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Current Sale – StrategyZero

Current Sale

 
Coven Camille Splash Art
05.13 – 05.19 Sale

Summary

Period: 13th to 19th of May, 2019
Early Sale Skins: Coven Camille
Regular Sale Skins: Super Galaxy Annie (45%), Omega Squad Veigar, Chemtech Tryndamere, Blood Moon Kennen (40%), Battle Boss Blitzcrank, Sandstorm Ekko, Bear Cavalry Sejuani (60%), Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV, Steel Legion Garen (55%), Temple Jax (55%), Full Metal Pantheon (55%), Blood Moon Shen (45%), Surfer Singed and Karate Kennen
Champions: Ashe, Katarina, Malzahar (45%), Olaf and Poppy
Discount: 27% off early sale, 25% off legendary early sale, 60% to 30% off regular sale

Introduction: The Coven and the Old Forest

The forest expanded far beyond its original ground, fuelled by the sinister magic practiced by the Coven it protected under its mantle of darkness. The canopy shrouded the nearby city and the streets were taken by the twisted roots of the trees that explosively grew there. It surely wasn’t a natural phenomenon and the advance slowly but surely expelled even the most stubborn of old-timers. The vegetation invaded buildings and houses yet, perhaps knowingly, left the witches’ houses alone as well as clears for them to move, including certain buildings for the witches to use. Without actually planning it, the Coven had conquered the city and no one knew it was actually their doing. As with all plans that conveniently appear, one could be sure that somebody else was pulling the strings.

The forest needed, depended on the witches to keep providing the magic it avidly devoured. The witches were well aware of that but such generosity coming from a forest had made them nervous. The Coven assembled one moonless night to discuss the matter but found out an unnerving feeling all around. It was as if the forest was listening and expecting, demanding a dark ritual to further feed its unending hunger for magic. The following morning, the witches gathered in an old building far from the city which had been abandoned after the forest took over. They felt safer there but still noticed restlessness, nervousness in the forest in the distance. Looking, wondering and, of course, expecting its ration.

It became clear to the witches that the forest was no longer safe for them and so the Coven decided that their rituals and gatherings were to be moved to another forest; the one outside a nearby city where a good part of the populace of the consumed city had moved. Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to see dark tendrils and twisted branches reaching for the verdant lands they called home now. It appeared like a fog in the distance, a solid, disturbing view which only the witches instantly recognised. It was a matter of time for the old forest to reach them and they were sure that it wouldn’t let them leave as easily as it once did. That night, the old forest burnt under the combined power of the whole Coven. The flames were seen for leagues all around and the city spoke of the incident for years.

For many years, the place was desolate and abandoned. That was until a young witch decided to visit the old forest and see what had been of the now forsaken place. It was a charred land without any sign of life. She walked amidst ash and remnants of what once had been a city. Under the protection of ruined buildings she noticed vegetation, dark and twisted: most probably plants that had been burnt in the fire. She was wrong. Soon tendrils and branches reached for her and only her prodigious use of magic helped her escape. She warded the place before leaving so that any witch would know what to expect and anyone without magic knowledge would feel repelled by the place. The old forest was marked as a cursed land by the Coven but they knew it was just a temporary solution. The old forest was very much alive and still waiting, wanting, expecting the Coven to return or to seize them at any opportunity and keep them, forever feeding of their darkness.

Early Sale Skins:

Coven Camille
Coven Camille Splash Art

Coven Camille Model
1350 -> 975 RP
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
+: dark aesthetic
-: unfocused

Regular Sale Skins:

Super Galaxy Annie
Super Galaxy Annie Splash Art

Super Galaxy Annie Model
1350 -> 742 RP
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
+: nice controller approach
-: chained to Classic
Omega Squad Veigar
Omega Squad Veigar Splash Art

Omega Squad Veigar Model
1350 -> 675 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: full of fine features
-: disappointing ultimate
Chemtech Tryndamere
Chemtech Tryndamere Splash Art

Chemtech Tryndamere Model
975 -> 487 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: effective
-: derivative
Blood Moon Kennen
Blood Moon Kennen Splash Art

Blood Moon Kennen Model
975 -> 585 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: attractive, speed-based style
-: uneven model and particles
Battle Boss Blitzcrank
Battle Boss Blitzcrank Splash Art

Battle Boss Blitzcrank Model
1350 -> 975 RP
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
+: distinct model
-: timid execution
Sandstorm Ekko
Sandstorm Ekko Splash Art

Sandstorm Ekko Model
975 -> 487 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: distinct aesthetic
-: underdeveloped features
Bear Cavalry Sejuani
Bear Cavalry Sejuani Splash Art

Bear Cavalry Sejuani Model
1350 -> 540 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: impressive visuals
-: uneven areas
Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV
Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV Splash Art

Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV Model
1350 -> 675 RP
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
+: eye-catching
-: underdeveloped
Steel Legion Garen
Steel Legion Garen Splash Art

Steel Legion Garen Model
1350 -> 608 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: great adaptation
-: flashy
Temple Jax
Temple Jax Splash Art

Temple Jax Model
750 -> 338 RP
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
+: appealing style
-: chained by classic
Full Metal Pantheon
Full Metal Pantheon Splash Art

