For those interested in traversing the shadows with Chernobog, this build guide will give you the best chance to dominate the duo-lane and sweep the late-game competition.
Everyone’s Favorite
Items: Warrior’s Tabi, Transcendence, The Crusher, Jotunn’s Wrath, Deathbringer, and Qin’s Sais
Basic Attack - 378 Physical Power - 290 Attack Speed - 1. 61 Penetration - 15% Critical Chance - 25%
This build starts off with you purchasing Transcendence. This item gives you a healthy reserve of mana for the abilities, namely your Crystallized Curses and Vicious Barrage.
Once you’ve finished Transcendence, you’ll want to purchase The Crusher. This item gives you a much-needed attack speed boost, and when you activate Vicious Barrage, you’ll have your standard attack speed increased all the way up to 2.27 for five seconds.
Following The Crusher, you’ll want to work on finishing Jotunn’s Wraith to increase your mana pool, but more importantly, you’ll receive an increased cooldown on all of your abilities. This item allows you to optimize Vicious Barrage because it remains activated for five seconds and only goes on cooldown for eight seconds.
This means you only have a 1.61 attack speed as you wait for Vicious Barrage to return off cooldown. You’ll have to be on your guard during this time!
You’ll want to reserve purchasing Qin’s Sais until later in the game, making it your second-to-last item. This way, you can use this item’s passive far more effectively. It gives you bonus damage against any opponent with over 2,000 health. This grants you the opportunity to capitalize on your tankier opponents finishing their builds as the game draws closer to the end.
The last item you’re going to want to purchase is Deathbringer, a standard final item favored by many hunters to round themselves out. You’ll receive a boost to your critical chance and physical power, making you a formidable opponent during team fights.
One reason this standard build is favored by hunters is the way they can change out their items during the game based on how their opponents build. An example for this is being able to swap out The Crusher for Titan’s Bane if you’re having trouble taking down the most defensive of tanks. The drawback is you’ll lower your attack speed, and Vicious Barrage will cap at 2.08 a second, but you’ll penetrate through physical armor far more easily.
Additionally, you can also swap out The Crusher for Brawler’s Beat Stick if an opponent’s healing causes you and your team problems.
While this build strays close to the nearly standard hunter build everyone uses, it works for Chernobog exceptionally well, especially when he’s facing down sturdy guardians and warriors looking to make short work of him.
Knock Out the Squishes
Items: Warrior’s Tabi, Transcendence, Asi, Deathbringer, Malice, and Wind Demon
Basic Attack - 334 Physical Power - 246 Attack Speed - 1. 61 Penetration - 10% Critical Chance - 70%
Did your opposing team plan to outdamage you at every turn? Optimize on how few of them will have defensive items with this build. This time around, you’re going to focus on boosting Chernobog’s critical chance up and rely even more on your basic attacks.
You won’t notice too big of a change yet because you’re going to stick with Warrior’s Tabi and Trascendence for your first items. After you finish building those, instead of The Crusher, grab Asi and you’ll find yourself with a decent amount of lifesteal.
Because Asi doesn’t give you the biggest amount of lifesteal, you’ll want to pull away from an engagement as quickly as you can if things start to go sour. Don’t get overconfident.
Following Asi, you’ll want to start working towards buying Wind Demon. With this equipped, your basic attacks will start hitting more frequently, and you’ll see these attacks have a small chance to land a critical. Also, for those wondering, you’re buying Wind Demon for its important passive, which increases your attack and movement speed each time you land a critical strike. Unfortunately, Wind Demon’s passive doesn’t matter all too much until you’ve purchased your last item.
Once you’re finished with Wind Demon, pick up Malice, and then your final item should be Deathbringer. You’ll see that at this point you’ve arrived at 70% critical chance to absolutely decimate any squishy opponent you line up in your sights. Remember Wind Demon’s passive? When you combine this passive with Vicious Barrage, you’re going to see your basic attack rise to 2.46.
For those planning on using this build, make sure you’re staying ahead of your opponents and not getting caught out too much. Stay close to your team and keep your wards active!
Knowing the enemy’s location is the key to every good victory.
Crack the Armor
Items: Warrior’s Tabi, Devourer’s Gauntlet, Jotunn’s Wrath, The Crusher, Wind Demon, and Bloodforge
Basic Attack - 368 Physical Power - 280 Attack Speed - 1. 56 Penetration - 25% Critical Chance - 20%
You’re in a new match and your opponents have chosen to create a tankier team with high defenses. Starting to sweat? Nonsense! Time to break through their armor and make short work of them.
This time around, you’re not going to build Transcendence. Instead, you’re going to go for Devourer’s Gauntlet and stack lifesteal. This item remains a favorite to many as you can stay in the fight far longer than those who build Transcendence; however, it doesn’t offer as much physical power.
When you’ve finished purchasing Devourer’s Gauntlet and Warrior’s Tabi, pick up Jotunn’s Wrath. You’ll want to do this for the physical armor penetration and to help make up for the lost mana you’re going to experience. Because you won’t have as much mana to work with as you did in the previous builds, you’ll want to make sure you’re not firing your abilities off from the hip and hoping they hit. Watch your mana pool much more closely, and make your abilities count!
After Jotunn’s Wrath, grab The Crusher. You’ll want this item for the same reason you have it in the first build: to increase your attack speed and also have a healthy reserve of armor penetration.
Because Chernobog is a hunter, you’re going to need a critical chance item. Of all the items you can purchase to increase your critical chance, you’re going to want to go with Wind Demon. While Deathbringer and Malice can provide Chernobog with some excellent passives, Wind Demon’s passive of increasing his basic attack and movement speed gives you the most benefit.
The final item you’re going to get to finish up this build is Bloodforge. This item boosts how much lifesteal you receive and increases your physical power by an incredible amount. Additionally, each time you take out an enemy god, you’ll receive a shield around yourself that provides you with an aura of protection, and you receive a boost to your movement speed. With Bloodforge in your back pocket, you should make it to the enemy’s titan in no time.
And there you have it. These Chernobog builds should serve you well in the Battleground of the Gods. Do you have any build suggestions for Chernobog or any other gods from SMITE? Share your thoughts in the comments below with other SMITE fans here on GameSkinny.
