- Jungle
Smite timing and comboing means landing Smite and a burst ability together, so that their combined damage kills an epic monster the instant it becomes lethal. Done well, you take the objective before the enemy jungler's Smite or ability can, even if they arrive late.
What it is
Smite is a summoner spell that junglers take. It is aimed at a unit, deals true damage to a medium or large monster or an enemy minion, has no cast time and can be cast in the middle of another ability's cast. It reaches 500 units. True damage and the fact that it is not changed by damage amplifiers make it the most predictable number on the screen.
Your jungle pet upgrades it. Smite becomes Unleashed Smite after the pet has been fed enough treats, and Primal Smite after the second evolution, and each version deals more damage to monsters than the last. Only the upgraded versions can be cast on enemy champions, where they deal a little damage and slow, and doing so draws nearby minions onto you. Smite holds two charges: it starts with one and gains another over time, and a cast leaves a short cooldown between charges.
A combo is a burst ability whose damage you add to Smite. Lee Sin's Resonating Strike (the second Q) deals physical damage that rises with the target's missing health. Nunu's Consume deals true damage to monsters. Evelynn's Whiplash deals magic damage based on the target's maximum health, capped against monsters. These are examples; any ability that hits a monster for real damage can pair with Smite. The combo matters because the enemy is aiming for the same kill moment, so the first to hit lethal damage wins.
How to do it
- Know your threshold before the fight
Read your Smite tooltip and your ability tooltip, and add the two. That sum is the health at which the monster is lethal to you. Recheck after every upgrade, because Smite damage changes when the pet evolves, and after every level, because the ability changes.
- Keep a charge in hand
Smite has two charges and a short cooldown between casts. Do not spend a charge on a camp if the objective spawns before the next one comes back. Check the charge count before you start the objective, not while the monster is at a sliver.
- Stand in range and keep the cursor on the monster
Smite reaches 500 units, so be inside that before the monster gets low. Bind Smite to a quick-cast key and keep the cursor on the monster. If the cursor is not on a valid target, the game picks an epic monster within 125 units of it, which is helpful but not something to rely on in a close fight.
- Fire the slower component first
Smite is instant, so start the ability that needs time to arrive first. Lee Sin's second Q has to dash to the target, and abilities such as Nunu's Q and Evelynn's E have a short cast time. Press the ability, then press Smite while it is still on its way. Because Smite can be cast during another cast, you can do both with one hand movement.
- Know where the enemy jungler is
Before the monster gets low, find the enemy jungler and work out whether their Smite is up: it has two charges and a 15 second cooldown between casts. If they are not visible near the pit, assume they are close. Stand between them and the pit, or have your team zone them away, so the click is not the only thing deciding the objective.
- Fire at lethal, not at close
Once the monster's health is at or below your threshold, send both. Do not wait for it to be a little lower: the longer you wait, the more time the enemy has to land theirs. If you are not lethal yet, keep damaging it with abilities and auto-attacks so you reach the threshold sooner.
- Use the ability as a finisher, not an opener
Lee Sin's second Q scales with missing health, so it is best at the end of the monster's health bar. Nunu's Consume deals the same damage at any monster health, and Evelynn's Whiplash is based on the monster's maximum health, so both can go in at any moment. Put each ability where it does the most.
Watch it
What to watch for: A one-minute demo of Smite timing: watch the moment Smite is pressed relative to the monster's health bar.
Video: How to SMITE like a PRO in 60 SECONDS! #leagueoflegends — Skill Capped Challenger LoL Guides
Common mistakes
- You use Smite as soon as the monster is within reach. The charge is gone when the combo needs it. Hold it until the threshold.
- You cast the ability and it misses or is blocked. Lee Sin's second Q needs the target marked by the first, and the target must be within range. Make sure the mark is on before you commit.
- You try base Smite on an enemy champion. Only Unleashed and Primal Smite can be cast on champions. Use another spell for the fight.
- You keep the threshold from before an upgrade. The sum changes when your pet evolves, so re-read the tooltip.
- You press Smite with the cursor away from the monster. The game only falls back to an epic monster within 125 units of the cursor, so a wider miss can mean the wrong target or no Smite. Put the cursor on the monster before you press.
Practice drill
- In a normal or custom game, kill the large monster of each camp with exactly one ability plus Smite. Success is killing it without a basic attack finishing it, and without wasting the second charge.
- At an epic monster, watch the health bar and press both when it crosses your threshold. Afterwards, check how much health the monster had left, and aim to shrink that margin.