Full Metal Pantheon Model
975 -> 439 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: interesting concept
-: messy appearace
Blood Moon Shen
Blood Moon Shen Splash Art

Blood Moon Shen Model
750 -> 413 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: evocative armour, blades and mask
-: plain ninja suit
Surfer Singed
Surfer Singed Splash Art

Surfer Singed Model
975 -> 487 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: in-game references
-: fanciful
Karate Kennen
Karate Kennen Splash Art

Karate Kennen Model
520 -> 260 RP
Star clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZeroStar clip art used in skin reviews at StrategyZero
+: pleasing aspect
-: classic remnants

Champions:

Ashe
Ashe Splash Art

450 BE
260 -> 130 RP
Katarina
Katarina Splash Art

3150 BE
790 -> 395 RP
Malzahar
Malzahar Splash Art

4800 BE
880 -> 484 RP
Olaf
Olaf Splash Art

3150 BE
790 -> 395 RP
Poppy
Poppy Splash Art

450 BE
260 -> 130 RP

Source: League of Legends Store, League of Legends News: Updating Our Discounts for 2019

 Posted by at 19:53

  91 Responses to “Current Sale”

  1. This looks like a really cool looking skins. I am really considering buying one for myself. Plus, thank you for the tips and advice. It was really helpful.

    • Scorched Earth Xerath, in particular, is a wonderful skin that provides a fantastic alternate theme for the Magus Ascendant; definitely recommended.

      Glad that you like them, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

  2. the arcane asylum link doesnt work o.o

  3. I appreciate reading your reviews and am looking forward to reading about the ones you have not yet covered.

  4. When I saw this week’s skin and champion discount it reminded me about the price changes of the skins. So, I want to ask you, guys, which skins do you think are worth buying ( from the ones that go up to 1350 ) because I think it’s a better choice to buy some when they are cheap but I have a hard time deciding which ones so you might help me. Which ones of them appeal to you more than the others and why? I’d appreciate it if you answer me! ( things like ”all are good” are not acceptable 😀 )

    • If you want to save as much RP as possible then instead of purchasing the skins now it’s better to wait until they go on sale. That way you’d spend 675 RP and not 975 RP; a difference of 300 RP.

      That aside, some skins stand out due to the amount of work received: iBlizcrank, Glacial Malphite and Steel Legion Garen all feature new particles, animations and sounds. Additionally, Sad Robot Amumu, Arcade Sona, Scorched Earth Xerath, Pool Party Ziggs and Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV offer new particles and sounds; Jarvan and Ziggs also has a new critical hits animation.

      Take into consideration that not every ability always receives all listed changes as they may change in one or two aspects insted of the listed two or three. You should check the respective reviews for more detailed information.

      In the case of AstroNautilus and Tyrant Swain they have new particles and new walking animations; Swain may have more new animations but we have to check him better as it’s a complex dual skin. Soul Reaver Draven and Full Metal Jayce only offer new particles and a processed voice-over.

      Wildfire Zyra and Warring Kingdoms Xin Zhao have new particles plus new plants and beginning of match animation, respectively. Finally, Blackthorn Morgana, Frostblade Irelia and Battlecast Urgot only have new particles, very nice particles but nothing else. Actually, Battlecast Urgot also has a new sound for Acid Hunter but only for that ability.

      Therefore, this classifies the skins by amount of changes and gives a rough guideline of how much worth you could place to each. Of course, personal preference matters and there’s no denying that in cases where less aspects have been modified a better job in that particular field was possibly done; due to more available resources.

      For instance, the particles of Warring Kingdoms Jarvan IV may not be as elaborate as those of Blackthorn Morgana, Frostblade Irelia or Battlecast Urgot; which have only new particles to offer.

      In the end, consider that you’ll be paying almost a legendary price for skins that should be almost legendary. How much value you put to the amount and extent of the changes is a personal choice. However, if they don’t feel almost legendary then chances are that the skin is overpriced.

      • It’s really up to the money here. I really want to spend the money in the best way. Garen, Blitzcrank, Jarvan and Xin’s skins are the smartest decision since they wont go on sale in the near future and I won’t feel bad but actually they will get discounted at one time in the future. On the other hand, Sona’s skin…..I would buy it if it was even legendary. Just the particles, the sounds. It’s just so much work put into it. May sound kinda selfish but I would’ve prefered it to be a legendary skin since I’m spending twice more money than people who buy it on a sale and legendaries don’t go on sale, right? There are so many points of view. I’m not sure what to do. I know I’m overthinking it but money is a pretty serious reason to look at. All in all, I will buy one of those skins, I will! They are obviously very good in terms of quality since all of them are getting upped in price. I am an owner of 3 of the skins going up – Soul Reaver Draven, Full Metal Jayce and Blackthorn Morgana. In my opinion Sad Robot amumu and Frost Blade Irelia are just not worth 1350 but that’s just me. I’m completely torn which one to buy really.

