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League of Legends: Lunar Revel 2019 Skins’ Review – StrategyZero
Feb 072019
 
Coin Emperor Tahm Kench, Firecracker Sejuani and Firecracker Vayne
Lunar Revel 2019

The Emperor wanted a great celebration for the New Year and the parade was to be the centre of it. With fireworks and a large procession it garnered a lot of attention, in this world and beyond. A wraith set its sights on the coins and gold of treasury and regalia. Was it simple greed which motivated the spectre or was there a desire to ruin the empire? Whatever the reason he didn’t have an easy time.

A monster hunter was enjoying the celebration and, watching the parade, noticed strange, supernatural energies swirl by. With the help of purifying magic and a few well executed explosives coming from the experts in the parade the wraith was deterred to the happiness of all, especially the Emperor. Would the wraith return from whatever strange lands it lurked? No one could know for sure but that the celebration was going to continue in full, there was no doubt.

Coin Emperor Tahm Kench
Coin Emperor Tahm Kench Splash Art Coin Emperor Tahm Kench Model
Category: Legacy
Price: 1350 RP
Concept: Tahm Kench as a merchant monarch.
Model: New model for Tahm Kench and new coins added to Tongue Lash.
Particles: New particles for his abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Animations: New recall animation.
Sounds: New sounds for his abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Splash Art: Demanding and somewhat disgusting in manner and looks the Coin Emperor show some of the worst characteristics of royalty, yet recognisable. The background barely establishes a setting with a weak depiction of buildings and fireworks. The pig under the table is barely visible in the darkness and may not be happy for long given what’s coming down. It’s only the table and food, flying at the Emperor’s command, that have any substance. The table cloth is softly coloured, rather dim and a tad diffuse while the food appears pencilled with sharp colours and lines which makes for a peculiar contrast.
Tahm Kench is somewhere in the middle. His skin and prominent tongue is soft and elaborate giving a lot attention to detail. The golden ornaments are harder looking as well as dimmer without the lustre expected of precious metal. His body and arms are blurred, understandably for the right hand smash but certainly not for the left hand. Shadows are strong and provide darkness to the portrayal that doesn’t resemble the colourful, bright and cartoony representation in three dimensions.
All added together, we have a weak background with a portrayal with personality but one that doesn’t exemplify the in-game look well. While certain aspects of the Coin Emperor make sense the piece seems to be more centred on showing an eye-catching scene than a sensible and useful portrayal. The consequences are evident at a glance.
Rating: Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
Conclusion: Colourful yet without much contrast between tones Coin Emperor Tahm Kench dresses in a regal style but it’s quite cartoony about it; the coin-adorned moustaches were a bit of a giveaway. There’s a palpable eastern style in both the regal attire as well as the gilded toad physique. The result is an adequate model that looks like a change of clothes. The classic Tahm Kench persona remains, suitable so, intact and not just in the model.
Particles rely heavily on the classic template. Additions are few like the handful of coins flying with Tongue Lash and Devour. Thick Skin seems re-coloured in gold only. At least, Abyssal Voyage, besides a few coins, makes good use of a measured but appealing amount of fireworks.
Sounds follow particles closely. There are some metallic sounds for the coins and the addition of a pig squeal for An Acquired Taste. The rest of sounds rely on the classic ones. The fireworks of Abyssal Voyage are a welcome exception so that the ultimate can feel as such.
The new recall only tangentially addresses the main concept. The pile of gold coins and finding a coin among the food hints again at the theme. However, the meal appears to be a reflection of the splash art without much actual meaning in developing the skin’s particular concept.
All added together, Coin Emperor Tahm Kench is as superficial skin that doesn’t know how to integrate neither the monetary nor the royal aspects of the concept on the River King. There are some additions in that direction but only coins, ultimately, have relevance. The fireworks, which have little to do with the theme, end up being the most attractive additions. Therefore, if you don’t mind the shallow approach, the skin has a few features to like but, for the most part, there’s too much Classic Tahm Kench.

