Calling all you friendless, nobody gamers: we’ve got the lane for you. The solo lane in SMITE is a dark, lonely place whose isolation is surpassed only by likes of the dreaded friendzone. Hyperbole aside,  the solo lane does live up to its name in that it is by and large the most isolated and single-player dependent role in SMITE.  However for all this outward isolation it genuinely offers a very unique playstyle that many players learn to love. Unlike the rest of the other roles in SMITE the solo lane is the closest to a pure 1v1 competition players will get in a Conquest match (barring the occasional ganks from wayward Junglers). Because of this a solo lane matchup is not unlike 1v1 fighting games: positioning, poking, and out-sustaining your opponent are key facets and often two closely matched competitors sustain a greuling war of attrition just waiting to capitalize on the other’s mistake. 

   Due to this unique format the solo lane is best utilized with gods that can deliver solid damage, considerable CC, and are able to sustain for long periods of time as every second missing from lane gives your opponent the chance to incrementally push your tower down. A good solo laner will also transition into an instigator or peeler in teamfights as the match reaches the end game and lane pushing becomes less important. Due to this excellent solo lakers are able to endure or shrug off incoming damage and use their CC to lock down or peel enemies off their allies. Due to this unique blend of matching off 1v1, sustaining a lane, and team fighting the solo lane can actually competently be played by the most diverse cast of gods in SMITE. While warriors are mostly purpose built to fill the role it can also be filled by some Guardians, Assassins, and even Mages.

   Since a large cast of gods can be viable in the solo lane it is important to identify and master those who excel the most if you want to be consistently successful. The following list of gods are those whose kit allows them to be extremely viable and downright dangerous in the solo lane if properly mastered. Playing these gods with the right build will allow you to overcome your lack of friends and replace it with a list of enemies crushed under your boot. 

5. SOBEK: CROCODILE ROCKIN’

Sobek Reveal Trailer

   Sobek is as formidable as the crocodiles he represents. Do you know why crocodiles have remained an apex predator virtually unchanged by nature for millenia? Because they are damn near impossible to kill and are killing machines themselves. Sobek lives up to his patronage well. Although a Guardian his kit is built around being an aggressive and tough bruiser. He has substantial damage, defenses, and crowd control. Watch out for the crock.

    Why Sobek is OP:

• He’s built for diving enemies and surviving. Sobek’s passive, Blessing of the Nile, grants him bonus protections for each enemy he strikes with an auto attack or abilities which encourages an aggressive playstyle. His 1, Charge Prey, is a very long range dash that flings an opponent backwards when he lands it, this allows Sobek to dive after enemies hiding within their team and fling them into his range. Lastly his ult, Lurking in the Waters, allows him to dive under the water and swim with CC immunity after fleeing foes. While under the water he is a smaller target and slows all enemies around him.
• He has an arsenal of disruptive and displacing CC. Disruption and displacement are key in a pitched 1v1 as it can allow you to halt an opponent's attack and place them out of position where you can harry them with attacks. His 1, as mentioned, will fling any target it hits. And his 2, Tail Whip, knocks back any enemy in a large radius around him. An expert player will use these two abilities to great success to constantly keep an opponent on their toes.
• He has a deceptive amount of sustain. His 3, Sickening Strike, is a massive cone of damage that not only weakens an opponent's healing but gives him healing in return for each target hit. This ability can be used to not only sustain himself but reduce his opponents sustainability. Also while in his ult he can regenerate a large chunk of his mana (depending on how long he stays underwater.)

4. ODIN: WHO’S YOUR ALL-DADDY?

Odin Reveal Trailer

(Secondary Reveal Video)

    Odin is the scheming old man of the Norse pantheon and the king of Valhalla, you know the place where all the greatest warriors in history go when they die? So you better believe he’s quite the warrior himself. Odin is one of the original gods in SMITE and has seen some considerable reworks in his long lifetime but his current design is one of the most potent. Having an Odin on your team can absolutely devastate an opposing team and force them to change their entire playstyle.

    Why Odin is OP:

• The Bird Bomb. The “Bird Bomb” is the unofficial term for the combo of Odin’s 1, Lunge, and his 2, Raven’s Shout. When Odin activates his 2 he surrounds himself in a formidable shield, which is useful in its own right for enduring incoming damage or escaping a fight, however when it reaches the end of its duration it explodes for its remaining health but he can also jump with his 1 while the shield is active and it will explode upon impact. This combo, if done at full shield health, can do an amount of damage not seen outside of ultimate abilities. At max rank the combo damage is a whopping 760 (+127.5% of your physical power). 
• His redesigned 3 is insanely useful. Odin’s 3, Gungnir’s Might, pulses damage and slows any enemies around him for a brief duration, which is already a useful function (its original function). However; if activated during the first, second, or third pulse it now has several more potential uses. When he throws his spear on the first pulse it gives a large attack speed boost to all nearby allies, this is very useful for bursting down towers and objectives. When he throws his spear on the second pulse it automatically homes in will hit whatever target is in range. When he throws it on the third pulse it will stun any enemy god hit. All of these types are incredibly useful and give Odin flexibility for many situations.
• His ult is one of the best teamfight ults in the game and forces opponents to change their playstyle. Odin’s ult, Ring of Spears, quite simply drops a cage into the map in a large diameter around him. The ring prevents anyone inside from healing and will deal damage to any who escape over or through it unless they knock down the walls with five auto-attacks. Beyond this Odin gets permanent bonus power for any enemies slain within the ring. Teams will do anything to avoid being trapped in this ring of death.

