Summary
Period: 6th to 13th of December, 2016
Sales: 2-for-1 rune pages, IP/XP boosts and Summoner name changes
Skin Bundles: Siege and Poke, Disrupt and Tank, Style and Outplay, Pick and Assassinate, Stack and Scale, Zone and Control, Tilt Enemy or… Feed
Note: skin bundles include the respective champions. All bundles reduce their prices depending on which content you already own. In case you don’t own a champion or skin in a bundle the price rises by the appropriate price.
Overview
As the 2017 Season starts a handful of sales slash prices in half across several pieces of content. Besides sales there’s also a selection of five champion bundles each with a choice of specialists at one specific role. The discount is a paltry 25% so unless you are in a rush for more champions you’re better relying on IP and discovering each champion with time.
The second selection of bundles includes skins grouped by the game-play patterns that the respective champions tend to follow. There’re seven bundles of five skins each with some legacy offerings added as well. Let’s take a quick stroll round this gallery of discounts and see what’s ripe for the taking.
Two Rune Pages at the Price of One
Buy one rune page and receive two for the same price. This offer applies to purchases made with both IP and RP. Never underestimate the power of a little extra power behind your champion. If you need some more room for rune configurations then this is the time to add some pages to your book.
Boosts 50% off
Half the price for IP and XP gains sounds better than it really is. If you are in a rush to level up then this could help but there’s a reason why it’s better to take one’s time in learning the game. With over a hundred champions and all kinds of masteries and runes to choose from there’s enough content to keep one’s mind occupied until level 30 and beyond.
Summoner Name Change 50% off
Those with an identity crisis will find the discount on Summoner Name Change a welcome proposition. For 650 RP you can become somebody else if your first try at a memorable pseudonym has disappointed. Most will probably stay with their recognisable denomination but those wanting to embrace change are advised to think their alias well; just in case.
Skin Bundles
Siege and Poke
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 11150 -> 5575 RP
Skins’ Price: 6750 -> 3375 RP
While there’s quite an array of good skins most are adaptations which don’t go an extra step to add something special to the implementation of each theme. The lone exception is Master Arcanist Ziggs, a great skin with a charming display of magical prowess. Understandably, one skin is too little to base a whole bundle on. Regardless, none are bad skins and they have their appeal so if you like the majority it could be a bundle to consider.
Disrupt and Tank
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 8226 -> 4113 RP
Skins’ Price: 4944 -> 2472 RP
It may be surprising that the high point of the bundle is a skin retired to the Legacy Vault. Nonetheless, the suitable concept and effective, albeit simple, execution make Executioner Mundo a great option for fans of the Doctor. Mecha Malphite is also a great skin with a fine adaptation to the giant robot theme. Sadly, the other skins don’t round their concepts well enough and some can seem simple in comparison. None are bad, though, so it’s a bundle with something to offer; provided you like most of the skins.
Style and Outplay
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 10210 -> 5105 RP
Skins’ Price: 5622 -> 2811 RP
The couple of skins that stand out are the most tied to martial training: Blood Moon Yasuo and Dragon Fist Lee Sin. The others are also good but with some caveats; following on the footsteps of previous bundles. Executions tend to be effective in these cases but without a special attribute that sets them apart. Again, this means that the bundle is better if you like most of the skins. A final note: be aware that Arclight Vayne’s model looks quite rough and seems unfinished.
Pick and Assassinate
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 9734 -> 4867 RP
Skins’ Price: 5622 -> 2811 RP
Easily the high point of the bundle: Night Hunter Rengar is a skin that joins a fitting concept with an effective execution. The other skins are more variable in this regard. Concepts aren’t bad but not always as interesting. When they are, like Elderwood LeBlanc, the skin adapts the classic style in too straightforward a way which prevents it from developing its identity. There’s nothing strictly bad so if you like most skins it’s another bundle to consider but the uneven aspect is, arguably, rather noticeable.
Stack and Scale
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 8044 -> 4022 RP
Skins’ Price: 4344 -> 2172 RP
Another bundle with a clear high point: Blood Moon Thresh. This skin is accompanied by less impressive and elaborate skins. Even Snow Day Bard doesn’t reach the evocative execution and charm of Blood Moon. The other skins are simple re-models, at best, which have their appeal but are lacking in features; though they are cheap. In the end, it’s a matter of how much the extras are of interest because the one skin to get is clear. If that’s all that matters then a regular sale is advised.
Zone and Control
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 9520 -> 4760 RP
Skins’ Price: 5022 -> 2511 RP
There are skins to like: both Galactic Azir and Prehistoric Anivia easily stand out. However, there are others that are much more direct in their approach and don’t have special features to set them apart. Then there’s also the disappointing, partial re-model that is Rumble in the Jungle. Unless you appreciate this skin’s comical aspect then there’s little of appeal. With that deadweight attached the other skins have to be of particular interest to make the bundle worthwhile. If that isn’t the case then regular sales will work much better.
Tilt Enemy or…Feed
Discount: 50%
Total Price: 7436 -> 3718 RP
Skins’ Price: 4568 -> 2284 RP
The final bundle is a celebration in unevenness. On one side Program Soraka soars above the others with concept and execution particularly memorable. In the middle there are some appealing re-models that show their age or their lack of ambition; Urf Kench in this latter case. Finally, Badger Teemo is too simple a skin to feel worthwhile. It’s practically a chroma with all its charm based on Teemo’s innate cuteness. Seeing how the skins’ features reach high and low in the worst aspect of the phrase, this is a bundle that might be better to skip. A regular sale for the skins you are interested in is advisable. Take into account that the Legacy Vault Sale should eventually arrive and there you can get the retired legacy offerings at half their price too.