
Fluffy Dragons - NA
smite.guru no longer shows my full title
đŸ˜”As of writing this guide, I have over a 75% win rate on Da Ji (mostly solo queue), and I'll show you my usual build + tips and tricks.
pls buff Da Ji more thx
Feel free to say hi if you see me in-game! I am very lonely :(
https://smite.guru/match/1084653551
gaming
https://youtu.be/3hQBpI52E94
gameplay video for visual learners
If you have any more questions, you can ask me on discord ConspiracyPizza#6969
The important stuff is Highlighted
Changelog:
(only recent/significant changes)
October 15th, 2021
Minor changes
September 28th, 2021 - 8.9
8.9 Update
June 17th, 2021
Added a better video
March 3rd, 2021 - 8.1
Delayed Massive S8 Update
November 7th, 2020 - 7.11
How to Level and Play Da Ji - Changed leveling order due to Da Ji buff

Bluestone Pendant
PASSIVE - Enemies hit by your damaging Abilities take an additional 20 Physical Damage over 2s. (Max 2 Stacks) Can be upgraded at level 20.

Mace

Healing Potion
This consumable heals 250 Health over 25 seconds.

Multi Potion
This consumable heals 125 Health and 75 Mana over 25 seconds.
(Section Updated on September 28th, 2021)
Buy a pot if you are in any game mode that is not arena, I usually just get 1 heath + multi

Manikin Scepter
PASSIVE - Enemies hit by your Basic Attacks are burned, taking 16 Physical Damage (+5% of your Physical and Magical Power) over 2s and have their Attack Speed reduced by 4.5%. Jungle Monsters take 4x the amount of damage and restore 3% Health and 5% Mana when they die if they are burned. This effect can stack up to 3 times. Can be upgraded at level 20.

Mace

Healing Potion
This consumable heals 250 Health over 25 seconds.

Multi Potion
This consumable heals 125 Health and 75 Mana over 25 seconds.
(Section Updated on October 15th, 2021)
OK so like manikin's is really annoying to use early game as if you use your 2 and then auto attack to kill the small camp minions, you won't heal, because they won't have the bleed on them.
Therefore, you have to auto-attack a small minion, then use 2-3 hits of the 2, then auto attack the other small minion, and then finish off the big jungle monster with auto attacks. This way you will heal from all 3 minions.
Also if you don't get the last hit on the minion, you won't heal either.

Manikin Hidden Blade
PASSIVE - If you have not taken or dealt damage in the last 5s and hit an enemy god, Jungle Monster, or Jungle Boss, they immediately take 20% of their Current Health as Physical Damage and are slowed by 20% for 5s.

Jotunn's Wrath

Evolved Transcendence
PASSIVE - 3% of your Mana is converted to Physical Power.

Brawler's Beat Stick
PASSIVE - Enemies hit by your Abilities have 40% reduced healing for 6 seconds.

Serrated Edge
PASSIVE - For every non-ultimate ability on cooldown you gain a stack of Cruelty. Each stack provides 8 Physical Power and 3% Physical Lifesteal.

Heartseeker
PASSIVE - Your abilities deal an additional 3% of the targets maximum Health as Physical Damage. If you have over 200 Physical Power, your ability bonus damage scales up. This effect reaches a maximum of 6% Maximum Health damage at 400 Physical Power. Subsequent hits on the same target do 75% bonus damage for the next 3s.
(Section Updated on October 15th, 2021)
Finish boots before Crusher
Bloodforge is not great in conquest
Relics are Beads and Blink usually
Disclaimer: I have not purchased Aegis on any god in the last 6 years because I think that it's cringe.

Bluestone Pendant
PASSIVE - Enemies hit by your damaging Abilities take an additional 30 Physical Damage over 2s. (Max 2 Stacks)

Jotunn's Wrath

Hydra's Lament
PASSIVE - For 8s after using an ability, your next Basic Attack will deal an additional 35% damage. Abilities that function like basic attacks do not benefit from this. PASSIVE - This item grants 2.5 MP5 per 10% of your missing Mana.

Rage
PASSIVE - Killing or getting an assist on an enemy god gives you 1 stack. Each stack provides 3% Critical Strike Chance. Stacks are permanent and stack up to 5 times.

Deathbringer
PASSIVE - Critical Strike bonus damage dealt is increased by 30%.

Wind Demon
PASSIVE - Your Critical Hits provide you with 10% Physical Penetration and increase your Attack Speed by 10% and Movement Speed by 10% for 4s.

