This is the original SMITE, the third person MOBA Hi-Rez and Titan Forge launched out of beta on 25 March 2014 and later put on Steam. Its roster closed at 130 gods, finishing with the Egyptian sky goddess Nut in Year 11, after which all new content moved to SMITE 2. The servers are still up and matches still fill, but the game sits in maintenance mode, so what follows describes a settled game rather than a moving one.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Buy your second relic the moment you hit level 12
Buy your second relic the moment you hit level 12. It costs nothing, it sits on a cooldown separate from your items, and forgetting it removes an entire defensive option for the whole mid game.
2. Purification Beads clear crowd control and grant a short immunity window, while Aegis Amulet gives 1
Purification Beads clear crowd control and grant a short immunity window, while Aegis Amulet gives 1.5 seconds of invulnerability during which you cannot act. Take Beads first against a stun heavy line up and Aegis first against burst damage.
3. Qin's Sais deals damage as a share of the target's maximum health on basic attacks, so it scales with the enemy tank rather than with your own Physical Power
Qin's Sais deals damage as a share of the target's maximum health on basic attacks, so it scales with the enemy tank rather than with your own Physical Power. Buy attack speed alongside it instead of more raw power.
4. Book of Thoth is an early commitment
Book of Thoth is an early commitment. It converts maximum mana into Magical Power and stacks from kills and assists, so one bought at twenty minutes is a slot you have thrown away.
5. Titan's Bane is percentage penetration, so its value climbs with the enemy's protections
Titan's Bane is percentage penetration, so its value climbs with the enemy's protections. Buy it after the enemy frontline starts itemising defence, not as a second item into squishy targets.
6. Learn which side each objective spawns on
Learn which side each objective spawns on. Fire Giant sits on the short lane half and Gold Fury on the long lane half, so the approach routes and the ward placements are completely different for each.
7. The Oracle Fury camp spawns 35 seconds into the match and returns roughly every 3 minutes, which makes it an early rotation target rather than a late objective
The Oracle Fury camp spawns 35 seconds into the match and returns roughly every 3 minutes, which makes it an early rotation target rather than a late objective. Support and jungler take it together or not at all.
8. Third person projectiles travel and you cannot see behind yourself
Third person projectiles travel and you cannot see behind yourself. Lead moving targets, and treat any unwarded jungle entrance behind your lane as an assumption rather than a known quantity.
9. Do not carry a SMITE 2 build across
Do not carry a SMITE 2 build across. This game runs Physical and Magical Power with separate protections, while the sequel replaced that with Strength and Intelligence, so the item lists do not translate.
10. Practise a new god in Arena or Joust first
Practise a new god in Arena or Joust first. Conquest punishes a bad opening ten minutes for the whole match, while Arena lets you drill ability aiming and item timings without costing a teammate their lane.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Mage (A-Tier):
- Focus on Physical and Magical Power combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Qin's Sais
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Hunter (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Jotunn's Wrath
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how SMITE's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Physical and Magical Power + Relics as free actives: SMITE 1 splits damage into Physical Power and Magical Power, each with its own penetration and its own protection stat. Combined with Relics as free actives, relics are free active abilities on their own cooldowns, held separately from your six item slots.
Third person aiming + Conquest objectives: The camera sits over your god's shoulder, so most abilities are aimed by hand and every projectile has travel time. When paired with Conquest objectives, conquest runs three lanes plus a jungle, with gold fury on the long lane side and fire giant on the short lane side.
