I have an idea for new video ( not a serious video a bit of fun) "who has the best side kick" eg skadi, awilix, erlang shen, baset etc. you can talk about how helpful they are to you and team fights, how much damage they etc. just a cool idea i thought you could do:)
As an ao main, I'm glad I figured out how to work around practically all of these counters by myself early on. Dope video though. I hope people can pick this up and realize that countering ao kuang isn't impossible - and they can stop bitching about the character. But i'll keep murking them with work-arounds.
One god I find really valuable as an Ao Kuang counter is Hou Yi. With Hou Yi's 2, it makes it much harder for Ao Kuang to escape a fight using his 1. You can place it on him at the beginning of a fight and with Hou Yi being ranged, he can get some damage in while Ao Kuang is trying to catch up. If he tries to escape because you're doing too much damage, you know exactly where he is, and it reveals him to the whole team, making it much harder for him to gank another lane.
As for Ao Kuang vs Loki: if the Ao player is aware of the Loki and is keeping an eye out for the ult, Ao can use his stealth to completely dodge the ult, cc, and put Loki's ult on cooldown. Also, Hel's 2 negates his ult if you react fast enough or can anticipate it.
Maybe not too relevant but when Ao kuang uses his illusion you can see a Water particle traveling in the direction he blinked to also the Illusion itself will be facing in that direction too, that can help you track him down
How to counter Ao Kuang: Step 1: Uninstall SMITE A very interesting video, DukeSloth, i think you are making a good work with theese "Smite theretical lessons", i'm trying to became a better player with you, so thanks P.S.: i'm italian, sorry for not so good english xD
khepri can also save execution targets with timing, using his ult as Ao Kuang stabs the target can effectively purify the target and keep Ao from gaining that kill for enough time so the team can kill him
I'm surprised you left out my usual so kuang counter item, which is that shield (can't recall the name right now) that gives power, magdef, and slows enemy attack speed within range. Works well against freya too
All cleanse mechanics work against him to (Geb Shield, Khepri Ult, Chiron Training exercise, Hel's cleanse and Aphro's ult), some require timing tough, especially with Khepri's revive.
They should make a more expensive ward to see stealthed gods. however, since you would be able to place one mid fight, give it some time to activate the stealth seeing effect maybe 25s.
H4D3S not really mid to late. early yeah, just be more cautious and he's not as strong late game he's so annoying I understand just try to have puri/beads. not much else besides hitting him from a range.
As a diamond ao kuang owner, I have to say that camazotz is not a difficult opponent. If he misses his bats, I win the fight. I just burst him much faster than he's able to, and his escape is not very good. Granted I don't play conquest, but I still feel my angle has some backbone.
i find that kumb is a good counter pick to au since his passive negates au's ult. that being said. a good au would know when you passive is up and wont ult you to secure.
I agree with most of what you said in this video. However, I consider Bulwark a bad choice against Ao Kuang. First of all, as you pointed out in the vid, Ao Kuang can execute you through it's shield. Second of all, remember that Bulwark only gives 60 prots, but does give you lots of hp. HP isn't great against Ao Kuang, because Soul Reaver is a good item on him and will get it most of the times to amplify his burst potential. Also, if you are a carry, you don't want to get defense instead of more damage.
You should do more of these videos for other gods as well. Perhaps Susano? Most Susano's are terrible but the ones who know what their doing absolutely wreck me
ratatosker can counter ao Kuang as well cause of his high burst damage plus If you hear or see ao Kuang pop his water clone you can use ratatoskers spin his 2 ability to tell which side he's coming from but that in particular takes really good timing and prediction plus his ultimate gives him cc immunity so whenever ao Kuang is about to ult ratatosker can pop his ult to stop ao Kuangs ult. but it's just my opinion since ratatoskers my main. let me hear your opinions on my supposed counter to ao kuang
You mentioned Hel for cleanse, but I would have liked to see a mention to Geb as a counter, because Ao Kuang has the option of wasting his ult on the tank (Unless it's for first blood, then fair enough) or use it on someone else and risk getting it cleansed by the shield. Not many people know that's possible, so... Just saying (No hate :D)
Khepri can actually do the same thing, if you don't use his ult pre-emptively, but as an actual cleanse, it'll stop Ao's ult as well. There are quite a few more hard counters to Ao, I mostly limited it to assassins simply because the video would've dragged out a lot longer otherwise!
