Wards are a key item in Smite, especially in terms of making the transition from Casual Conquest to Ranked Conquest. There are two types of ward: Standard Wards costing 50 gold each, and Sentry Wards costing 135 gold each. Wards last 3 minutes unless destroyed, and the maximum amount of wards that each God can place is 2. (It doesn’t matter if these are two standard, two Sentry or one of each.) When playing Casual games, I see fewer players buying and placing wards than I see in Ranked games. Upon asking why these players don’t ward, some responses I’ve received include “It’s a waste of gold”, “It’s not my job”, and “What are wards?”

Whose job is it to ward?

It is not the Support’s job to ward – it is everyone’s! It is a common misconception that only Supports are meant to ward. With the cap for the amount of wards placed set at 2 per God, your Support cannot provide anywhere near enough coverage for the entire map. With entrances to lanes as well as objectives requiring warding, the whole team should be purchasing wards throughout the game. If you have 50 gold spare, grab a ward! It’s more than likely to help your team at some point. Wards provide your team with more vision of the map, meaning that your team have an advantage upon the enemy by knowing their movements.

Source: SMITE - All Gods Wallpaper (Bellona Edition) by Getsukeii on Deviant Art

Why should I Ward?

Wards save lives! I cannot count the amount of times when I have seen an enemy God attempting to sneak up on me for a gank, just in time for me to retreat out of harm’s way. With wards, you can afford to over-extend in lane without the cost of a death. Not only does this mean that the enemy team doesn't gain an advantage in gold and experience by securing a kill on you, but it also means that you can actually gain an advantage in gold and experience yourself! With a ward to keep an eye out for you, you can afford to push further up the lane and be more aggressive with the potential of securing a kill.

When should I ward?

Ideally, players should ward throughout the duration of the game. However, this is not always posible. For example, at the beginning of the game you can avoid warding if you wish to buy more potions. Warding the enemy blue buff at the start of the game can help you to secure mid camps, or help you to steal their blue buff, allowing you to gain an experience and gold advantage. Warding at the beginning of the game in mid lane and duo lane informs you of when the enemy mid-laner or duo team are attempting to take mid camps or their experience camps and also when they respawn.

Let me put it this way: the more often you ward, the higher your advantage upon the enemy team grows. However, remember that you can only place a maximum of two wards, which each have a maximum lifespan of 3 minutes.

An Enemy Has Been Detected Nearby!

If you hear a ward ping, detecting an enemy God nearby, you must react immediately. You can either retreat back to the safety of your tower or your team (if possible), or counter-engage upon the enemy God. The enemy God is unlikely to know that you have seen them coming towards you, therefore this is a prime opportunity to engage with them and take them by surprise.

When do I get Sentry Wards?

Sentry Wards are strong, reflected in their cost which is nearly triple the price of a standard ward. These are mainly used to ward the Gold Fury or Fire Giant objectives as they reveal enemy wards, allowing your team to destroy them and take the Gold Fury or Fire Giant unbeknownst to the enemy team! However, this is not the only purpose of Sentry Wards. Season 3 has seen Sentry Wards used more commonly to counter ward entrances to lanes, making ganks from your team easier.

It is usually wise to start warding the Gold Fury between the 3-5 minute mark, when each God gains their ultimate ability. As these are the most damaging, they are likely to be used to help defeat the Gold Fury quickly. Therefore, it is a good idea to ensure the area is warded at this time. The Gold Fury spawns at 00:10 on the in-game clock, however most Gods are too weak to take the Gold Fury before 5 minutes.

The Fire Giant spawns at 10:00 on the in-game clock. Therefore, keeping an eye on activity around the Fire Giant around this time is a good idea. However, with the new Fire Elementals sitting in the Fire Giant pit, you are likely to see an enemy God in this area to kill these minions. Again, most Gods are unable to take the Fire Giant until 12-13:00 on the in-game clock. (At least!)

The ‘Scout’ Relic

This new Relic, added in season 3, has received mixed feedback. The item description reads ‘Upon activation, you may place a single Sentry Ward. The cooldown on this Relic resets upon returning to your fountain (140s).’ This means that you can place up to 2 Sentry Wards at a time for free with this relic (2 Sentry wards as the maximum amount of wards placed is currently 2 per God) by simply backing. This saves you 135 gold per ward placed with this Relic, as you are essentially receiving Sentry Wards for free! This is especially powerful towards the start of the game, as you have the ability to see any enemy wards and destroy them without losing the gold for purchasing wards! If you find yourself purchasing many Sentry Wards each game, this could be a Relic for you! However with the wide variety of new Relics available, with a range of offensive or defensive options to choose from, Scout often finds itself forgotten or overlooked.

Choosing your Ward skin (optional)

This is arguably the most important part of warding! With 56 different ward skins to choose from, the world is your oyster! From the adorable box cat, to the awesome Quetzalcoatl; your choices are endless! You can even show off your Team Dignitas pride with the Team Dignitas ward skin!