        • The ones that I can kick out of my wants list are iBlitz, Sad Robot Amumu, Frostblade Irelia and Tyrant Swain since I don’t think they appeal to me in some ways. Seen them in game, they are great but dont make me the impressions I want to. Was about to buy the Ziggs skin but I decided to wait for the winter one since I think it’s better. Zyra….she will be getting a new skin, read it in the forums somewhere. I am 50/50 about jarvan,xin and garen since im not playing them but their skins are very worthy. So we ended up with urgot, xerath, nautilus and malphite. I’m getting rid of malphite and urgot since I doesn’t really feel they are the champions I do like to play. I like heavy CC champions and ranged ones ( mainly ap mids ). Xerath and Naut are the perfect ones. Might end up picking one of them or Arcade Sona and I am still thinking of garen j4 and xin.

          I just wanted to share my mixed feelings and thoughts. Sorry for the spam and thank you for taking all your time reading it 🙂

          • Don’t worry, we’re glad to aid in purchases. Also, we forgot that Battlecast Urgot has new sounds for Acid Hunter, we edited the previous post to avoid further misleads; sorry.

            We agree that Arcade Sona is a very nice skin with a great amount of appeal. Many of the other skins are also really good and while some may take a while to go on sale so it may be a matter of patience.

            Indeed, legendaries and ultimates don’t go on sale, the rest, including 1350 RP skins, are eligible for discounts. Money is definitely a relevant concern as skins are products. Therefore, their price is a big factor in making decisions.

            Maybe you should consider prioritizing skins ordering them from the ones you like the most to the ones you like the least. That way you can acquire now the ones you just can’t wait to play with. The others you can buy later when they go on sale.

            You’d be looking at it as if ordering skins instead of deciding which ones yes and which ones no. A different approach to the problem might yield different results that could be of use.

  5. Hi there Zero,

    I bougt Warwick long ago and never played him much. There really were not a lot of skins I liked and from the pictures and splash art he didnt seem very attractive. I finally broke down and bought the Hyena skin for him based on your review and the sale. Im not a fan of Hyenas and the skin just didnt seem attractive enough based on stills to entice me.

    With your 5 star review and the sale, I decided to give it a try. I would not have bought the skin without your review. And I would not have bought it without the sale.

    You were right, and I was wrong. The Hyena skin looks great. Its a 5 star skin and worth buying even at full price. It looks amazing. Even though, I will never be in love with Warwick, the skin is so good, that Im using him to learn to Jungle in bot matches. Its great.

    But that brings me to the next point. Your reviews are confusing to me sometimes because you lump so many concerns and factors into them. You have both quality and value mixed together in your reviews. Is Pulsefire Ezrael really a 3 star skin ? Would Goth Annie get more than 1 star if she didnt cost $50 ? Is Unchained Alistar rated higher than he should be becauxe his skin is free ? I get where you are coming from in your ratings but they confuse me.

    Please start giving each skin 2 ratings based on quality and value. For instance, Longhorn Alistar might have a 4/4 rating of 4 quality / 4 value on normal days and a 4/5 when its on sale. Pulsefire Ezrael might be a 4 quality and 2 value for a 4/2 rating or even a 5/1. It would be so much more helpful to know your thinking rather than pasting on a single 3. Sometimes its hard to tell if you are tracking quality or value. I could easily see Woad Ashe getting a 4 / 5 for Quality / Value, Queen Ashe a 5/4, and Amethyst Ashe a 5/5. This would make more sense to me rather than giving them all 5 stars and suggesting that they are equally good purchases.

    Obviously my view of value is different than Bill Gates but it goes something like this. Would I play a Champion 5 extra times if it cost 520 riot points? Is it worth $1 per game to own the skin? In the case of Warwick its a yes. I will play him at least 10 times extra because I like the skin. The skin cost $5 in riot points so its .50 cents a game to enjoy him just a bit more. Its a good deal normally and a great deal today. Maybe the champion will grow on me, and I will play Warwick more and it will be a fantastic buy. Would I play Ezrael 35 times extra because Id like the skin if I had it – probably not. That skin is not worth it to me. I have played 3-5 games with owners of Pulsefire Ezrael champs and seen most of the animations so all Ive missed are the sounds which can be heard on youtube. If I played him 10 times extra it would be $3.50 a game which isnt worth it. A good rule of thumb of value might be how many times extra would you play the champion because you like the skin. A 1 star skin that costs $5 would still hold no value because its cheap if youd never play the champion more while a 5 star skin that costs $35 might have good value if it inspired you to play it 100 times extra. 1 extra play per 100 riot points seems right.

    Id also like to see you list your conclusions under recommended purchase and best value. I doubt that I would want to buy all 3 Cho’gath skins which you rated at 4 stars so Id apprecaite your opinion as to best value, best quality, and best overall recommendation.

    Finally, Id like your opinion as to the quality of the original skin you get for free when you buy the champion. There are Champions that are so good that I dont think they need new skins. Others like Twitch are really fun to play but I hate his looks, buzzing fly sounds that make me want to swat the screen, and overall feel to him is smelly. Amumu however looks like his original skin is the best one. I know you can spend $10 to get the Robot Amumu but it changes the look of him and makes him not a mummy. I like the robot Amumu but nothing seems better to me than the original with the flying bandages. Maybe Koi Nami isnt an upgrade over Original Nami. Its nice but its only merit seems to be a flute sound and that it looks different. Youve really studied all these skins so Id like to get your opinion so I know if Im buying an upgrade or just a different look. Is a Toxic Dr. Mundo so bad that its not an upgrade at all or worthy of a purchase at any price. You would think Dr. Mundos orignal skin would be worth 2 stars.

