As we come to the end of the first phase of the SPL, I want to take some time to reflect on the role of the Warrior class during the entire phase. Why? Because this class went from being a very straight-forward class that was used only on the solo lane or the support to being a super versatile class that can be used in almost every role in the match.

First of all, let's talk about the class as a whole. They are the one that focus on dealing a decent amount of damage while sustaining it as well. It's not only this, they may have different abilities that can aid the team, like extra speed or damage reduction, or that can annoy the other ones, like slows, stuns, etc. Built in a tanky way, they can endure a lot of damage, and build with a lot of power, they can become deadly killing machines, with really high damaging skills and base damage.

I'm going to talk specifically about the different Warriors that are available at the moment, and delve into the role that they have had throughout the entire phase of the SPL, and give them a grade from 1 to 10 on how impactful were they.

1. Achilles

One of the most impactful gods in the entire phase. The amount of damage, crowd control, and versatility that this character brings to the team is outstanding. These are the reasons why it was one of the most picked and banned gods in the professional scene, because with a good knowledge of it, people are able to make incredible plays (such as the Quadra Kill from fineokay). This Greek warrior had two main roles: solo and jungle. He had a remarkable performance in both positions, but his most influential one was definitely the short lane, where he brought control and most of the time won the laning phase. I give Achilles a 9/10, because he was great and appeared in 79 out of 296 games, making him the most picked Warrior of the phase.

2. Amaterasu.

This late-game god was used in a few games in the entire Phase, not because she is a bad god, but because the meta didn’t favor her. Brought to this phase mostly because of Benji, Nika, and Baskin, she was mostly a solo laner but also had some appearances as a support. I give Amaterasu a 6/10, not because she performed poorly, but rather because we didn’t see her that much.

3. Bellona.

Probably one of the most picked and successful warriors in the entire phase, mainly because she has a very dominant laning phase and can also be a great jungler if the opportunity and the team composition are right (although she was not used as a jungler this phase). She is one of the old and comfortable picks in this lane and, if she can snowball, it can be huge for the entire team, making her a great option.

4. Chaac.

Chaac is the safest pick if you want to go as a solo laner. He has great survivability and good clear, but as time goes by and the game progresses, his impact is very low. He was only used once in this entire phase and this is because even though he is viable, he doesn’t bring that much to the table, so pro players prefer to use different options in the lane. Unfortunately he gets a 2/10, because he was invisible and nobody wanted him.

5. Cu Chulainn.

It’s not that Cu Chu was not picked during that phase, but that he didn’t have a real impact on the game in this time. Even though he appeared once, it’s certain that he didn't do that much and wasn’t that relevant. Nevertheless, it’s important to say that he's always a viable pick and that he can be played at a competitive level. Due to this, he gets a 2/10.

6. Erlang Shen.

Erlang practically lost his role as a solo laner and became one of the best junglers of this phase, and it’s not because he wasn’t picked as a solo laner, but because 9 out of 10 times that he was on the pick/bans phase, we knew that he was going to be most likely on the jungle. As an overall grade, Erlang is going to have a 9/10, because he was part of most games in the SPL, about 76 out of 296, and was the second most picked Warrior, with the highest winning percentage in the jungle.

7. Guan Yu.

This particular Warrior was hardly picked, but he appeared on the competitive scene a few times. Mostly as a solo laner or a support (due to the amount of CC and sustain that he can bring to the table), but he wasn’t that relevant so far. As an overall grade, he gets a 3/10.

8. Hercules.

Good old Hercules. Once Jormungandr was available to play in ranked games and the SPL, Herc became a god that could significantly debuff him, due to the Jorm’s passive, and shred him into pieces. Of course, this wasn’t the only reason why Hercules was picked. As a support and a solo laner (or even as a jungler), he is very viable, making him a not-so-much but not-so-little pick. He gets a 6/10.

9. Horus.

One of the latest god releases, Horus was feared at first (the same thing happened to Set) and, as time went by, he started to lose this status when people learned how to deal with him. The few times he appeared in the SPL was as a support. This doesn’t mean that he didn’t have some great games, but rather that his impact was high at first and then slowly faded away. Due to this, it’s a 5/10.

10. King Arthur.

What can I say about Arthur… He was, without a doubt, the most picked/banned Warrior during the entire phase and with a good reason. Going 4v1 against pro players, killing two of them and surviving is an that neither accomplishment that gods nor players, I’m talking to you Variety, usually have. He was a mandatory ban and pick, and as time went by, with a couple of nerfs and different meta changes, he started losing the invaluable status that he had in the past. His role was strictly as a solo laner, and his impact was felt in any case. He is of course a 10/10, the most impactful Warrior of the entire first phase, not because he was the most picked Warrior, but because everytime he went through the banning phase, he had a real impact on teamfights and the game.


11. Nike.

Nike was one of the least picked warriors of this phase. Even though she has a huge passive that benefits the entire team, her impact on the professional scene was 0. She gets a 1/10.

12. Odin.

Only used once on this first phase, Odin didn't do much in the SPL, he was picked by Variety against Jormungandr, and was a lost match for the team. Not much I can say about him. He’ll get a 2/10 just because he appeared once.

13. Osiris.

He’ll always be a good pick in the solo lane, and he was in fact picked a couple times in the SPL, but this doesn’t mean that he is one of the top-tier gods. He is just a normal god that can be played if the situation and the team composition are correct. Overall, I’ll give him a 6/10 due to the number of appearances he had and the good games that people had with him, making him one of the most viable Warrior solo laners in this phase.

14. Sun Wukong.

Like Osiris, this is a good pick for the solo lane (although Oceans used him in the middle lane once), but it’s not a game changer. He’s not someone that you want to prefer over Arthur or Achilles, but rather someone that is viable and can help the team. He is a Warrior that causes buzz and this can help peel or initiate, and this can always be very good. He will get a 4/10.

15. Tyr.

With 3 appearances, he was hardly picked. Tyr is not someone that you usually see in the SPL, and his role in the solo lane was eclipsed by top-tier gods such as the ones above who had a 7+ as a final grade. He gets a 3/10.

16. Vamana.

Used twice in the jungle and the rest as a solo laner, Vamana had a bit more attention than gods like Tyr, SWK or Nike. He was a part of 7 different games, but his versatility, sustain, and abilities made him a good pick this few games. H wasn’t the most valuable god, but his final grade is a 5/10.

You have reached now the end of the article. We have analyzed briefly each one of the 16 different Warriors that Smite currently has, and how important were they on the professional scene these past months. Remember, the SPL has still a lot to offer (like MSI Invitational) in the following Phases, so be sure to stay tuned and keep on playing!

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