Smite 2: Thanatos Build Guides - Closed Alpha 8

Thanatos, the Hand of Death, is a fearsome Assassin in Smite 2, known for his high burst damage, strong execution potential, and ability to dominate the battlefield through his life-stealing abilities. As the God of Death, Thanatos excels at finishing off low-health enemies and snowballing early game advantages. His kit revolves around taking calculated risks, as he gains power from being near death and thrives on hunting down weakened foes.

1. Abilities Overview:

• Death Scythe: Thanatos hurls his scythe forward, dealing damage to enemies and healing himself based on the amount of damage dealt. This ability is essential for poking enemies and sustaining himself in combat, making it a core part of his early aggression.

• Scent of Death: Thanatos gains increased movement speed and physical penetration for a short time. If enemies are near death, they are revealed to him, allowing him to track and hunt them down with ease. This ability enhances his mobility and kill potential.

• Soul Reap: Thanatos swings his scythe in a wide arc, damaging and silencing enemies. This ability provides a solid area of effect (AoE) damage and disruption, silencing enemies to prevent them from using crucial abilities in team fights.

• Hovering Death (Ultimate): Thanatos ascends into the air, gaining immunity and the ability to dive onto low-health enemies, instantly executing them if they are below a health threshold. This iconic ultimate allows Thanatos to finish off fleeing enemies and turn fights in his favor.

2. Playstyle Tips:

• Early Game Dominance: Thanatos shines in the early game due to his high damage and sustain. Take advantage of his early burst potential by invading the enemy jungle, securing kills, and establishing control of objectives.
• Execution Specialist: Thanatos excels at cleaning up fights by finishing off low-health enemies. Use his Hovering Death ultimate to execute fleeing targets and turn the tide of battle.
• Life-Steal and Sustain: Thanatos has strong sustain with Death Scythe, allowing him to stay in the fight longer and maintain pressure. Look for opportunities to poke enemies and heal yourself before committing to full engagements.

Thanatos is a high-risk, high-reward Assassin who thrives on aggressive, calculated plays. His ability to execute enemies, combined with strong mobility and sustain, makes him a terror on the battlefield for those who master his timing and positioning.

Playing Thanatos in Smite 2 offers a thrilling, high-risk, high-reward experience for players who love aggressive, fast-paced gameplay. Here are key reasons to play Thanatos:

1. Strong Early Game Presence Thanatos is one of the most dominant early-game assassins. His abilities, particularly Death Scythe, provide high burst damage and sustain, allowing him to secure kills and establish jungle control early. His early pressure can snowball into a major advantage for his team, helping secure objectives and ganks.

2. Instant Execution Thanatos’ ultimate, Hovering Death, is a game-changing ability that allows him to execute low-health enemies instantly. This provides a unique edge, as Thanatos can easily eliminate fleeing enemies or turn fights by picking off weakened foes, ensuring teamfights go in your favor.

3. Sustain and Self-Healing With Death Scythe, Thanatos heals based on the damage dealt, giving him excellent sustain in fights and skirmishes. This ability allows him to stay in battles longer and win trades against opponents who don’t have self-healing, making him difficult to push out of the jungle or lane.

4. Mobility and Chase Potential Thanatos has fantastic mobility with Scent of Death, which gives him movement speed and physical penetration. This allows him to quickly chase down low-health enemies or escape dangerous situations. He can hunt down targets across the map with ease, making him an exceptional assassin for eliminating stragglers.

5. Snowballing Power Thanatos excels at snowballing from early kills, as his kit allows him to continuously put pressure on the map. If he gains an early advantage, he can easily overwhelm opponents and turn small leads into game-changing momentum. His execution power in teamfights keeps him relevant in the late game, especially when capitalizing on weakened foes.

6. High Burst Damage Thanatos is perfect for players who enjoy dishing out significant burst damage. His abilities hit hard, and he can easily delete squishy targets like mages or hunters. His presence on the battlefield forces enemies to play cautiously, knowing that he can swiftly finish them off.

Thanatos is ideal for players who enjoy aggressive, assassin-style gameplay with strong map control, early game dominance, and high kill potential. His ability to execute enemies and thrive in fast-paced situations makes him a rewarding choice for those who want to carry their team and enjoy playing on the edge.