    Finally, Id suggest a FAQ about skins. Im uncertain as to what Legacy, Limited, and the other skins mean. I love the Hyena so much that I doubt Id ever want the Manatee Warwick but I would like to know if it will ever be released again. I think legacy means it might come back and limited that it wont but Im not sure. When legacy skins return are they ever on sale ? On average how often will you see a sale? If I do not buy a skin I like will I have to wait 2 years to see it on sale again ? What exactly do you mean by particles? A FAQ section would help answer these things.

    Id like to make more comments but perhaps another day. The points are these. It would help if you would rate the original skins that come with the champions so we can compare how much upgrade we are getting for our money. It would also help to know if your reviews are based more on quality or value and I would hope you could split them up a bit.

    Anyway, thank you for your hard work. Im loving the Hyena skin appreciate your hard work critique and dedication to an art form not on musuem walls. Idve never bought it except for you. Riot should give you a commision.

    Thanks for listening

    • You make multiple and very good points. We should make a review guide that explains how reviews are tackled. It’s something we have on our list after completing the champion roster. In fact, it should explain that reviews recommend based on value instead of quality. As skins have to be purchased it doesn’t matter how good a skin theoretically is if the price is too high. Therefore, skins that give a lot for a low price have a good rating and vice versa.

      Thus, Goth Annie would get more stars if it were cheaper and Unchained Alistar wouldn’t be so great if it weren’t free. The same can be said about Pulsefire Ezreal: it’s hard to argue that it isn’t the most elaborate skin in League of Legends but its high price is a huge deterrent.

      The idea of having one rating is to have one simple way of gauging the value of a skin. If you want to just take a quick look at a review you can check the ratings and have an idea of which skins are worth getting and which aren’t. That’s not to say that analysing the quality of a skin isn’t done but its value is more relevant.

      Besides, how would you determine the average increase in interest that a skin would generate on a player. As you state Hyena Warwick changed your mind about the werewolf but you don’t see Sad Robot Amumu as equally good. As with everything personal preference has to be taken into consideration and the best we can do is to give an idea of how many and how elaborate changes are with respect to a skins’ price. Ultimately, if you don’t like a skin it doesn’t matter how much it offers and how cheap it is.

      At the end of each review you will always find a summary that highlights the best skin that champion offers and other good alternatives; with respect to value. Quality by itself doesn’t seem to be enough to encourage a purchase if the price isn’t right. However, it’s always taken into consideration as objectively as possible. After all, the value of a skin is its perceived quality with respect to its price.

      The idea of a skin FAQ is very good. We don’t know all the answers to your questions but we surely can give an idea nonetheless. Added to a guide on the review method it would certainly clarify our view of skins. Besides, rating original skins is certainly an interesting enterprise once we are done with the whole champion roster.

      Thanks for your detailed feedback, we’ll try to incorporate as much as possible and keep improving the reviews. Finally, we are glad you find Hyena Warwick fun as our idea is to highlight skins that are worthy purchases.

      • To clarify a bit. I do see Sad Robot and the Hyena skins as 5 star skins based on quality.

        The reason that I think that the Hyena skin for Warwick is a far better value is that the Original Werewolf skin seems to be cartoony and barely worth 2 stars based on quality. However the original skin for Amumu seems quite good and I might give it 4 stars based on quality.

        Therefore, with the Hyena skin you are upgrading the looks of Warwick from 1 maybe 2 stars to 5 and that is a big upgrade. With Amumu you are getting a great skin but his free skin is already worth 4 stars so maybe you get a 1 star upgrade.

        Warwick goes from 2 stars to 5 which is a 3 star upgrade and Amumu goes from 4 stars to 5 stars on appearance which is a 1 star upgrade. Therefore, I do not really think the Hyena skin is “better” but rather that it has more impact value for the money spent. Of course both are 975 riot points and the sale on Hyena makes it even more valuable when you consider the magnitude of the improvement.

        You do not seem to have a lot of 5 star reviews for the 520 rp skins but you do have some. Kog’Maw is kind of ugly and if Monarch Kog’maw improves him them moving from 1 star skin to 5 star skin would be exceptional. I like the regular twisted fate quite well and probably as well as any of his skins. Id give the free version at leas 3 stars by my estimates of your scale and how you rate skins. Paying 975 for skins that you rate as 3 star skins such as jack of hearts has little appeal. Paying 1820 for magnificent twisted fate seems crazy given your 2 star review. Its a downgrade skin. And probably only for serious fans of TF or those who play him often as their main. High Noon and Musketeer might be a slight upgrade but is it worth it for 975 points. Underworld Twisted Fate is the choice but all 3 upgrades are relatively mild because the original toon looks good and like hes the best gambler. If Twisted Fate was a 1 star awful looking skin like Sivir then Id be a lot more excited about buying his skins. As such, based on your reviews, Id probably only buy underworld TF and only if he was on sale. TF is not my main and I dont see any reason to spend more than $5 when the original skin you get for free is good. This is why I suggest putting reviews on the original and classic skins so we can compare. It would be a help for us that choose our champions based a bit on the artwork and visual appeal of the toon.

