The Overarching Arena Guide (S5, Patch 5.12)

Introduction & Hat Tilt (TormentedTurnip)

Recent updates: 2018/7/11: Guide is current as of Patch 5.12, "Cyber Shadow." Baron Samedi added. New "Arena Items" chapter added (per request from Gulfwulf). Revision History 2018/5/22: Guide is current as of Patch 5.9, "Dragon's Fortune." Chernobog added, tier list updated. 2018/3/12: Guide is current as of Patch 5.4, "SMITE Birthday." Achilles added, tier list updated. 2017/12/18: Guide is current as of Patch 5.1, "Season 5." Cerberus added, Tier List updated. 2017/12/18: Guide is current as of Patch 4.24, "FrostFire." Discordia added, Tier List updated. 2017/9/21: Guide is current as of Patch 4.18, "Journey to Asgard." Adjustments to Tier list, and Artio and Hachiman added. 2017/7/24: Guide is current as of Patch 4.13, "Mid-Season." Adjustments to Tier list, and Cu Chulainn added. 2017/6/12: Guide is current as of Patch 4.10, "Trials of King Hercules." New gods added, tier list updated. 2017/4/20: Guide is current as of Patch 4.7, "Pillars of Success." New gods added, tier list updated. 2017/2/10: Guide is current as of Season 4, Patch 4.2, "King of the Kappa." 2016/12/21: Guide is current as of Patch 3.24. Revised Tier List. Made some major aesthetic adjustments. 2016/10/18: Revised Tier List. Feedback/opinions appreciated and considered. 2016/8/15: Revised Tier List. Feedback/opinions appreciated and considered. 2016/6/20: Revised Tier List. Feedback/opinions appreciated and considered. 2016/5/31: Added Susano to the Tier List, and made other minor modifications. 2016/5/6: Added Jing Wei to the Tier List. Overhauled visual presentation for easier reading. 2016/4/8: Some adjustments to the Tier List. People are really twisting my arm!!! Also some additions to other sections, thanks to DeathByDribbling's comment. 2016/4/5: Added further information regarding where and who to fight. Includes sneak attacks from the sides/back, as well as fighting on multiple fronts (thanks to RockerBaby on the main SMITE forums). Other minor revisions. 2016/4/2: Added a Juggernaut Strategies section. Other minor revisions. Gods, I need to stop. 2016/4/1: Advanced starting process and techniques added. CC Immunity bullet point added. Who/When to fight section added. Tier List revised. Other minor revisions. 2016/3/31: Minor revisions and additions, including a list in the Team Composition section of gods with synergistic abilities. 2016/03/30: Completed the rest of the sections! 2016/03/29: Published (unfinished) guide. Completed Intro, Definitions, Minions, Overview, and Team Composition sections. Rather than release only when fully completed, going to continue publishing as I complete the remaining chapters. Comments/feedback appreciated!

• New players familiarizing themselves with gods or general gameplay mechanics of SMITE
  
  
• Regulars looking to improve with or try new gods but dread risking the wrath of jerks in Conquest
  
  
• Regulars looking for a refresher or to possibly learn a helpful tip or two
  
  
• Regulars that enjoy providing feedback, suggestions, and thoughts (thanks!)

• No worrying about the jungle and getting ganked from around a corner
• You don't have to ward or hope that others will ward
• The base is extremely close, so you can go back to base anytime without worrying too much
• You don't need to know rotations for mid-harpies, Gold Fury, Fire Giant, etc.

Minions

• 1 point is deducted for each enemy minion that your team last-hits (minions killing opposing minions deducts 0 tickets)
• 1 point is deducted for each friendly minion that reaches the enemy portal
• Each wave contains 7 minions = 7 tickets
• One wave spawns every 20 seconds = 21 tickets each minute.
• Killing a god deducts 5 tickets from the other team.

• 7 tickets (1 minion wave) > 5 tickets (1 enemy god)...1 minion wave is worth more than a god kill! And it's significantly more difficult (and not guaranteed) to kill an enemy god, while it's practically impossible NOT to kill minions.
  
  
• When you allow a minion wave to hit your portal (up to 7 tickets lost), you lose the opportunity to deduct 7 tickets from the other team...a net loss of up to 14 tickets!!!

Arena Overview

5 vs. 5 deathmatch, 6 jungle buff camps, no lanes All gods (from those you own, plus the standard, free rotation) are available to choose. You start with 1,500 gold at level 3. You gain 10 gold per second throughout the match. Each side starts with 500 tickets. Killing an enemy god deducts 5 tickets. Killing an enemy minion (7 per wave, 1 wave every 20 seconds) deducts 1 ticket each. Friendly minions that reach the enemy portal deduct 1 ticket each. An arena Juggernaut spawns for every 10 team kills. Does not attack, follows the general minion path, and deducts 15 tickets if it reaches the portal.

• Mana Camp: +25 MP5 regen + 10% CDR
• Damage Camp: 20% damage + 10 mag power / 5 phys power
• Basic Attack Camp: 15% Attack Speed + 15 magical basic attack damage / 12 physical attack damage
• Phoenixes: Invulnerable phoenixes & minion spawn locations

Each buff camp spawns a single special minion at the start of the game (time 0). These minions are inactive until they are attacked. When they are killed, they have a 240 second (4 minute) respawn time. The buffs last for 2 minutes.

Typically, mages will get the Mana and/or Damage buffs. ADCs (hunters or Freya) will usually get the Basic Attack buff, but if no ADCs are present, this will go to an assassin or basic-attacking warrior (like Ravana).

Team Composition & Build Effectiveness

• Magical/Physical Balance: Since you can choose your gods, there is no excuse to have an imbalanced team. Having 4 or more magical or physical gods on one team makes it extremely easy for the other team to counter build with protections. (This isn't to say that a 5-guardian team can't be fun, of course!)
  
  
• Class/Role Balance: Each class has something that excels better than other classes...guardians have a lot of CC and can take a lot of damage, mages have a lot of burst, hunters have immense late-game damage, etc. Given that, class diversity can (but not always) make things easier for your team to handle a variety of situations.
  
  
• Burst vs. Sustained Damage: Another aspect of balance, this has to do with how quickly gods deal damage. Burst damage is great for finishing off an injured enemy, but if it's applied to an enemy at full health, it may just allow them to retreat and heal. Sustained damage, though not as immediate, can provide constant health drain, getting enemies to the point where burst damage can complete the job. It's best if you have some of each in your team.
  
  
• Ability Synergies: If you're into strategizing even before the game starts, you might want to consider which gods have abilities that work well in combination (usually ults associated with pulls, traps, and large AOEs. Check out my spoiler at the bottom of this section for a list of gods with these abilities.
  
  
• Arena Isn't Balanced: The developers focus on balancing the game for competitive Conquest. Essentially, this turns some average Conquest gods (e.g. Odin, Ares, Xing Tian) into huge threats, while making other top-tier gods (e.g. Athena) a bit less effective. You can take a look at my Tier List section for further information and ideas, if you want to take advantage of this fact.

• Crowd Control: In a teamfight situation, CC can be a game-changer. Having gods that have hard CC (e.g. freezes) or zoning capabilities (e.g. Odin's Ring of Spears) can allow your team to control the field and single out vulnerable enemies. It can also be used defensively to allow teammates to escape. Soft CC (e.g. slows) is also effective against retreating/chasing enemies.
  
  
• CC Immunity: Somewhat counter to general CC, having an ability that allows you to cancel anticipated CC (such as Ares' No Escape provides a tremendous advantage, especially with the long CD of relics like Purification. Chaac, Ne Zha, Nu Wa and Rama, and Vamana have ults that are often used offensively, but these can be triggered defensively to get out of otherwise deadly CC. Even better, gods like Chang'e and Ravana have regular abilities with lower CD that provide them the same safety.
  
  
• Escapes: Especially for squishy gods, having an escape (e.g. jumps/teleports) is a huge advantage, though it's also important to know WHEN to use it, and to recognize deadly situations and extract yourself before you hit the event horizon.
  
  
• Minion Wave-Clear: As discussed previously, it's important to be able to quickly and efficiently clear the minion wave. Have at least 1 god on the team that can do so, and that knows it's one of their main responsibilities, so that you don't fall behind or get pushed back too easily.

