Zhong Kui

Zhong Kui Guide

Zhong Kui is a powerful mage in Smite that excels in the mid lane. His strength comes from high area damage, crowd control, and innate tankiness. Zhong Kui has a relatively simple kit, but utilizing his abilities properly in different situations can take some practice.

In the early game, focus on clearing the wave quickly using your 1 to damage all the minions. Then look to poke the enemy mid laner with your 2 whenever possible. Zhong Kui has great sustain thanks to his passive, Demon Bag. Keep auto attacking the wave to build up Demon Bag stacks and stay healthy. Look for opportunities to get first blood as early as level 3 if the enemy mispositions. Your full combo with a couple basics and ignite from your 1 should kill them or force their purification beads and ultimate.

Zhong Kui pairs well with most team compositions thanks to his versatility, but teammates with good initiation or peel are especially helpful. Gods like Geb, Khepri, Hun Batz and Fenrir allow you to get in close and maximize your damage. If facing a dive comp, ask your support or solo laner to peel enemies off of you. Consider building Breastplate of Valor along with your normal power items for some physical defense.

In team fights, wait for your front line to engage before moving in to deal damage. Place your 1 on as many enemies as possible to apply stacking damage and provide healing. Use your 2 to stun priority targets or anyone diving you. Your ultimate provides crowd control immunity so use it avoid being locked down while also damaging enemies. Place the area directly on top of enemies for maximum damage. The stacking protections from your passive and lifesteal from your 1 allow you to tank a considerable amount of damage.

For securing objectives like the Gold Fury or Fire Giant, use your 1 to damage the objective while also healing your team. The true damage from your 2 and percentage health damage on your ultimate also help burn objectives quickly. Stand behind the objective to hit it and any enemies trying to contest with your abilities.

Your role is to provide control, high burst damage and sustain in fights. Poke enemies down before objectives or team fights, then all-in with your full combo when your team initiates. Your ultimate gives you safety to deal damage even in the midst of combat. Provide heals and poke for your team between fights using your 1. Zhong Kui dominates team fights once he obtains a couple of items, so group up and force objectives or fights whenever your ultimate is available.

Look for opportunities to guarantee kills by using your full combination of abilities. The damage from your 1, 2 and ultimate adds up quickly, so catching enemies out of position leads to straightforward kills. In team fights, focus the enemy damage dealers and burst them down. Your natural tankiness allows you to get in the middle of combat and maximize your damage. Late game your 1 will have a short cooldown, so keep it applied to enemies as much as possible for huge sustain and damage.