Chronos Guide for Smite (Updated 01/27/2026)
Chronos, a magical ADC, excels at stunning and boosting speed; mastering builds and strategies is key to dominating in Smite, especially in Conquest mode.
Chronos, the Lord of Time, is a powerful Mage within Smite, frequently played as an ADC or Mid Laner. His unique kit revolves around manipulating time itself, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities. He’s known for his high skill ceiling, requiring precise timing and strategic thinking to maximize his potential.
Players often describe Chronos as a frustrating opponent due to his ability to disrupt enemy positioning and lock down targets. He thrives on consistent damage output and excels at punishing mistakes. Mastering Chronos involves understanding his ability interactions and adapting builds to counter specific team compositions. Recent updates, including buffs to his scaling, have solidified his place as a viable carry option, particularly in Season 7 and beyond, making him a compelling choice for both beginners and experienced players.
Chronos Abilities Overview
Chronos’ kit is centered around temporal manipulation. Time Warp (Passive) grants bonus power based on stacks gained by hitting enemies. Stop Time (Ability 1) creates a localized time distortion, stunning foes within. Rewind Time (Ability 2) allows Chronos to dash backward, restoring health and mana – a crucial escape tool.
Accelerate Time (Ability 3) significantly boosts movement and attack speed, enabling rapid damage output. Finally, Future Sight (Ultimate) projects a vision of the future, creating a damaging zone that slows enemies. Effective use of these abilities requires understanding their synergies and cooldowns, allowing players to control the flow of battle and outmaneuver opponents.
Time Warp (Passive)
Time Warp is Chronos’ defining passive ability, fundamentally shaping his scaling. Each basic attack or ability hit on an enemy grants a stack of Time Warp, increasing his total magical power. This scaling is particularly potent, especially in extended engagements, allowing Chronos to become a significant threat as fights progress;
The passive’s effectiveness is amplified by consistent ability usage and auto-attacking. Maximizing stack accumulation is crucial for optimizing Chronos’ damage output. Understanding this scaling is vital for players aiming to fully leverage Chronos’ carry potential throughout the game.
Stop Time (Ability 1)
Stop Time is Chronos’ primary crowd control ability, launching a projectile that halts enemies in their tracks. Successfully landing this ability is crucial for initiating fights, peeling for oneself, or setting up opportunities for teammates. The stun duration is significant, providing ample time to follow up with damage or reposition.
Mastering the projectile’s travel time and predicting enemy movement are key to maximizing its effectiveness. Skilled players can use Stop Time to interrupt crucial abilities or isolate key targets. It’s a versatile tool that demands precision and strategic thinking to fully utilize in combat scenarios.
Rewind Time (Ability 2)
Rewind Time is Chronos’ signature escape and repositioning tool. This ability allows him to quickly dash backward, returning to his location from a few seconds prior. It’s invaluable for dodging incoming skillshots, escaping ganks, or creating distance from aggressive enemies. Effective use requires anticipating danger and understanding the timing of your own movements.
Beyond defense, Rewind Time can also be used offensively to re-engage in fights or reposition for better angles. Mastering the timing and range of this ability is essential for maximizing Chronos’ survivability and playmaking potential. It’s a complex skill with a high skill ceiling.
Accelerate Time (Ability 3)
Accelerate Time grants Chronos and nearby allies a significant burst of movement and attack speed. This ability is crucial for quickly closing gaps, securing kills, or pushing objectives. The increased attack speed synergizes exceptionally well with his auto-attack focused damage output, making it a core component of his burst potential.
Strategic use of Accelerate Time involves timing it with auto-attack resets or coordinating with teammates for maximum impact. It’s not just for offense; the movement speed boost can also facilitate quick rotations or escapes. Mastering its range and cooldown is vital for effective gameplay.
Future Sight (Ultimate)
Future Sight is Chronos’ powerful ultimate ability, creating a cone-shaped area that slows enemies and reveals their future positions. This allows for incredibly precise skillshot predictions and devastating combos. Properly landing Future Sight can completely control team fights, setting up opportunities for follow-up damage.