• Unnecessary Stats: Examples include HP5 (healing sustain), lifesteal and mana pools (in some situations). With the base so close, many aspects of sustain are rendered unnecessary. HP5/health regen from items like Stone of Gaia, and even Mail of Renewal are almost useless. Lifesteal is only really important for 1v1 boxing gods with high damage output (e.g. crit-built hunters) to help keep them alive. Some gods can still eat up mana, but mana regen is almost a completely useless stat. Don't EVER get Meditation!
  
  
• Cost Effectiveness: In Conquest, build efficiencies with regard to build order and power spikes are important. In Arena, you also really have to consider the cost of items in a full build, because matches are so short. It's almost absurd to even consider buying Spear of Desolation, and even crit items can be too costly in some cases. Think early about how you plan to build.
  
  
• Stacking Items: It can be really frustrating if you've got a stacking item (e.g. Transcendence) and you've got another teammate screaming at you because THEY need to stack too. Just be careful, so you're not all fighting for the same shared minion wave and getting upset.

Fenrir

Ragnarok

Hun Batz

Fear No Evil

Ability Synergies

GOD	ABILITY	EFFECT / NOTES
Agni	Rain Fire	Moderate single-hit damage. Small circular AOE. Possible stun when combined with Noxious Fumes.
Ah Puch	Empty the Crypts	Low ticking damage. Huge square AOE. Best used with Gem of Isolation for the added CC.
Anubis	Death Gaze	High ticking damage. Long range, narrow line.
Ares	No Escape	Moderate single-hit damage. Medium AOE pull. Ares' signature move, can pull multiple gods into one small area for easy focusing.
Bacchus	Intoxicate	Moderate, single-hit damage. Intoxicate / slow. Medium circular AOE.
Bakasura	Regurgitate	High damage based on basic attacks and build. Converts basic attacks into a cone. Combine with Butcher Blades for maximum potential.
Bellona	Eagle's Rally	Moderate single-hit damage. Increased group protections and physical power buff. Large circular AOE.
Cerberus	Stygian Torment	Low, single-hit damage. Lift and pull. Large circular AOE.
Cernunnos	The Wild Hunt	Low, single-hit damage. 2s Disarm & silence. Medium circular AOE damage.
Chaac	Storm Call	Low single-hit damage. Silence. Large circular AOE.
Cupid	Fields Of Love	Moderate, single hit damage. Slow & cripple, then damage & mesmerize. Large circular AOE.
Da Ji	Paolao	Medium, situational damage to multiple potential targets. Slow & eventual pull w/ stun. Each of 3 shots has small circular AOE.
Ganesha	Dharmic Pillars	Low, situational damage. Slow & protection reduction. Large square AOE.
Geb	Cataclysm	Moderate single-hit damage. Stun. Medium circular AOE.
Hades	Pillar of Agony	High ticking damage. Pull & protection debuff. Small circular AOE. Enemies can escape with jumps/dashes. Best to combine with anything that disrupts movement/action, such as Cupid's Fields Of Love.
Hou Yi	Sunbreaker	High ticking damage. Medium circular AOE. Best when used with abilities that prevent enemies from moving away.
Isis	Circle of Protection	Variable single-hit damage. Healing & damage reduction to allies. Medium circular AOE. Can be detonated early.
Medusa	Petrify	Moderate single-hit damage. Stun or slow. Long range cone AOE.
Odin	Ring of Spears	Containment trap. Healing and attack speed reduction. Medium circular AOE. Enemies can escape with jumps/teleports.
Poseidon	Release The Kraken!	High single-hit damage. Slow + possible stun. Medium circular AOE.
Ra	Searing Pain Solar Blessing	High single-hit damage. Long narrow line. Hard to hit but if enemies are stunned, devastating. Low CD. Low ticking damage. Ticking healing. Small circular AOE. Not an ult, but great in a contained area like Ring of Spears to heal teammates while damaging enemies.
Scylla	I'm a Monster	High single-hit damage. Small circular AOE. Great in a contained area like Ring of Spears, which limits enemy location, allowing for easier hits.
Sobek	Lurking In The Waters	High single-hit damage. Slow. Medium circular AOE.
Sol	Supernova	Moderate ticking damage. Small circular AOE in a moving line. Easier to hit when enemies are contained.
Sylvanus	Wrath of Terra	Low ticking damage. Knock up. Medium circular AOE.
Vulcan	Earthshaker	Medium to high single-hit damage. Medium circular AOE.
Xing Tian	Whirlwind of Rage and Steel	Low ticking damage. Small circular AOE gather, single direction throw. Can be easy to dodge, but great to gather enemies in one place after the throw.
Ymir	Shards of Ice	High single-hit damage. Slow. Medium circular AOE.
Zeus	Lightning Storm	Medium ticking damage. Medium circular AOE. Applies charges, so save Detonate Charge until after charges have been applied.
Zhong Kui	Recall Demons	Medium ticking damage. Large circular AOE.

General Gameplay & Tips

Starting Process & Advanced Starting Tips

Standard Start

1. Buy item(s). Don't forget a relic! (Optionally say hi (VVGH) or whatever to start establishing team comraderie.)
   
   
2. Exit base to the left, and go toward the first jungle camp (Mana Buff). *note* I suggest watching across the arena until the camps spawn, just in case the enemy wants to try to sneak in and disrupt your process.
   
   
3. Clear the first camp. Mana Buff will usually be taken by a mage or guardian, usually one with the best wave-clear. (Sometimes they will then head to the middle of the arena to clear the first minion wave.)
   
   
4. Clear the second camp. Damage Buff will usually be taken by another mage, or any other god that has strong early-game damage potential.
   
   
5. Clear the third camp. Basic Attack Buff will usually be taken by an ADC. If no ADC, it is taken by any other god that uses basic attacks often.
   
   
6. Head to the middle of the arena.

Advanced Start

Here is an advanced starting process, made easier if you're playing in a pre-made team who already understands. In essence, clear the camps in the reverse order.

This provides the following benefits:

• The Mana Buff, which has perhaps the biggest effect in the early game, is picked up last, which means you get slightly more uptime while in the middle of the Arena.
  
  
• You finish close to your base, making it quicker for teammates to run back to base to buy full items if necessary.
  
  
• If you clear more slowly than the enemy team, and the enemy team tries for a quick minion push (or a quick god kill), you're in a better position to defend your portal and yourself.

Advanced Clearing

There is one further technique you can employ in either starting process for faster clearing. Since there is so little time from the start of the match to the spawning of the jungle camps, easiest to execute when in a pre-made group.

1. One person attacks the first target camp and draws the minion toward the middle camp.
   
   
2. Another person attacks the middle camp, and draws them toward the first camp. *note* Both have to stay within range so as not to lose aggro on their respective minions.
   
   
3. Once the two minions are close, any AOE damaging abilities can be used to hit both minions at the same time.

Early Game

The best strategy to help yourself at this point is usually to level up and gain gold by staying near and/or helping to clear the minion waves.

The best strategy to prevent the enemy from doing the same is to poke with any long range attacks and force them to go back to base early.

Consider your god's strengths and weaknesses. Don't jump into the middle of the enemy team if you're a squishy assassin. Consider focusing an aggressive squishy god if you're a tank with good CC abilities.

Go back to base to heal up (better than giving the enemy 5 free tickets with your death) or when you have enough gold to buy full items.

Mid-Game

As you and the enemy level up, differences in builds become more apparent. Tanks build protections and can soak up more damage, making them less appealing targets. Damage dealers will usually inflict - and TAKE - more damage.

The main things you should focus on are:

1. Teamwork: In most cases, the team that sticks together and focuses on the same targets, synchronizes ults, etc., will be victorious. This does not necessarily include powerful 1 v 1 gods (like Loki) that can spot a lone enemy.
   
   
2. Map Awareness: Even with the small arena map, don't forget to check the mini map often. It can help you watch the jungle camp respawn timers, spot separated enemies, warn you of enemy minions nearing your portal, etc.
   
   
3. Jungle Camp Respawns: This goes along with Map Awareness above, but deserves special mention. The buffs, throughout the game, give a significant advantage, especially with regard to the Damage and Basic Attack buffs. If you're going for a buff, make sure you're aware of enemy locations, and don't leave your team if they're initiating a team fight or getting pushed back. You can also ping the map to remind your team and possibly get support. Also, look for opportune moments to steal buffs close to the enemy base (e.g. Basic Attack buff on the left side).
   
