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: Ymir has two distinct and, at least partially, contradictory origin stories, both credited to Snorri Sturluson. In the earliest account, Ymir is a primeval being born from the venom of Élivágar. He lived a solitary life on Ginnungagap until he bore a male and female from his armpits. Not to be outdone, his legs spawned a six-headed being. Elsewhere on his person, the brothers Odin, Vili and Vé created the numerous realms from Ymir’s very being. His skin became Earth, his blood the ocean, his eyebrows became Midgard, land of mortals and on.
Sturluson’s second attempt changes, adds to or contradicts much of his previous effort. Again, Ymir is a primeval being, this time from the less nefarious nature of elemental sludge. Born alongside the Father of Frost Giants is the primeval cow that nurses Ymir to health, Auðumbla (a fantastic option for an April Fool’s Day god). Odin, Vili and Vé appear again, only this time to slay Ymir outright. The torrent of blood from the death of Ymir causes a massive flood.
Hi-Rez Studios appears to credit its creation as an amalgamation of the two stories, selecting the most interesting parts from each. What is clear is that Ymir, as a Primeval Being, is a nearly indestructible force and father to much of what exists.
In-Game: Ymir is positively a support melee tank. His high standard defense allows the frost king to absorb large amounts of damage but has little recourse for gaining health back quickly. No matter, the foundation of Earth, Midgard and the ocean possess a multitude of abilities for distracting others that may seek his icy demise in hopes that his kin may aid in DPS.
With a collection of magical power behind him, Ymir is no slouch in the sustained DPS market, especially if an enemy is caught within his AoE ultimate, Shards of Ice. Despite this, DPS should be secondary to any item build. Tanking capabilities, health, protection and perhaps regen should be the focus. Any item that happens to reduce the behemoths cooldown would be helpful for addition trapping chances from Ice Wall but should not be a focus. As with many tanks, Ymir cannot escape easily if caught out of place.
Further reading:
- Ymir on Wikipedia
- Norse Mythology on Wikipedia
- Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturluson
- Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson
Head over to SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained for access to details for all of the playable characters.