Smite: A Comprehensive Guide To Conquest Roles - Game Rant

Players who want to "go pro" in the Hi-Rez MOBA Smite need to master the intricacies of the Conquest Mode. In this mode, players get assigned to teams to dish out some good ol' 5-versus-5 tactical fun. Essentially, Conquest Mode has Smite's unique take on Towers, Jungle Camps, and even the many elements that interplay whenever the players' Gods encounter one another.

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For instance, Smite's Conquest Mode has the Role Call System that allows players to "declare" the Role they will have for that current match. However, MOBA fans might realize that Smite's Role Call System has more intricacies than they realize. Newcomers might find this system overwhelming, but this guide will make Smite's Role Call System more understandable.

Updated May 22, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor, gracing the Nexus as the recent Smite god and the 120th deity in the action-packed MOBA, fans of the god-versus-god title may be interested in learning how this Mage can obliterate the rest of the deities in the game. However, it’s perhaps just as important to understand how each role works in the game’s cutthroat Conquest Mode, especially if players want to ensure they manage to synergize not just with Yu Huang, but also with other gods in the game’s ever-expanding meta.

First Things First: The Lanes

Before players get into Conquest Mode’s various Roles, it’s important to have a general idea as to why these Roles matter in the first place. Essentially, they’re in charge of managing what happens in a Lane or a group of Lanes. In Conquest, these Roles help especially when it comes to interacting with the various minions, Elite monsters, and Gods that roam around the battlefield. Here are a basic description of the various Lanes and relevant places on the map:

Primary Lanes

Solo Lane: The Solo Lane describes the side lane with the shorter side, evidenced by a shorter route between the two middle towers. Due to its shorter nature, it’s highly contested but easily defensible. Its most distinguishable feature is that it only has one Greater Scorpion and a Totem of Ku opposite it.

Duo Lane: The Duo Lane pertains to the side lane with the longer side, evidenced by two Greater Scorpions in between the middle towers. Given their distance, the Duo Lane is highly contested and not-so-easily manageable. Due to this nature, the Duo Lane requires two Gods for conquest - the Carry and the Support.

Mid Lane: The Middle Lane is perhaps the shortest route Gods can take to the enemy base, making it a hotspot for battles. Each side has two Towers extremely close by, with the Phoenix not too far from them either. The midpoint of the Middle Lane has four corners, with each team having access to two that can lead them deep into the Jungle. This makes the midpoint of the Middle Lane very prone to ganks and team fights.

Jungle Camps

Jungle Camp (Solo Lane): The Jungle Camp beside the Solo Lane has buffs that especially become useful for Solo Gods. These come in the form of adjacent Mana Buffs, Harpies for XP, and highly-contested Fire Giant and a Greater Scorpion. Solo Gods usually retreat into this Jungle Camp to farm a little to improve their potency in battle.

Jungle Camp (Duo Lane): The Jungle Camp beside the Duo Lane describes the Camp with buffs specifically designed to help the Carry. These come in the form of nearby Void Buffs and Damage Buffs near the Mid Lane. There are two nearby Harpy Camps for XP, a Greater Scorpion, as well as highly-contested Oracle Harpies and Gold Fury. ADCs usually fight to acquire these buffs, and they often cross over to the enemy’s side of the Camp to acquire these benefits.

Conquest Mode: The Role Call

Newcomers might feel confused as to how exactly do the Roles in Conquest Mode differ from the Classes associated with the Gods. As it turns out, not much! In fact, all Conquest Roles almost always correspond to a certain Class in terms of gameplay and expected combat patterns. However, it's understanding how these Roles play out that can help make certain Classes shine in the Role they choose. Here's a quick rundown of Conquest Roles:

Lane-Reliant

Solo: The Solo serves as perhaps one of the most straightforward Conquest Roles out there. Thanks to their balanced stats, Solos can confidently defend and attack the Solo Lane without having to rely on their allies. Most Solos boast decent damage and decent survivability, making them excellent damage soakers that still pack a punch if push comes to shove. They almost always rule melee combat, and they devastate close encounters with their harsh attacks and counters. Due to their need to have a healthy balance between offense and defense, Warriors often take up the Solo role.

Mid: The Mid becomes in charge of defending the Mid Lane from constant enemy assault. Unfortunately, the Mid Lane's precarious position of being in the middle of two Jungle Camps makes them highly susceptible to ganks or team fights from other farming Gods. Thankfully, great Mid Gods often boast devastating areas-of-effect (AOE) and ranged damage that they can often cover more ground compared to their other counterparts. Sadly, their glass cannon nature makes them dependent on Towers and Support for protection - both of which are thankfully more accessible from Mid. The need to dish out heavy damage makes the Mage a great class for Mid.