   
4. Juggernauts: Juggernauts are special minions that have multiple times the health of standard minions. They are also worth 15 tickets if they reach a portal. Within reason, you want to escort your Juggernaut to the enemy portal. Whenever an enemy Juggernaut spawns, you want to make sure you focus it down. This needs to be your priority over chasing down a retreating enemy. More in the specific section on Juggernaut Strategies below!

Late-Game

As the ticket counter gets close to zero, you can easily tell if one team has the upper hand. At this point, every god kill becomes more critical.


If You're Ahead:

Focus on pushing the minion wave. Stay together as a team and focus (even call out) targets to secure kills quickly.

If You're Behind:

You may need to play defensively. Your priorities should be clearing the minion wave and not dying. You may need to consider turtling to get your team on more even footing (at 10 tickets or less). This, however, requires ALL of your team to play safe and not die. Spam "Retreat!" (VRR) or "Be Careful!" (VCC) if necessary to remind your teammates.

Once you're on more even footing (both with 10 or less tickets), it's pretty much a coin toss...try to synchronize with your team to get 2 quick kills to end the game.

Initiating A Teamfight

So your team has cleared the camps, and both sides are pretty much picking their noses in the middle of the arena, throwing an occasional booger nuke at the minion waves. Pretty sure you don't want to do that for the next 20+ minutes, so let's talk about initiating a fight. How should this be done properly?

• Tanky: If you're going to initiate, make sure you can take a little heat. The best initiators are often guardians or warriors, as they're inherently tanky.
  
  
• Appropriate CC Abilities (Blink optional): Just having a strong CC ability isn't enough to initiate effectively. Abilities such as Freya's Banish may prevent the enemy from retreating, but also prevents your team from damaging them. The best initiators have abilities that help them to target and/or lock down specific enemies, such as stuns, knock-ups, roots, etc. This includes freezes like Ymir's Frost Breath, Odin's Lunge / Ring of Spears, Ares' No Escape, etc. The relic Blink is an extremely helpful initiation tool for select gods.
  
  
• Timing & Support: If you're Ymir, you're probably not going to be very effective if you blink way ahead of your team to use your Frost Breath. You may find that simple initiation (a.k.a. run toward the enemy target) may allow you to keep your team close, and aggressive players may take your challenge without thinking things through. Teammate and enemy locations are also key...don't initiate if 2 of your teammates have gone back to base, but take advantage if some of the enemy team has done just that.

Where Should You Fight?

*Note* This section has heavy influence and info from Turnip's guide, as he brings up some great points.

Fighting In The Center

The center of the arena is where minion waves usually meet, and is equally accessible to both teams. It's by far the most common battle location.

It's best to make sure the minion waves are always cleared, while you constantly apply a bit of pressure by locating yourself just north of center. With the enemy being closer to their base, it may encourage the enemy to make just a "quick trip back" to buy items or replenish health/mana. Watch for when the enemy team is weaker in numbers (e.g. 5 v 4 or 5 v 3), as this gives you an opportunity for an easy kill or two, as well as help push the minion wave toward the enemy portal.

When this happens, you have two basic options:

1. Offensive: Apply high pressure to the enemy team, and attempt to prevent them from clearing the minion wave. Best when the enemy team is down a couple of gods from a recent teamfight, and when their team lacks easy waveclear abilities. Try to attack any enemies that are emerging from their base, so it's tempting for them to step back and heal, buying you a couple of precious seconds. Since their attention will probably be on the minion wave, it can be a bit less dangerous for you. Just make sure you have enough health and mana. With 1/2 health or less, you inevitably become a flashing neon target for enemies, and if you're out of mana, the only pressure you can apply is your presence, which isn't enough.
   
   
2. Defensive: Retreat as a team so you don't lose any points you just gained during the push/teamfight. If there are any remaining enemy gods that have strong waveclear, it's probably best to back off, as the possibility of pushing the minion wave to the portal is low. Also, remember that the farther you are from your base, the longer it takes to replenish health or get reinforcements, and the quicker the enemy team can regroup. Pay special attention to your teammates, as they may or may not let you know if they're going back to base.

For all of the reasons stated above, try not to allow your team to get in the reverse situation. Any enemy minions passing the center should be priority targets. Although aggressive (reckless) enemies may be baited into attempting to secure a god kill nearer your base (possibly exposing them to the stationary turrets), the location will not allow your team to effectively push a minion wave in case you do win a teamfight.

Fighting On The Sides

Another fight location is on the sides near the jungle camps. These fights commonly occur when gods go after the buffs, especially solo. The other team may spot the enemy and commit to an attack based on numbers, 1 v 1 potential, etc. Make sure, if you do fight on the sides, that your team doesn't forget the minion waves. If you have strong waveclear, you can simultaneously push the minion wave and hopefully win a teamfight.

Fighting On Multiple Fronts

There will almost always be a threat of attack from the middle. However, depending on the match, you may find it beneficial to pressure and poke from the sides as well. Although this can be dangerous (you'll be more isolated if you're alone on the side), this can provide multiple opportunities:

• If you can constantly harass a nuker from the side, they may be afraid enough to start throwing their AOE bombs in your direction, easing pressure and damage down the middle for your tanks and other teammates.
  
  
• Sometimes an enemy will think they spot an easy kill, and split themselves off from the main body to chase you. At this point, it's probably best to retreat to the side, and if you are confident in your 1 v 1, challenge them when threat from another enemy is lessened. Even better, you might be able to pull 2 enemies, giving the rest of your team a possible 4 v 3 opportunity!
  
  
• Some examples of gods that can excel at this strategy: Amaterasu, Ao Kuang, Apollo, Arachne, Awilix, Bakasura, Bastet, Chiron, Cupid, Fenrir, Loki, Mercury, Nemesis, Ratatoskr, Serqet, Sun Wukong, Vamana

Who Should You Fight, and When?

Who Should You Fight?

Now, all of the above is good to consider, but it's also important to recognize the best target in each situation, not only for the initiator, but for everyone. Let's discuss.

• Sometimes it's the tank/initiator: Although the enemy Athena might be the closest to your team, she's not necessarily the best god to focus. However, in the early game, most guardians/warriors will have very limited protection. Most choose mobility first, as items like Shoes of Focus and Ninja Tabi can be bought in full. Even if they choose a protection item first, it's not going to be very high, and often will be of only one type (e.g. building toward Breastplate of Valor or Bulwark of Hope). This means they are still vulnerable. So watch if they extend themselves too much trying to initiate. They may expose themselves TOO much, providing your team with a safe kill when your whole team focuses.
  
  
• Usually it's the squishy ones: Consider enemy gods' abilities and situations. The best targets are often those with low health/protections. Other good targets are those with limited escapes/mobility, or those that have just used their escape abilities and are still close enough. Even better if they're the highest damage-dealer on their team...if you can burst them down, that's a lot of damage you're saving your team from taking.
  
  
• But sometimes it's NOT the squishy one: Perhaps the player is naturally conservative. Maybe they're scared because they ran into YOU and got destroyed. Depending on your god and their abilities, you can mess with their head by seeming to target them, keeping them way back and preventing them from effectively participating in teamfights. Although they are not good targets in this case (harder to get to them as they're playing defensively), it makes the rest of their team more vulnerable. Try disappearing a lot if you're Loki, or threatening invasion from the side, but keep in mind that may also keep you further from your own team.
  
  
• Sneak Attacks: With action going on all over the place, but with eyes mostly forward, sometimes you'll find that the enemy team's awareness is lacking. Certain gods have abilities that can allow them to get to the side, or even behind the enemy lines easily. If you're lucky, you might score a kill, but even if not, you hopefully can do enough damage to take at least one enemy out of an upcoming teamfight. However, it's also important to have the ability to get OUT, since the entire enemy team might turn around and target you while you're by your lonesome. As such, mobility is a must. If you can accomplish this and get in the enemy's head, it may put them on the defensive, always looking behind them, and allowing you to put more pressure on them.

Reverse Psychology (make sure it's not you): Of course, all of this works in reverse.

• If you're a squishy god, make sure you're aware of your position in relation to your team. Don't isolate yourself too much unless you are confident in your mobility and escape abilities.
  
  
• It's usually safest for squishy gods to stay somewhat grouped and close to tanks (but not bunched, as that allows the enemy team to focus multiple targets more easily).
  
  
• Be aware of the enemies' initiation capabilities. You may feel safe sitting a bit behind your tanks, but if that Tyr's Blink is up, you may suddenly find yourself rapidly approaching the enemy team, and not of your own volition.

When Should You Fight?

