Thanatos is a versatile assassin who’s equipped with a set of abilities that makes him a surefire threat in the jungle and while ambushing enemies in the mid and duo lanes. He might not be tanky and lacking when it comes to a dash move ability, but he can increase his movement speed and fly above the map with his ultimate. His ultimate also instantly executes any enemy with one hit as long as their HP is below the threshold, and Thanatos overall has increased passive penetration against tanky enemies. With all that said, here’s the rundown on how you can build Thanatos in Smite for competitive Conquest.
Building Thanatos in Smite for the Early Game
When it comes to the order that you put slots into your abilities, it will depend on your personal play style and what enemies you’re going up against. However, you should always put a point in your first ability at the start of the game and then put your next point in your third ability when you level up.
- Manakin Scepter – This is the default Jungler item by far, giving you +10 Basic Attack Damage and +10 Physical Protection. Your basic attacks are vital to your strategy and the added protection against jungle monsters and the enemy jungler is welcome. The passive ability is what really makes this item nasty, as it burns the enemy you hit, making take 16 physical damage +5% of your phsyical and magical power over 2 seconds and their attack speed is reduced by 4.5%. On top of that, when you eliminate a jungle monster, you regain 3% HP and 5% mana. This effect will also stack up to three times.
- Mace – This item simply adds +10 Physical Power, but will be upgraded later to a more impactful item.
Starting relics are personal preference and depend on the opposing team, but you’ll probably want to always go with the blink rune so you can instantly teleport in your target’s face to assassinate them when they least expect it. With your leftover starting money, get x2 multi potions and x1 healing potion. You can conserve your mana, but you’ll take some damage from jungle monsters so you’ll want to keep your HP at max before ganking enemies or just in case you run into the enemy jungler.
Building Thanatos in Smite for the Mid Game
As the mid-game rolls around and you’ve been able to farm enough gold, you’ll want to save up for the following items to continue strengthening your build:
- Jotunn’s Wrath (total 2,200 gold) – This is the first item you want to build to tier 3 because it gives you an all-around power boost in terms of +45 Physical Power, +10 physical Penetration, and +20% Cooldown. The increased cooldown will help you get off your abilities faster which is crucial to Thanatos’ movement ability and ultimate being online as much as possible. The extra +150% mana also helps you use your abilities more frequently.
- Hydra’s Lament (total 2,300 gold) – Next up, you’ll want to acquire this item to bring your cooldown up by +10% so you’ll be able to keep firing off your abilities as much as possible. Your physical power will be upped by a considerable +45 and your physical penetration increased by +10%. You’ll now be able to recover mana over time with +10 MP5, but most of all, you’ll want to take advantage of its passive. After using one of your abilities, your next basic attack within 8 seconds will do an additional 35% more damage, packing a significant punch.
- Bloodforge (total 2,750 gold) – At the end of the mid-game, you’ll need to save up a lot to get this item, but it will be well worth it. Now that you’re above level 10 with increased power and damage from your natural stats and previously bought items, this tier 3 Bloodforge will enhance Thanatos’ natural lifesteal by adding another +15%. Your physical power will be substantially boosted by +75 making you a high level threat from now on, and you’ll be able to move with an additional +5%. Finally, since other enemy characters will also be significantly stronger, you’ll need the passive from this item that forges a shield around you when you eliminate an enemy. The shield has 200 health + 10 per your level and gives you an additional +10% movement speed, perfect for chasing down more targets or escaping if you’re at a disadvantage.
With all of these items in your build, you’ll really be able to start wrecking the enemy team with all of your buffs. As you go back and forth from the fountain to shop for these items, you can also spare some gold to buy an additional healing or multi potion as you see fit. It’s always a good idea to pop a potion right before you enter a battle and immediately after.
Endgame Build for Thanatos in Conquest
In the endgame, you’ll want to be a valuable member of your team by being able to take out guardians and warriors from the opposing team, as well as hunters and mages. With this build, you’ll have more than enough damage to take them out quickly and efficiently, gaining back health with your abilities and an additional layer of protection with the bloodforge’s shield
However, if guardians and warriors on the opposing team are doing a great job of protecting their hunters and mages, or they’re giving your team constant problems, you’ll need to focus on taking them out first.
- Titan’s Bane (total 2,450 gold) – Starting with this weapon, you’ll be able to significantly damage guardians and warriors in the end game. The +55% physical power keeps your stats on par with everyone else’s, but the added +20% physical penetration this item brings will strike fear into guardians and warriors. On top of that, you have a passive that boosts your first ability’s penetration by an additional +20%, and then cools down for 6 seconds. Now your abilities will be felt by all enemies, regardless of their class and defense.
- Hydra’s Lament (total 2,300 gold) – Next up, you’ll want to acquire this item to bring your cooldown up by +10% so you’ll be able to keep firing off your abilities as much as possible. Your physical power will be upped by a considerable +45 and your physical penetration increased by +10%. You’ll now be able to recover mana over time with +10 MP5, but most of all, you’ll want to take advantage of its passive. After using one of your abilities, your next basic attack within 8 seconds will do an additional 35% more damage, packing a significant punch.
- Heartseeker (total 2,750 gold) – Another expensive item, this will be one of the last items you get since you’ll have to save up considerably for it. It buffs your character immensely with another +10% physical penetration and +65 physical power, but also helps make sure you have the resources to cast your abilities by giving you +200 mana and +20 MP5. Against guardians and warriors who build up large amounts of health, this item’s passive will help eliminate them faster. With Heartseeker, your abilities deal damage equal to 3% of the enemy’s maximum health as physical damage, and if you have over 200 physical power, this passive scales up to 6% at 350 power. There is some drop-off to 75% bonus damage over the next 3 seconds, but this boon is more than enough to cause ridiculous amounts of damage to tanky guardians and warriors.
- Manakin Hidden Blade (total 2,250 gold) – This should be the last item you buy since you need to be at level 20 in order to upgrade your manakin scepter to tier 2. This item balances out your build by adding +60 Physical Power, but it also grants +30 Physical Protection and +5 Damage Reduction that work well with your lifesteal. You won’t be tanky by any means, but this will help give you staying power and ensure you can fight multiple enemies who are all trying to damage you.
After completing this build, you’ll be ready to rock and roll to the final of your conquest match. Thanatos will be at his full potential and you’ll be an invaluable asset to your team’s composition. You can focus on your strategy and gameplay skills while enjoying this assassin’s playstyle. That does it for our recommended Thanatos build for Smite Conquest. If you’re thinking about trying out a mage, be sure to check out our Scylla build guide for Conquest.
Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more Smite content, including a rundown on how to get the PTS on consoles, as well as our ranking of the best gods in the game.
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