That Khepri thing, I did not know :D Also, I did want to ask a jungle question (And possibly an idea for a video for you), but never got much time to ask. May I?
Jack John Excpet that her damage skyrockets lategame. Remember she scales of basic attacks which are most potent late game. Think of her like nemesis with less extreme late with a kinder early to mid. To counter Arachne is to basically collapse in her and keep her cc locked. NEVER 1v1 an Arachne though. She will almost always win.
As an Arachne main I honestly couldn't tell you a solid full proof way to counter her. Mainly just keeping her at range and avoiding her spiders that way she can't close the gap.
Duke do you think Ao will get nerfed in coming months or potentially get another rework? I have him at mastery lvl 3 and I started playing him only recently and really enjoy him at the moment. when he first came out he was super op and was partly the reason I took a very long break from Smite.
abdur1996 I doubt it man if anything he might be indirectly nerfed he's not absurd op he's just at a state where if you don't know what you're doing he's unstoppable and even if you do he's annoying, just like loki except better.
Unlickily ao has fallen because he is pointed as a loki in arena, everyone is aware of him and as ao you rely on your teammates to stay safe, like loki, easy to shut down, high burst and if he goes invisible everyone panics, then the aegis trigger or beads and you die, thats pretty much the situation
Bigby Wilson its because his 3 is *confirmed damage*, so you'll do all the damage upfront (on a low CD) while the dragons require you AA with all 6, which ao might not be able to survive long enough for.
Jacob Cordell of course, but it still isn't as much damage as a straight up upgraded 3 (not to mention that the 3 combined with poly, soul reaver and your 2 is garunteed burst while having to launch the dragons to do decent damage is a waste of a soul reaver proc)
easy ward you Lane so you know his around. so when he just used his water illusion and 2 to get in fall back then he will be revealed what you do after is hunt him down and it's a easy kill because his 2 and 1 are the are the burst and escape and they are either on cooldown or the 2 has a few seconds left so the dragons will dissappear have beads ready just in case btw
Ao Kuang is one of the harder characters to play against, just because the one play can deal with him, doesn't mean the whole team will, and thus will destroy people. He honestly needs some level of nerfs because he's too easy for the burst AND execute.
helrazr44 so kuang himself doesn't NEED nerfs but I wouldn't complain if he got them. However, a polynomicon nerf would make him a bit more manageable imo
André Silva actually yes, but only when the shield is places *after* the ult is engaged (before the execute animation) as the shield will cleanse the execute (the execute is treated as cc)
Ancile is close to useless agaist Ao Kuang bc most of the time he will use 2>3 and basic attack you to death, silence doesnt really help a lot and it have 60s cd >.> Counter picks : Raijin, Hou Yi, Geb, Kumbha and maybe Sol
Barney Stinson win before she gets to late game, if she gets there you will have to avoid her attacks and wait for the two seconds that she doesn't have ranged basics
As someone who really likes playing Freya: Stomp her before she gets her damage online. This means camping duo very early in Conquest, or just targeting her out in other gamemodes. She falls behind and can't be as much of a threat. Bait out her Pulse before engaging on her. Once her ranged basics are gone, you'll have a short opening where you can burst her down. Bonus points if she'd already banished someone and tried to engage on them, since she won't have any self-peel then. _Runic Shield_. This item is a hard counter and significantly reduces her damage output. If all else fails, hopefully you have a guardian who's built lots of magical defense and has some CC. If you're coordinated enough, you can have him engage on the Freya with CC and blow her up as a team when a fight starts.
Mantle of discord wouldn't work. By the time the sun is over and kuang goes to ult again your cc immunity will be over. They work against each other in this case
Oto Suchomel yes I think it's kind of dumb it's like an auto counter for some gods for free. there should be a downside to getting an early game relic.
