Are You Afraid of the Dark?
With Smite now available on Mac through Steam, a new legion of players are descending onto the popular MOBA. My previous piece touched briefly upon the role of Hunters in Smite, explaining the basics of being an Attack Damage Carry (ADC.) Today I’d like to take a look at my personal favorite Hunter. He is the God I have the most experience with in Smite. His kit makes him one of the most powerful Hunters in the game. In the right hands, he embodies the concept of a “hyper carry,” a character that can steamroll entire teams in late stages of a match. He is Xbalanque, the Hidden Jaguar Son.
Alright, alright, let’s get the furry jokes out of the way. I personally have no complaint with his default appearance, though the recently released Jag.rar skin may have stolen my heart- and money. However he may look, Xbalanque can hit like a truck. His kit contains a diverse assortment from skills that set him apart from other Hunters. He is also fairly easy to pick up and play among the gods in Smite. However, an understanding of his strengths and weaknesses are paramount to success in higher levels of play.
Today I’ll be going over those strengths and weaknesses. In addition, I’ll explore Xbalanque’s lore in mythology, his history in the game, and my own experiences with him. Waxing poetic aside, the Hidden Jaguar Son is a genuinely fun god to play. Here’s to hoping some of you readers have the same fun with him as I have.
The Lore of Xbalanque
Xbalanque (SHi BA lan KAY) is a mythological figure within the Mayan pantheon. In Mayan mythology, his story is the oldest surviving myth still fully intact. He is one half of the Hero Twins, two brothers whose father was murdered by the lords of the underworld in a ball game called Pitz, not unlike soccer. Through cunning and wile, the Twins eventually defeat the lords in a game of Pitz. They then ascended into the heavens. Xbalanque’s brother Hunahpu became the sun, and he became the moon. Cool story bro.
Role in Smite
Xbalanque was the first Mayan god added to Smite. He was released on December 21, 2012. Perhaps in a nod to his pantheon, the date was the reset date of the Mayan calendar, the so-called “end of days.” Thankfully, the world didn’t actually end on that date. Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article. Right?
As stated above, Xbalanque belongs to the Hunter class. He is a physical ranged character who deals damage primarily through auto or “basic” attacks. On an aesthetic note, Xbalanque is one of the few Hunters whose character model does not use a bow as a weapon. His auto attacks are bolas, weighted interlocking cords. The Hidden Jaguar Son has seen multiple character tweaks since release, and was at one time in Spring 2015 considered a top pick/first ban character. Part of this came from a general nerf to all Hunter’s wave clear abilities. In addition, a then-new starter item, Bluestone Pendant, made one of his abilities extremely powerful in the early game stages. Both issues have since been redressed, and to my knowledge, Xbalanque has sunk back into blessed anonymity.
My first experience with this god came with my introduction to Smite. I had yo-yo’d between Ra and Ymir as my main gods while I accrued Favor, enough to afford one god to unlock. Xbalanque was it. He’s a Hunter, and I’ve always had a fondness for ranged damage characters. He’s Mayan, and I am a student of Mesoamerican mythology. And he’s all about that POWER. And who doesn’t love power?
Kit, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Xbalanque’s five skills (four active, one passive) are rather unique among Hunters. His passive skill, Dead of Night, awards him physical power per enemy god killed. This can be stacked six times. At max stacks, the bonus power is equal to the benefits of a mid-level damage item, essentially freeing up an item slot for the Hidden Jaguar Son. This frees up his build, and allows him more versatility. On the downside, the passive skill requires the player to get kills, which inexperienced players (read: me) can have trouble doing.
The first skill, Branching Bola, is without a doubt his bread and butter. Upon activation, his basic attacks are given a damage buff that increases with level. They also branch on impact into two other projectiles that can hit other enemies. This ability is what gives Xbalanque his uncommon power among hunters, and with the right build, can award critical hits for over a thousand points of damage. This is also his crutch, because unlike most Hunters, he lacks an attack speed buff, and has one of the lowest attack speeds among Hunters. Furthermore, this ability eats up mana per auto attack. A player that builds attack speed on this god can quickly find themselves OOM (Out of Mana) and need to recall back to base.