Firecracker Sejuani
Firecracker Sejuani Splash Art Firecracker Sejuani Model
Category: Legacy
Price: 1350 RP
Concept: Sejuani as a fireworks expert and Bristle as a gold-decorated pig.
Model: New model for Sejuani, Bristle and her flail.
Particles: New particles for her abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Animations: New recall animation.
Sounds: New sounds for her abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Splash Art: Albeit somewhat diffuse the background is clear about the celebration with a parade to celebrate the new year. There are pigs, music, dance, fireworks and some cameos left, centre and right which add substance and personality to the setting. It’s a pity, then, that everything isn’t clearer to enjoy all that the background has to offer.
Heading the parade we find the most prominent of pigs, Bristle and her rider, Sejuani. Bristle is softly shaded, which added to the dim colours, gives an interesting, porcelain-styled look. Gold does appear too dim like bronze, magical effects are too faint and the perspective doesn’t fully show his body but there’s appeal in the portrayal. Sejuani looks cartoony but also receives elaborate shading. Her look is clearly displayed even if her face strikes as unfamiliar. The firecracker roll ready to blow as her new flail is a good touch and added to her joy make her a good fit for the parade. The depiction strikes as a bit simple, though. According to the room given, Bristle seems more relevant than Sejuani; which is also supported by the perspective. Regardless, it’s a nice portrayal.
Overall, this is a nice splash art with an appealing context that should’ve been let to shine with more clarity. Sejuani seems a bit relegated but her depiction is nice and Bristle is hard to miss with his characteristic style. All added together, this is a rather nice piece which only needs some extra polish to impress with all its charm.
Rating: Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
Conclusion: Given the cartoony approach taken in Firecracker Sejuani the result has a clear stylisation but one that is charming. Bristle easily catches the eye with his pink, fat pig look and golden armour. While he may appear too contented with his new look it can’t be denied that it’s distinct. It surely doesn’t look deadly or fearsome but for a celebratory skin it makes sense. The drum is a fitting touch to respect the classic design with a plausible new element. Sejuani is dressed in red and gold in a stylised but attractive eastern style. Her clothes follow the expected Firecracker design yet fit her well; despite being so familiar. The firecracker roll as a flail, with a golden, sparkling pig head is a suitable even if fantastic choice for a weapon. The handle appears rather ceremonial with all its ornamentation and it might as well be, given the general design of the weapon.
Particles are divided into fireworks and golden coins. Those that rely on golden coins are simple and understated visually and aurally; Permafrost and Glacial Prison. Fortunately, as expected of an ultimate, Glacial Prison also displays a measured show of fireworks which makes the ability the best example of the theme despite the moderation seen. Flail attacks also show small yet colourful fireworks which are rather appealing. Arctic Assault is particularly disappointing with its simple use of golden trails.
Sounds have the odd pig squeal added to Arctic Assault to give it some personality and the metallic sounds proper of coins. Flail attacks also have noticeable metallic sounds. It’s the fireworks, often subtle and relegated by the metallic clanks, which are interesting. We aren’t talking about anything impressive but they are appealing. At times, the metallic sounds seem to imitate ice shards which is something understandable yet feels out of place.
The recall says nothing about fireworks or firecrackers and seems lacking in ambition. The pig theme is already well established by Bristle alone and all the golden pig heads. Further dancing with piglets says nothing new. At least there’s relevance given to the drum.
Adding everything up, Firecracker Sejuani is an appealing, cartoony skin that can be charming if it’s taken in the spirit it’s given. While it’s not a joke skin it’s certainly not serious which allows it to capture the celebratory spirit of the New Year. It could be more enthusiastic about it and the golden regalia and coins don’t contribute much. Still, the result has appeal.