The revealed future positions are key; skilled players can anticipate enemy movements and land crucial abilities. It’s a high-impact ability with a relatively long cooldown, demanding careful timing and positioning. Combining it with Stop Time can create a near-unstoppable offensive burst, locking down targets for easy elimination.
Chronos Build Paths
Chronos benefits from magical power and cooldown reduction; core items include Staff of the Magi, Soul Eater, and Warlock’s Staff for maximum damage output.
Core Item Build for ADC Chronos
Staff of the Magi is a crucial starting point, providing significant magical power to amplify Chronos’ damage. Following this, Soul Eater offers both power and much-needed lifesteal, enhancing sustain during prolonged fights. Warlock’s Staff further boosts magical penetration, allowing Chronos to overcome enemy magical defenses effectively.
These three items form the foundation of a strong ADC Chronos build, enabling consistent damage output and survivability. Consider an Archmage’s Gem for reduced cooldowns, synergizing with his frequent ability usage. Prioritizing magical power and penetration ensures Chronos can consistently deliver substantial damage to opponents, making him a formidable carry.
Staff of the Magi
Staff of the Magi is a foundational item for Chronos, providing a substantial boost to his overall magical power. This increased power directly translates to higher damage output from all of his abilities, crucial for an ADC role. It’s often the first major item purchased, setting the stage for a damage-focused build.
The item’s passive further enhances Chronos’ capabilities, granting additional magical power with each ability cast. This stacking effect synergizes perfectly with Chronos’ frequent use of abilities like Stop Time and Accelerate Time. Investing in Staff of the Magi early allows Chronos to quickly establish dominance in lane and scale effectively into the late game.
Soul Eater
Soul Eater is a vital item for Chronos, offering both power and sustain, essential for prolonged engagements. It provides a significant magical power boost, amplifying his damage output, and a crucial life steal component. This life steal allows Chronos to recover health with each ability hit, increasing his survivability in team fights and during laning phase.
The item’s unique passive, granting magical power upon collecting souls from enemy gods, further enhances Chronos’ scaling potential. This stacking effect synergizes well with Chronos’ ability to consistently deal damage. Soul Eater is a core item, enabling Chronos to remain a potent threat throughout the match.
Warlock’s Staff
Warlock’s Staff is a cornerstone item for maximizing Chronos’ magical damage potential. It provides a substantial increase to magical power, directly translating to higher damage output from all of his abilities. More importantly, its passive effect, Void Ritual, is incredibly potent on Chronos.
Void Ritual creates a damaging area upon ability activation, amplifying Chronos’ already strong area-of-effect damage. This is particularly effective when combined with Stop Time and Future Sight, allowing for devastating burst damage. Warlock’s Staff significantly enhances Chronos’ ability to control team fights and quickly eliminate priority targets, making it a must-have item.
Situational Items
Chronos benefits from adaptable itemization. Doom Orb provides penetration against tanky opponents, crucial for bypassing magical resistance. Spear of the Magnus, despite being listed twice in some guides, offers mobility and burst potential, useful for aggressive plays and escaping danger. However, avoid duplication!
Ring of Hecate is a viable option for mana sustain and additional magical power, particularly in extended fights. Consider it when facing teams with consistent poke or when needing more magical output. Item choices should always be tailored to the enemy team composition and the overall game state, ensuring Chronos remains effective.
Doom Orb
Doom Orb is a crucial situational item for Chronos, specifically designed to counter opponents building significant magical resistance. Its passive ability shreds enemy defenses with each instance of damage, amplifying Chronos’ overall magical output. This is particularly effective against tanks and bruisers who attempt to mitigate magical damage.
Acquiring Doom Orb allows Chronos to maintain consistent damage throughout the game, preventing enemies from becoming too resilient. It’s a key component when facing teams prioritizing protection, ensuring your abilities and auto-attacks remain impactful. Prioritize this item when the enemy team composition necessitates magical penetration.
