this combo by hitting the enemy god to draw all of the minions to you. Even at level 1, you can clear the wave almost instantly this way.

Pillar of Agony

• Excellent initiation that creates teamfight chaos when paired with Blink Rune or Death From Below. Can be used to force relic use from the enemy.
• Best used if you are aware of enemy ability use. This ability can be easily escaped if the enemy has a mobility ability available for use. If you’re targeting a specific enemy, wait until they’ve used the ability, so you can be sure to keep them in the ult's radius.
• The safest combo is to either use Blink Rune, or walk into range of the enemy before using. This saves Death From Below for follow-up damage, or to escape if things turn sour.

Devour Souls is your main burst damage source and health sustain. This is always your first priority.

Depending on preference, you may prioritize Shroud of Darkness or Pillar of Agony. The argument for Shroud is to get the CD down to the same level as Devour to more easily use it as your main combo, and the higher silence duration is extremely helpful CC. Alternatively, for enemies that have no mobility and are easily caught in your ult, Pillar provides significant damage and protections.

Death From Below is helpful for damage, but sometimes may be used for escape, making this the lowest priority ability.

This combo is considered "safe" as it saves Death From Below for potential escape (or chase).

Use Shroud of Darkness to apply Blight, then Devour Souls for the burst damage and heal. Easy to use on a full minion wave for quick clear.

Since this uses Shroud, it's best to use if you don't have to counter any channeled enemy abilities.



This combo is more risky, as you start with your only mobility ability. However, it can close ranks with the enemy quickly, applies Blight, and makes for an easy combo with Devour Souls.

Best used if you know you're safe, and is also great when looking to secure a kill on a retreating enemy. It saves Shroud of Darkness in case you need to apply CC after the combo.



Use this combo to initiate on an enemy or group of enemies in a teamfight. It's best if you can hit multiple enemies with the ult, and also best when you know enemies have already used Purification Beads and any mobility abilities they have.

Start with Blink Rune to close the gap quickly; timing and location is key here. Apply Blight with Shroud of Darkness to apply the protection debuff, then immediately go into Pillar of Agony.

If enemies are still alive and close after this, you can either use a basic attack to reapply Blight, then use Devour Souls for more damage, or just quickly use Devour without the basic. Save Death From Below to chase escaping enemies or escape as needed.

The Talon Trinket + 2x Healing Potion start is for rushing Bancroft's Talon for aggressive early play.

The alternate start uses Warrior's Blessing, the standard item for Solo-lane use. It is helpful if you're learning the god or need to play a more conservative early game due to unfavorable matchups. Besides a bit of early sustain and damage mitigation, getting Tiny Trinket also allows you to choose whether you want to build into Bancroft's Talon or Pythagorem's Piece.



Shoes of Focus is the typical Shoes option for the mana and CDR. Alternatively, Traveler's Shoes is very helpful for mana sustain, and provides a lot of utility. Due to the higher speed and passive speed boost, it can allow you to choose an alternate starting relic to Teleport Glyph, and gives you higher-than-average MS for chase and escape.

Bancroft's Talon provides early pressure and high sustain, while also working well with his ult. Alternatively, Pythagorem's Piece provides high steady lifesteal, and comes with some health for more defensive function. It translates very well to late-game teamfights. Void Stone offers good stats for the price and % magical protection reduction for your team as long as you stay close to the target; it also applies when you have enemies in your ult.

Damage with defenses. Aggressive early with Bancroft's Talon, while following up with protection items to allow him to be a frontliner. Recommended build for players comfortable with Hades.

When full build, sell shoes for Elixir of Speed and buy another item of your choice.




Less damage with more defenses and utility. You are a true tank and will be able to damage the enemies a bit. Recommended for a more conservative/defensive playstyle.

Breastplate of Valor is helpful for the CDR as the build doesn't contain any earlier CDR, but you can substitute another item for this if preferred.

Divine Ruin is shown as an aggressive anti-heal option. Defensive alternatives include Contagion and Pestilence. If anti-heal isn’t needed, swap for another item as needed.

Sell shoes for Elixir of Speed and buy another item of your choice.

This relic is Core to Hades. Hades only has Death From Below for mobility and this skill can be avoided. Blink lets you instantly be in front of your enemy and hit him with your skills and if he tries to escape you can use your jump, or if things get too hot you also can jump out.

Early Game

Play aggressively when possible. Hades has strong wave clear and insane poke damage early game, so use and abuse it, especially if the enemy walks into the minion wave.

At level 1, hit multiple enemies with your basic attack to apply Blight before using Devour Souls in the middle of the minions for clear function.

Hades is a secret counter to King Arthur because Shroud of Darkness can stop his spins. Strong early damage and sustain means a well-played Hades can snowball an Arthur.


Mid Game

This is the point of the game you are strongest. If you’re equal/ahead, play aggressively when possible to put the enemy on their heels.

Start to rotate and help your team with objectives.


Late Game

Your strength falls off late-game. Your damage isn’t as strong because you usually will fight without minions around the enemy. Since you’ll be at least partially tanky, you’ll turn into more of a secondary tank. You can tank objectives, initiate teamfights to a degree, and force enemy relic use with your ult and Shroud of Darkness.

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