Let’s be honest with ourselves; most of us follow the “meta” down to the letter. Guardians play support; hunters play ADC; mages are in the mid lane; warriors stick to the solo lane. This is typically what most players believe, and it does appear to be effective. Yet why is it that professional teams play Gods in a role different than what the meta has assigned? This article seeks to question the logic found in the meta as well as the professional player’s decisions.

Do lanes even matter?

A thing I often think about when picking and banning in a ranked match is synergy. Synergy refers to how well a God’s abilities work with others. Geb and Awilix are a great combo on your team due to Geb’s various knockups and Awilix's ultimate. This article will not go in depth on the many different synergies available.

Synergy allows teams to win teamfights. Winning a teamfight often leads to taking an objective and possibly even winning the game itself. With the benefits of winning teamfights often outweighing the benefits of winning a single lane, it is natural to build a team around winning teamfights rather than dominating individual lanes. It suddenly makes sense why Freya is the jungler rather than Hun Batz. It was decided that the team required more damage late game from a carry.

Lanes are still important however, and that can also explain professional player's choices. The ability to dominate a lane can lead to victory, especially if it shuts down key players on the enemy team (such as the ADC). While Sylvanus provides great sustain in lane, Odin can be used instead to provide pressure and possibly net a kill. Even more, Odin is great for teamfights, something some guardians are lacking (looking at you Khepri).

When should I play in a non-standard position?

As mentioned earlier, this very much varies based on what you want to do. In a solo ranked queue, it is best to play whatever God you are comfortable with in whatever position they are somewhat viable in. If I’m a great Neith player, but I’ve been assigned mid, then I can play Neith in mid lane; I don’t have to choose Janus this time. There are, however, some Gods that should stick to their assigned roles. Guardians such as Khepri, Athena, and Ares are amazing supports, but fairly mediocre at doing anything else. It is up to you to experiment with the Gods and learn what is viable where.

I once tried playing as a Nox support in Casual conquest one day. I wanted to try it out as Nox has a fairly long stun as well as great damage for zoning and pressure. In theory my idea was sound, however I was not competent enough in using Nox to land my stuns consistently. In fact, that led to several deaths that could have been prevented with an actual support such as Geb. My point here is that you shouldn’t test out whether a God is viable in a non-standard role if you aren’t comfortable with the God’s original role.

Apart from raw skill, one must also keep in mind synergy, as mentioned before, and composition. A team full of physical damage will simply be countered and destroyed. Using the previous example, a Nox support might be good during the laning phase and specific moments, but due to her natural squishiness she isn’t a good engager (especially if her stun is unreliable).

The Solo Lane

Ahhhh… the good ol’ solo lane. The lane that is essentially ranked duel with the occasional gank thrown in. While simplifying it to merely duel, it does help to treat it as duel in some ways. In ranked duel, there are the overpowered Gods such as Chronos many play, but there are also the Gods that people are good at as well. It is not uncommon to find yourself facing a hunter or perhaps even the odd Ares. Likewise, the solo lane is essentially a battle of control between two opposing players. Warriors are currently a popular choice in the current meta, leaving many other viable Gods abandoned. Yet many other Gods can be used in the solo lane effectively, such as Ra, Aphrodite, Ratatoskr, and Ao Kuang. I encourage you to try these Gods and others in the solo lane. Even the pro’s do it!

SMITE is a game full of possibilities. The meta is constantly changing, and that brings up a question, how does it change? The answer is both complex and simple: people experiment. Scientists don’t learn anything by following the same thought pattern over and over again. Rather, they are forced to re-evaluate what reality is. In the same sense, the meta is not changed by following it, it is changed by not following it. I encourage you to experiment in your next game by choosing a God and playing them in a role they usually aren’t played.