For those who aren't really looking for the 5v5 ranked modes but still would like to compete for a border, the 3v3 mode Ranked Joust is definitely the way to go.

Ranked Joust is a mode where you can queue with a full team (or duo/solo queue if you're crazy but I digress). It's probably the best thing to do for an easier time at getting to your ranked goal. You can play your favorite comfort picks, or you can go the super try-hard route and do the double frontline and a mage/hunter/assassin combo. Let's go through some of the Gods you should probably ban out so you don't have a bad time.

When in a match lobby you're obviously going to ban around their picks, but these are some just to get you started:

When I'm talking to my team and we're in picks and bans, the first person they scream out is big boy Bacchus.

No, not him... who even is this guy?

Ah yes, this beautiful beast.

Bacchus is insane to deal with because he offers a significant amount of crowd control as well as mobility. He can easily peel two enemies off of a carry where some guardians may fall short. He gets his Chug (Ability 1) at level 1 so he can put two ticks in to either his Belly Flop (Ability 2) or his Belch of the Gods (Ability 3). That is a crazy amount of damage to have at level 3. On top of his passive which gives him increased mitigations. He can Belly Flop an enemy and create simple setup for his teammates. His 50% anti-heal built into his Belch on top of other anti-heal you may want to build goes nicely against Gods that rely on lifesteal and/or healing.

He teams really well with Nox, Isis, and Scylla as far as mages since they all can easily grab a target who has been knocked up and stunned. Hunters who go well with him are Neith, Ullr, and Skadi for the same reason. You can even opt for Bacchus to be the mage. His burst even with a hybrid build can 100-0 a carry/mage while still remaining fairly tanky. A Flop, Intoxicate (Ability 4) a Stun with his 3, and a basic and you're pretty much a goner. Soul Reaver/Poly combination on him plus some tanky and other power items will turn the fights heavily in your favor. Get him out of your ranked games!

He Bo would be your next to ban. His early game can be a little rough but if he is paired with two frontlines who enable him to get to mid/late game... well, it's just an F6 guys. Water Cannon (Ability 1) late game is like an ultimate in itself, especially since it can be spammed every couple of seconds. He is slow immune on his Atlas of the Yellow River (Ability 2) and this allows him to walk around freely and quickly since it provides a speedy buff scaling all the way to 45% more movement speed. Yikes! Crushing Wave (Ability 4) plus a Water Cannon on a carry will kill them, easily. He Bo pairs pretty well with Cabrakan who can stun enemies as well as confine them into his ultimate so He Bo can strut his stuff all over them. He also goes pretty well with most tanks who can Crowd Control an enemy long enough for him to pour his kit on, as well as some Assassins like Ne Zha and Fenrir. Their ultimates allow He Bo to give them the ol' razzle dazzle.

Set is the next obvious choice. He can be built tanky and still output tremendous damage while 1v3ing the enemy. It doesn't even matter who he is against. His mobility plus his damage and regeneration will definitely make it a bad time for his enemies. His Skewer (Ability 1) scales rather high which allows him great clear early. His Spawns (Ability 2) give him many options to where to be on the map. His Sandstorm (Ability 3) not only gives him the ability to have the physical damage be reduced, but he's able to teleport to any of his spawns. He pairs really well with Nox and Baron who can root targets so Set can basically walk up to them and burst them down quickly. He also pairs really well with a Hel so she can keep him healed, cleansed, and out of danger. Believe me, just ban him, you'll be happy once you do.

Ah Persephone, Wife of Hades. What can we even say about her? GET HER OUT. Does this really need explaining???? Her abilities hit like a truck. I'm not talking a small SUV, I'm talking like a giant 18 wheeling mack type truck. She can plant a garden of actual hell and chaos in the whole lane. She can poke like crazy because she barely uses any mana and she can sustain because she can heal herself. When she is in her Passive (Pomegrante Seeds) she can not be targeted after death and she gets to trot around and drop around 2,000 free damage on you. Do I really have to go on? I'd rather fight five Ah Puchs' then have to deal with this nonsense.

Anhur is probably the strongest hunter right now in ranked joust. If put in the hands of a good ADC that is. If not, you can just skip this but his Impale (Ability 2) plus his basics debuff enemy gods physical protections and his slow paired with Desert Fury (Ability 4) is going to leave you wishing you banned him in the lobby. He pairs well again with Nox (Reaccuring huh) who can yet again hold enemies still, and he also does really well with high crown control tanks. If you don't want a basic attack hitting you for 300 damage in the first 8 minutes, might I suggest not letting him be an option.

Honorable Mentions

Sobek is a God who really is quite annoying. His Charge Prey (Ability 1) if landed could really put your team in a predicament. He also has anti-heal built into his kit (Sickening Strike-Ability 3) like Bacchus mentioned above, and he offers a pretty significant knockback with his Tail Whip (Ability 2) plus a slow with Lurking in the Waters (Ability 4). He pairs really well with Nox who after a pluck can silence and root the enemy so they can't jump out. This will enable your third teammate to burst them down as well. Do yourself a favor, and ban him.

Since Isis' recent buff she has been increasingly popular in bans in the ranked joust scene, especially at higher levels of gameplay. I do suggest leaving her out since her abilities and her new shield prove to be quite a problem.

Ah Muzen Cab + Blackthorn hammer and some other tank items is going to make you want to uninstall. He is a pain to deal with even with his most recent nerf. The slows and the cripples and the constant poke is just super annoying and can easily be left in the match lobby.

It doesn't matter if you think you're going to sit in tower and farm until you're strong enough to go against the enemy. Thoth will make sure of that. You are not safe anywhere on the map. He can poke you from the Conquest map on the Joust map. Best be sure to just make sure he isn't in your game.

You all knew we were going to get around to our girl Nox, duh! She offers so much in her kit whether you build her pure burst mage or utility. A 2 second silence (Ability 2) plus a 2 seconds root (Ability 1) just gives you so much control. Not to mention she still has other teammates to help her. She shuts down so much crowd control that she really is a problem.

Fenrir and Ne Zha are in a league all of their own. Between Ne Zha's poke and the fact that a early to mid game Fenrir between two abilities can basically 100-0 a squishy mage, you probably just want to get them out. Running comps with double assassins and a mage has proven to be really impactful. Ne Zha and Fenrir are great examples of this and their pair really well together. They work well with Scylla and like mentioned before a He Bo. The best part about them is they can built tanky and still be able to output, sustain, and basically dance around your dead corpse. Be careful and get them out.

Of course like listed above, your picks and bans are going to weigh heavily on what the enemy chooses. Hopefully this list gives you a better idea of the try hard nonsense that occurs in ranked Joust and helps you on your way to your goals. Good luck in your matches!

Like our content? Support us by getting our merchandise in our shop