The second and third skills, Poison Darts and Rising Jaguar, complement his wave clear. Poison darts fires a cone of projectiles that slow enemies and deal damage over time. While useful for whittling down minions, the former effect is essential in “boxing” (1v1) combat scenarios. This is because he lacks a true stun ability, making him vulnerable to other Hunters like Neith and Apollo. The damage from Poison Darts is boosted by his third skill, Rising Jaguar. Using this skill propels Xbalanque into the air as he fires poison darts in a 360 degree pattern. These darts boost the damage done by Poison Darts. Essentially a leap ability, it has a few unique effects. First and foremost, the player can redirect Xbalanque mid-air, allowing him to change directions, outmaneuver opponents, and escape danger. Second, the Hidden Jaguar Son has Crowd Control (CC) immunity in the second phase of Rising Jaguar. With proper timing, this can allow him to escape deadly situations like an ultimate from Ares or Odin or Hades. Unfortunately, the damage boost it provides his second skill is fairly minimal, and the lack of immediate CC immunity can still condemn him to an untimely death on the battlefield.
Xbalanque’s ultimate ability, Darkest of Nights, is a universal one. Upon activation, all enemy gods are shrouded in darkness, impairing their view range. Xbalanque also gains movement speed and range on his basic attacks. Furthermore, any god moving at the end of the ability is stunned. While not an instant kill ability by any stretch, Darkest of Nights is an extremely powerful tool nonetheless. It can be used to initiate team fights, or turn one in your team’s favor. The movement speed buff and stun to moving enemies can be used as an effective escape. And the boosted attack range can allowed skilled players to pick off gods at uncommon distances. However, the stun is easily countered simply by standing still, removing its most potent attribute.
Overall, Xbalanque brings a unique mix of poke, team fight, and maneuverability to the table. This also comes with raw power, some of the highest among physical gods. He can be easily out-boxed by other Hunters, however, and falling behind can cripple his capabilities within a match. Still, a well fed Jaguar Son can absolutely wreck shop.
Transcendental Power
When it comes to the build, Xbalanque needs most of the same treatment as other Hunters. You’ll want boots, because everyone builds boots. Lifesteal and penetration are necessities too. The former is essential for sustain in both laning and team fighting. The latter is to maximize your damage against well-protected opponents. And critical items are required for your end game, to drop enemies instantly and carry the team to victory. However, I offer here some general thoughts.
Xbalanque is more reliant on power and mana than some other hunters. He also lacks in attack speed and sustain. To cover all those bases, I start by rushing Transcendence (pictured first from left.) The power stacks from its passive offer excellent synergy with Xbalanque’s playstyle. Additionally, it’s increasing mana regeneration allow him to sustain his Branching Bola, providing that power buff constantly.
I am aware of the debate in the current meta between Ninja Tabi (pictured above) and Warrior Tabi. Essentially, the former increases a character’s DPS late game. The latter offers a higher power spike for abilities early game. I’ll usually build Warrior Tabi for the power spike. If I have the luxury to late game, I’ll swap them out for Ninja Tabi for that DPS bump.
For its cost, Asi (far right above) provides everything a Hidden Jaguar Son needs. Its lifesteal provides health sustain. The added attack speed boosts both DPS and the aforementioned lifesteal. Its inherent penetration helps player damage scale well into late game. And it’s passive ability, which temporarily boosts lifesteal when under a health threshold, can combine with lucky critical hits to save your life in last ditch situations. I will rarely substitute Asi with Soul Eater. The tradeoff is increased sustain for lower DPS.
The remaining items are up to player preference. Qin Sais are expensive but extremely powerful as a DPS boost. Hastened Fatalis and Frostbound Hammer are excellent boxing items. For critical damage, I have had best luck with a Rage/Deathbringer combo. Rage’s passive boosts critical chance, and Deathbringer’s boost to critical damage can easily kill squishier gods in very few hits. For actives/Relics, standard Hunter fare: Purification Beads for CC immunity, Sanctuary for protection, or Sprint for an escape or chase.
Me and the Hidden Jaguar Son
Xbalanque was the first god I reached rank ten with. The process was no walk in the park. I was soundly stomped and punished time after time for not understanding his mechanics or the game in general. But the beauty of being beaten is that you learn from it. Gradually, very gradually (slow learner over here) I learned the game, and Xbalanque with it. Now when my mercurial home internet cooperates, I can usually jump into a casual game of arena or clash and do some work with the Hidden Jaguar Son. We’ve grown together, in experience and bond.
Every player has their favorites. Be it their favorite game, gun, or character, the list runs on. For me, Smite will always be indelibly tied with shrouding enemies and popping criticals with Xbalanque. May you, reader, find the same success and fun with him as I have.
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