Chronos, the Keeper of Time, is a versatile and powerful mage in Smite, known for his ability to manipulate time. With his unique skills, he can slow enemies, rewind his own state, and accelerate allies, making him a strategic asset in team compositions. Chronos excels at controlling the flow of battle, making him a formidable pick for players who enjoy both offensive and defensive playstyles. His strong early-game presence and late-game scaling ensure he remains relevant throughout the match.
1.1 Overview of Chronos in Smite
Chronos, the Greek god of time, is a highly versatile mage in Smite, capable of manipulating time to control battles. His abilities include Rewind, which resets his position and cooldowns, Stop Time to pause enemies, and Time Rift to slow foes. Chronos excels at both dealing magical damage and providing utility, making him a strong pick in competitive play. His ultimate, Accelerate, enhances allies’ movement and attack speed, solidifying his role as a strategic team asset. Chronos is beloved for his unique playstyle and high impact in team fights.
1.2 Importance of Chronos in Team Composition
Chronos brings unparalleled utility to any team, making him a valuable pick in competitive play. His ability to control time allows for game-changing plays, such as pausing enemies or accelerating allies. Chronos excels at setting up kills and protecting teammates, making him a crucial asset for both offensive and defensive strategies. His ultimate, Accelerate, can turn the tide of team fights, while his crowd control ensures enemies are easily picked off. Chronos’ versatility and impact make him a cornerstone of many successful team compositions in Smite.
Abilities Breakdown
Chronos wields time-manipulating abilities, including Rewind, Stop Time, Time Rift, and Accelerate. These skills allow him to rewind his state, pause enemies, and speed up allies, making him a formidable time controller in Smite.
2.1 Passive Ability ⎻ Rewind
Chronos’s passive, Rewind, allows him to travel back in time to his position 8 seconds prior, restoring his health and mana to their previous values. All cooldowns are instantly reset, enabling quick retries of failed engagements or escapes. This ability is crucial for survivability and flexibility, making Chronos highly resilient in lane and teamfights. Proper use of Rewind can turn the tide of battle, as it essentially gives him a second chance to reposition or retry a strategy. Mastering Rewind is key to maximizing Chronos’s effectiveness in any matchup.
2.2 Active Abilities ⎻ Stop Time, Time Rift, and Accelerate
Chronos’s active abilities define his gameplay. Stop Time, his ultimate, freezes all enemies in a radius, making them vulnerable to attacks. Time Rift deals damage and slows enemies, allowing Chronos to kite or chase effectively. Accelerate buffs allies, increasing their movement and attack speed while slowing foes. These abilities synergize to control battles, enabling Chronos to dictate the pace and outmaneuver opponents. Proper timing of these skills is essential for maximizing their impact in both offensive and defensive scenarios.
Builds for Chronos
Chronos’s builds are adaptive, focusing on magical damage and utility. Starting with Sands of Time and Spellbook, core items include Chronos Pendant and Polynomicon. Situational picks like Divine Ruin or Calamitous Rod of Tahuti enhance his late-game impact.
3.1 Starting Items
Chronos’s starting items are crucial for early-game sustain and utility. Begin with Healing Potion and Mana Potion for health and mana replenishment. Spellbook provides early magical damage, while Sands of Time grants cooldown reduction and mana. Purification Beads offer protection against crowd control. These items ensure Chronos can harass, last-hit, and stay active in the lane without frequent returns to base, setting him up for a strong mid-game transition.
3.2 Core Items
Chronos’s core items are essential for maximizing his magical damage and ability utility. Chronos Pendant is a foundational item, providing cooldown reduction and mana sustainability. Polynomicon is crucial for enhancing his magical damage and ability spamming. Doom Orb adds penetration and damage, while Rod of Tahuti or Book of Thoth amplifies his ability power. These items synergize to make Chronos a formidable force, capable of dealing consistent damage and controlling team fights effectively throughout the match.
3.3 Situational Items
Situational items for Chronos adapt to specific match needs. Divine Ruin counters healing-based enemies, while Gem of Focus enhances ability damage and reduces cooldowns. The Alternate Timeline is ideal for mana-heavy playstyles, offering sustain. Spear of the Gods provides utility against tanky foes, and Ethereal Staff boosts burst potential. These items allow Chronos to flex his build based on the enemy team’s composition and the flow of the game, ensuring versatility in different scenarios.
Playstyle and Strategy
Chronos excels as a controller or support, using time manipulation to outmaneuver foes. His abilities enable aggressive early-game plays, strategic mid-game roaming, and impactful late-game teamfighting, ensuring consistent pressure and utility across all phases, while managing mana efficiently to maximize his temporal influence.
4.1 Early Game Strategy
Chronos excels in the early game by controlling the pace with his abilities. Start with items like Healing Potion, Mana Potion, and Spellbook to sustain in lane. Use Time Rift to clear waves and harass enemies, while Accelerate helps you push lanes or escape. Focus on managing your mana to frequently use Stop Time for aggressive plays or defensive needs. Position yourself to secure kills or assists, and engage in early team fights to gain an advantage. This setup primes you for a strong mid-game transition.
