With ranked Conquest restricted to solo queue, it only seemed appropriate to cover how you can survive it and help get yourself out of “elo hell”. In this article, I will cover what you need to do to improve your skills and how to combat against common things you will see in the average ranked game.

Communication is Key

I don’t care how you do it, just communicate with your team. I know I’ve been saying a lot about it, but it is absurd the amount of ranked games I’ve had where it’s basically silent. No VGS and no one talking over the in-game voice chat. Communication is vital in Smite and the team with better communication usually comes out as the winner. VGS is probably one of the best systems you can get in a MOBA as it allows you to quickly say what is happening and let your team get an idea of where the game is at.

This is really important for a jungler. Whether you’re asking for a gank or saying the enemy mid’s ultimate is down (VBD), if the jungler is aware, they can set up for a gank and come to take advantage. This works better with in-game voice chat, because at least then the jungler can say when he’s arriving or mid can say that their dash is down. These aren’t game breaking tips and they won’t assure that you will win every game, but you will notice improvements in your gameplay. Not everyone will be up for the idea of getting on voice chat but at least try and ask them to and try keep it upbeat. No one likes toxic players and it doesn’t get better when they can hear it while in a teamfight.

Make sure you don’t flood the comms though. VGS spam or just general talk on comms isn’t always the best. Make sure that the information you are giving is important. Saying “enemy missing” then “enemy has returned” whenever they dip into the jungle for a second isn’t good for the team. I would say it’s better to get the whole team on comms, as every game I have had that happen we’ve come out winning or had very good games, compared to when there is no one on comms where it feels like a lot of those players either forget about VGS or can’t be bothered to use it. With, voice comms you get an instant response about what’s happening and teamfights are a lot easier when everyone is talking on comms, as you will know more or less what’s happening.

Tower diving successfully needs good communication between the team

Comfort and Meta Picks

Just because your pick isn’t in the meta doesn’t mean it’s a bad pick. If you are confident on a god, then go for it but a lot of the meta picks are gods you should look to play as they do provide a lot for the team and if you are strong on a meta god then you know you’ll have a good game. So far in Season 5 the meta has a lot of strong picks in each role and it’s been nice to see. The top picks and bans are different in each game because of this as well (I’ve seen Achilles get picked up last pick because everyone forgot about him). With us at the midway stage in the season this hasn’t changed, there are a few gods in each role that shine. Linking back to the communication, even in picks and bans it’s important to say if you can/can’t play a god who is strong in the meta. Letting your team know to ban or pick it for you is the best thing you can do (especially if you know you can carry with said god).

Comfort picks are a great way to end losing streaks however, and can work well with synergy. A pick could look awkward but still be great for what your team needs - but it does depend on what the team comps are like. Comfort picks can also put players off their game as well. If you’ve picked a diamond Medusa and you’re facing a Chernobog who isn’t that strong on the god, you can win the match-up because of the comfort you have with a pick that you enjoy and can play. Each player has these picks you just need to know when to use them and when they’ll be the most effective.

Being comfortable on a god will make it easier to coordinate during team fights

Being a Team Player

Just because you didn't get your preferred role, that doesn't mean the game is over. I know that's a bit obvious to a lot of players but the amount of times people get very salty when they don't get their ideal role is a lot more often than you think. The whole idea of climbing ranked is to be versatile in different roles and this helps you improve as a team player. Yeah sure it can be annoying if you know you’re a better player in that role, but be supportive with them and help them out if they are struggling (they may not listen but at least you tried).

A lot of games can be won from tricky situations so long as you all work together, hence why, again, communication is so important. It’s no good only being able to jungle if all you’ve got is a sick Loki. You need a few gods in each role, as one god won't fit into every comp. Now that ranked is solo queue only, you should look at playing gods that can work well with limited communication and knowledge of your teammate’s playstyle. Being a team player will also require you to look at what you can do for “the greater good”, you may be 0-3-2 in laning phase but the jungler could be 5-0-2, so although it's frustrating, adapt to help them out more and let them get fed.

One big part of being a team player is being positive. Leading on from the last point I made, if you’re behind and getting frustrated just look for the little things. Catch up in levels, get that next item finished, help secure camps for the jungler - the game will come to you if you try to avoid getting tilted or salty. You may be struggling in lane but still being confident in yourself and staying positive is a great way to turn the game around for you in mid to late game. If your team is struggling or a player needs a little pick me up try to help them out- give them advice but give them a little bit of praise as well (NOT “VER” spamming though - in this context it doesn't help anyone).

Just try to give them a bit of faith and show them that they can turn it around later. Sure, sometimes it won't work out but at least if they see you again they know that you'll not rage at them. Do try and help out as much as you can if you see a player struggling but try to do it in a friendly way and not come across as condescending. You're around the same rank so it's best to try and help out where you can.

Working as a team can make fighting and seiging a lot easier and cleaner

We Need Wards

I know, another section on warding, really? Come on, man. But until I see more players placing wards in my games, I'm still going to cover it. Each role has a responsibility to ward the jungle and in lane. They really do help and, more often than not, the 50 gold for a ward will save you more times than a health potion for the same price. So get those wards out people. In the early game, yes, potions are more powerful as they can keep you in lane but after a while wards are needed. Even ADCs need to ward so the support can ward deeper into the jungle. Ganking is what a jungler is there for so being able to spot them rotating will make it so much easier to get out of bad positions early. It will also put them behind so that’s a bonus.

Some gods do allow you to get wards at the start of the game because they don't need mana or don't use as much mana. Cu Chulainn and Hachiman are two such examples. Cu Chulainn doesn't use mana, so you could take two wards early and place them as and when you need to, which will really help you survive a jungle gank while you’re mid slap-fest. Hachi's passive allows him to have full mana for a lot of the game and he won't use too much in the early game. Instead of mana potions, take some wards. Get into the habit with him of taking them early and let the support go and ward in different spots or ward mid. At least with you two warding, one half of the map has a lot of vision.

Linking back to being a team player, warding can help that out. If a teammate is struggling or is getting rotated on a lot, ward for them so they have a better chance of surviving, especially if you can't be there that often. Support and jungle are the best roles to do this, as you will be all over the map and moving between the lanes the most. We all know junglers won't always be there, as there is a lot of farm on the map for them. A jungler dropping a ward to help a lane out is them saying, "Be careful! I'm off to get some farm," so stop spamming the jungler when they're on the other side of the map and trying to stay ahead or catch up. It isn't just the support or jungler's job to do this. Late game it will be better for the team if everyone is able to ward and gain vision control over key objectives and choke points. Just because you’re grouping more doesn't mean that the enemy team will stay as a five. You could have an enemy join a teamfight late and have them change how the fight is going. Warding around areas you may end up fighting in will allow you to spot late rotations in teamfights and give you the upper hand, or allow you to know when to get out of the situation.

Hopefully this article will help you get used to the new system Smite has for ranked Conquest.

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