Welcome to the jungle, we’ve got fun and ganks. Though every role in Conquest may dabble in the jungle in SMITE its true masters are the Assassin class. Assassins most often fill the role of jungler in SMITE. It is an immensely impactful role that requires managing buff camps, jumping between lanes, and of course ganking. Jungling is likely the most difficult role in the game as it requires management of more resources than any other role and instead of being responsible for a single lane junglers must exert their presence across the entire map. The key way in which junglers exert themselves is providing ganks, or surprise ambushes, on unsuspecting enemy gods to give their teammates an advantage in lane. Not unlike a shot of Jäegermesiter, a skilled jungler will move fast, hit unexpectedly, and leave your head spinning. 

    As with every class and role in a MOBA with over 100 gods in the roster there are certain Assassins that simply outperform the rest. If you want to truly dominate the jungle and leave the enemy team reporting you out of spite you should play, learn, and master the following gods. The Assassin is one of the most fun classes in SMITE if played properly as it often results in high kills and requires an intelligent, evasive playstyle. The following gods come equipped with some of the best tools in the game to execute this.

5. PELE: MOANA, MAKE WAY

Pele Reveal Trailer

    This goddess is a little more frightening than Disney’s animated movie would have you believe. She was the first Polynesian goddess to be added to the game and has been one of the most relevant and fun characters on the roster ever since. Pele mixes excellent map mobility with both auto-attack and ability damage and has a solid amount of CC as well. She is perhaps one of the more well-rounded Assassins in the game.

    Why Pele is a great Assassin:

• She has some of the best, consistent map mobility in the game. Her 3, Magma Rush, allows her to channel lava into the ground around her causing PBAoE damage to any enemies nearby and substantially increases her movement speed. This ability is unique because it has its own consumption bar and does not rely on Pele’s mana bar; proper management of this ability can allow her to rotate around the map far faster than the enemy jungler. It can also be flared for bonus damage and higher speed at the cost of faster consumption.
• She is hard to kill. Due to her passive, Everlasting Flame, Pele gets a burst of additional lifesteal when low health allowing her to return from the brink of death with well placed abilities and since her 3 is a PBAoE she steals health from any enemies nearby. Her 2, Eruption, is a PBAoE knock up that is a very reliable form of CC. Aside from being a great initiator this ability can be very useful when fleeing a fight as it will halt enemy gods in their tracks.
• She has very high damage with greater range than most Assassins. Her 1, Pyroclast, allows her to shoot two balls of magma directly in front of her at substantial range. These balls deal damage on the way out and when they begin breaking apart and returning to her. This allows a skilled Pele to create a difficult to escape field of fiery damage. Her ult, Volcanic Lightning, launches Pele forward in a long dash and slams her into an enemy. This ability has a greater range than most dashes and jumps in the game making it perfect for chasing down a fleeing enemy or ganking an enemy backline. After using the ult her next three auto-attacks will shoot cones of lightning piercing all enemies nearby and giving her even greater range.

4. HUN BATZ: MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO(MINATE)

Hun Batz Reveal Trailer

    Hun Batz, though he may look unsuspecting (what’s a chimp amongst gods), is perhaps one of the most disrupting Assassins in the game and a jungler who is highly effective at all stages of a match. Beyond having the best taunts in the game he has excellent mobility, insane damage, and perhaps one of the best ults in the game. It's worth playing him just to spam taunts at your enemies. But seriously, if you haven’t used his taunts before stop reading this article, go spam, come back, finish reading it.

    Why Hun Batz is a great Assassin:

• Monkeys are quite mobile in the jungle. His 1, Somersault, is a very rapid, moderate range leap that can be used for escapes over jungle walls or in chasing down enemies. It also slows any enemies struck allowing Hun Batz to harry them with attacks while they attempt to flee. His 3, Sacred Monkey, throws a long range monkey that, if it hits, will bounce from target to target dealing damage but its most useful facet is that Hun Batz can reactivate the ability to instantly teleport to the last target hit. This allows the monkey to have unexpected erratic movement and to raid enemy gods hiding in the back line.
• He deals brutal amounts of damage. Due to his passive, Infused Strikes, after using an ability Hun Batz next auto-attack will deal additional damage. When paired with crit items this can allow him to jump or teleport to an enemy and take them down in several swift blows. His 2, Overhead Smash, is a wide cone ability that is one of the highest damaging normal abilities in the Assassin class. When paired together with his 1 and 3 these abilities deliver a staggering amount of burst damage that can wipe a squishy enemy before they know what hit them.
• His ult. As stated above his ult, Fear No Evil, is one of the most effective abilities in the game, none are more disruptive. His ult allows him to slam a drum onto the map at a location of his choosing and it fears all enemy gods in a wide radius away from it while dealing DoT. This ability is cast nearly instantly, is impossible to dodge, and can easily encompass an entire enemy team. It is excellent in nearly all situations as it causes complete CC and so can be used to initiate, to counteract, or to even cleverly force enemy gods into more dangerous territory. The worst feeling in the world is getting feared directly into a wall while a Hun Batz beats away at your backside with his staff. Unless… you know… you’re into that sort of thing. No shame here.

3. SUSANO: HERO OF THE STORM

Susano Reveal Trailer

    Susano is hands down one of the most frustrating junglers to face in a Conquest match. He sticks to you better than most gods but he’s also impossible to catch. His kit allows him to zip in and out, drop devastating damage, and never let a kill escape. He deals high damage, has great mobility, and has a surprising amount of CC for an assassin. Many a keyboard has met its demise beneath the furious fists of the player who is repeatedly ganked by a skilled Susano. 

