Ares (Chaos)
Ares – The God of War (Chaos, Cavalry)
Ares, the god of war, joined Infinity Kingdom with Patch 2.8.5 on July 10th, entering as the newest Chaos Immortal.
Unlike Apollo, who combines burst damage, healing suppression, and scaling durability, Ares represents pure, relentless aggression. His signature trait is a permanent +50% Attack Speed bonus, making him one of the fastest cavalry Immortals from the moment combat begins.
What truly sets Ares apart, however, is his ability to remove Control Immunity and weaken Barriers—two defensive mechanics that once defined the durability meta. Teams that rely on shield stacking or immunity rotations quickly crumble against him. In turn, he enables allies’ control skills—stuns, silences, confusions, roots—to land with full effect.
This dual function gives Ares a rare identity among frontliners: he is both a high-pressure attacker and a team enabler who opens the way for allies to capitalize on control and burst windows.
Ares is designed for tempo play. He sets the pace early, cracks defensive layers open, and lets the rest of the team flood through. Players who prefer fast, decisive battles will find him a powerful addition to Chaos lineups.
Core Strengths & Battle Identity
Skill: Battlefield Trample
- Passive: Increases Normal Attack Speed by 50% permanently.
- Active: Deals physical damage to all enemies (scaling 150–500%) and has a 50% chance to apply Frighten for 6 seconds, which:
- Removes the target’s Control Immunity
- Reduces the effectiveness of Barriers by 30%
Ares thrives on momentum. The permanent speed boost ensures he begins outputting damage immediately, while Frighten opens defensive gaps that allow allied control effects and damage to land unhindered. This makes him one of the most aggressive openers in the Chaos roster.
While his early tempo is unmatched, his impact declines slightly in prolonged battles without sustain or scaling. For players focused on early dominance and team coordination, however, Ares provides a distinct advantage.
Battlefield Trample – Mechanics & Energy Flow
Battlefield Trample defines Ares’ combat rhythm:
- +50% Attack Speed (passive)
- AoE Physical Damage (150–500% scaling)
- 50% chance to apply “Frighten” on enemies which strip them of any Control Immunity (e.g. Fountain of Life or Fu Fei) and weaken Barriers by 30% for 6 seconds
Why It Matters
- Anti-Barrier Utility: Ares doesn’t just pierce shields—he destabilizes them. Barrier-heavy teams, especially those relying on sustain or timing-based protection, lose their key advantage.
- CC Enablement: Removing Control Immunity allows allied controllers—such as Tomyris, Himiko, and Loki—to land disables that previously failed. Once these effects connect, the fight shifts heavily in your favor.
- Damage Conversion: Each CC connection opens a punishment window for high-damage allies like Apollo or Anubis to exploit.
Energy Regen & Ultimate Timing
Ares also benefits from above-average energy regeneration, starting at 93.3/s base. With equipment and boosts, he can reach 105–130/s, letting him cast Battlefield Trample frequently—crucial for maintaining his debuff uptime.
| Regen Rate | Time to 1000 Energy | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 93.3/s | ~10.7s | Baseline |
| 105/s | ~9.5s | Smooth cycle |
| 130/s | ~7.7s | Near-continuous pressure |
Ares’ debuff lasts 6 seconds. At 105/s, there’s a ~3.5s gap between effects; at 130/s, the downtime narrows to ~1.7s. In live battles, even minor boosts (on-hit energy gain, ally support, etc.) can create near-continuous debuff pressure—transforming him into a constant disruptor.
The most impactful element of his kit is not the AoE damage itself, but the immunity removal that changes how entire lineups interact.
Optimal Builds – Artifact, Specialization & Skills
Best Artifact
War Spear·Surge
Prioritize Physical Damage % as the main attribute. The Surge effect aligns with Ares’ short ultimate cycle, helping him refresh Battlefield Trample faster and maintain pressure.
Best Specialization
Knight’s Spirit — Offers +21–70% Damage and +9–30% Attack Speed.
