The addition of SMITE 2 Joust mode came shortly before the third-person MOBA entered free-to-play, which was also the launch of its open beta. While Conquest and Arena are two of the more popular modes, with the former being the most competitive, Joust mode is one of three that change the rules of SMITE 2 and introduce new ways to play, alongside Duel and Assault.

Since Joust mode is so different though, if you jump straight into it from one of the others, you may find yourself somewhat confused. This guide exists to explain exactly what you need to know about Joust, from the basic rules and map layout to top tips and strategies for success. All of this advice comes from our community of die-hard SMITE 2 veterans with thousands of hours in the series so far, and if you use it in conjunction with our SMITE 2 tips guide, you'll have found the recipe for success.

Joust mode explained

If there's one point of consensus from most of our submissions, it's that Joust is a fast-paced mode, which serves as a quicker - approximately 15-20 minutes, according to Inters3ct - and more casual entry point into Conquest-style gameplay. The main objective, much like Conquest, is to destroy the enemy titan. Inpunktion explains that "if you don't have the time or patience to play through a full game of Conquest, don't want the level of chaos that Arena brings to the table, and don't like the randomness factor that Assault gives, then you should certainly give Joust a try. It's especially fun if you have two friends to play with."

Meanwhile, NiteDark explains that it "rewards strategy and quick thinking," while Inters3ct suggests teams should "stick together at almost all times, fighting as a unit". This is because there's only one lane, and while there are some objectives - more on those shortly - there isn't much space on the map for separate fights to occur.

With only one lane, how does the map work? Soulk explains the singular lane is surrounded by jungle, with a red and purple buff available, and blue buffs by each of the team spawns. There's also the Lost Knight, which is the most important part of the map according to Inpunktion, as it can "completely turn the tide of battle". It can be accessed via a portal by the red buff, and defeating the Lost Knight disables the "front-most enemy structure" for a short while, along with providing other bonuses and effects for your team. Securing it for your team is such a crucial part of the match, especially compared to Conquest where the jungle bosses are helpful, but not mandatory.

Joust strategy

When it comes to strategy, Inpunktion has suggestions from the very get-go:

"The game starts with each team at a buff camp, and if you have the more aggressive team composition or can pressure early, you may want to start at red buff and take the teleporter. Quickly take down the purple camp, then head to the minion wave and grab your blue buff after clearing. You could also start at blue buff, quickly clear the wave, and then head to contest red and/or purple buff. The last way I have seen people playing is to have two people clear a buff and the wave while the last player goes to solo clear any buff that isn't being contested or to try and steal the buff away from the opposing team."

Best Joust team composition

In terms of team composition, there are some discrepancies amongst the submissions, which suggests the Joust meta is quite flexible despite only having one lane:

• NiteDark: A tank, damage dealer, and utility-focused support or hybrid.

• Soulk: A tank or support, a god that deals strong magic damage, and an ADC.

• Inters3ct: A tank, a physical damage dealer, and a magical damage dealer.

• Peculiarities: A magical or physical-damage warrior or guardian tank, a mage, assassin, or ADC for ranged damage, and a damage-dealer that has the damage type your tank doesn't.

• Feddboii: Either two tanks and one mage, or one ADC, one tank, and one assassin or warrior.

However, Peculiarities also says the most important thing is ensuring you pick gods that have synergy, which means combining your abilities with your allies. Feddboii also elaborated on his picks, explaining that having two frontline tanks helps with chip damage and securing buffs quickly, while "the ADC tank combo provides consistent shred damage for destroying structures and burning down enemy tanks, and it's easier to take the Lost Knight".

Joust tips

Finally, here are some additional Joust tips from our community:

• Don't overextend!

  • NiteDark explains that "without proper vision or backup, pushing too far into enemy territory can lead to ambushes." This is doubly important if you're marauding that far solo because remember, Joust is still a team game and requires coordination.

• Make sure you grab jungle buffs whenever possible.

  • Another tip from NiteDark, who says "jungle buffs give a significant edge in fights," and with only a handful on the map compared to Conquest, they're even more important.

• Try to have fun!

  • Joust isn't anywhere near as serious as Conquest, so while you'll still want to win, this is a great proving ground to test gods and gain experience before jumping into the flagship mode.

• Learn how gold spooling works.

  • Gold spooling in Joust means you earn seven gold per second, along with the 1,250 everyone starts with, explains Feddboii. This is in contrast to Conquest's three gold per second.

• Familiarise yourself with the Lost Knight details.

  • Feddboii also has the lowdown on all the specific details for the Lost Knight. "He appears three minutes in and spawns with 4,050 health. Defeating him provides health regen, penetration, but won't disable the enemy's titan if both of their front structures are already destroyed."

• Learn what each of the jungle buffs do.

  • Finally, swifty has explained what each of the buffs you can get on the map actually do. Blue provides cooldown reduction and mana regeneration, red is considered the most important buff on the map (outside of the Lost Knight) as it provides damage over time to any enemy damaged by the wearer of the buff. The purple buff provides a stacking strength and intelligence buff, with added lifesteal.

Do you have any additional Joust tips? What has your experience been like with Joust in SMITE 2 so far? Let us know all this and more in the comments below.

Some text has been edited for brevity, clarity, or spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You can find the original wording here. Image credit: Titan Forge Games