        Thanks Again

        • Thanks for the clarification we understand better what you are saying. The idea of reviewing classic skins is interesting but may end up being rather subjective because there isn’t what to compare them with. At any rate it would be a theoretical analysis instead of a study on value.

          In the case of skins, we can assume that a champion’s classic skin is more or less alright. If you dislike the look of a champion you either don’t play them or would search for a skin that considerably changes the aspect. Therefore, the skins should improve on the classic look and if they manage to add a new feel to the champion they would excel as long as the price is reasonable; they could make you like a champion you weren’t interested in.

          Do we really need to assume this? Yes, because there is a need to have a base line to determine what is better and what is worse. So while Hyena Warwick or Sad Robot Amumu do improve or add enough to be worthwhile in comparison with the respective classic skin we wouldn’t be able to compare Warwick to Amumu directly. It’s like comparing apples and oranges as they are completely different champions with different themes.

          Then, how can we say that Hyena Warwick and Sad Robot Amumu are equally good? Because we have a base line: the respective classic skin. We aren’t comparing the skins or champions directly but instead comparing the improvement over the classic skin. Thus, both skins are a great enhancement over the classic looks and are worth purchasing.

          We have used an implicit assumption that classic skins are OK to be able to determine the worth of purchasable skins. However, as you noticed, we could and should explain this in a guide or FAQ so that the process is better understood. Still, it would be possible to review classic skins with respect to the other skins a champion has. It would be a reciprocal analysis assuming that certain skins have a set amount of stars and then try to determine how many the classic skin would get.

          We appreciate the time and effort you have put in your feedback. You have provided us with many ideas and would like to thank you for it. We strive to provide the best recommendations to make purchases as easy and satisfactory as possible. Because of this your feedback is indispensable; thanks again.

          • What definitely would be easy to implement is showing not only the original champ splash screen but also the original ingame skin on the review pages.
            Then again, of course in the end a 3D viewer offers a lot more information about the skin than a mere screenshot anyway.

          • It’s not a bad idea as it would allow for a quick comparison of the champions’ looks. Thanks for the idea, we’ll consider how we can integrate it in the reviews.

  6. oh god 3 of them went on sale. I’m speechless…thank god i was still considering which one to buy….now i’ll buy all that are on sale.

    • The wallet surely complains but this is definitely one of a kind opportunity. As it’s said: opportunity is painted bald.

  7. Darn I want that Sona skin. Won’t be getting myself any RP until, most likely, after the sale ends. Oh well. I figured, ‘I need a support to main so why not Sona?’. Hopefully, I’ll get some RP in time.

    • Arcade Sona is surely worth getting; especially at this low price. Let’s hope you make it to the sale. Although a sale at 1350 RP isn’t a bad deal: 675 RP instead of 487 RP, a difference of 188 RP, you’ll probably have to wait a good deal of time.

      Fingers crossed for Arcade Sona.

  8. Chosen Master Yi is one of those rare skins thats wonderful in that it gives easily identifiable information based on the color of his lightsaber which I find helpful. When wuju style is not active the lightsaber is green and when its on cooldown its blue. When Wuju style is active the lightsaber is red. If he kills a champion while using his ultimate skill it combines blue and red and you get a purple lightsaber. For those that are big fans of Yi this is a handy tool that saves having to look at your cooldown tray. For newer players its a great learning tool for this champion. While the beauty of the skin may not be interesting except for the fact that the lightsabers are just rocking cool, I find that the overall concept and usablity of the skin makes for a recommended purchase. The fact that its only 260 riot points right now might push even casual users of Yi to pull the trigger for a better looking skin and outstanding looking lightsabers.

    Interestingly enough, I find Assasin Master Yi to be very elegant. Zero has his price wrong on the main review tab and its now down to 390 riot points. I cannot help but wonder if this is a temporary price or if its living in a new tier. You just get the feel that an Assasin looks good in black and the classic colors appeal.

    We all have different opinions but IMO the usefulness and usability of instant recognition of wuju style status along with the combination of a 260 price tag makes Chosen Master Yi a 5 star recommendation at this price level. And I believe that even without a lot of rework that the classic colors of black make Assasin Master Yi a 4 star recommendation at the 390 level.

    Zero could probably update us as to if the 390 price tag will stick around awhile or stay steady.

    Zero has commented that the 17 skins with price upgrades might be lowered in his ratings. It will be interesting to see if he upgrades any of the ratings on the 79 skins that will be falling in price and providing better value in the future.

    Anyway, for fans of Yi or just the occasional casual players; I personally recommend Chosen Master Yi as a must purchase whether to learn how to use Wuju style or just to enjoy the cool factor of the changing colors. For experts that dont need the aid, Assasin Master Yi really does look good for a simple repaint. The true “fans” and experts of the champion might want to spring for Headhunter Master Yi as it leads the way in visual appeal.

