Thanatos Season 4 Joust Build

I have been playing Thanatos for the majority of my time playing Smite. He is one of the most effective joust choices if played properly, and carefully. The proper use of Thanatos is dependent on use of good instincts, and situational awareness.

Standard Build

Thanatos is a strong God in the early game. Before purchasing core items, he has an edge on the majority of enemies that he will face. But, as mid-game looms, he begins to fade until late game. These items help to stabilize his play, and give him an edge even during his weakest moments. Here is the item breakdown:

Warrior Tabi : These are my preferred boots for Thanatos. This build is focused on ability damage, thus the additional attack speed is not consequential.

Jorunn's Wrath : There is little that needs to be said about this item. The penetration, cool down reduction, and physical power collectively have a good impact on his play.

Hydra's Lament : This item has an interesting role in his build. Not only will it allow you to deal more damage after following behind your death scythe, but it allows for the use of your ult to kill most targets when they are at or under 50% health, but not yet in the health threshold. If the sequence of 2,4,3,1 and a basic are used in rapid succession, you will: 1. Have higher penetration and damage 2. Stun & Damage your target 3. Silence them to ensure an escape is not used 4. Damage and slow 5. Hit the final (if even necessary) hit as a basic with 30% increased damage. This quick succession of attacks will ensure a kill at 50% health and lower, and for some gods, even at 65% health (certain mages and assassins).

Hide of the Urchin : As a bruiser assassin, Thanatos needs a decent cushion of health and protections. This piece of armor provides both, and allows for increased acquisition of defenses, no matter how small. This should typically be bought following Hydra's lament.

Titan's Bane : Increased penetration and power, therefore more powerful moves (specifically your death scythe).

Bloodforge : Increased power and life steal increase the power of your abilities, and guarantee a higher percentage heal for all of your hits. The shield is extremely useful after executing your ult on a target either : in a group, in a tower/pheonix, or nowhere near the threshold.

Situational Items

Brawler's Beat Stick : Use this item as a replacement for Titan's bane in the event of having a team with a high healing potential, such as an Aphrodite, Hel, etc.

Pestilence : If you are playing against a team with a healer and are receiving vast quantities of magic damage, pestilence removes the need to successfully use your poke on the healer, while helping to cushion you from the intense magical damage you may be experiencing. You can use this to replace either Titan's Bane or Bloodforge. It would be unwise to remove Hide of the Urchin to replace it with this item, as the combination of the two can be very beneficial.

Shifter's Shield : Use this item in replacement of Titan's Bane if you are experiencing heavy damage from both physical and magic sources. The increased power, and increased defense can be very useful in certain situations.

Shield of Regrowth Shield of Regrowth : While this item does not give defense to a certain type of damage, it does allow for a higher maximum health, more rapid regeneration of health and mana, and a brief, yet swift, increase in speed when you successfully hit with your Death Scythe . You can use this to either: replace Hide of the Urchin if you are not receiving high volumes of damage, or to replace Titan's Bane.

1. Death Scythe: The death scythe is by far the most versatile and useful ability at Thanatos' disposal. A great poke, heal, slow, and ability with high damage potential, your 1 should be maxed out before any other ability.

2. Scent of Death : Do not underestimate Scent of Death. This ability can help to finish off a fleeing enemy when used in tangent with death scythe. The extra penetration and speed towards both an enemy, or in the case of a target at the threshold the 2x speed increase, along with the penetration and damage boost can truly help to ensure that a kill is acquired.

3. Soul Reap : This ability should be your second maxed skill. The silence is a great tool to utilize to stop pesky escapes from your hands.

4: Hovering Death : Needless to say this is Thanatos' signature move. Be careful with its use: when a player sees a Thanatos on the other team, they will acquire the Aegis/Sanctuary relic. When you fly into the heavens to deliver swift death, do not instinctively attack the moment they are in range. Wait for them to use their relic, then murder them relentlessly for daring to interfere with your kill. Max this out before Scent of death....obviously.

In the right hands, Thanatos can truly be unstoppable. His self regeneration, high damage, threshold ultimate, and powerful poke combine to create a very powerful assassin.