4.2 Mid to Late Game Transitions
As the game progresses, Chronos transitions into a pivotal role by enhancing team mobility and control. Focus on rotating to key objectives like towers and Phoenixes, using Accelerate to propel allies. Engage in team fights by initiating with Stop Time, followed by Time Rift to lock down enemies. Transition into building items like Polynomicon and Pendulum of Ages for increased magical damage and ability power. Position yourself to secure kills while maintaining spatial awareness to avoid dangerous ultimate abilities from enemies. This phase sets the stage for dominating late-game teamfights.
4.3 Combo and Rotation Guide
Chronos’s combo revolves around maximizing his ability to control and damage enemies. Start by initiating with Stop Time, freezing enemies in place. Immediately follow up with Time Rift to deal damage and apply a slow. While enemies are slowed, use auto-attacks to secure kills. For extended combos, use Accelerate to chase down fleeing targets or reposition quickly. Rotate between these abilities to maintain pressure and capitalize on enemy mispositions. Practice this sequence in practice mode to master the timing and impact of each ability in sequence.
Teamfighting and Positioning
Chronos excels in teamfights by strategically positioning at the fringes, using his abilities to control key areas, protect allies, and focus on high-value targets while avoiding direct confrontations.
5.1 Engaging and Disengaging Techniques
Chronos should initiate teamfights by using Stop Time to lock down enemies, creating opportunities for allies to engage. Position yourself at the edge of the fight to avoid taking unnecessary damage. Use Accelerate to boost allies’ movement speed, helping them close gaps or retreat safely. When disengaging, utilize Time Rift to slow pursuers and create distance. Always prioritize protecting your carries while controlling key chokepoints to dictate the pace of the battle effectively.
5.2 Using Ultimate Effectively
Chronos’s ultimate ability, Stop Time, is a game-changer in teamfights. Use it to initiate by freezing enemies, allowing your team to secure kills or escape dangerous situations. Aim to target high-priority enemies like healers or carries. After activating, reposition quickly to avoid taking damage once time resumes. Also, use it to interrupt ultimates or channeling abilities, turning the tide in your favor. Proper timing and positioning with Stop Time can make Chronos a pivotal figure in any engagement.
Synergy with Other Gods
Chronos excels with gods who thrive in team fights and benefit from his time manipulation. Allies like Athena, Anhur, and Geb can set up kills, while he provides crowd control and utility to amplify their impact, creating powerful synergies that dominate the battlefield.
6.1 Best Allies for Chronos
Chronos thrives alongside gods who excel in initiation, crowd control, or burst damage. Athena and Geb provide exceptional tankiness and protection, allowing Chronos to safely cast his abilities. Anhur and Skadi offer strong engage and burst potential, which Chronos can amplify with his Stop Time and Time Rift. Additionally, healers like Hel or Aphrodite can sustain him in prolonged fights, while assassins like Loki or Mercury benefit from his Accelerate to quickly close gaps and secure kills.
Chronos struggles against gods with strong silences or nullifiers, as these can disrupt his ability to cast spells. High mobility assassins like Loki or Mercury can easily close gaps and burst him down due to his lack of escape tools. Anti-heal gods such as Apollo or Hera can mitigate his healing from REWIND, reducing his sustainability. Additionally, gods with strong initiation or dive potential, like Thor or Camazotz, can overwhelm him in the early game before he gains momentum.
Expert Insights and Advanced Tips
6.2 Counters and Weaknesses
Chronos is vulnerable to nullifiers and silences, which disrupt his spellcasting. High mobility assassins like Loki and Mercury can easily close gaps. Anti-heal gods reduce his sustain.
7.1 Pro Player Strategies
Professional players emphasize mastering Chronos’ combo rotations, particularly using Stop Time and Time Rift for maximum damage. Positioning during team fights is critical, as his ultimate can turn the tide. Pros often prioritize resetting cooldowns with Rewind to maintain pressure. Effective use of Accelerate on allies or objectives separates good players from great ones. Managing mana and timing abilities to disrupt enemies while protecting the team is key. High-level play revolves around precise timing and spatial awareness.
7.2 High-Level Mechanics and Tricks
Advanced players exploit Chronos’ Rewind by timing it precisely to reset cooldowns during critical moments. Combining Accelerate with Stop Time creates devastating slows, allowing allies to secure kills. Expert manipulation of Time Rift zones forces enemies into unfavorable positions. High-level play involves clever use of Rewind to bypass crowd control and reposition. Seasoned players also use Accelerate on objectives like Phoenix or Titans to accelerate pushes. Mastering these mechanics transforms Chronos into an unparalleled controller and game-changer in high-stakes matches.
Chronos, the master of time, offers a rewarding experience for players who value strategic depth and versatility. His unique abilities make him a powerful asset in any match.
8.1 Final Thoughts on Playing Chronos
Chronos is a highly rewarding god for players who enjoy manipulating time and controlling the battlefield. His ability to rewind, speed up, and stop time makes him a versatile pick. With proper timing and positioning, Chronos can dominate games, especially in the late stages. His ultimate ability, Stop Time, is a game-changer in team fights. Mastering his combos and cooldowns will elevate your gameplay, making him a powerful addition to any team composition. Patience and practice are key to unlocking his full potential.
