Nu Wa is one of the several popular mages in Smite that many players use in the middle lane. She’s a good god, and for those learning the game, you can use her when you’re first playing to learn how to play. With her global ultimate and powerful burst potential, she’s a good starter. After learning how to utilize her abilities best, you next have to figure out how to give her the best items as you become more comfortable with her. Given the changes to Season 8, things are a bit different.
Best relics for Nu Wa
Like any mage, Nu Wa’s first relic is going to be purification beads. She will utilize this during the start as her lane will see plenty of traffic from the opponent mid laner and the jungle players. You’re better off sticking to the basics, and if she’s ever caught in a stun or a root, you can rely on beads to get out of a situation, so you retreat to your tower.
For her second relic, you can choose between going with aegis amulet or heavenly wings. You typically want your support or solo players carrying heavenly wings, but if your Nu Wa is caught off guard and needs to make a quick escape, it helps to have the chance to activate this and run away. Although, aegis is a far safer bet to protect Nu Wa against the burst damage of the enemy’s mage or the jungle player.
Best starter item for Nu Wa
The mages for Season 8 have several options to pick from when considering what starter item to purchase at the beginning of the game. Because Nu Wa primarily uses her abilities and doesn’t utilize her basic attacks all too often, you want to stick with the primary three options. Of those three, conduit gem is a compelling choice that allows Nu Wa to lean into her burst. The item gives her a stack of arcane energy she is consistently building up, enhancing her abilities to damage against her enemies. The preferred upgraded form for it should be Archmage’s Gem.
You also have Sands of Time and Vampiric Shroud as other options. Of those two, Sands of Time is likely the preferred one as it provides Nu Wa with early cooldown reduction. Although Vampiric Shroud is a solid option, you’ll be wanting to wait for the upgraded version of Sacrificial Shroud for the item’s true use on Nu Wa.
Best boots for Nu WA
You want to go with Shoes of Focus or Shoes of the Magi. Of the two, Shoes of Focus is a better item for Nu Wa as it gives her additional mana and another 10% cooldown reduction. Nu Wa will almost always need this while she’s in a lane, giving her the chance to utilize more of her abilities and push an enemy away.
Players can go with the Shoes of the Magi, as the lifesteal and additional magic power is nice, but Nu Wa misses out on more mana. If you’re already going into a mana-based item, then some lifesteal never hurt. But ultimately, Nu Wa is better off with Shoes of Focus.
Best item builds for Nu Wa
Nu Wa is a god who is going to use her abilities almost all of the time. That means you want to go with cooldown reduction, mana, and magical penetration. If you can build on magical penetration early in the game, then you will see some heavy burst potential from Nu Wa, and you’re going to clear your lane pretty quickly. Here is an ideal build for Nu Wa.
- Conduit Gem (build into Archmage’s Gem)
- Book of Thoth (Magical power, mana, and MP5)
- Shoes of Focus (Magical power, mana cooldown reduction, movement speed)
- Spear of Desolation (Magical power, magical penetration, and cooldown reduction)
- Soul Reaver (Magical power, mana)
- Rod of Tahuti (Magical power, MP5, and magical penetration %)
There are several things you can swap out and try. For example, you can build spear of desolation earlier and throw out book of thoth. After boots, instead of spear of desolation, you can grab chronos’ pendant, nearly capping Nu Wa’s cooldown reduction. But make sure you’re leaning into Nu Wa’s need for cooldown reduction, penetration, and mana. If you need more magical penetration items, these choices are also excellent.
- Spear of the Magus (Magical power and magical penetration)
- Obsidian Shard (Magical power and magical penetration %)
- Staff of Myrddin (Magical power, magical penetration %, and cooldown reduction)
- Typhon’s Fang (Magical power, mana, magical lifesteal, and magical penetration %)
Another favorite item for mages to go in the middle lane is lifesteal. It helps keep them alive longer, and if they take a few hits, they can regain their health or dip into the jungle to fight against jungle creatures to recoup real quick. Lifesteal is never a bad idea, and if you need some on Nu Wa, here are some good items to fit into your build.
- Bancroft’s Talon (Magical power, magical lifesteal, and mana)
- Soul Gem (Magical power, health, magical lifesteal, and cooldown reduction)
- Typhon’s Fang (Magical power, mana, magical lifesteal, and magical penetration %)
As always, we have a recommended section for anti-heal items if you’re fighting against an Anubis in the middle lane. Their lifesteal is going to be insane, especially with the latest changes to Season 8. The primary lifesteal item you need to worry about grabbing is Divine Ruin. Unfortunately, because of the limited choices, that’s going to be your only real option. You can grab the defensive items, but they’re not as effective as Nu Wa unless you’re being absolutely destroyed by your lane partner, in which case we recommend Pestilence to build up Nu Wa’s fragile magical protections.
