It’s Open Season for Smite’s Hunters
With the recent release of Smite on Mac (story here), a whole new legion of player’s are about to dive into Hi-Rez Studios’ popular MOBA. With that in mind, I thought I’d do a brief overview of one of the most popular roles in the game: the Hunter. Of the five classes in Smite, the Hunter is among the most adept at killing opponents. Their job is to “carry,” or lead their team to victory by dealing damage and killing enemies. They predominantly rely on auto or basic (non-ability) attacks in order to dish out the hurt on the enemy team. While playing a Hunter is easily one of the most fun roles in Smite, there are drawbacks. Here are a few basic principles towards playing the role.
As a Hunter, you are designated the Attack Damage Carry, or ADC. In Smite’s premier conquest mode, your designated lane is the left or “Duo” lane. You will be partnered with a designated Support character, typically a Guardian-class. Teamwork is crucial; the early game for Hunters is almost uniformly lackluster. Most lack abilities to clear waves of minions on their own. You must coordinate with your Support in order to properly clear and set up early game kills. Your main focus should be accruing gold. Make sure to time your auto attacks to land the killing blow on minions, which awards you bonus currency and experience points. This way, you level and bring your item build online faster. Individual Hunter builds may vary, but there are a few common items you’ll want to spring for. Boots provide movement speed and physical power.
Lifesteal items are essential for sustainability while in lane, and for survival in a team fight scenario. Items that grant penetration can cut through opponent’s protections, and whittle down high health enemies. And finally, critical hit items are essential for late game carrying. By then a properly leveled Hunter will be dealing obscene amounts of damage. However, that does not make you a one man army. In team fights, proper selection of your target is essential to victory. “Squishy” characters such as Mages, Assassins, and other Hunters are the ones you as an ADC should be gunning for. You should also be initiating attacks on the Gold Fury and Fire Giant camps. These camps provide powerful buffs to your entire team, and can be used to draw the enemy team into an ambush. By late game, you should be leading the charge into the enemy base, and hopefully, victory.
The Hunter is one of Smite’s most popular roles. However, it is by no means the easiest to play. By using conservative tactics in the early game, using proper targeting in team fights, and crafting a build that counters the enemy team, you will have a better chance of victory. That way, when the stat screen pops up, you can say without question, “Yeah, I carried that game.” Happy hunting!
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