    • Chosen Master Yi is definitely a great skin but has such a similar style to Classic Master Yi that despite the low price it simply doesn’t fully convince. The same can be said about Assassin Master Yi, classy colours but just that. We didn’t notice the price drop, so thanks for the notice, we’ll update it and consider whether that merits a change in the rating.

      As far as we know the 390 RP price is permanent as it’s a price range included in the Skin Price Changes. Along with 520 RP, it’s reserved for re-colours, re-textures and slight re-models; though that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some standouts.

      Indeed, the 17 skins receiving a price increase will have their ratings affected, probably lowered, due to the change in value. Conversely, the skins being discounted will also see some of their ratings modified as their value improves.

      Lastly, Headhunter Master Yi may have the most advanced looks but Chosen Master Yi still impresses with his unique style. May the force be with you.

  9. Hello Zero,

    The time surfing sale is the kind of sale that drives me crazy. The 880 price level of Champions is close enough to being purchase viable with ip points and yet distant enough to “almost” be worth saving a lot of ip farming to just buy them with rp points. Personally, Im in a bit of saver mode having splurged a bit with buying champions last week before the skin price increases. So for this sale, I will not be buying a champion and likely only a single skin. Ziggs is a good buy and a fun champion and most people that dont have him would get 475 of enjoyment out of him.. Hes half the price of a movie at this price.

    Zero, honestly, whats your real opinion about the Skarner skins. This is the kind of sale that drives me crazy. Earthrune skarner dropped from 975 to 520 and is now 260 which is a fantastic deal. Unfortunately I do knot own Skarner and would have to spend 975 to buy him. Also your ratings confuse me here. Was Earthrune Skarner a 5 star skin before the price drop or was he upgraded because of the price drop and improved value? Would the Sandscourge skin be a 5 star value if it was 520 instead of 975? Honestly as much as Skarner costs it would seem to be a better deal to wait until Skarner himself goes on sale and then buy the Earthrune skin at full price at that time but I do not have a clue when Skarner might go on sale.

    I did buy the Shurima Zilean which is an improvement over the standard skin. Zero says that its the best skin for him and a recommended purchase. While it is an improvement and a timely buy it doesnt seem to be noteworthy. For me, Zilean is a top 20 most played champion and Ive been waiting for a new skin for awhile. For the casual Zilean player, the skin is not worth the investment. It best serves a fan of the champion. Indeed, Zilean is one of the least popular champions and he is awful to play unless you have a team that is premade and knows how to work together to take advantage of his quirks. The skin while good is not wonderful enough to overcome the disapproval you will get in pug groups when they realize that Zilean is going to be on the team. As such Zilean is one of the more unloved champions and the skin while good, is not dandy enough to change opinions and attract enough interest so that more can appreciate him. You feel that more could be done with a time traveller.

    Buying Ziggs seems to be the best value this week. And the Zilean skin is ok if you like him. Skarner fans might have some cheer but hes expensive to buy to enjoy the skins if you dont already own him.

    • We completely agree that 4800 IP is high but not too much so it lays in the midsts between acceptable and too much farming. In this case it’s usually better to decide based on how much you farm and like the champion. If you farm a lot or aren’t in a rush to get the champion then it’s better to wait.

      Earthrune Skarner was moved to five stars due to the price reduction as it’s a full re-model for a very low price. The same would happen with Sandscourge Skarner if its price were reduced as well. While it’s arguable which one looks the best both are great skins in both concept and execution.

      In your particular case, the way to save the most RP would, indeed, be to unlock Skarner with IP and then purchase the skin. You may want to check these two threads with information about possible future champion sales: here and here. This one, here, has information about skin sales. Maybe with the information you can better plan your purchases.

      Shurima Desert Zilean is a nice skin but innocent of the negative associations that Zilean’s game-play may have. The skin has an attractive and distinct style but if people don’t like him that’s different. Of course, fans of Zilean will find it more interesting than casual players but even the latter should find something to like.

      Ziggs provides the best value in terms of IP, Shurima Desert Zilean is rather nice and Skarner fans will find a very nice and cheap skin to enjoy. However, if you don’t own a champion you’ll have to gauge how much you like the skin to know if they are worth unlocking.

  10. Logged on to say thank you for all the reviews. I’ve relied on them to make so many decisions about spending my RP. You really are the best. Keep it up and hope to see more great reviews in the future.

    xoxoxo

    • Thanks a lot for the kind words. We are glad you have found the reviews useful and that they helped make the most of your purchases. You can be sure we’ll continue striving for more and better reviews.

      Warm regards.

  11. Hi Zero,

    Great work as always. However I have a few questions about skins this week. And perhaps you dont mind taking some time to help us out.