Yet another aspect of awareness that comes with experience is recognizing an advantage and spotting potentially dangerous situations.

• Numbers Advantage or Equal Footing Teamfight: This one is fairly obvious. If all 5 gods on both teams are present and healthy, well, we already went over nose-picking. Someone's going to initiate, and a fight's going to happen. That's okay. But if you can make one of the enemy team back off from damage or threat, or the enemy initiator extends too far, recognize this and commit. You have an even stronger advantage the closer you are to the enemy base when pushing minions or the Juggernaut, as they'll have to focus some of their attention on the wave.
  
  
• 1 v 1: Recognizing advantage definitely takes experience. You'll generally know if you have a good chance of beating the enemy one on one. Some obvious gods with this general advantage include many assassins, as well as late-game hunters. Don't try this as a tank.
  
  
• Retreating: Understand that there is nothing holding you to committing to a fight. You have no real objectives to lose, as long as the minion waves and Juggernaut are covered. If you can recognize that your team is in a bad spot, sound the retreat and back off to heal up and regroup. It's better than losing multiple tickets. Remember to use any zoning tools to help your team, if you have them, rather than leaving them in the dust.

Juggernaut Strategies

It should be obvious and essential that anytime a Juggernaut spawns, the opposing team makes it a priority target. If you notice that it has spawned, make sure your entire team is aware...use chat, ping the minimap, whatever you need to do.

Before we get into further discussion, here are some basic movement mechanics about the Juggernaut:

1. With no gods around, the Juggernaut will walk toward the enemy portal. Minions will not slow it down. It also doesn't attack.
   
   
2. If one or more enemy gods are close, the Juggernaut will stop.
   
   
3. HOWEVER, if even ONE friendly god is close to the Juggernaut, it will keep walking, regardless of the number of enemy gods.
   
   
4. The only way to stop the Juggernaut in this case is to body-block it.

This creates some interesting situations and can reward an aggressive team. Let's go over all 4 situations with general suggestions.

On the Offensive

Push It, Push It Some More (click me)

If you recognize an opportunity to push the Juggernaut, there are multiple ways in which you can attempt to get the Juggernaut to the enemy's portal. The best situation is obviously if you greatly outnumber the enemy (e.g. recent teamfight just got 2+ of their team killed, and they're limping back to base). Support the Juggernaut and put high pressure on the enemy with your superior numbers. Another obvious situation would be to just go all out, possibly 5 on 5, and use every ability at your team's disposal (e.g. zoning) in hopes of success. However, there are also some distractions and feints you can make that might be just enough to complete your mission. Enforce a 5 v 5 fight far away from their portal. If they don't notice the Juggernaut is out, it may be too late by the time the fight is over. Have the tankiest player follow the Juggernaut, while the other members burst enemies down or bait them into going after an easy, isolated target. The goal here is to keep as many enemies away from your tank so he can survive long enough to push it through. In essence, even if one or two teammates die but the Juggernaut makes it in, you've come out with a net positive result, so sacrificing a tank is worth it. Just make sure it counts.

Don't Push (click me)

When wouldn't you push the Juggernaut? Team is scattered Some teammates are dead 2 or more gods have low health In these cases, use the Juggernaut as a distraction to your advantage. Back to base to buy/heal Clear jungle camps Hunt for a gank on an isolated target

Back on Defense

Here They Come (click me)

Anytime the Juggernaut is moving, you should focus your attacks on it. If the Juggernaut stops (teammate close, enemy not), you can switch targets if necessary to push the enemy back, but at least one teammate (hopefully with high DPS) needs to stay near and continue attacking it. Damaging abilities should be prioritized for the Juggernaut. You need to take it down as quickly as possible. Save CC abilities for when (if) the Juggernaut enters the critical zone (right in front of the portal). At this point, the enemy team will likely taste blood and go all-in. You'll need the CC to hold them off at that point. Remember, if the Juggernaut is going to reach your portal, sometimes, sacrifices can be glorious. 5 or 10 tickets (1 or 2 god deaths) is better than 15.

Relax (click me)

In a case where the enemy team isn't pushing, you should only need one god to stay close and finish the Juggernaut, though more will do it quicker. Any other teammates not attacking are free to counter whatever the enemy team might be doing.

Random Tips

Use Walls & Pillars

There are 8 pillars in the center areas of the arena, and 3 sets of walls on each side. They block all basic attacks and abilities that don't go through walls, so should be used strategically. This can help you minimize damage, and can also help you gain advantageous positioning.

Some Abilities Go Through Walls

Don't forget that some abilities can go through walls. They can be as simple as a nuke (e.g. Agni's Rain Fire), but also include some leaps/escapes, such as Bastet's Pounce and Odin's Lunge. Only leaps with ground targeting can pass through walls, though, so Neith's Back Flip is out.

You can even jump over your base's wall if you're being chased!

Minions Gain Some Buffs

Minions accept heals and speed boosts. For example, Hel's Repulse / Inspire provides both, so you can use this to help push a minion wave.

However, if you're NOT currently pushing the minion wave, it's best NOT to heal them or taunt them away from your minions. When you kill the enemy wave, your minions move on, and are easy, non-contested kills when you're not accompanying them. Remember, minions killed by other minions deduct no tickets, and enemies not close to the minion wave don't get the XP/gold.

Use Minions Defensively

Minions can be used to block some forms of damage. Especially in the early game, stand behind them to prevent getting hit by enemy basic attacks.

If you're on the sides, understand that the jungle camp minions attack upon taking damage, not proximity. If you're being chased and the minions are up, you can run through them, preventing some attacks while also siccing them on your enemy for a minor distraction.

Arena Items & Example Builds

Relic Dagger

Blink Rune

Key Magical Offense Items

These items are focused on pure offense.

Bancroft's Talon (Lifesteal): The all-around best offensive lifesteal item for this mode. High power and lifesteal for a good price, especially as you get more damaged. Chronos' Pendant (High Ability Use): This item has the highest CDR of any magical item by far. Key item for mages looking to spam their abilities. Divine Ruin (Anti-Heal): Reasonable price pairs well with decent power, good flat penetration, and a passive that strongly counters enemy healers. Consider when facing gods like Hercules, Aphrodite, Hel, etc. Rod of Tahuti (High Power): In a teamfight, you should be able to put damage on enemy gods with < 50% health. You'll see a significant power spike in those situations. Only build late-game. Soul Reaver (Situational Burst): Consider as an alternative of sorts to Rod of Tahuti. Another pure offense item, every 40 seconds you deal an extra burst of true damage to your target, which can help burst them down to nothing. Passive isn't very reliable if you're constantly hitting enemy gods, though. Spear of Desolation (Jack-Of-All-Magical-Items): power, CDR, and penetration. The passive should see lots of procs, since it activates on kills AND assists. Spear of the Magus (Protection Reduction): This is an AMAZING item for gods that have ticking or DoT abilities. The protection reduction it applies helps ALL magical teammates deal more damage to your target. Extremely useful for gods such as Freya and Anubis, and can see good effect with Poseidon, Baron Samedi, and Ah Puch, to name a few.

Key Magical Bruiser / Utility Items

Mages looking for some utility / protections, or aggressive Guardians can utilize some of these items that provide both offense AND defense or unique utility.

Ethereal Staff (Damage & Survival): Good power and a passive that provides some burst combine with health and CC reduction to provide a unique set of stats. Gem of Isolation (Added CC): Good power, health, and some CC reduction are bonuses to the specific reason you get this item; it gives all of your damaging abilities a slowing effect on the enemy. Very useful to control enemy movement and help secure kills or create space to retreat. Pythagorem's Piece (Lifesteal / Power AURA): This is definitely an offensively-focused item, but with a teamfight utility focus. Best if your team is good at sticking together with good teamwork. Relic Dagger (High Blink Use): Specifically good for gods that rely a lot on Blink Rune for setup. Consider for Ares, Cerberus, Geb, Sylvanus, Xing Tian, and Ymir in particular. Soul Gem (Lifesteal / Healing Utility): a large combination of stats combine with a passive that situationally heals nearby teammates. Stone of Binding (Early Aggression): This is a great early bridge item for aggressive Guardians with ANY CC in their kits (also great for Ah Puch!). If your team is good at sticking together, they can benefit from a very strong early 15 penetration boost. Void Stone (Protection Reduction AURA): Great for Guardians that can deal a decent amount of damage. The protection reduction it applies helps ALL magical teammates deal more damage to enemies near you. Key item for Ares.