Rotation-Heavy

Jungle: Perhaps one of the most technical of the Roles, the Jungle acts exactly like other Jungle roles in other MOBA. Thanks to their speed and attack damage potential, they make perfect farmers in the Mode's Jungle Camps. Ideally, Junglers have an intimate understanding of the interplay between Elite monster timers and how they influence a God's growth. That way, they can juggle between farming for early-game dominance or outright ganking opponents. Thanks to their mobility and attack speed potential, Assassins make great choices for Jungle.

Carry: Unlike the Jungle's Anti-God and Anti-Elite approach, Carries (ADCs in other MOBAs) have a more timing-based approach to combat. They rely heavily on securing the most buffs and experience from minions, farms, and combat. Unlike Assassins that devastate in the early game, Carries ensures they have just the right opening gambit to secure the endgame. As they're in charge of the Duo Lane, they need to come in the way of their opposing ADC's growth to ensure damage domination. This timing-heavy approach usually pays off, as Carries boast some of the best damage numbers in the game. Due to their damage potential, Hunters usually lean towards this Role.

Support: Backing up Carries are Support, which often comes in the form of defenders that primarily soak up damage and stop the enemy assault. Unlike their damage-heavy companions, Support focuses on keeping their allies alive and keeping the enemy away from the team. They have great damage mitigation abilities, alongside handy utility skills that come into play to help their allies. Given how the Support specializes in defense and protecting their allies, Guardians almost certainly fit this Role perfectly.

Classes Don't Always Declare Roles

However, take note that a God’s Class doesn’t necessarily dictate the role they have on the battlefield. In fact, some Gods have diverse-enough kits that players can have them diverge in other roles provided they have the right builds.

Moreover, some players may be forced to adjust their builds on the fly to accommodate new roles based on the dynamics of the game. Here are some examples of Gods and other options for their roles:

Amaterasu (Warrior): Thanks to her constant movement speed/attack damage buff, Amaterasu can take on most threats. Her dash attack and shield/long-range attacks also enable her to stay on both melee and attack from a distance. In turn, while Amaterasu suits Solo, she can also become a handy Support.

Neith (Hunter): Thanks to Neith’s straightforward kit and ranged abilities, she easily becomes an ideal Carry. However, due to her strength in tapping into her abilities, players can also build her like a Mage to maximize her ability-based attacks. In turn, Neith can make a decent Mid and protect the Middle Lane while invading the Jungle for her farm every now and then.

Role: Carry (ADC)

The Carry Role or the ADC (Attack-Damage-Carry) specializes in dealing high amounts of base damage without relying too much on buffs or other tools. Unlike other Roles, Carries can easily devastate team fights with high damage output and often punish the enemy when they get the first shot.

At their core, Carries boast potentially the highest sustained damage output in the game, especially for single targets. They work best in the endgame, especially if they’ve farmed properly in the opening part of the match. Sadly, this timing-based approach makes Carries squishy in the early stages of the game and relies heavily on Support for their preliminary growth.

How Does The Carry Role Work?

Of all the Roles in the game, the Carry or ADC is perhaps the one that relies on timing the most. If they farm properly, even their base damage output in the endgame can be enough to clear objectives and kill enemies extremely quickly, thus, “carrying” the team. Of course, newcomers who hear this might feel overwhelmed by the responsibility. However, most new Carries should follow some basic tenets to dictate their approach in the match:

Clean and efficient

Unlike the brutally-unfair Junglers, Carries have a more straightforward and efficient approach to battle. Their builds often revolve around enhanced damage, penetration, and attack speed to end skirmishes as soon as possible. They often pick off weaker opponents among the enemy team. Carries should identify whether their build for the match should revolve around penetration, attack speed, life steal, or power.

Patience and scheduling are important

Unlike other builds, Carries pay close attention to the flow of the match. Like the Hunter God Class, Carries strives to ensure that they dictate the flow of the damage output benchmark in a battle. In turn, it’s extremely important for players to stay patient and stay focused on the goal: stick to the endgame. Carries need to avoid death at all costs and retreat whenever necessary. They also need to stick to farming as often as possible while ensuring that their team’s minions stay a threat to the opposing team.

What's The Basic Carry Approach?

As Carries, ADCs often follow this approach to achieve victory in the quickest, most calculated way possible:

Pressure as early as possible

In the opening, ADCs often chase as to who among them reaches Level 2 the soonest. Theoretically, an ADC’s first and second-level abilities should be enough to pressure a weaker opponent into their tower or into retreating. Once they do this, ADCs can either strike the first kill, deal decent damage to a Tower, or leave to start farming. If they fail to do this, they need to find the best way to get ahead of the enemy ADC in terms of level without sacrificing their lane. In these opening minutes, the ADC usually stays with the Support.