    Ryze and his skins annoy me. I like the Uncle Sam skin and bought it on the 4th of July when it was on sale for a reasonable price. But being worth 260 rp and a nice skin still falls short of a Zero recommendation. I think the Dark Crystal Ryze is technically a better skin but there is something about the demon horn that screams ugly and makes it unappealing. Unfortunately, Ryze has a huge variety of skins that are “currently” unavailable and I dont have a clue if they will return. Human, Professor, Zombie, Champion and Zombie Ryze seem hard to get and Im wondering if any of them will return in the future. I dont have a clue how hard it is to enter or win a tournament or even if doing so could still win you Champion Ryze. Does it cost rp points to enter a tournament and do they scale them to the talent of the team ? I think Id like Zombie Ryze but it seems to be retired forever. Professor Ryze might be cool except that I think you are right and the boots look awful. The one I think I like best is Pirate Ryze and I wonder if it would be your recommended choice if it ever returned. It not only looks the best to me but its the only one that has new animations for his skills. DC has one new animation for his death but in all respects I think Pirate Ryze might be his best skin except that you cant buy it. Why would Riot retire Ryzes best skin ? And will it return. And if it does return will it be on sale? 987 isnt a cheap skin even at half off and when I see a skin at this price, I hope it has either new particles, a new theme or look or a superior execution both in splash art and in the remodel. Legendary skins seem to have new voice overs and the 1350 level seems to have new animations plus another aspect that is new and unique to the skin at that price level. For something thats a remodel only 750 seems to be a better level. Shatter animation bridges the line to 987 but it just barely crosses the line value wise and you arent giving it 5 stars just on looks. I want the Pirate skin but just dont have a clue if it will ever return and how much it will be when it does.

    Speaking of Pirates, the Katarina skin annoys me. Ive been collecting all the Pirate skins and I like them. However, like DC Ryze, Bilgewater Katarina only has a single particle change thats not a big deal and I guess its holding onto a 987 price tag which is still a bit expensive even with a 50% off sale. All the other pirate skins are cheaper. Fiddle me timbers is as good at 750 rp, Bilgerat Rumble looks great and is 520 rp and I feel you shortchange it a bit and it deserves 4 stars at least especially for the price and it is your recommended skin for that champion. You have Buccaneer Tristana at 5 stars and shes a 520 rp skin and Swains pirate skin at 3 stars with his raven turning into a sharp looking parrot.

    I feel that with Sandstore Katarina is a superior skin for the 987 price level and high command was also better at the 750 price level. These skins have almost come in a row boom boom boom and honestly, I dont play Katarina enough to justify 3 skins that are all closer to the high end of riots price range. Still, I like the Pirate theme and am collecting them all and do not want Katarina left out. So, can you give elucidation about the chances of Bilgewater being put on sale or retired and being 75% off like molten Rammus or the other recently retired. I havent played Katarina enough to get value out of either Sandstorm or high command and I dont mind waiting a year or more if I would feel that Bilgewater Katarina wouldnt disappoint without warning like Pirate Ryze. And if it was possible that she would have a price drop and then a future sale beyond that then it would be even a better idea to wait. I dont mind playing Sandstorm and High Command the 3 times a month that I choose Katarina. So what are the downsides and risks of her disappearing forever if I dont buy Bilgewater Katarina versus the odds of a future price drop or improved price point over the current 487 price.

    And we come to Olaf. I bought the Pentakill Olaf and its your recommended choice. Its a fine quality skin on a technical basis but Im not overly happy with his looks. Honestly his skin seems a little too white and his eyes a little too red and something just seems off about it. I hate the Brolaf skin and think its just about the worst skin for the money in the game. Your 2 star review for it seems high though I imagine it might hold some appeal to the frat boy crowd. Its a skin that tries but falls short. So, this brings us to the best skin beyond the Pentakill theme and the sorry legendary skin. At the end of the day, if I were wanting to play Olaf and not use the Pentakill skin would the best skin be Forsaken Olaf or would it be Glacial Olaf. Would this skin be enough to make me want to pick Olaf and play him 10-15 extra times because Id enjoy his skin over the classic one or the Pentakill skin? Normally, I wouldnt sniff at a Zero rated 2 star skin but Im just not thrilled and happy with the Pentakill skin and maybe the Forsaken Olaf is the best choice besides that one even though its a mere repaint.

    Just a weird week for skins because so many Ryze skins are unavailable; Kats best skins have been on sale recently and her Pirate skin is overpriced based on every other Pirate skin except for Ryze and his Pirate skin which you cant seem to get; And Olafs skin might be the best one short of Pentakill Olaf which Im not exactly in love with at the moment. Honestly, Olafs poor skins make me want to choose other champions to play. If I play Pentakill Olaf even 2 times a month its going to take 2 years for me to feel I got value out of the skin. And I really am not sure, Id pick it over Forsaken Olaf or Classic Olaf except that Ive got some investment in it.

    Well thanks for the great work. I still have your site as my homepage and I really enjoy reading your opinions and taking your advice as I build my odd collection in this odd little corner in the world of art.

    • Ryze is one of those champions with a lot of unavailable skins: Human, Champion, Professor, Zombie and Pirate. The first two are exclusive skins: one for pre-orders and the other for winning an official tournament. Tournaments usually cost money and require a team and a victory to net you the skin. In our opinion, it’s not a bad prize but isn’t something to lose sleep over. Professor is a legacy skin so it can return at a legacy sale. Zombie is limited so it will never be sold again. In the case of Pirate Ryze, in all probabilities it will be available during each Harrowing at 975 RP as a seasonal, legacy skin.