    Why Susano is a great Assassin:

• He clings to you. Susano’s 1, Storm Kata, comes in three sequential damaging forms: a cone attack, a PBAoE, and a dash. Between any of these he can auto-attack and cycle back to the next ability. This lets a skilled Susano hit you several times then dash after you when you attempt to escape. Should you escape his immediate range his 2, Wind Siphon, allows him to yank you back to him with a relatively long range and easy to hit target cone. If by some miracle you evade him through both of these abilities he still has his 3, Jet Stream, in his back pocket. This ability allows him to jump to a target location or whatever god has been hit by the ability. It is damn near impossible to flee from this god.
• He has many modes of damage, and they all hurt. As mentioned before his 1 can hit you 3 times (up to 350+125% of your physical power). His 2, though primarily a pull, also deals mild damage (up to 180+60% of your physical power). His 3 clings to you dealing DoT (up to 240+100% of your physical power). And his ult, Typhoon, which is a large tornado that he charges then launches forward can utterly flatten an entire enemy team (up to 475+125% of your physical power). And due to the aforementioned clinginess of an overprotective significant other he can pepper you with auto-attacks between his punishing abilities.
• His CC and movement are frustrating to face. He has a slow, a knock up and a pull which he can employ to continually disrupt an enemy team. Built right into his kit is both a dash and a blink where most gods find themselves lucky to have just a single movement ability. His evasiveness causes many a missed skillshot.

2. THOR: LET’S GET HAMMERED?

Thor Reveal Trailer

    Thor has been a quintessential jungler since SMITE’s launch. While god kits have gone further and further afield as the game has pushed well over the 100 god mark Thor’s kit is almost an artifact of the game’s humble origins. It is simple, it is effective, and it is powerful. Thor is perhaps one of the most well-represented gods in all of modern culture and he is almost universally depicted as a thick-skulled bruiser and in SMITE he does not disappoint. The mechanics of Thor’s kit will always be relevant no matter how the game is balanced and are very unlikely to change due to him being a flagship character.

    Why Thor is OP:

• He has some of the best mobility in the game and it is particularly suited to ganking. Thor’s 1, Mjolnir’s Attunement, beyond being a very powerful offensive attack, allows him to throw his hammer and, if reactivated, teleport to its location. Due to the Mjolnir’s long range he can jump quite a distance nearly instantly, teleport through walls, and immediately close the gap on an enemy god who he has struck with the hammer. Thor’s ult, Anvil of Dawn, is the ultimate ganking ult. When activated Thor rockets into the sky and can then choose a target location anywhere within a very long range to come crashing to the earth. This ult allows for incredible surprise attacks, as enemies are not often looking at the sky, and also allows him to travel great distances across the map in a very short period of time.
• His damage is very high and longer ranged than most assassins. His 1, as mentioned above, though it has a narrow targeter has a very long range and deals 3x damage if you strike an enemy god with it twice on the same throw. This allows Thor players with excellent aim to blow up any fleeing enemy god. Similarly his ult also deals devastating damage with an extreme range. And both of these abilities can let Thor rapidly close the gap to deal the rest of his damage in his 3, Beserker’s Barrage. This ability is a PBAoE hammer spin that deals incredible damage to any enemies in close proximity to Thor. Lastly Thor’s passive, Warrior’s Madness, gives him bonus physical power when close to enemy gods which lends him additional punch for his 3 and his auto-attacks. 
• His CC is game-changing and incredibly potent in both team fights and 1 on 1’s. Thor’s 2, Tectonic Rift, is perhaps the most underrated part of his kit to new players but it is the glue that holds the rest of his kit together and escalates him to the upper levels of assassin play. Thor’s 2 allows him to slam the ground and create a long, impassable wall that stuns any enemy that it strikes. This is a quick-activation stun that can stop enemies mid-ability or escape but it also allows Thor to control enemy movement by putting a barrier between them and allies or an escape path. A canny Thor can use this to save allies, split an enemy team, and even funnel enemies into certain death.

1. DA JI: CHAINS AND CLAWS EXCITE ME

Da Ji Reveal Trailer

    Da Ji, aside from being a BDSM trigger, has one of the most unique kits in the assassin class and one that is built to excel in the jungling role. Her jungle clear is fast, her gank and chase is reliable, and her ult is one of the best in the game for team fights or escaping. 

    Why Da Ji is OP:

• She has reliable burst damage. Da Ji’s passive, Torture Blades, and her 1, Horrible Burns, both inflict devastating DoT with a simple touch (read: auto-attack). And even though auto attacks are close range…
• She’s one of the best assassins in the game for closing the gap on a foe. Her 3, Trickster Spirit, is an unmissable teleport to a foe that allows her to follow up with a quick application of her basic attacks and damaging abilities. 
• Her ult is very hard to escape and is great in pitched team fights. Her ult, Paolao, allows a savvy wielder to snap chains on enemies within a moderate range and yank them into a damaging pillar. If communicated correctly this ability allows a team to dump all their damage into a single spot and potentially wipe even the tankiest team. Oh and even if you don’t pull off a team yank this ability is great for burning enemy Purification Beads or for providing a safe escape.

    As always we’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts on these rankings. Please remember that due to the large cast of gods in SMITE and their unique kits and abilities it is often possible for certain players to be extremely skilled in one god or another, even if they are not ranked among the upper echelons of characters. This list was crafted with the general player base in mind and mastering these Assassins will almost certainly dramatically increase your effectiveness in Conquest.

Please note that this list is crafted primarily with the gods’ kits in mind and their unique mechanics/playstyle. Less emphasis is placed on item utilization since item balance tends to swing more erratically within a particular season’s meta and drastically over the life of the game. God kit designs on the other hand tend to be only minorly tweaked and are rarely completely changed. Mastering the below listed gods, while they may not always be the absolute top performers, will give you a roster of solidly performing gods no matter where the meta shifts.

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