SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.
Lore: Hercules is a demi-god of the Roman pantheon, spawned from his mortal mother, Alcmene, and her “fling” with the womanizing God of the Sky, Jupiter. Hercules is renowned for his incredible strength, which repeatedly aided him during his string of oft-repeated adventures. The sheer number of his adventures have delivered a smorgasbord of content, character flaws and inconsistencies for popular culture to pull from.
The range of his feats are best captured in the Bibliotheca. After Juno caused him to murder his own children out of madness, Hercules sought redemption, which King Eurystheus used to his advantage. Seeing an opportunity to rid himself of Hercules, Eurystheus assigned the demi-god to the Labours of Hercules, twelve impossible tasks. The dozen challenges included capturing the Erymanthian Boar, slaying various feared mythological creatures, obtaining beloved items from the likes of Artemis and the Queen of the Amazons and bringing back Cerberus. Each tale unveils a different side to the demi-god, from cunningness to raw power. Each accomplished.In true Roman form, Hercules was revered for his bravery and ability to father a brood of children. He may have saved the countryside of Rome from Vulcan’s fire-breathing son, Cacus, but he’s forever remembered, and immortalized in SMITE, for his precocious way with the ladies.
In-Game: Hercules is not your typical physical melee fighter. Gaining damage as his health is lowered (passive) and being able to heal based on incoming damage from Mitigate Wounds allows the lady’s man to stay in lane without much cause for concern. Consequently, this may cause more than a few Leeroy Jenkins moments. With a handful of massive damage abilities coupled with a stun and pair of knock-backs, Hercules takes his reputation as the Champion of Rome very seriously.
His prowess at standing tall in the face of the enemy means Herculean players can focus a bit more aggressively on physical pain. Grabbing physical power items like Deathbringer, Warrior’s Tabi and Death’s Toll are perfect for all out damage. Should your team require Hercules to be more balanced, Hide of the Leviathan and The Executioner will add to his support capabilities while still making use of his bulging muscles.
Further reading:
- Hercules on Wikipedia
- Roman Mythology on Wikipedia
- Bibliotheca – The Twelve Labours of Hercules
Head over to SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained for details on all of the playable characters.