Bellona is the Roman goddess of war, a fun and very versatile choice who excels in group control, adaptability and sustain.
Her basic attack deals physical damage to an enemy in front of her, and Bellona has 4 different weapons, depending on the most recent skill used.
Passive (Master Of War): when Bellona hits or is hit by basic attacks, she gains movement speed. Each skill modifies the style of the basic attack, with unique effects. If you use Sword and Shield, you gain protection stacks; Scourge gains attack speed stacks; Hammer gains strength stacks. The passive helps you a lot to sustain yourself in the lane, you can accumulate protection and speed in exchanges.
Skill 1 (Shield Bash): Bellona rushes forward with her shield and deals physical damage to enemies. For every god hit, you gain a stack of blocks. For every 3 successful attacks, you gain a stack of blocks, which generate damage. It's a good choice for starting fights or closing distances, the slowness is a great ally and helps you prepare basic attacks or other skills. I also like to use it to escape from certain situations if I'm low on life.
Skill 2 (Bludgeon): Bellona spins the hammer to deal physical damage to enemies around her and then strikes forward, dealing physical damage to enemies in a line. Very useful for wave clearing and area damage, as well as guaranteeing kills. The more enemies you hit, the more damage you deal.
Skill 3 (Scourge): it lashes out in a line, dealing damage and disarming enemies. I consider it an excellent strategy against opponents who rely on basic attacks, such as assassins. In addition, disarming can interrupt skills, which is very important to use in your game strategy.
Ultimate (Eagle's Rally): Bellona jumps forward and plants her flag, dealing physical damage and stunning enemies. The flag grants you and your close allies protection, strength and intelligence. Excellent for escaping and attacking, I like to use it to start fights or to counterattack when enemies advance. Using this skill can be decisive in your fight, and the strategic positioning of the flag is essential to ensure your best performance.
Regarding the order in which skills are leveled up, in general I prefer 2 > 3 > 1 > 4.
As for solo builds, I like to use items such as Berserker Shield for mixed defenses and attack speed, Qins Blade to guarantee additional damage, Dagger of Frenzy, Bumbas Spear... and some situational items such as Shogun's Kusari and Cloak of Discord. I think it's a great option to play, but with regard to some negative points I would say the dependence on skills, which generates the need to manage mana, as well as its vulnerability to CC.
A few tips: at first, always try to clear waves and secure your route, beating your opponent; know how to adapt to the situations that arise; positioning is always essential, such as when the flag is up, it will make all the difference. Finally, have fun! Playing Bellona is generally very satisfying and I find the learning curve very easy.