Nov 212014
Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance
Bind yourself to the Spear of Vengeance and get revenge against those that have wronged you. The price is high but there is no retribution without consequences. You may find Kalista lurking in the shadows or catch a glimpse of her under plain light. Some have found her possessing ancient armour even. One thing is certain: if you look for her, she will find you. Curious to know more? Keep reading.
Blood Moon Kalista
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| Category: | Regular |
| Price: | 975 RP |
| Concept: | Kalista playing the role of a dark spirit in the Ionian Festival of Fire play; which resembles a Japanese Noh theatre play. |
| Model: | New model for Kalista and her spears. New blue glow for Kalista and new red glow for her spears. |
| Particles: | New particles for her abilities, auto-attack and recall. |
| Animations: | New recall and death animations. |
| Sounds: | New recall sounds. |
| Splash Art: | In an, apparently, Ionian town the quiet of the night is disrupted by a spirit of vengeance. The town seems unnaturally empty, maybe abandoned, yet not ruined. The setting is, then, ominous yet also lacking substance. Kalista is in the middle of it all wrecking the ground with the supernatural power of her spears. The dynamic pose catches the viewer’s attention but it also obscures much of her body. The depth of field doesn’t contribute either to allow a good view of her, as her legs and left arm aren’t clearly displayed. What is visible is interesting but it’s difficult to get a general idea of her aspect. Additionally, the spears saturated colours make them look like thin plastic instead of spectral. The result is a piece that catches the eye then disappoints with suboptimal choices that make it difficult for Kalista to shine as she should under the forgotten moonlight. |
| Rating: |  |
| Conclusion: | Taking into account Kalista’s classic theme Blood Moon effortlessly adds a ceremonial, Ionian style. The changes aren’t remarkable: it’s essentially new armour and spears. However, they are well done and effectively provide the skin with an identity of its own. The armour is sensible yet evocative while the spears cement the personality. The recall and death are also good additions to further establish the theme. In Blood Moon, Kalista isn’t just a loose spirit, she’s possessing a distinct suit of armour. Blood Moon Kalista is certainly far from a departure from her classic self. The classic ghost is noticeable yet, fortunately, finely adapted and with a nice, albeit small, twist. Fans of Kalista will find in Blood Moon an attractive option. |
Championship Kalista
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| Category: | Legacy |
| Price: | 975 RP |
| Concept: | Kalista wearing blue armour and wielding engraved spears. |
| Model: | New model for Kalista and her spears. New blue glow for Kalista and her spears. |
| Particles: | New blue particles for her abilities, auto-attack and recall. |
| Animations: | New recall animation. |
| Sounds: | New sounds for her abilities, auto-attack and recall. |
| Splash Art: | In a blur of blue a platform is the only context for the glowing apparition in front of us. The idea is straightforward but the background is so diffuse that there isn’t much context. The only thing that disrupts the monotony is the souls attacking soldiers. Kalista’s portrayal escapes from the fuzziness for the most part. Her face is clear with a skin texture not fully human. The armour is detailed with several dents and nice use of reflections. It’s a pity that her legs are hidden due to the perspective but also diffuse because of the prevailing fog. Something similar happens to her arms but her left one makes sensible use of the effect to display distance. Additionally, the glowing spear she wields, more than the ones on her back, has a pleasant supernatural glow; faintly echoed by her eyes. All in all, it’s a fine piece with a weak setting and a good portrayal. Kalista’s depiction could be better and to a point it’s uneven. Regardless, it’s a good presentation card despite the flood of blurriness. |
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| Conclusion: | In simple words, Championship Kalista is a blue version of the Spear of Vengeance; much like Blood Moon is the red one. A closer look allows discovering a richly armoured Kalista hurling golden engraved spears at her enemies or friends; she doesn’t discriminate. The blue design as the main element is undeniable but there’s a bit more to the skin than just a new colour. The blue particles keep the look consistent. There’s nothing impressive and it could even be said that the colour is the only significant change but the new design of the spears adds some personality to the look. The new recall is a clear ceremonial reference which, as it doesn’t break any walls including the fourth, stands as a reasonable addition. All in all, there isn’t anything particularly extraordinary about Championship Kalista. However, it’s a skin that does well what it sets out to do. The spectral blue style is effective and the regal appearance is distinct even if not really original. For fans of Kalista and colour-based skins it’s a fine choice but if you’re looking for something deeper then you won’t find it here. |
SKT T1 Kalista
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| Category: | Legacy |
| Price: | 975 RP |
| Concept: | Kalista wearing sporty clothing and wielding golden spears. |
| Model: | New model for Kalista and her spears. New yellow glow for Kalista and her spears. |
| Particles: | New blue and yellow particles for her abilities, auto-attack and recall. |
| Animations: | New recall animation. |
| Sounds: | New recall sounds. |