Jadizi I get what you're saying but it also makes characters that are already weak weaker like hades where all you need is shell and his ult is worthless just like zhong Q
You say Ao Kuang is op only in ranked and thats why ppl ban him? I play zhong and I always go like 17/5 every game, wonder why noone ever bans him though xD
ao kuang is so easy to counter. just buy mantle of discord, magis blessing, ancile, bulwark of hope, bracer of undoing, aegis, beads, and meditation. so simple
Ban him in banning phase
STRANGE_BRO 😂😂😂
I have an idea for new video ( not a serious video a bit of fun) "who has the best side kick" eg skadi, awilix, erlang shen, baset etc. you can talk about how helpful they are to you and team fights, how much damage they etc. just a cool idea i thought you could do:)
alex webb we can all agree that Skadi is kaldrs side kick :p
alex webb you forgot Changé's bunny.... that bunny op
Alex Jered no i put etc
Already saw that on another vid, not quite sure how to do it yet, but will keep it in mind! :D
alex webb skadi's dog op.
How to counter Ao Kuang: Step 1: Uninstall SMITE
Ian Peters mythe moo😭💕
Assassin Of Ryu Description
As an ao main, I'm glad I figured out how to work around practically all of these counters by myself early on. Dope video though. I hope people can pick this up and realize that countering ao kuang isn't impossible - and they can stop bitching about the character.
But i'll keep murking them with work-arounds.
Richard Nava lmao I would give you the hands with awilix arachne and Erlang Shen.
its easy to know when someone it gonna use beads or aegis, always works
Richard Nava have some decency and main someone who isn't broken trash. Is it truly fun to main something that requires no effort?
Jadizi I back that statement
@Jadizi ao does take skill. you have to know ur combos and when to ult, if u dont u will die very easily
How to counter Ao Kuang? Easy. Press escape go to exit game and uninstall.
FoxerHR 😂😂
7:58 That Anhur ^
Rec hahah legend
Rec lmao
Streaming on www.twitch.tv/dukesloth rn btw :)
DukeSloth I have to disagree. the only reason ao is falling of is because he has been banned so much.
One god I find really valuable as an Ao Kuang counter is Hou Yi. With Hou Yi's 2, it makes it much harder for Ao Kuang to escape a fight using his 1. You can place it on him at the beginning of a fight and with Hou Yi being ranged, he can get some damage in while Ao Kuang is trying to catch up. If he tries to escape because you're doing too much damage, you know exactly where he is, and it reveals him to the whole team, making it much harder for him to gank another lane.
Please Hi-Rez, dont ever make a God thats invisible to Wards.
ChaotiX I want one now lol
As for Ao Kuang vs Loki: if the Ao player is aware of the Loki and is keeping an eye out for the ult, Ao can use his stealth to completely dodge the ult, cc, and put Loki's ult on cooldown. Also, Hel's 2 negates his ult if you react fast enough or can anticipate it.
How to counter ao kuang in ranked: Ban him
Ultima Key nice
I think Thanatos's scythe might be a huge counter to Ao Kuang, especially given his recent buff of his HP %.
Srilalith Nampally
Thanatos in general is powerful against squishy burst.
Maybe not too relevant but when Ao kuang uses his illusion you can see a Water particle traveling in the direction he blinked to also the Illusion itself will be facing in that direction too, that can help you track him down
How to counter Ao Kuang: Step 1: Uninstall SMITE
A very interesting video, DukeSloth, i think you are making a good work with theese "Smite theretical lessons", i'm trying to became a better player with you, so thanks
P.S.: i'm italian, sorry for not so good english xD
khepri can also save execution targets with timing, using his ult as Ao Kuang stabs the target can effectively purify the target and keep Ao from gaining that kill for enough time so the team can kill him
Is this like a series? That could be nice.
You wanna hear something funny? Everyone is already dead before I feel like ulting them.
Yo something Loki is good at? I'll take it!
I've always had trouble against Ao Kuang. Thanks for making this video!
I'm surprised you left out my usual so kuang counter item, which is that shield (can't recall the name right now) that gives power, magdef, and slows enemy attack speed within range. Works well against freya too
All cleanse mechanics work against him to (Geb Shield, Khepri Ult, Chiron Training exercise, Hel's cleanse and Aphro's ult), some require timing tough, especially with Khepri's revive.
They should make a more expensive ward to see stealthed gods. however, since you would be able to place one mid fight, give it some time to activate the stealth seeing effect maybe 25s.
Will you make an in-game setup video, like your settings, key-binds and all that??
he has done one already
How to counter Kumbhakarna. he does so much damage for a guardian its batshit crazy insane.
H4D3S cabroken?
