Juking in Smite

One mechanic that plays into the skill gap is a proficiency in juking. In case this is your first introduction to the term juking, it equates to dodging basic attacks or abilities through the use of regular movement or movement abilities.

(Some jukes just look glorious)

The objectives and rewards of juking can be split up into a couple categories:

1. Running away

- Surviving
- Dying

2. Skirmishing (fighting)

- When you have no cooldowns and your enemy does
- When you have cooldowns and your enemy does as well

 

Running away and SURVIVING

You find yourself at a disadvantage (any combination of out of position, low health, low mana, no cooldowns, outnumbered) and need to run away. One strategy to be successful at surviving after extended juking is having a location or objective in mind that you need to get to. This can be teammates, towers, or a location on the map where less enemies will be. Once you have a destination, it's time to kick into high gear, as there are many things to consider at this point in time.

Are you faster than the god chasing you?

If so, juking will be easier and your main objective should be getting out of direct vision (turning corners in the jungle for example). If you're not faster than your pursuer, you should consider juking around your assailant and notify your team to assist you. You'll have to do your best to keep the enemy busy until your team arrives.

What abilities do they have available?

You should prioritize knowing what types of abilities are left for you to juke, be it a line ability like Ne Zha's Wind Fire Wheels or a location ability like Poseidon's Whirlpool. For line abilities you will have to side-step or fake in one direction and go in another. For location abilities you will most likely only be able to fake directions, as location abilities' hit ranges are larger than line abilities' hit ranges.

(Freya side-steps Ne Zha's Ultimate: Wind Fire Wheels)

Do you have any escape abilities?

If you have a dash like Agni's Path of Flames, you should find straightaways where you can gain distance between you and your pursuer. If you have a jump, such as Hun Batz's Somersault, you should focus on finding walls or terrain to jump over/through.

When will your escape abilities be up?

If your escape ability is on cooldown, you will need to employ side-step or circle juking until your ability is ready to be used again.

Are they ranged or melee?

If a melee god is close enough to damage/kill you, you'll be able to see them on your screen without turning around. If you're being chased by a ranged god, you'll have to rely on seeing their basic attacks and abilities, or minimap icons for indications on their position and distance to you. Turning around slows you down and can lead to your death.

Where are the other enemies located?

You want to avoid running into more enemies, as they tend to complicate things by surrounding and killing you.

(Arachne runs into the wrong web, huehue)

Running away and DYING

Yes, this is a category. Why? Because your team can actually benefit from the location you die at. How? If your death would lead to your team getting kills, towers, a gold fury, or a fire giant, your death was 'worth' it.

How do you get your team kills through you dying?

Let's say the whole enemy team is chasing you through the jungle and you're juking well in the direction of your teammates. Out of desperation, the enemy team uses many important cooldowns to kill you. Your team now has the cooldown advantage and the opportunity to turn your death into a couple kills or, at best, a deicide.

How does your team get a tower, gold fury, or fire giant through you dying?

Let's say multiple members of the enemy team set up a gank in the jungle and you're the target. Your team is off in their lanes or grouped somewhere farther away from you in the jungle. They say a couple nice words about your life and achievements after they tell you that you've been sacrificed. Your job is to stay alive as long as possible and waste as much of the enemies' time as possible. Every second the enemies aren't able to clear waves or defend objectives, your team has the freedom to take objectives like towers, gold fury, or fire giant.

 

Skirmishing when you have no cooldowns

You've either decided to commit to a skirmish while your abilities are on cooldown, or were forced into a skirmish by being out of position with enough health and mana to consider trying your luck. Your main objective is to juke until your cooldowns are up. If your god relies on a combo to maximize damage, you may want to consider waiting for more than your first cooldown if your health and mana will allow you to.

(Bakasura should juke until he has cooldowns)

If you've successfully juked their abilities and yours have now come off cooldown, you have turned a disadvantageous skirmish into an advantageous one. If they've saved their abilities, you're on even ground (assuming you're both even in gold and levels).

 

Skirmishing when you and your enemy have cooldowns

Your first option is to bait your enemy into using his abilities first. If you've juked the enemy's abilities, you're at an advantage and have the opporunity to put pressure on your enemy.

Your second option is to be aggressive. This would be a viable choice for a god with high burst through a combo. If you miss your combo, you'll probably have to juke your enemy's abilities while you're at a cooldown disadvantage.

 

Conclusion:

Juking will keep you alive when you'd otherwise die. Juking will let you make plays when you otherwise couldn't. If nothing else, you never want to be an easy kill. The more you can dodge, the easier the game will be.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any opinions or criticisms, leave them in the comments section below!