Janus

How to play Janus

Janus is a ranged mage from the Roman pantheon who deals magical damage. Top players play Janus in the Mid lane.

In your kit, Threshold (line; speeds, slows, and debuffs) slows enemies. Portal (place ground or wall portal) and Unstable Vortex (twin helix projectiles) add damage and pressure. Your ultimate is Through Space and Time (global portal projectile), on a long cooldown (about 110s at rank 1), so save it for fights that matter. Your passive is Passages: bonus damage after portal.

Community guides level Unstable Vortex, Portal and Unstable Vortex first. Max Unstable Vortex first, then Threshold, then Portal.

Most of your damage comes from abilities, so fight from behind your front line and never be the closest god to the enemy. Look for the moment your crowd control can land, then follow up with the rest of your damage. You have no dash, so your positioning is your escape. In the mid lane, clear the wave quickly, then help the side lanes or the jungle.

Start with Archmage's Gem, then buy Spear of Desolation. Top players buy it in the first two or three slots. Your core is Book of Thoth and Chronos' Pendant, and you finish with Soul Gem, Rod of Tahuti and Obsidian Shard. A good relic is Aegis of Acceleration. If the enemy team heals a lot or you keep dying, open the full tool and enter the enemy gods for the exact swaps.

Top players win most often against Ah Puch, Nox and Kuzenbo, and struggle against Cabrakan, Neith or Hades. Against those, play safer and consider a defensive item earlier.