Spear of the Magnus
Spear of the Magnus offers Chronos a potent blend of damage and utility, making it a valuable situational pickup. It provides a significant power boost, enhancing his overall magical output and ability scaling. However, be mindful of potential build errors – some guides mistakenly list it twice!
The item’s passive ability grants bonus movement speed upon damaging an enemy with an ability, synergizing well with Chronos’ frequent spellcasting. This allows for improved positioning and kiting, crucial for a backline ADC. While not always essential, Spear of the Magnus can elevate Chronos’ effectiveness in team fights and chases.
Ring of Hecate
Ring of Hecate presents a compelling option for Chronos builds, particularly when seeking to address mana sustain and cooldown reduction. Experienced players suggest it can effectively fill a slot in a mage ADC build, offering a balance between offensive and utility stats.
Its core benefit lies in the mana replenishment and ability haste, allowing Chronos to cast spells more frequently and remain in lane longer without frequent recalls. While not a universally core item, it’s a strong consideration when facing teams with significant crowd control or needing sustained magical damage output.
Starter Items
Conduit of Magic is overwhelmingly recommended as the primary starter item for Chronos. This choice is consistently highlighted due to its synergy with Chronos’ ability-focused playstyle and the necessity of reaching level 20 to utilize Archmage’s Gem effectively.
Starting with Conduit of Magic provides crucial mana regeneration and magical power, enabling more frequent spell casts early game. Players should note that alternative starters are generally not viable until unlocking Archmage’s Gem, making Conduit of Magic the optimal choice for maximizing early-game effectiveness and scaling into the mid-game.
Conduit of Magic
Conduit of Magic is the quintessential starting item for Chronos, providing a significant boost to both mana pool and mana regeneration. This is crucial for a mage reliant on frequent ability usage to control fights and deliver damage. The item grants +15 Mana, +15% Mana Regen, and +15 Magical Power.
Its early-game benefits allow Chronos to spam abilities without constantly worrying about mana constraints, facilitating better lane presence and poke potential. Furthermore, Conduit of Magic builds into the powerful Archmage’s Gem, a core item for maximizing magical output, making it an essential investment from the very start.
Gameplay Strategies for Chronos
Chronos thrives on precise timing and positioning; utilize his abilities to disrupt enemies, control space, and maximize damage output throughout each game phase.
Early Game (Levels 1-5)
During the initial levels, focus on safely securing last hits and establishing lane presence as Chronos. Prioritize positioning to avoid ganks, as early vulnerability can hinder your progression. Utilize Time Warp (passive) for increased power scaling.
Harass opponents with Stop Time (Ability 1) when opportunities arise, but conserve mana. Coordinate with your support for effective trades. Avoid aggressive plays unless a clear advantage exists. Building a Conduit of Magic starter item is crucial for mana sustain and early-game power.
Remember, early game success sets the foundation for a strong mid-to-late game carry potential. Focus on efficient farming and minimizing risks to maximize your impact.
Mid Game (Levels 6-10)
With Future Sight (Ultimate) unlocked, Chronos transitions into a potent mid-game threat. Begin actively participating in team fights, utilizing your ultimate for crucial crowd control and damage output. Prioritize completing core items like Staff of the Magi and Soul Eater to amplify your magical power and sustain.
Focus on objective control, assisting with Dragons and Towers. Coordinate rotations with your team to capitalize on advantages. Accelerate Time (Ability 3) provides valuable mobility for positioning and escaping dangerous situations.
Maintain map awareness and anticipate enemy movements. Effective use of abilities and itemization will solidify your role as a primary damage dealer.
Late Game (Levels 11+)
In the late game, a fully built Chronos becomes a hyper-carry capable of immense damage. Team fights revolve around protecting Chronos while he unleashes devastating combinations of Stop Time (Ability 1) and Future Sight (Ultimate). Prioritize securing key objectives like Fire Giant and Elder Fury.
Positioning is paramount; utilize Time Warp (Passive) for safe farming and Accelerate Time (Ability 3) for quick rotations. Consider situational items like Doom Orb for increased penetration.
Effective communication and coordination with your team are crucial for maximizing Chronos’s potential and securing victory.