4.9 Smite
Smite is a unique and essential Summoner Spell primarily used by junglers in League of Legends. It's a combat ability that deals true damage to neutral monsters and minions, making it indispensable for securing jungle camps and crucial neutral objectives like Dragon and Baron Nashor.
Smite is a powerful tool that allows junglers to clear their jungle camps faster and more efficiently. Its true damage component ensures that it bypasses all resistances, making it a reliable way to secure objectives even when contested by enemy players. The spell has undergone several iterations, but its core function remains the same: to provide a decisive edge in jungle control and objective taking.
Smite's Primary Uses
Smite's utility is primarily focused on the jungle and objective control:
- Jungle Camp Clearing: Smite allows junglers to instantly defeat neutral monsters in their camps, granting them gold, experience, and buffs (like Red Buff or Blue Buff). This speeds up their jungle clear time significantly.
- Objective Securing: This is where Smite truly shines. When contesting Dragon, Rift Herald, or Baron Nashor, Smite is used to "steal" the objective from the enemy team by dealing a burst of true damage to it. A well-timed Smite can win your team a crucial objective.
- Minion Execution: While less common, Smite can also be used to execute low-health enemy minions in lane, securing gold that might otherwise be lost. This is typically a last resort or a desperation play.
Smite Upgrades and Variations
In modern League of Legends, Smite is typically upgraded through the jungle item. As junglers clear camps and complete quests, their Smite spell evolves:
- Chilling Smite: Applies a slow to an enemy champion and reduces their damage against you. Excellent for ganking and dueling.
- Challenging Smite: Reduces damage taken from the target enemy champion and applies a "bleed" effect that deals damage over time. Ideal for duelists and junglers who want to win 1v1s.
These upgrades provide additional combat utility beyond just objective securing, making the jungler more versatile.
Strategic Smite Usage
Effective Smite usage requires foresight and precision:
- Objective Smite Wars: When contesting Dragon or Baron, both junglers will often try to Smite the objective simultaneously. The jungler with the higher Smite damage or the better timing will secure it. Always be aware of the enemy jungler's Smite cooldown.
- Smite Timing: Smite deals a fixed amount of true damage. Knowing this damage value is crucial for timing your Smite to secure an objective before the enemy can.
- Smite Tracking: If you see the enemy jungler use Smite on a camp, you know their Smite is on cooldown, creating a window to contest objectives.
- Smite Baiting: Sometimes, you can "bait" the enemy jungler into using their Smite prematurely on a less important objective, leaving them vulnerable for a more critical one.
Smite is a fundamental tool for any jungler. Mastering its usage, understanding its upgrades, and employing strategic timing are essential for controlling the jungle and securing the objectives that lead to victory.