Greed is good before the end

By the time the match gets into the mid-game, Carries will probably see a power spike as the items they build can greatly contribute towards attack speed and penetration. In these instances, Carries should continue to be greedy - in a sense that they should keep on acquiring resources as fast as possible. Carries can start rotating into other Lanes here to assist other Gods, provided they’re on their way to buff as well. Every second counts.

Calculated team fights even in the endgame

Carries should never become careless, regardless of how strong they get in the fight. If they die at any point in the match, the enemy can capitalize on the spawn time for their ADC to regain the advantage. To avoid this, any direct conflict the ADC has with the enemy should apply a hit-and-run approach. Carries should focus on the easiest targets to kill within proximity.

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What Buffs Should The Carry Farm?

The ADC usually aims for the Chimera or the Void Buff (purple icon). When fighting the Chimera, Carries should take note of its Void Sludge ability. This debuff forces a 5% protection reduction in targets for ten seconds that can stack up to three times.

However, if the ADC successfully kills the Chimera, it does get a mean Void Buff. This buff applies a 5% protection reduction alongside a protection reduction to enemies within 55 units. Moreover, the God with this buff gets a 10% increase to its attack speed. In turn, the Void Buff easily becomes a must-have to eliminate Jungle targets quickly and dish out mean damage to opponents.

Who Are Great Carry Gods?

Players who want to go for the Carry role should pick Gods with a flexible-enough skill set that allows them to outlast opponents from a distance. However, they should still possess decent range capabilities that let them pressure their opponents in the lane and even eliminate heavy damage dealers in team fights. Here are some recommended Carries:

Medusa: The Gorgon Queen packs a mean punch on the get-go, with her Viper Shot (S1) allowing her to deal damage over time. Moreover, her Acid Spray (S2) and Lacerate (S3) deal extended damage or rooting to opponents, respectively, giving Medusa a lot of room to dish out her combos. Her Petrify (Ult) can also freeze opponents in place, perfect for escapes or quick kills.

Jing Wei: This God easily becomes a player’s top ADC choice due to her mobility options. Persistent Gust (S1) gives her a knockdown ability, while Explosive Bolts (S2) enhances her attack options. Agility (S3) enables her to move much faster, while Air Strike (Ult) essentially makes Jing Wei a walking machine gun. Players can enjoy a fast-and-loose approach to combat with Jing Wei, with easy methods of approach and escape.

Anhur: Perhaps one of the most aggressive ADC/Carry Gods in the game, Anhur’s walls can radically affect the way the battlefield works simply by virtue of these obstacles. Aside from denying enemy entry, Anhur’s walls can force enemies to use up their resources - leaving them wide open for counters from Anhur’s allies. It doesn’t help that Anhur possesses fierce counters alongside these walls, transforming Anhur into a decent sniper that can catch even the fiercest of foes by surprise.

Apollo: While already popular as an ADC/Carry, Apollo’s skillset does deserve the recognition. His build path relies greatly in enhancing his auto-attack and providing him with the physical protections needed to sneak opponents. When used properly, Apollo’s kit allows him to tear through enemy forces in his lane or make for the rotation rush to help with a team fight.

Role: Jungle

Gods who specialize in the Jungle oftentimes serve as the deadliest among the bunch. Their abilities aren’t just designed to help them eliminate Elite monsters quickly. Rather, these Gods are set up to eliminate fellow Gods as efficiently and as brutally as possible. Their high mobility allows Junglers to build up damage via attack speed, making them perfect for ganks.

However, Junglers often have weak defenses and can only gain the upper hand if they have a better technical understanding of Jungle Camps and how these can synergize with their abilities.

How Does The Jungle Role Work?

As specialists of the Jungle Lane, Junglers essentially depend on the various buffs they can find in the Jungle to boost their firepower and contribute to the match. Unlike other roles, Junglers don’t have a “permanent” Lane regardless of the stage of the game, and they often roam around to capitalize on Jungle buffs or eliminate other Gods. In turn, here are some basic traits of the Jungle Role:

Maintain the gank

Unlike other Roles, Junglers have the highest threat to gank due to their expected presence in Jungle Camps. Junglers should always find the nearest buff to utilize as often as possible to maximize their attack potential. Early-game Junglers can secure early kills to help the team dominate the earlier parts of the match. If Junglers do this successfully, they can easily become the most threatening part of a team fight despite their health limitations.

Remember the rotation

Again, unlike other Roles, Junglers often have their special “rotation” to follow throughout the map. After they acquire the Speed Buff, Junglers should go around their team’s Jungle Camps to secure as many buffs as possible. This also allows them to transition from any of the side lanes to Mid Lane, and end on another side lane. Such a strategy maximizes the Jungle’s opportunity to gank and aid the team in terms of laning.

