Acheron Build Guide: A Comprehensive Guide to Unlocking the Gatekeeper's Power (v1.05)

Introduction

Acheron, the enigmatic Gatekeeper of the Underworld, possesses immense power and versatility in the realm of SMITE. This build guide will provide a detailed overview of how to maximize Acheron's strengths and lead your team to victory.

Abilities

• Out of Darkness (Passive): Acheron spawns additional zombies per basic attack to a maximum of 5 zombies.
• Blight (Ability 1): Throws a blighted orb that explodes on impact, dealing damage to enemies and leaving a blight cloud that slows them.
• Soul Grasp (Ability 2): Releases a spectral hand that grabs an enemy, dealing damage and pulling them towards Acheron. Hitting an enemy with Soul Grasp reduces its cooldown.
• Shadow Swarm (Ability 3): Summons a swarm of shadow bats that deal damage and apply a stack of blight to enemies. Each stack of blight reduces an enemy's healing.
• Ultimate: Eternal Punishment Summons a horde of zombies that attack nearby enemies for a duration. Acheron gains increased health and movement speed while Eternal Punishment is active.

Core Items

The core items for Acheron focus on enhancing his durability, damage output, and utility.

• Soul Reaver: Provides magical power, cooldown reduction, and increases Acheron's lifesteal based on his maximum health.
• Chronos' Pendant: Grants cooldown reduction, mana, and a passive that reduces the cooldowns of Acheron's abilities over time.
• Gem of Isolation: Slows enemies hit by Acheron's abilities, making it easier for him to follow up with additional attacks.
• Divine Ruin: Reduces healing applied to enemies, synergizing well with Shadow Swarm's blight stacks.
• Ethereal Staff: Increases Acheron's magical power, health, and provides a shield that absorbs damage.

Build Order

Depending on the matchup and team composition, the build order for Acheron can vary. Here are two common options:

• Standard Build: Soul Reaver -> Chronos' Pendant -> Gem of Isolation -> Divine Ruin -> Ethereal Staff
• Offensive Build: Soul Reaver -> Chronos' Pendant -> Obsidian Shard -> Divine Ruin -> Rod of Tahuti

Gameplay

Acheron's gameplay revolves around controlling the battlefield with his zombies, applying blight, and isolating enemies.

• Early Game: Focus on farming and building stacks of Out of Darkness (Passive). Use Soul Grasp to engage or disengage as needed.
• Mid Game: Look for opportunities to gank with teammates or pressure lanes with Eternal Punishment. Use Shadow Swarm to apply blight and reduce enemy healing.
• Late Game: Prioritize building tanky items and positioning yourself safely during team fights. Use Eternal Punishment to engage or zone enemies while your team focuses on the objectives.

Tips and Tricks

• Maximize Zombie Damage: Hit as many enemy gods as possible with your Out of Darkness (Passive) zombies to maximize their damage output.
• Utilize Soul Grasp: Use Soul Grasp to initiate fights, interrupt enemy abilities, or pull enemies closer for additional attacks.
• Focus Blight Stacks: Apply as many blight stacks as possible with Shadow Swarm to significantly reduce enemy healing.
• Coordinate with Eternal Punishment: Communicate with your team to coordinate ganks or team fights around Eternal Punishment's duration.
• Beware of Crowd Control: Acheron is susceptible to crowd control. Use wards to avoid enemy ambushes and position yourself carefully to minimize its impact.

Why Acheron Matters

Acheron excels in the following areas:

• Crowd Control: With Soul Grasp and Shadow Swarm, Acheron can disrupt enemy movements and make it harder for them to escape.
• Area Damage: Eternal Punishment deals significant damage to multiple enemies, making it a powerful area-of-effect ability.
• Healing Reduction: Shadow Swarm's blight stacks significantly reduce enemy healing, countering gods with high self-sustain.
• Versatile: Acheron can adapt his playstyle to different situations, whether he needs to focus on tanking, damage dealing, or a hybrid of both.

Benefits of Acheron

Playing Acheron offers several benefits:

• Strong Laning Phase: Acheron's Out of Darkness (Passive) allows him to clear waves efficiently and harass enemies with additional zombie damage.
• Excellent Team Fighting: Eternal Punishment and Shadow Swarm provide significant crowd control and area damage in team fights.
• Adaptive Playstyle: Acheron can adjust his build and gameplay to suit different team compositions and strategies.
• Fun to Play: Acheron's unique gameplay style and versatile abilities make him an enjoyable character to master.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best counter to Acheron? Gods with anti-heal capabilities or crowd control immunity can effectively counter Acheron.
• Can Acheron solo objectives? With sufficient tankiness and a well-timed Eternal Punishment, Acheron can solo objectives, such as jungle camps or towers.
• What are Acheron's weaknesses? Acheron is vulnerable to crowd control and lacks mobility.
• Is Acheron good in conquest? Acheron is a viable pick in Conquest, particularly in aggressive compositions that focus on crowd control and healing reduction.
• How many zombies can Acheron have at once? Acheron can spawn up to 5 additional zombies with each basic attack.
• Does Soul Grasp's cooldown reset on kills? No, Soul Grasp's cooldown is reduced by hitting enemies, not by securing kills.
• Can Shadow Swarm's blight be cleansed? Yes, Shadow Swarm's blight can be cleansed by abilities that remove debuffs.
• Is Eternal Punishment affected by cooldown reduction? Yes, Eternal Punishment's cooldown is reduced by cooldown reduction items and abilities.

Conclusion

Mastering Acheron requires a combination of knowledge, strategy, and mechanical skill. By understanding his abilities, building the right items, and utilizing his strengths, players can unleash his full potential and dominate the battlefield. As the Gatekeeper of the Underworld, Acheron stands ready to punish those who oppose him and lead his team to victory.