Last week Hi-Rez announced that they have added another new game mode for their Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA) Smite. New to some but instantly recognizable by many, Assault, is the Georgia based Studios spin on the All Random, All Mid (ARAM) game mode.
Smite is technically still in an “open beta” state; however, Assault is the fifth full time game mode added over the last year. This growing list also consists of:
- Joust: one on one battle
- Arena: death match mode
- Domination: control predetermined points on the map
- Conquest: your typical MOBA map.
- Practice: Some may consider this a mode but who really uses it?
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For the millions of you out there that are acronymed to death on a daily basis Assault is pretty easy to grasp. ARAM is exactly what it sounds like. Everyone is randomly assigned a god and placed into the game. The map consists of only one lane without a jungle. While this means you will not be able to hunt out buffs it also means there will not be anyone jumping out of the weeds and ambushing the poor unsuspecting souls.
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There are also two other little twists to this game mode. First, you cannot return to base unless you die. If you are dependent on magic you will want to buy Meditation before you leave your spawn area. It will make for a long match if you go out into the lane without this ability. Second, you start off at level 5. This will allow you to buy your ultimate ability right from the start. Make no mistake. People come out of the gate swinging in this match mode. The games also take less time. In normal conquest mode I average over an hour per match. My average time for an Assault match is 20 minutes.
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Assault is a welcome addition to Smite. If you are looking for a faster paced game that is more straight forward than Conquest this was tailor made for you. It will also help you break out of your shell and try new gods if you are stuck in a rut using the same two or three over and over again. I would have never played cupid on my own, and I may never play him again; but I now have a better understanding of how he plays and works within the group. In case you were wondering, you can teach an old MMO dog new tricks. Even I can win at MOBAs!
Robert Lashley / Robert Lashley is a Staff Writer and Online host for MMORPG.com and RTSGuru.com. Rob's bald and when he isn't blinding people from the glare on his head talking in front of a camera you can chase him down on twitter @Grakulen
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