Smite is a Free-To-Play MOBA in which players choose their god, goddess or immortal and head into battle to slay their enemies. The game has a nice concept for a genre that’s seeing a lot of activity lately, and it’s going to need every advantage to compete with established names like League of Legends, DOTA2, and Heroes of The Storm. Still, Smite’s community is growing and part of that is due to the wide roster — the game currently offers over 70 characters to choose from, so there’s a little something for everyone.
During my time with Smite, I found it to be a fairly enjoyable time despite not having MLG pro status, but fair warning — I had a consistent group of friends to play with, and it made the game a better experience. Without a good group to lean on, grouping up with randos who would rather use their mics as earmuffs than to communicate with fellow teammates is an experience sure to raise the blood pressure. My advice? Find a group of friends who are willing to play on a regular basis.
Out of the vast roster of gods to chose from, I narrowed my choices down to five favorites, so players who might be thinking of jumping in and giving the game a try might want to look at these hand-picked options.
Thor: The God of Thunder himself, Thor is a force to be reckoned with. This Norse god is an assassin class, and also a melee/physical type — just my kind of character. Despite being pretty straightforward to use, his abilities are incredibly useful. For example, Thor can slam his hammer into the ground, creating a fissure in front of him to block enemies and can stun them if they’re in the area where the fissure appears. I’d say that Thor would be a good character for newcomers to try if they’re interested in playing a melee/physical type.
Thanatos: Thanatos hails from Greek mythology as a god of death — he’s basically the Greek version of the Grim Reaper. He’s an assassin class with melee/physical attacks, and I simply fell in love with his playstyle. I’ve always favored characters who get up close and personal to do major damage, and Thanatos does a huge amount if built right. The icing on the cake are his passive and ultimate abilities. The passive allows him to see when enemies are close to death, and they can then be insta-killed with his ultimate which sends him up into the air before crashing down on unsuspecting souls.
Hou Yi: Surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed using Hou Yi. He’s classified as a hunter class, which is most useful when dealing damage at a distance. Hou Yi hails from the Chinese pantheon armed with his firebird bow and arrows. He’s great for slowing down or stunning enemies with his abilities, and I found him most useful when teaming up with a character who deals a ton of damage. His ultimate fires nine arrows into the sky and causes nine suns to drop onto the battlefield in a circular area. It’s a pretty epic way to finish off enemies, and realizes its maximum potential when the enemy team is huddled together.
Fenrir: Known in Norse mythology as a monstrous wolf, Fenrir is a beast on the battlefield (pun intended). Another assassin and another melee/physical type, I got in the habit of building him with attack speed and the ‘lifesteal’ ability. Using him to hide in a jungle before pouncing on enemies and going in for the kill went a long way for me.
Apollo: This Greek god of music is another hunter I enjoyed, but a word of caution — he isn’t too great in the early game, and if players aren’t careful, they could find themselves underleveled and in big trouble. With the right build and careful play, he becomes a wonderful Attack Damage Carry great for engaging in team attacks and split pushing — a good god all around.
…And there are my top five favorite gods to use in Smite. The beautiful thing about Smite (and many MOBAs in general) is how different the characters can be, and how we’re always learning something new about them. The understanding of these games always shifts, as well — in a month’s time, this list could very well change to being a completely different five.
As a free-to-play game that offers up various modes, an extensive roster, many opportunities to earn rewards and much more, I’d say that Smite is definitely worth a try. May the gods grant you favor!
However, it wasn't until Marcus started to watch Extended Play with host Adam Sessler during his Middle School years that he thought of making a career out of gaming. From his humble beginnings at taking notes from Adam, Marcus eventually moved on to blogging and soon becoming an editor at another website later on.
When Marcus isn't gaming, he tends to frequent his local bar or catch up on reading one of many books/comics/manga. He's also into watching TV shows like Gotham and even considers himself to be a self-proclaimed movie buff. Marcus absolutely adores Star Wars and Back to the Future as these two franchises hold a special place in his heart. Marcus is also a fan of cosplaying whenever he goes to conventions. Marcus lives in NY with his two roommates.
- Batman: The Telltale Series Review - February 24, 2017
- Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 1: Realm of Shadows Review - September 24, 2016
- Five Gods That Got Me Through Smite - August 24, 2016