Key Physical Offense Items

These items are focused on pure offense and are typically used most for pure damage dealers.

Bloodforge (Survival After Kill): High power and some lifesteal are great, but you'll get this (late game, typically, due to the price) for the passive health shield you gain upon getting a kill. In a teamfight mode, diving to get a kill likely means other enemies will be on you quickly, so the added health can keep you alive. Brawler's Beat Stick (Anti-Heal): Has solid anti-heal effect when facing lots of enemy healers. You'll find more function if you've got AOE abilities that can affect multiple gods at once. The high power and good flat pen enhance all damage you deal. Hydra's Lament (Attack Canceling): The bonus damage you get from hitting basic attacks immediately after ability use provide a great source of burst. This is a key item for gods such as Loki and Awilix. Jotunn's Wrath (CDR): This is the pure ability user's key item for ability spamming. Has the highest CDR of all physical items, and also provides good power and flat pen. Qin's Sais (Basic Attack DPS): Very strong basic attack DPS boost for Hunters and Assassins that rely on basics for their main damage output. Considerably better effect for gods with quick attack progressions (such as Arachne and Kali), and can even be considered for bruiser Warriors with said quick attack progressions (such as Amaterasu and Erlang Shen). The Crusher (Hybrid Damage): Power and pen similar to Brawler's combines with attack speed to benefit gods that rely at least partially on basic attacks. The passive provides bonus damage for abilities. Transcendence (High Power / Stacking): A controversial item for short modes like Arena, you may struggle if you have to fight for minion stacks. That said, the high power it provides at full stacks is surpassed by no other item, and the added CDR is great for ability use. Huge mana means you never have to worry about running out. Strongly consider pairing with Jotunn's Wrath or Soul Eater.

Key Physical Bruiser / Utility Items

Tanky Mages or aggressive Guardians can utilize some of these items that provide both offense AND defense.

Ancile (Anti-Magical / Silence): Helpful against magical enemies, and provides both power and CDR for offense. At low health, a local silence can give you time to escape or finish off an enemy. Frostbound Hammer (Basic Attack CC): Not the strongest item overall, but the slow that is applied on basic attacks can help lock down enemies to allow your teammates to help secure kills. Masamune (Teamfight Hybrid Mobility): Power and increased move speed are constant stats. In a teamfight with multiple close enemies, provides increasing balanced protections to help with survival. Stone Cutting Sword (Anti-Physical / Mobility): Specifically for basic attackers, the stacking protections can be very helpful against a team with higher physical threat. Those protections are leeched from the enemy, meaning they lose protections, allowing you to deal more damage, especially with the high power this item provides. Added movespeed round out the stats. Void Shield (Anti-Physical / Protection Reduction AURA): This item is a perfect bruiser item, providing physical protection and some power. The protection reduction aura is the reason you pick this up though, as it helps ALL physical teammates deal more damage to nearby enemies.

Key Universal Defense / Counter Items

These items are typically most helpful for Guardians committing to being a full tank, and for specifically countering enemy gods.

Breastplate of Valor (Anti-Physical / High CDR): Helpful against physical damage, and provides the highest base CDR of all protection items. A healthy mana pool allows you to spam abilities without running out too quickly. Gauntlet of Thebes (High Balanced Protections / AURA): Best built in Arena AFTER getting some base protections, since it requires assist stacking to provide full protections. Great overall survival item, and provides a small aura of protections to nearby teammates once evolved. Genji's Guard (Anti-Magical / High CDR): Helpful against magical damage, and provides good base CDR and a passive that gives you situationally higher CDR for abilities currently on CD. Has such high MP5 that it actually can be helpful in Arena. Heartward Amulet (Anti-Magical AURA): Helpful against magical damage, and provides magical protection to nearby teammates. Best to pick up when there are higher magical threats than physical. Hide of the Nemean Lion (Counter - Anti-Crit Basic Attack): Enemies that attack you with basics have some damage reflected back on them. Best when facing critical damage builds, and great if you can get the enemy to HAVE to focus you (e.g. Athena's Confound). Mantle of Discord (Balanced Protections + CDR): High balanced protections and CDR provide great stats for ability-reliant tanks (or the mage that needs a single protection item). The passive is great for tanks that dive deep into a teamfight, as the sistuational stun can really disrupt the enemy's flow. Midgardian Mail (Counter - Anti-Basic Attack): Good against physical damage, and particularly against basic attacks. Enemies attacking you find their attack speed and movement are slowed. Pestilence (Counter - Anti-Heal AURA): Great against magical damage, and specifically useful against enemy healing of all types. Sovereignty (Anti-Physical AURA): Helpful against physical damage, and provides physical protection to nearby teammates. Best to pick up when there are higher physical threats than magical. Spirit Robe (Anti-CC / Damage Mitigation): Decent balanced protections and CDR round out the stats for this item, which is most useful against lots of enemy CC. When you're hit with hard CC, mitigates a decent portion of incoming damage for a short time, to help you survive burst damage. Witchblade (Counter - Anti-Basic Attack AURA): Among other stats, provides an aura that slows the basic attacks of all nearby enemies.

Example Magical God Builds

God & Build Type .......Build ..................Comments

Bruiser / Utility Shoes of Focus Stone of Binding Chronos' Pendant Gem of Isolation Spear of the Magus Rod of Tahuti Solid CC in his kit allows him to get great use out of Stone of Binding. Ticking damage from Fleeting Breath and Empty the Crypts provides an extremely long duration slow from Gem of Isolation, and get good utility to stack Spear of the Magus. Finish up with Rod of Tahuti or whatever other situational item you prefer.

Pure Tank Reinforced Shoes Breastplate of Valor Pestilence Gauntlet of Thebes Midgardian Mail Witchblade This is a pure tank build, focusing on protections, health, CDR, and some late basic attack counter items. In Arena, Athena definitely wants CDR, so she can use her Confound as much as possible; it's an incredibly powerful CC ability that can help set up and secure kills for your team, as well as peel enemies off retreating teammates. Since she'll be directing damage at herself every time she uses it, forcing enemies to slow down with Midgardian Mail is also very helpful.

Bruiser / Initiator Shoes of the Magi Void Stone Gauntlet of Thebes Relic Dagger Sovereignty Pythagorem's Piece In all honesty, almost all AURA items are extremely useful to him, and I feel they're strong overall in this mode. The 2 key items in this build are Void Stone (for the protection reduction) and Relic Dagger for more Blink Rune-initiated ults. Consider Pestilence if facing lots of enemy healing. If you can afford it late-game, consider replacing your Shoes with Witchblade.

High Utility Shoes of the Magi Chronos' Pendant Lotus Crown Gem of Isolation Divine Ruin Mantle of Discord This is a build centered on her AOE abilities for both healing and damage. Crescent Moon Dance and Moonflower Dance can affect multiple targets at once, making Gem of Isolation's slowing effect easy to apply. Lotus Crown gives a nice protection bonus to teammates that you heal. If facing a tanky enemy team, you can consider Void Stone or Obsidian Shard in place of Divine Ruin (as she already has some anti-heal in her kit). Consider Rod of Tahuti instead of Mantle of Discord if you're confident in your use of Moonlit Waltz and want more damage and healing.

CC Spam Shoes of Focus Breastplate of Valor Void Stone Gauntlet of Thebes Ethereal Staff Mantle of Discord ***bha can deal a surprising amount of damage for a tanky god, so Void Stone is picked up for that purpose. The rest of the build combines protections and lots of early CDR to spam those CC abilities to help set up kills for your teammates. The last 2 items are situational or per your preference.

Pure Damage Shoes of the Magi Chronos' Pendant Spear of Desolation Divine Ruin Gem of Isolation Obsidian Shard Zeus is a prototypical glass cannon mage, built best for high damage. In Arena, he wants to be able to use his abilities a lot, so by 3rd item he has 30% CDR. You can get the remaining 10% from the blue mana buff or a Potion of Magical Might. Because he can hit multiple gods easily with his Chain Lightning and Lightning Storm, increased slow via Gem of Isolation is extremely functional. If the enemy team is mostly squishy, replace Obsidian Shard with Rod of Tahuti.

