What to do as a Guardian
Still with us? Okay, now it’s time to learn a little more about what you actually should be doing as a Guardian on the many battlefields you’ll be facing in Smite.
One of your most important jobs is to set up a small roadblock in whichever lane you’re in. As we’ve said before, working in the longest lane possible is often the best way to go as you’ll be more capable of putting that hulk of yours to good use. You’ll be backed up by another character (hopefully) so you should be ripping your way through groups of opposing minions to weaken them for your comrade in arms. This isn’t incredibly necessary, but by weakening these gribbly little chaps enough for a hunter or warrior to tear them apart can benefit all parties in the long run.
This is especially true if you purchase the Watcher’s Gift item as a starter item. Mark of the Vanguard may be the start item that’s explicitly listed for tanks but don’t always pay this mind. By purchasing Watcher’s Gift and cutting down the health of minions to the bare minimum before your lane partner cuts them apart benefits you both greatly. Minions give more gold on the last hit so allowing your partner to get that mini gold injection will allow them to buy better weapons, that’s why you get Watcher’s Gift. Owning that means that any minions killed near you give you a last hit gold bonus no matter what. This benefits everyone in the long run because, to put it simply, money is power.
Speaking of not rushing for minion kills where possible, your job is also to assist whoever’s with you in killing the enemy. It’s likely you won’t have the power yourself to finish off an opposing god but your partner probably will (if they don’t, you may want to end the relationship). That injection of cash and experience from the player kill will vastly help your colleague more than yourself. It doesn’t mean that you sit back and watch. Help take them down, use the crowd control abilities at your disposal to take a few chunks out of that enemy before your brother or sister-in-arms goes for the killing blow.
This is also true for the buffs found in the Jungle of many modes. If your partner in crime requests assistance then you go help, but don’t take that buff. However much you want to be stronger it simply doesn’t matter when compared to the desire for strength pretty much any other character has. It also means when they come back to battle alongside you, they’re much more capable of taking out the opposition to give you a tasty assist. Really get behind the assists idea by taking the Hide of the Urchin item which grants additional protection on both kills and assists.
Last but by no means least of your essential tasks is getting the hell into the brawl. Even on ranged Guardian Hades, team-fights in Smite go much better when there’s a mass of meaty hit-points in the way. The crowd control and sustainability you’re likely to have at your disposal makes you a vital part of any team-fight. Just make sure to actually stick with the team and not run around like a headless chicken with a health-pool.