H4D3S not really mid to late. early yeah, just be more cautious and he's not as strong late game he's so annoying I understand just try to have puri/beads. not much else besides hitting him from a range.
ymir chunking tho
Ymir is the only support I have diamond he feels like a mage that can build tank and still be a mage.
H4D3S I love khumba but damage in casuals is amazing
So will this be a new series then? Could be interesting. Also, when you getting your new outro?
As a diamond ao kuang owner, I have to say that camazotz is not a difficult opponent. If he misses his bats, I win the fight. I just burst him much faster than he's able to, and his escape is not very good.
Granted I don't play conquest, but I still feel my angle has some backbone.
i find that kumb is a good counter pick to au since his passive negates au's ult. that being said. a good au would know when you passive is up and wont ult you to secure.
I agree with most of what you said in this video. However, I consider Bulwark a bad choice against Ao Kuang. First of all, as you pointed out in the vid, Ao Kuang can execute you through it's shield. Second of all, remember that Bulwark only gives 60 prots, but does give you lots of hp. HP isn't great against Ao Kuang, because Soul Reaver is a good item on him and will get it most of the times to amplify his burst potential. Also, if you are a carry, you don't want to get defense instead of more damage.
First! Beads/Aegis will do
Ohad Hefets Th at only stops his ult, not his burst.
Andre Jules Aegis can stop his burst too if you time it well
That applies to every single god out there
Ohad Hefets Unless you can tell where he is your chances of doing so are very low
You should do more of these videos for other gods as well. Perhaps Susano? Most Susano's are terrible but the ones who know what their doing absolutely wreck me
well i would like to test out against those assassins if I play as ao cause I wanna know if a certain I've been working on can box them in a 1v1
awyeah another informational vid. :)
thanks my boy this is a great help
Should also include that building any health items on the enemy team just lets ao kaung get you within execute range faster
That video in it self is a nerf to Ao.
ratatosker can counter ao Kuang as well cause of his high burst damage plus If you hear or see ao Kuang pop his water clone you can use ratatoskers spin his 2 ability to tell which side he's coming from but that in particular takes really good timing and prediction plus his ultimate gives him cc immunity so whenever ao Kuang is about to ult ratatosker can pop his ult to stop ao Kuangs ult. but it's just my opinion since ratatoskers my main. let me hear your opinions on my supposed counter to ao kuang
You mentioned Hel for cleanse, but I would have liked to see a mention to Geb as a counter, because Ao Kuang has the option of wasting his ult on the tank (Unless it's for first blood, then fair enough) or use it on someone else and risk getting it cleansed by the shield. Not many people know that's possible, so... Just saying (No hate :D)
Khepri can actually do the same thing, if you don't use his ult pre-emptively, but as an actual cleanse, it'll stop Ao's ult as well. There are quite a few more hard counters to Ao, I mostly limited it to assassins simply because the video would've dragged out a lot longer otherwise!
That Khepri thing, I did not know :D Also, I did want to ask a jungle question (And possibly an idea for a video for you), but never got much time to ask. May I?
duke sloth saying ancile gives me life
Duke what do you use to record gameplays?
Shadowplay
DukeSloth thank you 😊
You wont be able to use it unless you own an Nvidia card.
Cantrio X i know it, thanks anyway
We need a how to counter Arachne
St_bane 1 easy
St_bane 1 press f6 ez
late game counters her. The problem is she getting fed as fuck and preventing your team to reach late
Jack John Excpet that her damage skyrockets lategame. Remember she scales of basic attacks which are most potent late game. Think of her like nemesis with less extreme late with a kinder early to mid.
To counter Arachne is to basically collapse in her and keep her cc locked.
NEVER 1v1 an Arachne though. She will almost always win.
As an Arachne main I honestly couldn't tell you a solid full proof way to counter her. Mainly just keeping her at range and avoiding her spiders that way she can't close the gap.
Hey Duke! Ich schätze du kannst deutsch sprechen. Saw that recording pop-up in german at the beginning of the video:D
GEB shield can cancel ao ult but only in work on teammate and as soon he grab them (around 1 sec)
as a carry hunter, can Soul Eater counter him?
Duke do you think Ao will get nerfed in coming months or potentially get another rework? I have him at mastery lvl 3 and I started playing him only recently and really enjoy him at the moment. when he first came out he was super op and was partly the reason I took a very long break from Smite.
abdur1996 I doubt it man if anything he might be indirectly nerfed he's not absurd op he's just at a state where if you don't know what you're doing he's unstoppable and even if you do he's annoying, just like loki except better.