Example Physical God Builds

God & Build Type .......Build ..................Comments

Qin's Bruiser Hunter's Blessing Ninja Tabi The Crusher Qin's Sais Hide of the Urchin The Executioner Mantle of Discord Perhaps a somewhat funky build, it concentrates on early attack speed, with the help of the cheap starter Hunter's Blessing, to set up and support the great damage she gets from Qin's Sais. However, she has to be up close to deal said damage, so protections and health from Urchin followed by Mantle greatly increase her survivability. The 6th slot is situational, and you can consider alternate options like Hastened Katana if you want to stick to your targets when Web is on CD, or Magi's Cloak if you're getting interrupted a lot by CC. Stone Cutting Sword is a strong item when facing more physical gods.

Ability Burst Warrior Tabi The Crusher Jotunn's Wrath Hydra's Lament Heartseeker Brawler's Beat Stick As opposed to the basic attack-focused build above, this one looks to gain control via Cocoon, with burst damage from Venomous Bite. CDR, power, and pen become the key stats. Since you won't be sticking around as long to attack an individual enemy, you can take more risk by not getting any protections. The healing you'll get from Venomous Bite will sustain you, and your ult will be up more often as an escape, if needed.

Ult Bot Tank Reinforced Greaves Breastplate of Valor Relic Dagger Spirit Robe Bulwark of Hope Void Shield This build looks to maximize CDR ASAP for lots of ults (and Bird Bombs!). Allows him to also use Gungnir's Might, which easily applies a slow to enemies hit. Relic Dagger is picked up as early as possible to pair with a 1st relic choice of Blink Rune, to help you set up ults as optimally as possible. Warrior Tabi can be considered for early offensive upside. Mantle of Discord, Genji's Guard, or Ancile can be substituted for Spirit Robe. Last 2 items are per user preference.

Bruiser Warrior Tabi Jotunn's Wrath Void Shield Ancile Brawler's Beat Stick Mantle of Discord Jotunn's Wrath is probably a situational item, but if you can get away with diving into a fight, it'll help your ability use. That ult is also extremely helpful in a teamfight as a disruption tactic. Void Shield pairs well with the protection reduction from Flurry, and Ancile is great since you'll be in close to enemies. The last 2 items are per user preference.

Mage Hunter Ninja Tabi Transcendence Soul Eater The Executioner Qin's Sais Jotunn's Wrath Hybrid build with high power and decent attack speed for both high ability use and damaging basics.

Pure Damage Warrior Tabi Jotunn's Wrath Hydra's Lament Bloodforge Titan's Bane The Crusher Pure damage build that can be used on other ability-based Assassins. Get the most out of your burst potential by weaving basics in-between ability use for the Hydra's Lament proc. When facing a mostly squishy enemy team, consider replacing Titan's Bane with an item like Heartseeker. Or turn him into more of a bruiser by picking up Hide of the Urchin earlier, or Mantle of Discord whenever you need it.

Personal Tier List (PERSONAL, I SAID!)

1. 3 categories for each class: Overpowered (S-Tier), Balanced (A-Tier), and Underpowered (B-Tier). True effectiveness depends on player/teammate/enemy skill, team compositions, teamwork, etc. Some gods in S-Tier might actually be hard-countered by gods in B-Tier, etc.
   
   
2. There are obvious synergies between some gods that increases their effectiveness, but I can't cover each variation, and there are no guarantees on what gods your teammates choose (or how well they play). As such, all gods are considered on their own merit only.
   
   
3. Abilities with mobility/escapes, CC, AOE, and zoning capabilities push gods toward S-Tier. Gods with a lack of these push them toward B-Tier. Healing and sustain in Arena is slightly less important than in other modes, where you either can't go back to base (Assault) or going back to base and returning is a time-consuming process (Conquest/Siege).

Thanatos

Loki

Assassins

Most assassins have single target burst-focus and low teamfight potential, but almost all have great mobility. This sort of balances things out. Players using these gods need to use their skills effectively and recognize situations to do well.

Overpowered (S-Tier):

Bastet: High and easy to confirm damage output, AOE bleed, and extremely functional initiation AND escape rolled into one.

Fenrir: Good mobility, and good single-target damage even when built tanky. His ult can easily secure a kill while keeping him relatively safe. Often forces enemies to pick up Purification Beads, and CC immunity abilities don't help if you're caught.

Kali: Although she has mainly single-target focus, she can jump from target to target with her buffed health regen via her passive, and stay in a fight a long time when her ult is up. Deadly when played well, and one of the best candidates to give you a penta-kill.

Thor: Extremely high mobility with an ult that helps secure kills, and his Tectonic Rift is a huge stun and zoning tool. Can be built a bit tanky and still do good damage.

Balanced (A-Tier):

Arachne: Strong mid to late-game presence. Has a long duration slow w/ annoying little minions which also gives her a move speed buff for chase potential, a possible stun, and a great ult for escape or kill-securing.

Awilix: Great mobility and a nice pull, but difficult to play well.

Bakasura: Recent CD decrease to his ult emphasizes his ult-bot presence. Good mobility/escape, high single-target damage, and a buffed/revised Hastened Katana (with similar nerf with Fatalis no longer available to hunters) give him a lot of viability. Still has to play it safe and pick his targets wisely, but can be very effective.

Camazotz: Good damage output, but doesn't quite have a true escape. Can be built tanky and still be effective, and his abilities trigger his healing, so can have some teamfight function.

Da Ji: She seems like she should have OP potential, but her ult is just so difficult to hit consistently. Also has good potential teamfight damage output via her One Thousand Cuts, but an escape that is slightly situational (hope you've got a nearby teammate!).

Hun Batz: Nothing really standout here. Decent mobility and a large AOE zoning ult are nice.

Loki: You know I love him. That said, he has almost zero teamfight potential, and his only true escape is his ult. Deadly when played well, but easy to play poorly. Getting 12 kills isn't so great if you're also dying 10 times.

Mercury: Great mobility but no leap to escape. High damage output, but can be difficult to play him well.

Ne Zha: Damage output is good, but she has no true escape. Ult can finish enemies, but you know exactly where she's going to land. Can definitely be played well, and can very easily secure kills.

Ratatoskr: Although he's been recently buffed (and then nerfed), he's still not a teamfighter, and his CC abilities are perhaps a bit less effective in these situations. His dash now stops at the first god hit, decreasing his mobility. May be considered S-Tier depending on matchups.

Serqet: Just got a buff, and has extremely high single-target damage output, combined with amazing mobility. That said, she has almost no teamfight presence. S-Tier against weak enemies that allow themselves to get caught away from their teammates often.

Susano: Has a good early game overall, but a lot of nerfs have dropped him from OP status. His mobility allows him to secure kills on retreating enemies and get out alive.

Thanatos: Great ult to secure kills, but no true teamfight presence, and no other escape besides his ult. Deadly in the right hands, but timing on his abilities is key to his effectiveness.

Underpowered (B-Tier):

Surprised? No underpowered Assassins, really? I believe Assassins are in a pretty balanced state right now, and they can all have very good function in Arena. That said, you probably shouldn't have more than 1 on a team, and both team balance and skill will come into play.

Guardians

Guardians have great CC and are tanky, so can play the role of both initiator and main tank. However, they lack mobility, and they require good teammates to ensure their abilities are effective.

Overpowered (S-Tier):

Ares: High damage potential, effective teamfight defense aura (enhanced with aura items too), and an ult that forces the enemy team to pick up Purification. This is his stomping ground.

Bacchus: Wino. Great AOE abilities combined with high damage. Also, his Belch of the Gods no longer shakes teammates' screens. That said, he's more suited to be a secondary tank than primary.

Cerberus: He's got a great teamfight ult similar to Ares. He otherwise has little in the way of hard CC (his spit needs to be fully charged and can be difficult to connect all 4), but his nice cone AOE slow and magical protection reduction is a great team support ability.

Fafnir: He has a stun, a disarm, and some decent damage, especially in dragon form. S-Tier with basic-attackers on his team (attack speed buff skill Coerce) and basic attackers on the enemy team (disarm via Underhanded Tactics). The transformation resets his cooldowns, which means he can throw twice the abilities in a matter of seconds.

Kumbhakarna: His CC is amazing, and his ult can help isolate an enemy. Decent damage output, even when built tanky. Underrated for teamfight modes.

Balanced (A-Tier):

Artio: A series of nerfs has brought her down to Earth. She has a lot of utility in her kit, which can make her borderline S-Tier, but the lack of an ult means she has to make the rest of her abilities count that much more.

Athena: The mobility provided by her ult isn't that effective in Arena. Still has a great AOE pull, which, by itself, keeps her in A-Tier, perhaps borderline S. Sometimes, Athena IS needed.