Firecracker Vayne
Firecracker Vayne Splash Art Firecracker Vayne Model
Category: Legacy
Price: 1350 RP
Concept: Vayne as a fireworks-based arbalester.
Model: New model for Vayne and her crossbows.
Particles: New particles for her abilities, auto-attack, critical hits and recall.
Animations: New recall animation.
Sounds: New sounds for her abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Splash Art: Blurry city, blurry fireworks and a blurry rooftop with several pigs and a fireworks enthusiast who doesn’t want any meddling with her explosions. While the context makes sense the setting is explicitly relegated by the blur. The problem is that there are things to appreciate which are prevented from being as enjoyable as they could be, bright fireworks and cameos in particular.
Vayne sits at the edge of the rooftop which is a clearly stylised way of showing how cool she is with danger. There are even pigs there which don’t seem to fear heights or respect gravity; like those closest to the foreground. The stance allows a good view of her look but it also strikes as a mere pose to show off. There’s no interaction with the background despite the potential for it. Lines are clear, colours varied but reflections are a bit dull: gold looks dim like brass. The shading is soft and appealing which, added to the softness of the colour palette makes Vayne look delicate and dignified. Both crossbows appear too wide, dominating her silhouette and showing a design that doesn’t really represent the in-game look well. While Vayne is more detailed and elaborately depicted than in three dimensions there’s a degree of similarity. With the crossbows it seems like that’s not a concern.
Overall, this is a splash art with a sensible scene and an appealing portrayal. There’s no interaction between Vayne and the relevant context she’s in, which is a wasted opportunity, and the portrayal isn’t as faithful to the three-dimensional counterpart as it should be. Regardless, it’s a piece with appeal which represents well enough the champion’s theme.
Rating: Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
Conclusion: Firecracker Vayne is to welcome the Lunar New Year and exemplify it. There’s no need to wonder which animal sign corresponds to the New Year as the crossbows are a clear and cheesy indication of such. They are so evident, so in the face, that it makes the model less noble looking than all the gold indicates. There’s an aristocratic or royal style given by the combination of red and gold and there’s also an evident stylisation as tattoos, hairstyle and prominent cleavage show. The shoes look weird as if they were simple platforms to stand on; which isn’t what the splash art indicates. It’s these many imprecisions added up which make the model appear less dignified and appealing that in can be. In other words, Vayne looks like a caricature.
Particles are mainly based on fireworks as auto-attacks in all their variations show. With Final Hour active they are more colourful and interesting because normal auto-attacks tend to look too homogeneous: all gold. Still, bolts tend to look somewhat simple. On abilities, Condem’s stun is the only significant use of fireworks; when not stunning the ability is disappointing. The new smoke for Tumble and new decals for Silver Bolts and Final Hour are one of the most distinct features along the critical hits indicator.
Sounds have faint, emphatically so, firework contributions. Condem’s stun is the only clear use of fireworks; recall aside. Auto-attacks, in all varieties, are dominated by the mechanical workings of the crossbows while abilities retain their classic audio as their distinct sound. Truth be told, the aural side of fireworks is barely present.
The new recall has some significance as there are fireworks and martial arts. It’s not the best representation of either, though. It strikes as something done without much thought. It works, it’s relevant but generic and hardly helps build the identity of the skin.
All things considered, Firecracker Vayne is a nice albeit cartoony take on the Night Hunter. Perhaps the cute pig head in Final Hour’s decal is the most eloquent descriptor of the approach taken. The skin ends up being fun, appealing but certainly full of untapped potential; either by being more serious or playful. The celebratory style is weak and the fireworks aren’t as florid and eye-catching as expected. The result has a bit of both and has its charm but it’s a charm that pales in comparison that what the skin could offer.

Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition
Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition Splash Art Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition Model
Category: Promotional
Price: 1000 Lunar Revel Tokens
Concept: Vayne as a fireworks-based arbalester.
Model: New model for Vayne and her crossbows plus new golden glow and sparks.
Particles: New particles for her abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Animations: New recall animation.
Sounds: New sounds for her abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Splash Art: Being an evident modified version of the base Firecracker Vayne splash art much of what’s been said still applies. The setting is changed with floating lanterns instead of fireworks in the night sky which gives a surreal tone to the piece. The city is further concealed under the red haze which ends up limiting the scene to the rooftop. There, all remains identical except for some colour changes applied to Vayne.
What’s most notorious about her look when compared to the in-game version is how dim and weak the colours are. Gold looks like copper while in-game it appears practically yellow. None of the bright colours seen in three dimensions are there, only darker tones of them.
All in all, this modified version of Firecracker Vayne’s splash art seems like the lesser of the two. The surreal touch of the lanterns is interesting but without meaning. The rest of the piece suffers from changes which don’t keep the style of the original, despite its flaws. The result even struggles as a faithful representation of the three-dimensional counterpart but gives a broad idea of what’s in store.
Rating: Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
Conclusion: Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition shows brighter colours than the base which make it rather eye-catching but the bluish cape, dress, gloves and hair are a poor choice to make a nice contrast, unlike the base’s red. The result is a skin that appears all bright, which added to the golden glow of the model, makes it rather homogenous. Perhaps instead of a light blue other tones of red and gold could’ve been use which would also keep the colour scheme consistent.
Particles show glittering gold for impacts and Night Hunter. Tumble’s smoke is re-coloured bluish and there’re new decals for Silver Bolts and Final Hour which don’t have the same personality as those seen in the base skin. The former is simply a variation with less gold while the latter is more generic and simpler. They are nice though but, like the model, less distinct.
Sounds and recall are identical so there’s nothing to say about them.
Overall, Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition is a skin that adds little and while what’s added is different it doesn’t better define the skin’s identity. There are new features, sure, but they are few and not really meaningful. Given the actual price, there’s nothing here for fans of the Night Hunter or Firecracker Vayne.

Lunar Wraith Sylas
Lunar Wraith Sylas Splash Art Lunar Wraith Sylas Model
Category: Legacy
Price: 1350 RP
Concept: Sylar as a dark spirt.
Model: Major model changes for Sylas.
Particles: New particles for his abilities, auto-attack and recall.
Animations: New recall animation.
Sounds: New sounds for his abilities, auto-attack, critical hits, taunt, joke, dance, death and recall.
Splash Art: Is it a throne for the Lunar Wraith to sit? Or perhaps a temple he has no respect for? Is the location next to a mountain or inside a dark cavern? What is clear is that there are spirits whom seem to emanate from the Wraith. The rest is too foggy to see.
The Wraith in question is barely visible with a side pose which makes his look difficult to discern. There’s a clear supernatural, twisted effect on his left arm which ends in a spectral hand. A large vambrace gives way to a set of links with lazily opened eyes. Metal looks barely bronze-like under the pale light but there’s a subtle touch of it. Sylas looks confident and without worries as if his power allowed him to defy any being he could face. While this gives some personality to the portrayal a quick comparison with the in-game model shows that the depiction is too partial and oblique to give a good representation of the actual skin.
This is the crux of this splash art: it’s too unclear in the service of mood. There’s a clear mood in the scene but with a weak background there isn’t a concrete context and the portrayal doesn’t add any meaning either; only personality to Sylas’ appearance. The result is a splash art that ends up obscure and not very useful as an example of what the skin is about.
Rating: Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
Conclusion: If Lunar Wraith Sylas’ style looks heavily based on his classic persona it’s because the skin is quite superficial. The design is evidently the same but with a faint eastern style and hardly much of a supernatural angle. The fur and adornments don’t seem to add much to the style so that the feel is rather familiar. The chains styled like chimes with eyes are the most notable change.
Particles, for the most part, are re-colours of the classic ones. They are homogeneous, all in blue, without any highlights; unlike Classic. There’s nothing remarkable about them except that the passive, Petricite Burst, shows some faint spirits when whirling the chains around.
Sounds are most distinct for the chime-like tone added to the chains. The chains, moved in most actions, get a different feel: more ornamental and mystic. The problem is that it’s still a metallic sound which merely reflects the chain’s new design and it’s subtle. As far as new additions go there’s the odd spirit howl for Hijack and that’s it.
The new recall shows that the chains are a source of power for this Wraith which makes some sense. The problem is that the supernatural angle of the chains isn’t really visible in the rest of the skin. Between the weak, generic glows and the lack of distinct sounds they are merely decorative. The consumption and release of spirits is what ends up being more interesting yet less intrinsic to the skin’s theme.
All in all, Lunar Wraith Sylas fails at defining a new identity for the Unshackled. Not only is there too much of Classic in the skin but wherever the skin dares to add some personality it does so shyly and without distinct elements. This makes Lunar Wraith Sylas a skin with little to offer but there’s a bit to like if we look closely.