The problem with Bastet is that her cats don't chase enemies that are stealthed. All Ao Kuang needs to do is stealth and he's safe from her ult.
You should make an auto attack guide for Ao Kuang. There aren't many, so you should jump in popularity.
How many items slots exactly should I use to counter a god in a match ?
as what role and gamemode though?
Unlickily ao has fallen because he is pointed as a loki in arena, everyone is aware of him and as ao you rely on your teammates to stay safe, like loki, easy to shut down, high burst and if he goes invisible everyone panics, then the aegis trigger or beads and you die, thats pretty much the situation
FINAALLYY thank you!!!
Why didnt you mention geb?
How to counter Ao Kung and Serquet and Fenrir: Have Geb in your team :D
duke you wrong if you buy gem of isoltion on ao it can crack the buble (sry about english)
Sanc, Mantle of Discord, Ancile, really any type of stun or hard cc. Never really had trouble with Ao Kuang.
try building runic shield,shell, or some form of hp
Why did you max his 3 first? wouldn't it be more beneficial to max his dragons first since they have more overall damage?
Bigby Wilson nope
Bigby Wilson its because his 3 is *confirmed damage*, so you'll do all the damage upfront (on a low CD) while the dragons require you AA with all 6, which ao might not be able to survive long enough for.
You are aware the you can also launch the dragons by activating his 2 again right?
Jacob Cordell of course, but it still isn't as much damage as a straight up upgraded 3 (not to mention that the 3 combined with poly, soul reaver and your 2 is garunteed burst while having to launch the dragons to do decent damage is a waste of a soul reaver proc)
You would be suprised too see how good tanky ao kuang can do,his base damage is 600 on his second ability if used with basics.
Outro song? I hear complete silence lol.
Just as with Loki. If you here the "poof" from his stealth or the splash in this case a good rush backwards will usually help.
TheTwilightphoenix I main goobis, I just put hands below me and wait for that little bitch to walk in.
loki is extremely easy to counter because of how loud the noise is when he goes into stealth
I NEEDED THIS 😁
Does Magi's Blessing negate his ult?
+Geowge McDingleberry yes
easy ward you Lane so you know his around. so when he just used his water illusion and 2 to get in fall back then he will be revealed what you do after is hunt him down and it's a easy kill because his 2 and 1 are the are the burst and escape and they are either on cooldown or the 2 has a few seconds left so the dragons will dissappear have beads ready just in case btw
I"M IN THE GUIDE XD... I'm tyr there 6:02 :D
u shud do more on countering other gods too and thanks for this one :)
nice video, do more counter videos please
Wouldn't soul reaver be good because you get health back?
you mean soul eater?
+8BitYeti even if he did mean soul eater thats a physical item not magical, also hi again xD
Ableza Bryant yeah was gonna say lol, wassup
As an AO MAIN, Why y do dis..
Ghosty Zyth if you main ao kuang you probably enjoy ruining other people's fun
Vishnu Nair learn to take a joke bruh
Ao Kuang is one of the harder characters to play against, just because the one play can deal with him, doesn't mean the whole team will, and thus will destroy people. He honestly needs some level of nerfs because he's too easy for the burst AND execute.
helrazr44 so kuang himself doesn't NEED nerfs but I wouldn't complain if he got them. However, a polynomicon nerf would make him a bit more manageable imo
Not Matthew Manduck I don't want my main to receive a nerf :( Let's be quiet about this
Step 1)Uninstall Smite
wait? so if you're 1v1 an Ao kuang you can get magis blessing and his ult is basicly useless?
Basically, yes. But he can counter it by buying wrath to take off the bubble.
+Oto Suchomel ye but you can get beads as well so he won't be able to execute
Viper Oto Suchomel Thanks guys!
I'd say a well timed Khepri ult does the trick
Do u think GEB also counters him?
André Silva actually yes, but only when the shield is places *after* the ult is engaged (before the execute animation) as the shield will cleanse the execute (the execute is treated as cc)
I know which achievement you're talking about and the thing is that it's actually for using Ao Kuang's ult on an enemy god that was ulted by Khepri.
