This is how to build and play Smite Janna in the top lane

Nicholas James Published 06/02/2022

Smite Janna in the top lane is taking over League of Legends, even making its way to professional play. Now players are scrambling to figure out how to incorporate this newest strategy into their own solo queue games.

How do you build and play Smite Janna top lane, and why does this ridiculous strategy work? The new strategy is all about abusing League of Legends’ new objective bounties system and is like no other strategy the game as seen.

How to play Smite Janna top lane

To take Smite Janna top lane, you must first understand the objective bounty system in League of Legends.

When members of the enemy team reach certain metrics in gold advantage, farm, and experience, extra gold is granted to the team that trails in gold when they take objectives including neutral monsters and towers. This strategy tricks the game into thinking your team is further behind than they actually are by spoofing a gold deficit in the top lane.

The central thesis is that Janna hangs out in the top lane with a support item until level three. Once Janna has learned all of her basic abilities, she abandons the lane entirely. Join up with your jungler to invade the enemy jungle, roam to allied lanes to harass enemies, and generally spend your time helping teammates across the map. While you stay away from gaining experience and farming gold, your top lane opponent will rapidly begin to build up both an individual bounty and will accelerate the objective bounties that your team can benefit from cashing in.

The crux of the idea is to let your allies cash in on that extra gold by having an entire extra champion on the bottom side of the map or supporting the jungler. Janna’s movement speed helps with these rotations, and she picks up typical support items along the way. Once you meet up to have team fights, you hope to have created a lead for your AD carry and mid laner that is strong enough to outweigh the enemy top laner’s lead accumulated from farming in an uncontested lane.

This strategy is so effective that it has even showed up in professional play, being piloted by FlyQuest in the LCS to a victory.

Expect some backlash for the unusual strategy if should you try it in solo queue without your teammates knowing what you’re up to. The Smite Janna in the top lane strategy is expected to be patched out of the game sooner than later, but for now it’s a great way to catch your enemies off guard.

Nicholas James

About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

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