Xing Tian - the terror of the arena!

Hello everybody, this is my arena guide for Xing Tian.

Unlike most guardians, Xing Tian is more focused on dealing damage than taking it because he's not as tanky as others. To help combat this, he has a good escape with his Sky-Cutting Axe. That doesn't mean he can't stand on the front lines, he just has to be very careful of his health and not dive in without his team. He may be the spearhead of an assault, but he's going to fall point first into the ground without his shaft being attached. Him and Bacchus share a lot in common in that regard.

Your main combo is going to be Hook Slam followed by Furious Roar: Root the enemy first, then breath on them for good measure. You can use Sky-Cutting Axe to engage a far enemy before performing this combo if necessary, but be wary of where your enemy's team is and don't dive in alone. Also remember Sky-cutting Axe is also your escape, so don't use it if you don't think you or your team will be able to get the kill.

Your ultimate combo is the same as above except you'll blink/jump into a group of enemies, activate Whirlwind of Rage and Steel, then single out a target for your main combo.

Starter

I like the Watcher's Gift on my guardians because it means I can pretty much ignore the minion waves unless they're near the portal yet still receive gold and XP for being near them as my team clears them. You can skip this item and build whatever shoes you like instead if you don't feel as if you'll need the extra income.


Even though Xing Tian is already pretty mobile, having Tier 1 shoes helps, plus you'll be building these into Reinforced Shoes, Shoes of Focus, or Shoes of the Magi later.

Shoes

There are three types of shoes that help Xing Tian in arena:


These shoes help if you're being focused a lot. They're not as powerful as they used to be, but they help in a pinch. Sell these for Shoes of Focus later.


These are the preferred shoes because of the extra mana and cooldown reduction they offer. With these and the Spirit Robe, you'll be able to spam your ult and really annoy the other team.


If you have a tanky warrior (e.g. Bellona or Hercules) or another guardian going more tank, then grab these for the extra magical power and penetration. If you're the main tank, pick one of the other boots first.

NOTE: do not buy Travelers Shoes! You'll rarely be out of combat long enough for its passive to activate and you really don't need the extra mobility for arena. Save these for conquest.

Other items

The rest of the items should be pretty self-explanatory. I generally go with the example build unless there's a particularly dangerous opponent on the other team I want to build against or I have a healer. In the later case, I'll grab the Heartward Amulet second or third so that they can stay out longer without having to back to regenerate their mana. The Sovereignty can be replaced by the Breastplate of Valor if your team tends to scatter to the four winds instead of staying relatively close to you. Just remember that the Spirit Robe also has 20% cooldown, so you'll overcap it if you use the Shoes of Focus as well with it.

Relics

Blink Rune is used to quickly get into the middle of the enemy team so you can activate your ult and gather up as many of them as possible. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOUR TEAM ISN'T PREPARED! There's few things more sad than watching a Xing Tian gather up three or more people and them getting away because his team didn't capitalize on it. Get this first and upgrade it as soon as possible.


Shield of Thorns is for when you're being focused on so you can return some of the hurt to your enemies. This is a solid second choice and should be upgraded when possible.


The Horrific Emblem is good against enemy gods with a lot of mobility to make it easier to chase them down and root them with Sky-Cutting Axe. It can also help your teammates retreat when they're being chased. This is a solid second choice and should be upgraded when possible.


The Cursed Ankh is for when you're facing two or more enemy healers and works well in conjunction with Pestilence. This is a solid first choice and should be upgraded when possible.

I hope you enjoyed this build for Xing Tian and that it helps you in your arena play with him. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them because I am always looking for feedback on my builds so I can refine them. Thank you for reading and have a great day.

And remember: You're the tip of the spear!