| Splash Art: | In terms of background, we can guess that the few flashes and lights around the champions intend to reflect an arena where they have proved their skill and ended triumphant. That’s all guesswork because there’s nothing concrete to reveal it. Although there’s little room for a setting, what is available is mostly filled with empty colours. The rest is the shared display of the six champions. Colours are saturated but the excellent use of lighting allows for a contrast that makes the depiction full of detail, in places. There are simple surfaces, especially on the outskirts of the piece so it’s the champions on the centre that tend to receive the best work. It’s enough to compare how much of each champion is displayed and occluded to find the areas in-between where details are lacking. Kalista manages to insinuate herself quite clearly while enjoying some great use of light. The highlights on the golden speak and the transparent ones on her back also catch the eye; better than the sketchy jacket. Alistar appears a bit simple in the large surface of his body but the head is sharply depicted. Metal and hair are nicely shown but cloth disappoints. Ryze stands in centre stage and is the only one whom more than posing is also displaying his magical might. Still, his face can seem cartoony and his legs foggy. Much more pronounced is that effect on Azir. In spite of the daring pose his back is mostly and empty shadow so there isn’t much to see. Only his outline and most salient features are noticeable. Elise seems to be web-slinging into action but the intense lights dull the colours of her body. Still, the evident contrasts manage to make her face clear. Renekton is the one whom struggles the most to catch a share of space. His face looks good though it’s not as vibrant as other areas of the piece. His body, is submerged in a blur that conceals what isn’t visible but also what is; like his arms. The blade is surprisingly hidden in darkness, which may make some sense, but is a letdown. Overall, this is a splash art that provides an uneven distribution of space for the champions. Large ones struggle in small areas while smaller ones receive full depictions. It’s not just that, the portrayals themselves are also uneven with sharp areas against blurred ones. The composition isn’t bad at all. The daring and dynamic call to action is a classic choice that works well in any team. However, the result doesn’t take advantage of it and seldom organizes the champions in ways that make the most of their unique personalities. It shows that its an abbreviated display of champions and so the portrayal suffers for it. |
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| Conclusion: | Never before had the Spear of Vengeance looked so human and even full of life. SKT T1 Kalista shows her alive and well despite a spear going through her body; the ones sticking from her back aren’t solid. Regardless, her lively ponytail, colourful jacket, leg-revealing shorts and colourful snickers are an eloquent presentation of a side of Kalista yet unexplored. The modern interpretation is effective and appealing. It only needs some help in explaining the spears in her body. The glowing ones could be decoration from the golden ornament on her back; which is a bit exaggerated. The Black Spear isn’t so easy to explain though its design matches the ones she wields. Overall, the young and alive Kalista is visible and is, at least, an echo of what she would look alive in the contemporary world. The recall full of energy and excitement reinforces this idea. The new particles also set the skin apart and further define its distinct look. Her spears glow in a transparent, golden glow with blue highlights. That makes her auto-attacks, Pierce and Rend, appear attractive and unique. The same applies to Oathsworn and Fate’s Call in their different displays of magic. Sentinel follows the style with more blue than yellow but manages to suit the general feel. All things considered, SKT T1 Kalista is a skin that accomplishes a novel, young-spirited style that stands apart from the usual spectre form. The human look and youthful displays, added to the golden spears define a unique feel for the skin. Fan of Kalista will find that SKT is more than a team advertisement. |
Conclusion
As a release skin Blood Moon Kalista is a good option. It keeps the base of the champion while adding a different feel to her style. The theme could’ve been more developed but the result is certainly attractive. If you like Kalista and would like to give her an Ionian touch then Blood Moon will not disappoint.
Championship Kalista is a blue version to Blood Moon’s red. The result is appealing thanks to an effective spectral feel adorned with gold. While the skin doesn’t feel original and the design is simple it’s still visually attractive so fans of blue will find Championship a good addition to Kalista’s wardrobe.
While SKT T1 Kalista incorporates a good amount of yellow particles with some blue touches it manages to deliver a complete different feel that isn’t merely colour centred. The sporty clothes and human features show her alive and full of energy displaying an aspect that hasn’t been explored before. Thanks to that, SKT T1 Kalista is a skin worth considering for fans of the Spear of Vengeance as it shows a different and appealing aspect of her.
18 Responses to “League of Legends: Kalista Skins’ Review”
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Good job as always Zero, another enjoyable read and review ^_^
Looking forward to your reviews of the upcoming Snowdown skins and Eternum Rek’sai
Thanks, glad that you like it. We’ll soon have Eternum Rek’Sai reviewed. Besides, as soon as Snowdown officially starts and the skins are released we’ll have those analysed too.