3. KING ARTHUR: HAIL TO THE KING

King Arthur Reveal Trailer

    King Arthur is perhaps the most well known legendary figure in human history. Whether he was a real figure, a national myth, or something in between what is undisputed is his dominance in SMITE. Paired as a release with Merlin to ring in SMITE’s 100th god release Arthur lives up to the hype and ceremony by delivering a god who brings a non-stop onslaught of damage and disruption. Due to the design of King Arthur’s kit he essentially has double the amount of abilities of most gods in the game and expert use of these abilities can overwhelm an entire team. You do not want to be on the receiving end of Excalibur.

    Why King Arthur is OP:

• Overwhelming damage. As mentioned above due to his passive, Steadfast, all of Arthur’s abilities have two forms and are designed to be combo’d together in order to feel different than any other god in the game. As a result he has EIGHT damaging abilities (two forms for his 1, 2, 3, and ult). As a secondary result of this he can also draw heavy benefits from items that proc on damage causing abilities (anti-heal items, bonus damage items, items that heal upon dealing damage).
• Overwhelming CC. Among his eight unique abilities he has a cripple, a slow, a protection shred, a stun, and a move that launches an enemy into the sky and holds them there for several seconds. This large amount of CC allows him to utterly shred through a single target or even a full team’s CC immune abilities and beads and allows him to control or affect enemies in a wide area for a long period of time.
• Overwhelming survivability. Due to the design of his kit Arthur is constantly in motion and is therefore inherently hard to target, even his auto-attacks pull him in swings of movement unlike all others in the game. The onslaught of CC also allows him to lock down foes and further evade damage. 

2. ACHILLES: HERO OF HEROES

Achilles Reveal Trailer

    For a figure known far and wide for his greatest weakness, a figure who indeed has part of the human anatomy named after it, Achilles’s sure does not have an “Achilles’s Heel” in SMITE. Achilles is the purest form of a Warrior that has ever been introduced into the game. His kit and play style was designed to feel like the competent, powerful warrior of myth and it succeeds. Whether he is dodging your attacks, harrying your retreat, and bludgeoning you down Achilles makes his presence known as the greatest warrior of myth and pixels.

    Why Achilles is OP:

• He has great sustainability. His 2, Radiant Glory, is one of the best Warrior and Solo laner stims in the game. Popping this ability instantly gives him a scaling increase in power, additional protections, and CC reduction allowing him to weather much of the punishment an enemy god may be about to throw his way and return it with a sting. On top of the inherent buff this ability also allows him to heal off any abilities he hits while it is active. This ability therefore allows him to weather damage and recoup any lost health he may have. A skilled Achilles will pop this in response to an enemy offensive or in offense themself to bully the opponent out of lane since you can heal in the midst of pitched combat.
• He can barrage you with damage and evade you at the same time. Achilles, even when built defensively, can deal heavy damage due to the high base damage on his abilities and in his passive, Gift of the Gods, which at max rank grants him 6% movement speed 

1. APHRODITE: THE KISS OF DEATH

Aphrodite Reveal Trailer

   The Goddess of Love is perhaps one of the most underrated gods in all of SMITE, and has been for much of her long career. At first glance most people assume she is simply meant to augment another player since much of her kit can benefit whatever ally she is linked with and dismiss her as a power in her own right. But a savvy player should look past the surface level design of her kit and the gigantic breasts that were programmed on to her character model to see the real potential within.

Why Aphrodite is a great Mage:

• Her damage is massive, and unexpected. Her 2, Back Off, is a PBAoE that originates from both her and any linked teammate and can deal up to 320 base damage +80% of her magical power. Her 3, Love Birds, is perhaps the most unexpectedly painful ability in the game. Disguised under the guise of pink flapping doves this ability has a very long range, a wide, easy-to-hit targetter bar and deals massive DoT totaling for 385 base damage plus 105% of her magical power. Read that again. 105%. Keep in mind that is not DoT that enemies can dodge some part of, if they get hit they receive all 7 ticks.
• She’s very hard to kill. For a mage without an escape you might assume her to be one of the squishies characters in the game, and you would be mistaken. Aphrodite’s 1, Kiss, aside from being the way she links with allies is a long range, wide targetter, stun that can be shot through walls. Her 2 is a PBAoE that knocks any enemy away which can bat away pesky jungler’s or warriors. Her 3, aside from dealing massive damage, also heals her. And her ult, Undying Love, is a CC cleanse and grants a brief window of immunity from all damage. This means that all four of her abilities can be used to keep her alive and they are all on relatively quick cooldown.
• She is a massive force multiplier. Everything mentioned above can be coupled with another god making both Aphrodite and her ally incredibly hard to kill forces of destruction. When Aphrodite links to a teammate with her 1 she can then knock enemies off of them and damage them with her 2, heal them with her 3, and make them invulnerable with her ult. An Aphrodite paired with a competent ADC can reliably 2v5 an entire team if not countered correctly.

    Please note that the solo lane in SMITE is more matchup dependent than any other lane in SMITE. Since you will spend the bulk of your match squaring off directly with a single opponent it is important to observe your opponent’s draft to try and determine who you will be facing. It will also be important to competently build your items to bolster not only your god's strengths but to counteract the strengths of you are opposing. The top gods on this list are relatively robust and do not have any viable hard counters but certain characters can do better against them.

   I hope you enjoyed this piece and please feel free to drop a comment with your thoughts or questions.

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