Smite 2: Ares Build Guide - Open Beta 1

Ares, the Greek God of War, stands as one of the mightiest and most feared gods in Smite 2. As a guardian, Ares excels at locking down enemies, supporting his team with powerful crowd control, and turning the tide of battle with his high-impact abilities. Known for his aggressive playstyle and tanky resilience, Ares can dominate team fights and secure key objectives with his oppressive presence.

Lore Ares, driven by his insatiable lust for bloodshed and chaos, thrives in the heart of the battlefield. He is not a god who fights for justice or honor, but rather for the thrill of battle itself. As the embodiment of warfare, he relentlessly charges forward, mercilessly crushing any opposition. In Smite 2, his rage knows no bounds, making him a destructive force on the battleground.

Ares was always my favorite god in the first smite, and I've really enjoyed most of the changes he's received, so it's going to be really cool to talk about him.

For me, Ares is, and remains, one of the best supports in the game, he manages to bring a very unique control to the lane (especially at the start of the game), trapping enemies, slowing you down, silencing abilities and still doing a lot of damage!

One thing you need to bear in mind when playing Ares is that he has several development paths. It works with both protection and cooldown because of its passive. Ares is focused on magic damage, but that's not usually his focus. Try to give him protection, less cooldown and a lot of resistance, since he also works as a great tank, bringing even more control and dominance to the game.

Key Abilities

Shackles (1st Ability): Ares throws chains to bind his enemies, dealing damage over time and slowing them down. If a target is hit, Ares can chain them again, further hindering their movement and increasing his potential for disruption.

Call To Arms (2nd Ability): You and nearby allied gods gain Magical and Physical Protections and Basic Attack Damage. • Damaging enemy gods increases the duration and the effects of this buff.

Searing Flesh (3rd Ability): Ares releases a devastating cone of fire, dealing damage to all enemies in front of him. This ability is essential for applying pressure and pushing back foes during engagements.

No Escape (Ultimate): Ares’ iconic ultimate pulls all enemies caught in its radius toward him after a brief delay. This crowd-control ability can secure multiple kills in coordinated team fights, forcing enemies to use their escapes or suffer a devastating pull into his team.

After the skills, I'll try to talk a bit about the builds for Ares. The auto-builds are very well done for them, but for those who are already more experienced, you can and should create the builds manually to adapt to each match. As this guide is intended to help people who don't know the character that well, I'm going to focus on talking about auto-builds:

Active Support: It's the best build, since it's going to guarantee that you dominate the duo lane at the start of the game. As Ares is a support character, this build is the one that will most enhance his ADC support role.

Hybrid Tank: This build is an alternative to “active support”, the main difference is that it will enhance the protection aura of the character's passive and allow the character to deal more damage with the ADC in the duo lane

Bruiser: This is already a more risky build and requires even more skill from the player. Because it's a build that values the character's damage, it's used on solo lanes and is great for pressuring the enemy throughout the game, as Ares has great troop clearing and tower pressuring skills.

High Ability Damage: It's the most offensive build to use on Ares. It makes the “Searing Flesh” skill deadly. Like Build Bruiser, this build is also very tricky to play, as any wrong decision is certain death. Ares is very fragile, as his passive isn't as highly valued. Even so, it's a build that can work and is a lot of fun to play!

I believe that knowing this information, you can have a good gameplay with the character. Other things, such as positioning, when to start a team fight and when to attack other lanes, are acquired through training. So focus on practicing! I hope you find this guide useful.

With his combination of chain attacks, protection buffs, and unmatched crowd control, Ares is a formidable guardian who thrives on creating chaos and fear on the battlefield. His abilities reward a bold, fearless playstyle, making him an ideal pick for players who want to dominate through sheer power and aggression.

Ares is a powerful guardian in Smite 2, designed for players who enjoy dominating the battlefield with crowd control and initiating fights. With his high utility, Ares excels at protecting allies while punishing enemies who stray too close. His ability to chain enemies together and disrupt their mobility makes him a great pick for setting up devastating team fights. Whether you want to lock down opponents or bolster your team’s defenses, Ares offers a unique blend of offense and support that can turn the tide of battle.

Why Pick Ares?

• Skillful Play: Quite useful if you are capable of getting the Shackles right.
• Excellent Into Low CC Immunity Teams: When the enemy Gods have no big CC immune ults this basically guarantees a free beads burn or kill if hit with Ares ult
• Lockdown: Great at shutting down Gods who primarily focus on moving around quickly and getting in and out.

1. Strengths

• Exceptional Crowd Control: Ares’ Shackles and No Escape skills can immobilize and displace enemies, making it easier for your team to secure kills.
• Team Buffs: With Bolster Defenses, Ares significantly enhances the survivability of his team by increasing their defenses.
• Sustained Damage: Searing Flesh provides consistent area-of-effect magic damage, making Ares a threat even during prolonged fights.
• Durability: Ares’ immunity to knockback and crowd control during his ultimate makes him a reliable initiator who can withstand enemy counterplay.
• Synergistic Passive: Blessed Presence grants increased magic damage and bonus basic attack damage, scaling well with itemization and giving Ares surprising offensive potential.

2. Weaknesses

• Skill-Dependent: Ares heavily relies on landing his Shackles and No Escape to be effective. Missing these abilities reduces his impact in fights.
• Limited Mobility: Ares lacks escape tools, making him vulnerable to kiting and focused attacks when isolated from his team.
• Ultimate Counterplay: No Escape is powerful but predictable, giving enemies with purification abilities or mobility options a chance to evade.
• Mana Reliance: Ares’ abilities are costly, especially during extended engagements, requiring careful management of his mana pool.
• Item Dependency: While Blessed Presence boosts Ares’ damage, he requires key items to fully unlock his potential as both a tank and a damage dealer.

1. Ares Ability Leveling Order

#Solo: 3 -> 1 -> 2

• Shackles (ABILITY 1): 2-7-11-14-15
• Call To Arms (ABILITY 2): 3-12-16-18-19
• Searing Flesh (ABILITY 3): 1-4-6-8-10
• No Escape (ABILITY 4): 5-9-13-17-20

#Suppot: 2 -> 3 -> 1

• Shackles (ABILITY 1): 3-12-16-18-19
• Call To Arms (ABILITY 2): 1-4-6-8-10
• Searing Flesh (ABILITY 3): 2-7-11-14-15
• No Escape (ABILITY 4): 5-9-13-17-20

2. Ares Ability Combos:

• Skill 3 + Skill 1 + Skill 2.
• Skill 3 + Skill 4 + Skill 1 + Skill 2.

Ares can go Duo Lane – Support.

Ares has the ability to control from a distance thanks to his chain. Quickly upgrade the item to tier 3 to increase your power.

Ares, the embodiment of war and destruction, remains a relentless force in Smite 2. With his powerful crowd control and ability to turn the tide of battle, he plays a pivotal role in both offense and defense. His aggressive toolkit rewards those who are fearless and strategic, allowing players to disrupt enemy formations and create opportunities for their team.

For players seeking to dominate the battleground with raw strength and tactical precision, Ares is a top-tier guardian pick. His presence can shape the course of a match, making him a must-consider choice for any team composition looking to crush its opponents with calculated aggression.