Poisoned Star
PASSIVE - Critical hits on enemy gods afflict them with poison for 2s. This poison slows them by 10% and reduces their damage output by 15%.
(Section Updated on September 28th, 2021)
This build is the most optimal one for Da Ji in arena if you can get ahead early. Once you have 90 or 100% crit, she is much more viable late-game than a regular Da Ji build. This build is only realistically viable in arena due to the gold spooling that you get compared to other game modes. However, I like building it in siege and clash and it works fine.
The items are in order; just sell Bluestone Pendant for Poisoned Star. Shadowsteel Shuriken can also be substituted for Poisoned Star (get Shadowsteel and then Wind Demon).
I don't get malice as it doesn't synergize well with the combo of 3 auto 1 auto as you will only shorten the cooldown on the 3. However, the biggest problem is even if you preemptively use the 1 or just walk up to them with the 1 activated, malice passive does not shorten the cooldown on the 1 as the damage applies (and the cooldown starts) after the crit.
When you're using this build, don't bother using the two for damage late-game; only use it for the movement speed and then cancel it instantly or use it for the mitigations. A single auto-attack will do more damage than the combined four hits of the 2.
If you want more pen, you can swap out Jotunn's for serrated edge. You can also swap out poisoned star for bloodforge.

Corrupted Bluestone
PASSIVE - Enemies hit by your damaging Abilities are corrupted, taking 75 Physical Damage over 5s and reducing their Attack Speed by 10%. (Max 2 Stacks). Each time you apply corruption you gain 10% Attack Speed and 4% increased Protections for 6s, up to a maximum of 5 stacks.

Jotunn's Wrath

Gauntlet of Thebes
PASSIVE - Assists on a minion give 1 Stack and God kills and assists give 5 Stacks. Stacks provide 1 Physical and Magical Protection. At 50 Stacks this item evolves, providing an Aura of 10 Physical Protection and 10 Magical Protection.

Brawler's Beat Stick
PASSIVE - Enemies hit by your Abilities have 40% reduced healing for 6 seconds.

Ancile
PASSIVE - Whenever you take Magical Damage from an enemy ability you unleash a shockwave that Silences all enemies within a range of 30 units for 1s. This effect cannot trigger more than once every 30s.

Heartseeker
PASSIVE - Your abilities deal an additional 3% of the targets maximum Health as Physical Damage. If you have over 200 Physical Power, your ability bonus damage scales up. This effect reaches a maximum of 6% Maximum Health damage at 400 Physical Power. Subsequent hits on the same target do 75% bonus damage for the next 3s.
(Section Updated on October 15th, 2021)
OK I know that I've got a lot of builds here but hear me out. In joust you typically want to get more defense in the form of a Gauntlet of Thebes
Just don't overload on the defense as her base damage is pretty crap so you'll be pretty useless. And don't overload on the damage either, as the joust meta is very biased towards bruisers and high damage ranged characters, so you'll be cc'ed and bursted down instantly.
Instead of Brawler's Beat Stick, I suppose that you could get Heartseeker instead if they don't have any form of healing.
You can change the order of the last 3 items around, which I do a lot of the time, just always get bluestone pendant, Jotunn's Wrath, and Gauntlet of Thebes first. If the game is looking kind of hopeless, forget getting gauntlet and just go full damage.
I like corrupted bluestone over bluestone brooch, as the attack speed is really nice late game, along with the 20% extra protections.

Arondight
PASSIVE - When your Ultimate ability has finished casting, reveal all enemy gods within 120 units for 8s. While moving towards revealed enemies gain 30% Movement Speed. When first striking a revealed target they take an additional 20 + 40% of your Physical Power. This can only occur once every 45 seconds.

Void Shield
AURA - Enemy gods within 55 units have their Physical Protection reduced by 15%.

Ancile
PASSIVE - Whenever you take Magical Damage from an enemy ability you unleash a shockwave that Silences all enemies within a range of 30 units for 1s. This effect cannot trigger more than once every 30s.

Mantle of Discord
PASSIVE - If you take damage below 30% health you unleash a shockwave that stuns all enemies within a range of 20 units for 1s and become immune to Crowd Control for 1s. This effect cannot trigger more than once every 110s.

Bloodforge
PASSIVE - Killing an enemy god forges a shield from their blood with Health equal to 200 + 10 per Player Level for 20s. While the Blood Shield is active you gain +10% movement speed.