Maintenance mode and the SMITE 2 handover scaling: Nut was the 130th and last god added here. Hi-Rez moved development to SMITE 2 and left this game running, with Legacy Gems and the Divine Legacy event carrying account history across for players who link both accounts.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Qin's Sais | Basic attack Hunters and attack speed Assassins facing a Guardian and Warrior frontline. | A physical item whose passive adds damage on every basic attack based on a share of the target's maximum health, scaling further against high health targets. |
| Jotunn's Wrath | Junglers and Warriors whose damage comes from abilities, bought as a first or second core item. | Physical Power, flat penetration, cooldown reduction and mana in one mid priced item. |
| Titan's Bane | Physical gods in the third or fourth slot, once the enemy frontline has started itemising protections. | Percentage based physical penetration, which cuts through protections rather than inflating your own number. |
| Book of Thoth | Mid lane Mages who can start it before ten minutes and will collect assists steadily through the mid game. | A stacking magical item that turns maximum mana into Magical Power and gains stacks from kills and assists. |
| Sovereignty | Guardians in the long lane against a physical damage carry, bought as an early core item. | An aura item granting physical protection and health to allies standing near you. |
Location Efficiency
Conquest lanes (Levels 1 to 20): Three lanes with towers and phoenixes, a solo laner on the short lane, a mid laner in the centre and a carry with a support on the long lane. Wave position here decides where the jungler can afford to be.
Jungle buff camps (Levels 1 to 20): Neutral camps between the lanes granting mana, damage, movement speed and attack speed buffs. Which buff a jungler takes first is a reliable tell for which lane they intend to visit.
Gold Fury and Oracle Fury pits (From the opening minutes onward): Gold Fury sits beside the long lane and pays the whole team in gold and experience. The Oracle Fury camp sits across from it, spawns 35 seconds into the match and returns roughly every 3 minutes.
Fire Giant and Pyromancer camps (Mid to late game): Fire Giant sits on the short lane side and its buff converts a won teamfight into a won game. The mid camp behind it despawns 7 minutes in and is replaced by the Pyromancer.
Arena, Joust and Assault maps (Any level): The modes outside Conquest. Arena is one open pit with a ticket counter, Joust is a single lane 3v3, and Assault is a single lane with randomly assigned gods. All three are shorter and far more forgiving.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Leaving the second relic slot empty after level 12. It costs nothing to fill and it is the most common oversight at low ranks in this game.
- Buying Book of Thoth or any other stacking item late. Stacking items are a first ten minutes decision, and a half stacked one performs worse than any completed alternative.
- Assuming knowledge from the sequel transfers. The original runs Physical and Magical Power, keeps relics as a separate system and carries 130 gods, so builds and matchups do not map across.
- Starting Fire Giant without vision on the enemy jungler. It takes long enough that a four person rotation steals the objective and wins the fight afterwards, reversing a fifteen minute lead in one attempt.
- Aiming at where an enemy currently stands rather than where they are heading. Every projectile here has travel time, and failing to lead a target is the largest source of missed damage at every rank.
Pro Quick Tips
- Buy your second relic the moment you hit level 12. It costs nothing, it sits on a cooldown separate from your items, and forgetting it removes an entire defensive option for the whole mid game.
- Purification Beads clear crowd control and grant a short immunity window, while Aegis Amulet gives 1.5 seconds of invulnerability during which you cannot act. Take Beads first against a stun heavy line up and Aegis first against burst damage.
- Qin's Sais deals damage as a share of the target's maximum health on basic attacks, so it scales with the enemy tank rather than with your own Physical Power. Buy attack speed alongside it instead of more raw power.
- Start with Hunter, switch to Mage when ready
- Invest in Qin's Sais above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Conquest lanes → Jungle buff camps → Gold Fury and Oracle Fury pits → Fire Giant and Pyromancer camps → Arena, Joust and Assault maps. See our maps guide
- Physical and Magical Power + Relics as free actives together are stronger than either alone
More SMITE Guides
- SMITE SMITE Overview
- SMITE Best Builds
- SMITE Tier List
- SMITE Walkthrough
- SMITE Beginner's Guide
- SMITE Weapons Guide
- SMITE Combat Guide
- SMITE Boss Guide
- SMITE Maps & Locations
- SMITE Crafting Guide
- SMITE Classes & Characters
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