1. Thanatos’ Strengths:

• High Burst Damage Thanatos excels at delivering high burst damage with his abilities, particularly Death Scythe, which deals significant damage while also healing him. His ability to delete squishy targets quickly makes him a lethal threat in 1v1 scenarios or when ganking lanes.

• Early Game Dominance Thanatos is one of the strongest early-game assassins in Smite 2. His damage and sustain allow him to secure kills, control the jungle, and put heavy pressure on enemies from the start. An early advantage can quickly snowball into complete map control.

• Instant Execution with Ultimate His Hovering Death ultimate gives him the unique ability to execute low-health enemies instantly. This not only makes Thanatos a dangerous finisher in teamfights but also allows him to pick off retreating opponents or secure objectives by eliminating key targets.

• Sustain and Self-Healing Thanatos has great sustain in fights due to the healing effect from Death Scythe. This allows him to stay in fights longer, especially in the early game when his sustain can outlast most other junglers and laners.

• High Mobility With Scent of Death, Thanatos gains increased movement speed and physical penetration, allowing him to quickly chase down low-health targets or escape from dangerous situations. This gives him strong roaming potential and the ability to move between objectives rapidly.

• Snowball Potential If Thanatos secures early kills, he can quickly snowball, turning his early game dominance into a mid-to-late-game threat. His ability to continuously put pressure on the enemy team through ganks and objective control makes him a terrifying presence.

2. Thanatos’ Weaknesses:

• High-Risk, High-Reward Playstyle Thanatos thrives on aggressive play, but this comes with risks. His kit rewards players who are able to secure kills and maintain momentum, but if he falls behind early or fails to execute properly, he can struggle to stay relevant later in the game.

• Ultimate Has Long Cooldown Hovering Death is a powerful ability, but it has a long cooldown, which means Thanatos must carefully choose when to use it. Wasting his ultimate or mistiming an execution can leave him vulnerable and unable to engage effectively in the next fight.

• Squishy and Vulnerable to Burst As an Assassin, Thanatos has low defenses and is highly vulnerable to burst damage or crowd control. If caught in a bad position or focused down by enemy abilities, he can be eliminated quickly, especially in the late game.

• Falls Off Late Game Thanatos is an early-to-mid game powerhouse, but his effectiveness drops in the late game. While his execution ultimate can still be useful, tankier enemies and well-coordinated teams can make it difficult for him to engage and survive long enough to make an impact.

• Dependent on Cooldowns Thanatos relies heavily on his abilities for damage and sustain. If his abilities are on cooldown or if he misses key abilities like Death Scythe, he can be left without options in a fight. Proper timing and accuracy are crucial to his success.

• Risky Engagements Due to his reliance on Death Scythe for sustain and healing, if Thanatos misses this ability in a crucial moment, he can quickly find himself low on health and unable to escape, making his engagements very high risk.

Thanatos is a powerful Assassin for players who love high-risk, high-reward gameplay and can thrive in fast-paced, early-game action. However, his squishiness, reliance on cooldowns, and tendency to fall off late-game make him a challenging pick that requires precision and aggressive yet calculated play.

• Death Scythe (ABILITY 1): 1-4-6-8-10
• Scent of Death (ABILITY 2): 2-8-11-12-14
• Soul Reap (ABILITY 3): 3-15-16-18-19
• Hovering Death (ABILITY 4): 5-9-13-17-20

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

Thanatos can go Jungle.

Thanatos needs to play aggressively from the start, using his ultimate as a tool to quickly finish off enemies or stun them.

In conclusion, Thanatos is an aggressive, high-burst Assassin in Smite 2 who excels at dominating the early game with his powerful execution potential and life-steal abilities. His ability to deliver devastating damage, sustain himself through healing, and instantly execute low-health enemies with his ultimate makes him a formidable presence on the battlefield. However, his high-risk, high-reward playstyle requires precision and careful timing, as he is vulnerable to crowd control and falls off in the late game if not ahead.

For players who enjoy fast-paced, early aggression and thrive on snowballing through kills, Thanatos is an exciting and rewarding pick.