Ishtar
Title: Goddess of Love and War
Type: Ranged, Physical
Roles: Hunter
Pros: Medium Area Damage, High Attack Speed
Ishtar Guide
Ishtar is my go-to ADC in SMITE. She has a versatile kit that allows her to dominate throughout all stages of the game.
In the laning phase, focus on farming minions with your 1 (Spirit Arrow) and only use your 2 (Mesmerize) if you get ganked or catch the enemy duo out of position. Your 1 has a long range so you can safely last hit and poke. Save your 2 in case you need to escape or turn a gank around. At level 5, your ultimate (Rain of Arrows) provides burst damage in a wide area, allowing you to secure early kills if the enemy overextends or your support lands good CC.
As the game progresses, stick to the duo lane and farm as much as possible. Ishtar relies heavily on items, so avoid unnecessary rotating until you have at least 3 or 4 completed items. Your core build should include crit chance, attack speed, lifesteal, and power. Once you have a few items online, make use of your 3 (Vengeful Flight) to shred objectives like the Gold Fury. The stim from your 3 provides attack speed, move speed, and lifesteal, making Ishtar a potent hunter for taking objectives. If your lane opponents are pushed up, call for your jungler to gank so you can get a lead.
In the mid-game, look to rotate for fights over the mid harpies and gank the middle lane. Your kit provides good set up CC with your 1 and 2, so you can get your mage fed with a well-timed gank. Group up for the Fire Giant dance and Gold Fury respawns. Your damage output at this point in the game means the other team needs to respect your presence at these objectives.
In team fights, your role is to deal consistent damage from a safe distance using your autos and abilities. Focus the nearest threatening enemy god while staying on the edges of the fight. Let your frontline engage first, then follow up by popping your 2 on a priority target like the enemy mid or ADC to lock them down for your team. Your 3 will keep you alive if anyone dives you, and your ult can burst or finish off multiple opponents. Callout targets by pinging or using VGS commands like “Attack!” and “Chase the enemy!”. Blink is highly recommended to reposition and chase kills.
A few extra tips: Upgrade your 2 at level 1 for the stun, then prioritize leveling your 1 for wave clear and poke damage. Your 3 stim provides lifesteal, so make use of basic attacks between abilities to stay healthy in fights. And use wards, especially in the jungle on either side of the mid lane. Map awareness is key to avoiding ganks as an immobile hunter.
Ishtar rewards an aggressive yet calculated playstyle. Follow these tips and you’ll dominate your ranked and competitive matches as this potent hunter. Let me know if you have any other questions!