Conclusion

While these skins have appeal they seldom feel as special as their concepts and splash arts suggest. Implementations often offer good features but results tend to be uneven. In some cases, the skins are unable to rise above their problems and can feel disappointing. The odd skins this year are the release skin, Lunar Wraith Sylas and the promotional skin, Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition. Unfortunately, despite having the chance of being extra special they squander it with by the numbers additions. Thus, the skins that are best are simply good.

Coin Emperor Tahm Kench is a skin that suffers from a superficial adaptation that barely exposes the coin and emperor facets suggested in the name. The most enjoyable feature ends up being the fireworks of the ultimate which bear little relation to the skin’s theme. The result is a skin with a few features to like but too much reliance on Classic Tahm Kench.

Firecracker Sejuani is a cartoony skin with appeal. It’s far from serious but it captures the celebration’s spirit. The fireworks are the best feature even if they are rather measured. The golden decorations and coins can clash with the theme, though. Regardless, given the approach taken, it’s a nice skin.

Firecracker Vayne is a skin that has appeal but also a noticeable untapped potential. Weak in both eastern ceremony and fireworks’ impact what is present shows a personality which isn’t as well developed as it could be. While the skin can be charming it also shows that it could’ve been much more elaborate and interesting. Firecracker Vayne Prestige Edition adds a few different features but they are really few and certainly not distinct. Considering the price and what’s on offer, there’s nothing worthwhile.

As a release skin Lunar Wraith Sylas is disappointing. The new identity is hardly defined and there’s a noticeable reliance on the classic counterpart. This leaves the skin being rather shallow even if there are a few things to like. Being legacy and expensive certainly doesn’t help matters. For fans of the Unshackled, it’s the available, flawed option they have. However, perhaps waiting for a new option isn’t a bad idea at all.

  4 Responses to “League of Legends: Lunar Revel 2019 Skins’ Review”

  1. You don’t do more reviews about new skins or reworks? I would like to read your opinion on Kayle/Morgana skins rework and on all the others that came since Firework ones! Please return, i love your analyses, i will surely do a donation this month, when will be possible. Thanks for your hard work, Zero.

    • We appreciate all donations but don’t feel an obligation to do so. We’ve just had several problems lately and we couldn’t postpone them. We will return to reviewing skins. The idea we have is to make a mix of old and new or delayed and current skins so that we can get up to date.

      Thanks for the kind words.

  2. I’m hopeful that you will return soon! Seriously, I used to always use your reviews to see whether or not I should buy a skin. Your in-depth reviews always point out features I would completely miss, and can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate them.
    I hope your plan and the problems work out, and that you’ll be able to catch up eventually.
    Thank you for everything you’ve done, and everything you will do on this site.

    • Thanks for the kind words, they are appreciated. We are working things out. We are starting by answering comments and then we’ll see how we can go about writing reviews again. The plan is to find time for them and not let unreviewed skin pile up. There’s also site maintenance and corrections but let’s start with some reviews first and then we’ll see about the rest.

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