Hi! I don’t suppose you’d know of another Kalista skin coming out anytime soon? I’m not the most patient person, Blood Moon does its job, but I wanted something with a little more elegance. Would you recommend waiting? I don’t know how much more promising any upcoming skins will be.
Ty!
We did a quick search and there doesn’t seem to be any rumours about a new skin for Kalista. She’s a new champion so it’ll probably take a while for a new skin to be released. Specially considering that many champions are also awaiting a second skin.
Blood Moon Kalista is a nice skin but if the concept doesn’t appeal to you then there isn’t that much else that the skin can offer. If you don’t really like Bood Moon we’d recommend to wait. It’s better to buy something you really like than to get something because it’s all there is.
In most things in life, patience becomes an essential tool.
How do you think the new Championship Kalista looks? Will you be doing a review on it when it comes out?
If Blood Moon is red Kalista then Championship is blue. All in all, the blue particles look rather nice for an eerie spectre. It’ll probably be a nice skin but we have to take a good look at it before we say anything concrete; especially after the PROJECT fiasco.
Cant decide between blood moon and championship kalista what would you say is better
They’re rather different skins. Depends on many factors, for instance: do you care about exclusivity? Because Championship Kalista is a legacy skin and so it’ll leave the store on the first days of November; until next year’s end of season. Can you wait for a sale? Blood Moon Kalista will eventually be discounted and you can save half its price.
At a glance both feel like colour-based skins. Blood Moon does have a more interesting theme than Championship but the result ends up somewhat near. Blood Moon particles have an hemoglobin feel while Championship relies on swrils of magical energy. Both are nice skins and have good implementations but the theme is what really sets them apart. Try to think on which concept you prefer as neither should disappoint as far as execution is concerned.
Hey Zero does bloodmoon kalista have a new blue glow on the model or is it something else just wondering?
Indeed, it is a dim blue glow near her body; most noticeable on her back as she leans forward. Bloodmoon Kalista has a blue-red colour scheme so, Championship notwithstanding, there are both blue and red glows on her.
Hello again zero, I was looking at the March sales schedule and saw that blood moon kalista and woad scout quinn was on it, I like the features of woad scout quinn(like colours and theme) but I feel that blood moon kalista just offers…more? Which skin do you prefer if you do and I was gonna debate the firecracker jinx but it wouldn’t offer much.
Firecracker Jinx is a nice skin but makes little sense at 1350 RP as it offers just the same as skins at 975 RP. In sheer technical terms Woad Scout Quinn and Blood Moon Kalista are rather near. The former has more new sounds but the latter has a new glow for her body. It can be a matter of preference what you like most. Both are really good skins and offer quite a bit. They currently stand among the best skins that each champion has available so, if you like them, neither should disappoint.
The theme is the biggest difference, Blood Moon is more viscreal while Woad Scout has a feel of elemental magic. Overall, there aren’t noticeable advantages for either skin. Both are good, it depends which champion and theme you like the most.
Not that it matters anymore sadkly, but blood moon kalista “had” a new capture animation as seen in SkinSpotlight videos
It could still matter if Skarner keeps his relics all over maps; or map seeing the direction everything is going. However, we didn’t notice any difference in the animation, sorry.
Hey Zero! I was just looking through the march sales when i noticed blood moon kalista on sale. I like both of Kalista’s skins, the championship and the blood moon but i was wondering when you think the championship skin is available? And do you think it’ll be on dscount or should i just buy blood moon instead of championship? I would appreciate your input on this Zero! Thanks!
Blood Moon has a more viscreal feel that gives it a distinct feel. Championship can be considered to rely more on the ghostly style with a royal, spectral feel. Both are good skins with their strengths and weaknesses.
In theory, Championship Kalista, along other Championship skins, will be available by the end of each season. That would land near the end of the year probably, around the time that the World Championship finals take place. We can’t be sure about a discount on Championship skins. After all, Challenger skins weren’t supposed to be discounted yet Ahri’s did have a discount; perhaps a mistake but it happened and that sets a precedent.
We’d advise to get the skin that you like the most. In technical terms they are equivalent in their offereings. Blood Moon has its unique identity and so does Championship. Neither skin should disappoint but they are different enough to have audiences that don’t necessarily completely overlap.
damn this kalista skin is awesome, i wonder how good is skt kalista? Zero any thoughts?
Overall, all of Kalista’s skins are quite good. Bloodmoon has a clear supernatural feel, Championship is more regal and SKT is a modern take. Regardless of concept, some are more fitting than others, the implementations are quite good so none of her skins should disappoint; provided you like the concept.