This specialization amplifies his aggressive playstyle and keeps him effective from the opening seconds.
Recommended Skills
- Last Stand: Provides vital survivability during the opening exchange, ensuring Ares stays alive to apply his debuffs.
- Wind Rage: Doubles down on his attack speed, turning him into a relentless source of auto-attack and skill pressure.
- Knife Through Butter: Excellent synergy. Every 6 attacks trigger AoE cleaves that cut enemy energy regen by 300. With Ares’ speed, this procs often, crippling sustain teams.
- Optional alternatives:
- Assembly Charge: For early snowball.
- Battle Frenzy: For pure offense.
- Corrosive Power: For smoother ult rotations.
Essential Team Skill
Fountain of Life on an ally is strongly recommended. It prevents Ares from being silenced during his initial charge, preserving his tempo advantage.
Spring of Life is also useful for sustain-based setups, reducing incoming damage when healed.
The optimal skill trio for Ares is Knife Through Butter + Wind Rage + Last Stand—a balance of speed, disruption, and durability that lets him sustain aggression while amplifying team control.
Team Synergies
Ares excels when paired with allies who can exploit his immunity removal and barrier reduction. The best combinations pair him with high-burst or control-heavy Immortals.
- Loki: With Ares removing immunity, Loki’s Confusion connects reliably, causing enemies to attack themselves. This combo revives CC-heavy compositions and can dismantle coordinated teams.
- Apollo: Once barriers are weakened, Apollo’s Corona Godstrike and healing reduction dominate. Together, they crush sustain-based defenses in seconds.
- Anubis: A dependable frontline bruiser who absorbs damage and amplifies incoming damage. Pairs well for sustained pressure setups.
- Fu Fei: Provides critical sustain and control immunity, allowing Ares to survive long enough to cycle multiple ultimates. A must-have for balanced compositions.
Ares functions best as an enabler—he doesn’t carry fights alone, but his debuffs allow his team to deal far greater damage and control than they otherwise could.
Battle Performance Examples
Case 1 – Ares + Apollo
Duration: ~40 seconds
Result: Ares enabled Apollo to reach 56.6M damage, compared to the enemy Apollo’s (who did just 12.1M).
Ares’ barrier breaking and immunity stripping allowed uninterrupted damage rotations, while Fu Fei’s healing kept the frontline intact. The opposing team’s sustain collapsed under the combined healing reduction and CC pressure.
Below images are the two sides of the chaos-whale fight:
Takeaway: Ares amplified Apollo’s damage potential and crippled the enemy’s sustain. The match ended quickly due to overwhelming early tempo.
Case 2 – Ares + Loki
Duration: ~1 minute 10 seconds
Result: Ares contributed 32.6M damage, while Loki added 20.4M.
The fight was slower but heavily controlled. Continuous debuffs allowed Confusion and other CC effects to land consistently. Fu Fei’s healing sustained Ares through prolonged exchanges, leading to a gradual victory.
Below images are the two sides of the chaos-whale fight:
Takeaway: Ares transitioned into a semi-carry role within a CC-heavy setup. While less explosive than the Apollo variant, this composition offered steady control and reliable wins through attrition.
Conclusion
Ares redefines Chaos frontline play. His strength lies not in raw damage numbers but in meta disruption—breaking barriers, removing control immunity, and letting allies dictate the tempo.
He fits perfectly into teams focused on early aggression, tempo control, and crowd control synergy. Pair him with Apollo for explosive offense or Loki for sustained CC dominance.
However, players favoring slow, sustain-based battles may find his impact tapering off over time. Ares is not a wall—he’s a hammer built to break them.
Bottom Line:
Ares is a meta-shifting Immortal who changes how fights are played. He doesn’t just deal damage—he changes the rules of engagement. For players who want to resurrect CC comps, dismantle barrier-heavy teams, and seize control from the first second, Ares delivers exactly that.
Published: 01-11-2025