No love for Runic Shield? Whenever I play Ao Kuang and an enemy builds Runic Shield it feels extremely strong. I can't hurt them.
Please dukesloth Please make a vid on how to counter freya she is so annoying to go against.
How to counter vulcan please. I cant play vs vulcan. His passive is op and his turent can do bodyblock
أثيوبي منحاش what
play loki :))))
Mercury vs Ao Kuang and mercury will make ao kuang, ao gone 😂... let me go kms 🙃
just saw that you know German? "Die Aufnahme wurde begonnen"
Ancile is close to useless agaist Ao Kuang bc most of the time he will use 2>3 and basic attack you to death, silence doesnt really help a lot and it have 60s cd >.>
Counter picks : Raijin, Hou Yi, Geb, Kumbha and maybe Sol
..sanctuary also works on the ult
late game when you use sanc he is just gonna wait till you fall from the sky, and kill you once you fall, when your sanctuary its over.
Geb?
how to counter Freya please
Barney Stinson win before she gets to late game, if she gets there you will have to avoid her attacks and wait for the two seconds that she doesn't have ranged basics
You know what, I might just do that!
As someone who really likes playing Freya:
Stomp her before she gets her damage online. This means camping duo very early in Conquest, or just targeting her out in other gamemodes. She falls behind and can't be as much of a threat.
Bait out her Pulse before engaging on her. Once her ranged basics are gone, you'll have a short opening where you can burst her down. Bonus points if she'd already banished someone and tried to engage on them, since she won't have any self-peel then.
_Runic Shield_. This item is a hard counter and significantly reduces her damage output.
If all else fails, hopefully you have a guardian who's built lots of magical defense and has some CC. If you're coordinated enough, you can have him engage on the Freya with CC and blow her up as a team when a fight starts.
Barney Stinson just kill her in early game
you dont :v
Mantle of discord wouldn't work. By the time the sun is over and kuang goes to ult again your cc immunity will be over. They work against each other in this case
yes but you will have had time to run away
Am I the only one who really dislikes the relic system?
Oto Suchomel probably not but I like it.
Nope
Oto Suchomel yes I think it's kind of dumb it's like an auto counter for some gods for free. there should be a downside to getting an early game relic.
what do you not like? not being able to simply steamroll other people down with extremely strong characters like Ao?
Jadizi I get what you're saying but it also makes characters that are already weak weaker like hades where all you need is shell and his ult is worthless just like zhong Q
Discord? Definitely joining :)
yo duke make an episode with ritual hog, 7.5 second stun new meta?
Joshua Li where did you even get 7.5 seconds tf
Joshua Li jesus lmao 7.5 sec stun. lmaoooooooooo
Dylan Stepanovic 5 people have hog and ritual dagger
Single slot item....ehhh im not too sure about these strange single slots im mean triple slot items are the way to go imo
_Magi's Blessing_
why do you have to make it harder for Ao Kuang player like me :(
You counter him by pressing F6
You say Ao Kuang is op only in ranked and thats why ppl ban him? I play zhong and I always go like 17/5 every game, wonder why noone ever bans him though xD
Please make a video about thanatos
Xanthos Gaming how to counter him????? I hope you don't need one if you play smite lol
David F Oh no I know how to counter him. I want a video on how to play him better so you don't get counted while playing him. And #fuckRA lol
Xanthos Gaming true.
hey ik this fapules guy...he got a dash when playing vs me so i died. it was tyrable
Ahmed Muhyi get out
D.va For The Win nu :v
Do a whatever happened to chaac
how to counter ao kuang
step 1 :pick ne zha
step 2 :???
step 3 :profit
lol late game he doesnt even need his ult, activate the 2 hit the 3 finish the 2 with basic attacks and u will do more damage
ao kuang is so easy to counter. just buy mantle of discord, magis blessing, ancile, bulwark of hope, bracer of undoing, aegis, beads, and meditation. so simple
how too counter ao be a good ares and get someone to have blue stone in the early :D watch him feed
This'll help me since I main him 😂
Can't Ravana overhead kick ao kuangs ult
ye he can so can change and every other cc immune ult
lol poor ao kaung xD
when he deals 2800 from his 2 and 3 plus soul reaver gg
Elder Harpy OP
I used to be great as ao. Lately, I had too many deaths and felt weaker
Cousin of Loki