What's The Basic Jungle Approach?

Aside from having a basic rotation inside the Jungle, the Jungler should keep in mind that their presence throughout the game is something the enemy is constantly anticipating. Efficient Junglers maximize this “paranoia” from the enemy team to catch them by surprise:

High pressure in the early game

As much as possible, Junglers should aid in generating as much pressure as possible in the early game. By the time Junglers secure a set of buffs in any of their Jungle Camps, they can proceed to help any lane facing a considerable threat. If done right, the Jungler can score a gank or two and help one Lane proceed further down the line.

Take note of steals midway

By the match’s midpoint, other Gods may have grown considerably - which means Junglers need to focus on capitalizing on their buffs to hinder the progress of the enemy. Likewise, if possible, the Jungler should attempt to steal unsecured buffs from the enemy Camps to prevent the opposing Carries and Junglers from benefiting from them.

Ward against ganks and team fights in the endgame

At this stage, Junglers should also take note of the progress of the enemy Jungler so they can always counter their attempts to gank. Junglers should always keep their Wards activated in spots they can’t always go to in order to determine whether enemies have plans for surprise attacks. In the endgame, deaths mean a minute or so to respawn - which is more than enough time for the enemy team to secure a few useful buffs for a counter-attack.

What Buffs Should The Jungle Farm?

Junglers need to focus on maintaining their speed, and thankfully Centaurs (the yellow fast-forward icon) can help them achieve the Speed Buff. Accessible Centaurs appear near the team’s base, making them handy resources for the useful Speed Buff. Junglers should take note of the Centaur’s Spear Thrust, as it can deal thrice its basic attack damage to targets within a straight line. In turn, Junglers can easily dodge the Centaur’s heavy attacks by attacking while moving around them.

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Thankfully, the Speed Buff that Centaurs provide does make fighting them worthwhile. For instance, the Speed Buff not only gives the Jungler 5% movement speed, but it also gives them 10% reduction to CDs. Moreover, Junglers that continue to kill or assist in Jungle Camp fights can get up to three stacks of additional 2% movement speed, with each stack lasting 15 seconds. The Speed Buff optimizes a Jungler’s path in their team’s camp, making this an ideal starting point for a Jungle rotation.

Who Are Great Jungle Gods?

Players who want to pursue the Jungle should always pick Gods with a knack for deadly 1-versus-1 skills. That way, these Gods always have an edge against specific targets - allowing them to end encounters swiftly and extremely painfully. Here are recommended Gods:

Ratatoskr: Despite his small stature, Ratatoskr makes a mean Jungle thanks to his suppressive abilities. His Passive allows him to get continuous increases in Movement Speed and Power. This works well with all his abilities - which either stun opponents or deals damage in spurts. His Dart (S1) slows enemies, his Flurry (S2) reduces protections, and Acorn Blast (S3) deals burst damage. All these abilities work well with his Ult, Through the Cosmos, which not only damages enemies but also knocks them down.

Thanatos: Thanks to his life steal nature, Thanatos becomes a force to be reckoned with in the Jungle. His Passive enables Thanatos to gain HP whenever he kills Gods and minions, but his abilities now cost HP and MP to use. His Death Scythe (S1) grants life steal and slows down enemies, while Scent of Death (S2) buffs Thanatos’s speed and penetration. Moreover, his Soul Reap (S3) becomes a handy silence ability, while Hovering Death (Ult) becomes a one-shot-kill ability against enemies on a certain threshold.

Set: There’s a reason people like banning Set, and despite his fall down the priority chain, Set is never one to underestimate. This Assassin specializes in taking down opponents, especially with Hydra’s Lament and Bumba’s Dagger that takes full advantage of his damage-based skillset. With the right build, Set can weave his abilities to enjoy from proccing true damage after true damage. And with anti-heal, Set can make quick work of both mobs and other Jungles he encounters in the lane.

Erlang Shen: Perhaps one of the best divers in the game, Erlang Shen can drag opponents down a never-ending duel due to his taunt, which he can follow up with a fierce knock-up to leave them stunned for the kill. It doesn’t help that his abilities can reduce resistances of foes, leaving them wide open for ganks and other team-fights. Players who can utilize Erlang Shen’s capabilities of stunning enemies quickly can destabilize the enemy forces and secure control over the Jungle.

Role: Support (Tank)

Unlike other Roles, the Support essentially ensures the survival of their charges - sometimes their teammates, and more often than not the Carry. They fit well with defensive roles thanks to their great health and protections, alongside some Gods that even have great sustainability and healing abilities.

Supports don’t boast a lot of damage, but they have incredible crowd control abilities - making them excellent for team fights. Their low damage output gives the impression that they’re “useless,” but in the right hands, they can essentially devastate a team fight as soon as they make a move.