Smite is a free-to-play third-person MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game that launched way back in 2014 on Windows PC. Since then, it has made its way to home consoles and has sustained itself with a passionate audience of fans and a relatively well-paced Battle Pass experience.
The game focuses on players choosing gods from various mythological pantheons from around the globe to duke it out in various game modes. It has five classes of character, those being Mage, Assassin, Guardian, Hunter, and Warrior. The Mage class general provides the highest damage output in the game and has famous figures such as Merlin, Zeus, Poseidon, among others.
8 Raijin
Some people would argue that Smite is a game that requires you to find a certain rhythm or cadence to be most effective. Raijin is the Japanese God of Thunder and uses drums in Smite to effectively dole out shocking amounts of damage. A Mage like Raijin who can lower the cooldown of his own abilities will always be useful.
The thing that makes him unique and viable is that his ultimate allows him to either deal 100 percent damage, push enemies away, or pull them towards him. If used effectively, his ability alone can dictate how a team fight plays out and alter positioning for everyone involved.
7 Eset
Eset, whose name was recently changed, is an underrated Mage that has a lot of versatility in her kit. Her first ability is great for wave clearing and dishing out damage, her second is an incredible stun that dishes out more damage based on its distance from her, and her third ability is a silence that prevents enemies from using abilities for a limited time.
All of that on its own is solid but add in that her ultimate is a timed area of effect that heals all teammates and damages all enemies standing inside it, and you have a god with a strong set of moves.
6 Ah Puch
Ah Puch, the Mayan God of Death, is a high-risk, high-reward choice. His abilities make him rather annoying to enemies as he's constantly slowing and poisoning them with his explosive zombies. This means that you have to play cautiously in Conquest to avoid getting 'ganked' constantly, but in other modes like Arena, you need an effective support character who can effectively pull enemies away and protect you.
Ah Puch can deal out tons of damage with his combination of throwing out zombies and exploding them with his ability called Corpse Explosion, but it comes at the cost of him having very little mobility.
5 Hera
Hera is a perfect example of how a well-designed god in Smite can feel well-rounded solely based on the user's skill and a steep learning curve. When looking at her base stats, she functions more as a supporting character due to her self-shield and ability to crowd control, paired with low damage output.
Her ultimate ability summons a golem defender named Argus who provides all the damage Hera could possibly need. Her effectiveness and power really come from your ability to learn how and when to call upon Argus, the Defender.
4 Merlin
Thanks to a previous Battle Pass in Smite, users could have earned a licensed Avatar: The Last Airbender skin of Aang for Merlin. That alone makes him a viable Mage selection regardless of his effectiveness on the battlefield.
In reality, his kit of abilities allows him to be a nuisance from range, and he can also manipulate enemy zoning and team fight positioning thanks to his Vortex ability that pulls enemies towards its center. Did we mention he also has an incredible dash ability called Flicker that can get him out of most situations? Talk about a powerful magician.
3 Agni
Agni, despite his power, can be a little awkward for Smite newcomers to get the hang of. It's not that his power set is obtuse, it's merely a matter of pushing keys or buttons quick enough to combo your abilities and make the most of it.
Since he has an elongated dash, he is a god that works for both passive and aggressive play-styles depending on the user and/or the situation. The tick damage applied by his flames can also creep up on enemies and deplete their health, barring the activation of the Aegis Amulet relic item.
2 Kukulkan
It may be surprising to some that Kukulkan lands near the top when it comes to the Mage class, but a glance at its abilities proves his placement is more than deserving. Its third ability called Whirlwind is an excellent tool for clearing waves of minions, which is super helpful in conquest.
Kukulkan also has a slow in its kit that pairs well with both its whirlwind and its ultimate ability that shoots in a straight line. Add in its Slipstream ability that provides enough of a movement buff to allow it to maneuver effectively in team fights, and you have yourself one of the best mages in Smite.
1 Olorun
The Yoruban Mage known as Olorun is one of the relatively new Mages when looking at the entirety of the class, but he's made his mark rather effectively. His ultimate, Sanctified Field, may at first seem unassuming, but its distortion of time in a contained field can dictate team fights.
He can not only buff his critical attacks with his passive, but he also has an ability that increases his attack speed. Striking quicker and harder than your opponent is one thing, it's another thing entirely when they're also forced to move at have speed in slow motion.