Shifter's Shield
PASSIVE - While over 75% Health, you gain +30 Physical Power. While under 75% Health, you gain +40 Protections.
(Section Updated on October 15th, 2021)
Use your own judgment here. These items can be built anywhere in the build, but the core build items should stay the same typically.
Don't forget that Arondight will put you over the cooldown cap with Jotunn's (20%) + Transcendence/Hydra's (10%) + Arondight (10%) + Power Potion (10%) = 50%. So if the game gets super late, you can sell Jotunn's for one of the 10% CDR items like Mantle or Arondight. However, going over the cooldown cap isn't a huge deal, so don't worry too much about it.
You can also just look at my match history for my build since I mostly just play Da Ji anyway, lol.








(Section Updated on October 15th, 2021)
Leveling the ultimate is pretty decent if you have lots of cooldown reduction with Jotunn's + Hydra's/transcendence. Otherwise, stick with the other abilities and max the ultimate last.
After the Da Ji buff in 7.11, the second ability no longer massively sucks at level 1. Therefore, I have split the build into Standard and Alternate leveling orders. Standard is usually applicable most of the time.
In conquest, you can experiment with leveling the 2 twice for extra camp clear and then maxing the 1, but typically the standard leveling order is best for most game modes.
The most crucial ability on Da Ji is her 1. Even though the 2 does more damage technically, using her 1 allows you to auto-attack instantly afterward, also known as an auto-attack cancel. For example, a typical gank goes 3, auto-attack, 1, and then auto-attack again immediately, 2, auto-attack again. You can cancel the 2 after hitting four times to auto-attack instantly instead of waiting for the animation to end, which you should do if you are confident performing the move. Do not do this if you are not super confident in your ability to pull it off. To add to that last part, sometimes I cancel the 2 only after a few hits if I know that the next auto attack will kill them in order to save time.
The 1 also gives you haste, but as you sometimes have Hydra's lament, missing an auto-attack will make you lose the Hydra's buff. Honestly, I didn't even know Da Ji's 1 had haste on it until around 17,000 worshipers in. Now that I know, the only thing that I do with it is run out of the fountain at level 3 spamming auto-attacks.
The idea is that items like Heartseeker and Crusher will apply their effects many times in quick succession. This is insane single-target damage, making her one of the best gods for killing mages and hunters. Da Ji's weakness is tank characters like warriors and guardians; you will need Heartseeker and/or Serrated Edge to do much to them. The 3, auto, 1, auto, 2 combo should happen in about a second, and if you're somewhat far ahead, it can kill any unlucky mage in your sight almost instantly.
Another trick that nobody knows is that when you are using your ultimate, the split second you are still on the ground before the animation of going up on your tower is another auto-attack cancel opportunity. So, if you ult right on top of an enemy god, you can actually get an extra auto-attack off on them before you get up into the air.
A handy trick that people who have mastered auto-attack canceling can try is spinning the camera. It is pretty clear what it is; just rotate your camera after selecting your target with the 3 and during the teleport animation. You will hopefully land somewhere to the side or behind the target god. Make sure you can auto-attack immediately after teleporting as usual with precise WASD commands. This trick is somewhat tricky; however, it is perfect for body-blocking.
I use normal cast for her 3 and instant cast for her 1,2, and 4.
(Section Updated January 17th, 2021)
Do not engage on these gods; only go on them or gods near them after the fight has started, and their cc abilities are down. The gods listed multiple times are just for emphasis.
Generally, Da Ji is not the optimal team fight starter; her primary role is to go on targets that have already used their escape abilities and/or cc abilities and finish them off. If you have your ultimate, you can start a team fight, which I typically do on a target that I am sure about, but it's still better to join the battle after it has already started.
Ganesha/Nox silences are a death sentence for Da Ji as your ultimate is your panic button. The Paolao lets you wait for your team to come over, buy time for your abilities to go back up, or act as a jump if you instantly chain any nearby enemy god and/or jump off. If you're silenced, you can't really do any of that unless you want to pop purification beads and then ult.
A lot of other gods should be on here, but I'm too lazy to add them. However, using your big brain, you should be able to figure out when and where to engage. Ex. Don't go on Nu Wa if she hasn't used her minions/invisibility circle, don't go on Isis if she still has her stun/silence, etc.
(Section Updated January 17th, 2021)
Again, use your brain. A lot of these gods require setup. Discordia is only easy if her invisibility is down (watch out for the apple). Neith is easy if her back flip is down for any reason. Otherwise, you should blink next to Neith, auto-attack, 1, auto-attack, then teleport to her after she backflips with your 3. This applies to most of the gods who have jumps/dashes.
Zeus can kill you pretty quickly with his ultimate, Kukulkan can purge the slow on your 1 and get away, teleporting on Artemis with her ult up is pretty silly, etc.