Ganesha: He has a lot of team-wide function (both offensive and defensive). Borderline S-Tier due to his extremely effective teamfight ult and ease with which he can apply silence.

Khepri: He has a strong pull, strong stun, annoying moving AOE DoT, and a lifesaving ult. Unfortunately, he has extremely low damage, so requires teammate awareness to take advantage of his CC abilities.

Kuzenbo: He's got some good teamfight potential, especially with his damage reflect and god-stacking Tyr push. His recent buffs help his game, especially with the significantly more mobile push.

Terra: Has multiple ways she can be effective in a teamfight, including some great AOE CC and a team-wide ult that gives some amazing benefits.

Xing Tian: His ult is great for Arena, but can be difficult to confirm a grab, even when combined with a timely Blink. The rest of his kit is so-so.

Ymir: Potentially high damage output and a great freeze, but lacks mobility and his wall is less effective in the wide-open Arena. Functions a bit better with some damage items, rather than going full tank.

Underpowered (B-Tier):

Cabrakan: Good damage output and a bit of mobility, but he's less effective in the wide-open Arena.

Geb: That shield is so nice. However, he has very low damage output and his abilities lack effective CC. At least he has some mobility. As SpectralTangent likes to say, it's still rock and roll to me!

Sobek: Great initiating pull (if he connects), but mediocre damage output and limited mobility. Almost never see a very effective Sobek in Arena, which is one of the reasons I consider him underpowered. If you can take advantage of his strong early game, he can work out well if your team works together.

Sylvanus: Horrible mobility and one of his abilities is practically useless in Arena other than a quick stun if it hits. Healing/sustain is less important. Please don't choose him, unless you're playing against me.

Hunters

Most hunters are late-game gods, and many rely on high-cost crit items for their DPS. Depending on how the match goes, they may or may not reach true relevance. That said, finding it difficult to put most hunters in B-Tier. Give me reasons!

Overpowered (S-Tier):

Hachiman: Great escape / kill secure ult puts him over the edge as a solid hunter with all-around function and safe poke. Stronger late-game.

Medusa: Abilities provide burst, CC, and an easy to confirm AOE damage ability. No more access to Fatalis significantly drops her mobility, but she remains a strong pick.
SMOKING Arena fighter.

Neith: Nice escape while being able to keep your eyes forward. Abilities have great AOE, and her ult can secure kills.

Rama: Very functional multi-direction dodge and good damage output, and an ult that can secure kills. The ult also doubles as CC immunity to prevent pulls. Strong pick.

Xbalanque: The teamfight hunter. Multiple AOE abilities and his ult, when timed well, can allow you to get the jump on enemies.

Balanced (A-Tier):

Ah Muzen Cab: He doesn't really have an escape, and can be focused hard because of it. His slow on Honey, which has a wide AOE, can help control movement and help him retreat or catch up, and those damned bees spread everywhere, which gives him some teamfight presence. Once he's online he's deadly, and can be considered borderline S-Tier.

Apollo: Good range of abilities with some mobility, while his ult doubles as an escape and a kill secure. Lacks a bit of damage.

Artemis: A candidate for B-Tier since she lacks mobility and escape, but her attack speed steroid and passive crit help her damage output. Tusky is perfect for teamfights.

Cernunnos: He has a lot of minor utility in his kit, and his damage output is solid. His ult is also nice, but isn't particularly damaging. Perhaps borderline S-Tier with his damage potential, but nothing standout enough to put him solidly there.

Chernobog: Strong, easy to apply burst combo in his 1-2 helps with safe poke, and built correctly, has strong burst potential when mixing in basics. His dash isn't a lifesaver unless he's very close to walls, and his ult can only delay the inevitable if he uses it as an escape tool.

Chiron: Doesn't really stand out on the battlefield. Decent mobility but lacks escape. Good damage output and a good escape that allows him to run through enemies and create further distance.

Cupid: A-Tier damage with S-Tier potential when using his massive AOE CC ult in combination with other gods' ults. His heals don't really do much.

Hou Yi: Has an escape and a massive AOE ult that works well in combination with some other gods' ults. That said, his Ricochet doesn't have a lot of easy opportunities to get 1, let alone 2 bounces to increase his damage output, which is relatively weak.

Izanami: She has pretty good damage output when combining basic attacks and abilities, and a stealth escape is very helpful. Her damage isn't top-tier, though, and people continue to be confused as to how best to build her.

Jing Wei: Her kit is great in Arena. Her passive, Rapid Reincarnation, helps her get very quickly back into the fight. Explosive Bolts provide AOE damage w/ crit chance of up to 20%, so she could be extremely functional just building Deathbringer, bringing her version of a crit build into affordability.

Skadi: Has a good slow, her ult has a root, and her pet puppy can really increase her damage output, though he's susceptible to quickly being rendered nil in a teamfight. She lacks a true escape, but her damage potential makes up for it.

Ullr: Can be difficult to play well, and doesn't have a true ult. Good mobility and can unleash multiple abilities quickly from range or melee.

Underpowered (B-Tier):

Anhur: Poor guy. Lacks an attack speed steroid, and his Shifting Sands is a bit lackluster in the wide open Arena. At least he has an escape.

Mages

Mages...squishy, squishy mages. But boy, can they pack a punch.

Overpowered (S-Tier):

Ah Puch: Very high burst damage when comboing his Undead Surge and Corpse Explosion. Ticking or multi-hit damage via Huge AOE ult and his Fleeting Breath. Combined with Gem of Isolation (build it early), his lack of escape/mobility is more than compensated with his high level of control and damage, as long as he is played properly.

Baron Samedi: The newest god, he's (unsurprisingly) pretty powerful. Although he has no escape, people are still learning how to fight him, and his Wrap It Up in particular is a powerful teamfight CC ability. As long as he positions himself well, he can not only deal good damage, but also provide CC, debuffs, and situational group healing.

Discordia: Easy to confirm AOE poke damage combined with some control provides incredible damage potential. Only a short range jump makes her somewhat vulnerable, so she should be played on the periphery of a teamfight, but that jump also allows her to get around dangerous obstacles.

Isis: She outputs good damage, has a good long-range stun, and low cooldowns (her ult gives her an automatic 10% CDR VERY QUICKLY). Her ult can also be a huge healer in a teamfight, and doubles as a zoning tool.

Kukulkan: He's in S-Tier for his easy-peasy, fire-and-forget wave-clear and high damage output. With a lack of escape, best to play him on the perimeter.

Nox: Huge CC abilities, good damage output, and a type of escape by hiding in teammates' shadows. Can really lock down enemies for others to finish. I HATEHATEHATE Nox.

Balanced (A-Tier):

Agni: Good damage potential and a nice dash that can be used as a form of escape. Other than comboing 2 abilities to create a stun, he lacks CC.

Anubis: His mobility/escape is B-Tier (read: none), but his damage output is S-Tier. Has enough CC to make him very effective in 1 v 1 and teamfights as long as he's not focused by the entire enemy team.

Ao Kuang: Similar to Loki, he can disappear for short periods, and his ult easily secures kills (and then gets him to safety). Doesn't have a lot of teamfight potential, but that ult (and his easily maxed Passive) help his kill secure functionality.

Chang'e: Moderate damage, but her abilities have wide AOE, which work incredibly well with items like Gem of Isolation to help her control the field. Her stunning ult in a teamfight can be a game-changer. Although she lacks an escape, she's got a built-in Aegis Amulet!

Chronos: Has a variety of ways to attack, including an AOE-type ticking nuke and quick basic attacks when built that way. His ult can also save his life AND get him back into the action quickly.

Freya: She's MINE, but the Fatalis -> Ring nerf hurt her. She still has some amazing damage potential, especially with access to attack speed items overall, but the loss of mobility means she won't be able to box quite as effectively.

Hades: He's got some really good burst and an effective ult if timed properly. Really needs good team support to be effective, otherwise he can be caught and burst down.

He Bo: Decent damage from afar, and high damage potential up close, but lacks a true escape, which makes getting close risky business.

Janus: His teleport can still work on some walls (e.g. the sides), and he can drop it on the floor for temporary relief from damage, but it's not fully an escape. Good damage output though.

Nu Wa: Lacks a bit of burst unless comboing on her minions, and her ult, though it can secure kills, is weak but does allow her to get out of some damage for a time.

Poseidon: Some might put him in S-Tier for his AOE abilities, and in particular, Release The Kraken!, but he lacks any escape, making him an easy target.

Ra: Although he lacks an escape or even a good dash, his waveclear and teamfight presence keeps him relevant.

Scylla: Another that might be A-Tier, but she's got a true escape, a strong root, and a crazy burst ult that can chain into multiple kills, though it's difficult to land. Extremely effective if her teammates can keep the enemy's attention.

Sol: With multiple targets in a teamfight, her passive and self-healing will help keep her in a fight and doing good damage. She also has a great - though delayed - Aegis Amulet-type ability.

Thoth: He's got some good damage at safe range, but it can be difficult to connect his shots. He also has an escape, though it has a long CD, so he needs to be careful.

Vulcan: Poor mobility and his turret is vulnerable, but he can still output a ton of damage, especially with his ult getting a nice speed-buff, allowing him to more easily hit his huge AOE on multiple targets.

Zeus: Possible S-Tier with good team support and protection. Great AOE abilities and high overall damage output. Biggest issue is that he lacks an escape, so easily becomes a target, which is the one reason he's A-Tier.

Zhong Kui: Unique for a mage. Often built somewhat tanky, and has some great AOE abilities that slowly tick away enemies' health. Even though he doesn't really have burst potential, he is a great teamfighter. Lacks CC and an escape.

Underpowered (B-Tier):

Aphrodite: Aphro is a great partner, but her abilities are less effective in a full teamfight. Her healing can be nice, but is easily countered with anti-heal. She has some decent damage output, but she just isn't best-suited for Arena play. Can be very effective with the right teammates, though, and good timing on her Ult can save teammates.

Hel: Her healing can be helpful, but she lacks long-distance damage and has absolutely no escape. Common target for the enemy team, and so many anti-healing items can really cut into her support.

Warriors

Warriors can work as main tanks or high-pressure bruisers. There's definitely a disparity of effectiveness in this class, though.

Overpowered (S-Tier):

Achilles: Right now, he seems to be performing very well in Arena. Built with mostly protections, he can still output a reasonable amount of damage. A built in execute in his ult that can chain multiple enemies is very nice, but the wind-up time makes it at least somewhat predictable and avoidable with escape abilities or Aegis Amulet. Recent nerfs push him down to more reasonable levels, with an expectation of more balanced results.

Amaterasu: Amazing mobility from the land of the rising sun...try getting Shield of Regrowth. Her potential comes from this mobility, and decent damage and chase ability. Her ult can do some good damage and the stun from the final hit can help secure kills.

Cu Chulainn: He's very effective when built tanky, and has some great potential when controlling his Rage for the right opportunity. Even though he's seen multiple nerfs, he is still incredibly dangerous when played well.

Hercules: His best feature is taking damage and healing pretty much back up to full, making him an ever-present distraction. Has a pull and a push, and a damaging ult, though he lacks a bit of teamfight AOE presence.

Odin: The ult-spamming king of the Arena. His ult is OP in arena. The rest of his abilities fall off late game, but his new passive can give him a great power boost that can make him dangerous when the kills start coming.

Balanced (A-Tier):

Bellona: Great AOE and crippling abilities, with decent teamfight damage output, while still being tanky. Best. God. Ever.

Chaac: Pretty good early damage on his huge AOE axe throw, and has some types of CC (slow and silence) and a self-heal. Within quick games, his early-mid game shines.

Erlang Shen: Nice kit that enhances his basic attacks, but basic attacking can be a bit tough against multiple ranged abilities...however, the buff to Hastened Katana along with hunters losing Fatalis give him increased potential.

Guan Yu: You can quickly get full stacks of Painless on minion waves, which helps get off some good heals to save teammates, or alternatively use damaging abilities with added effects. Somewhat low damage output (except for the ult, which doubles as mobility/chase), but has a lot of utility, so a good Guan player can adapt well to different situations. Has to be built correctly to be effective.

Osiris: Somewhat weak early damage output, with a delayed effect stun, meaning he has to stick to enemies to make it count. He's like a Kali without the ability to regain health on a kill, but his inherent damage mitigation give him extra tankiness in a fight. The buff to Hastened Katana along with hunters losing Fatalis give him increased potential.

Nike: She has an escape and some decent damage. Her ult is also pretty nice for survival and the AOE slow. However, her passive, To Victory! is perhaps her biggest contribution to the team. Should be simple to meet her goals, and the added power and move speed are really nice to secure kills, escape, etc.

Ravana: Solid damage output, especially early-game, though he falls off late. Has a bit of everything to help in a teamfight, including a self-heal/root, a built-in Sanctuary + range attack, and a nice melee cone-attack. Can easily be played poorly, though.

Sun Wukong: His damage output is poor, but he's got good wave-clear/poke, great mobility + CC, and a nice healing escape.

Tyr: Consider Blink with Relic Dagger to help him get into the best locations. He's got good damage potential, and works best as a secondary tank so he doesn't always have to rely on Blink to initiate. Difficult to play well, but can be a game changer in skilled hands.

Vamana: He actually can do pretty decent damage, and can be built for basic attacking. Also has a nice escape-dash and a CC-immune ult that is intimidating, though easy to avoid. Lacks CC, though.

Underpowered (B-Tier):

Like Assassins, I feel that Warriors are fairly well-balanced, especially in this teamfight mode. The shift of mobility with the change to Hastened Katana (taking away Fatalis from Hunters) really helps those warriors that needed to stay close to deal damage.

Quick Definitions & References

• Aramey's BUGS Guide: Beginner's Universal Guide to Smite
  
  
• My In-Depth Discussion On Item Choices: Discusses stat categories and specific items in detail
  
  
• Smite Glossary: Abbreviations & Terms
  
  
• Voice Guided System (VGS): Smite Wiki's breakdown of the in-game VGS communication system
  
  
• SMITE VGS Practice: Just as it sounds. Practice random commands.
  
  
• Official Smite Website: Their forums are pretty active.
  
  
• Official SMITE Magazine: Articles, guides, and more.
  
  
• Smite Reddit Subforum: They've got a very active/responsive community.
  
  
• Smite Wiki: Lots of good information on items, gods, etc.
  
  
• Smite Builder/Calculator by 1337 Pwnage: Play around with builds and see stats.
  
  
• Professor Proxy Articles: Some awesome in-depth information and analysis on various subjects.
  
  
• The Word of Thoth: A SMITE Mechanics Guide: Great individual article from Flareb00t on some informative details about the calculations and formulas for damage, protections, etc.
  
  
• Twitch - Smite: Watch live gameplay.

• ADC: Attack Damage Carry. Refers to a god (usually a Hunter) whose main form of attack is the basic one (left click!), and whose effectiveness usually peaks late-game, from having a full item build centered around max damage potential.
• AOE: Area Of Effect. Refers to abilities that have the ability to hit an area, rather than a single target.
• CC: Crowd Control. An effect from an item or ability that limits or prevents an opponent from moving or taking action. Examples include slow, cripple, freeze, and silence.
• CDR: CoolDown Reduction. Usually from items, this reduces the time it takes for your abilities to become available again after previous use
• HP5: Health (Hit Points) regenerated per every 5 seconds
• MP5: Mana (Mana Points) regenerated per every 5 seconds
• RNG: Random Number Generator. Term used for abilities (especially crit items) that have a percent chance to activate. Sometimes frowned upon as this brings a bit of luck into an otherwise skill-based game.
• Tank: generally of the Warrior or Guardian class, built mainly with protection items
• Bruiser: generally of the Warrior or Guardian class, built with both protection and damage items. Can also include an Assassin built with protections.
• Squishy: Low HP gods (usually Assassins, Hunters, and Mages)
• Magical (gods): Guardians and Mages
• Physical (gods): Assassins, Hunters and Warriors
• Penetration: A stat that helps bypass an enemy's inherent or item-based protection. I tend to lump penetration (e.g. Jotunn's Wrath) and protection reduction (e.g. The Executioner) in the same category for ease of consideration regarding general function. It's a lot more complex than that, so I suggest reading this article by Professor Proxy in your spare time.

Some Of My Guides

The Overarching Arena Guide

The Overarching Assault Guide

The Overarching Conquest Guide

Bacchus: An Alcoholic's Chugging Guide

Freya: Pulsing to the Beat

Ganesha: Selflessly Gifting Kills

Shifu Guan Yu: The Battle Master

Loki: The Backstabbing Bastard

Medusa: Getting Everyone Stoned

Conclusion