      Dark Crystal Ryze’s appeal largely depends on your tolerance and interest in demonic aesthetics so it may not be something for everyone; even if the model is very detailed. That’s something we could’ve mentioned. Uncle Ryze isn’t a bad skin but it may be too caricature-esque and it’s target audience too specific.

      Price is relevant to determine the value of a skin. Therefore, if a skin asks for 975 RP it should offer enough for such a price. We agree that Bilgewater Katarina falls a bit short of that. It changes her looks but Classic Katarina remains below and for that price more is to be expected. Bilgerat Rumble is good but we feel it needs something in the model that makes it stand out. Bilgewater Swain, like Rumble also sticks close to the classic style. In the case of Buccaneer Tristana we find that her cannon is a perfect fit for the theme and makes the look and feel of the skin quite satisfying. We could be wrong but we seriously try to consider every aspect that can make a skin enjoyable.

      As far as the future of Bilgewater Katarina goes, only Riot may know. However, the skin could get a price reduction or be retired to the Legacy Vault with a final bundle or sale. We agree that it doesn’t seem to fit at 975 RP. If you do purchase the skin, you probably won’t be disappointed as it does enough to be acceptable. However, it isn’t at the level of High Command or Sandstorm Katarina. To play it safe, get it now; especially if skins will start to be retired in bundles only; as it happened with the Good Night, Sweet Skins bundle. You could miss a bit of money in the long term but a collection always asks for sacrifices.

      We think that both Glacial or Forsaken Olaf are too simple to actually encourage you to play Olaf more. They can be a passable alternative if you are tired of looking at the same Classic Olaf or you like a different colour scheme. Pentakill has a unique feel and is effective at what it sets to do. Still, that doesn’t make it a skin for everyone. Therefore, if Pentakill doesn’t appeal to you then you might want to wait for a new Olaf skin. So far, he lack a serious, quality skin that makes him impressive.

      Indeed, skin sales have been quite unstable recently with rather odd choices. Hopefully, the new criteria disclosed here will help make them better. On the whole, we agree with your statements. Still, try to take Pentakill Olaf as what it is: a skin that doesn’t make him a fearsome warrior but a peculiar drummer. Maybe you are expecting the skin to be something that it simply isn’t.

      We are glad that you enjoy our work. We do our best to make it useful and appreciate your opinion so as to make us re-think our assumptions and keep improving the reviews. Don’t forget that you aren’t alone in this odd, little hobby; we are legion.

  12. Hello Again Zero,

    Since Bear Cavalry Sejuani is on sale for 975 for the next two days i’d like your opinion on whether to purchase the skin or not.

    Thanks 😉

    • Let’s look at some numbers, 975 RP is 28% off Bear Cavalry Sejuani’s price of 1350 RP. If you wait for a traditional sale you’ll pay 625 RP; 50% off. The difference is 350 RP, just 40 RP short of Assasin Master Yi or enough for a 520 RP skin on sale; 260 RP in this case.

      The question should be, is 350 RP worth waiting for a common sale? If you are a dedicated Sejuani fan and player then there’s not much point in waiting. However, if you are trying Sejuani and the skin just got you interested in her you should play a bit more to see if you really like her enough.

      Bear Cavalry Sejuani is definitely a nice skin but it’s also expensive. The release discount is good but not as good as it could possibly be. If you aren’t desperate for the skin you’ll save money by waiting. If you don’t wait it will cost but not as much as with other release skins thanks to the discount.

      • Thank you so much Zero. Sorry if my english isn’t the best (second language), but i appreciate how honest your answers are and thats why i ask you. Thanks again.

        P.S. i’m going to wait for proper discount. 🙂

        • Not at all and don’t worry about writing perfect English. We are glad that we could help so don’t hesitate to drop us a line in case you have more questions.

          We agree, sales are a great way of getting nice skins without making the wallet suffer so much. Only patience is necessary.

  13. In my opinion, the current sale is disappointing in that none of the skins stand above the others in their champions libraries.

    Lets start with Anivia.

    I would not rate Noxus Hunter Anivia as highly as Zero does. For me its not a 4 star skin and probably not a 3 star skin either. I would give it about 2.5 stars somewhere between 2 and 3. And if I had to choose between the 2 Id probably grade it out at 2 stars on Zeros scale. It just seems like its lazy and unprofessional without a lot of change or improvement over classic Anivia. It seems like something a talented art school student could pull off with a mesh frame base model and 4 hours of time on a photoshop program. I think most people would be happier with Bird of Prey Anivia. BOP Anivia also seems like a lazy repaint worthy of a 2.5 star rating but for some reason I seem to like it better and would probably upgrade it to a 3 star rating.

    For a bit more investment you can get Hextech Anivia. I like the Hextech line of skins and this skin is head and shoulders above BOP and Noxus Anivia. It looks good and for the price of a burger and a coke you can get a much better skin. Make a sandwich, drink some water and buy the better skin and you will be happier in the long run.

    Perhaps, some might think Zeros rating of Blackfrost Anivia to be a smidge low. I honestly off the top of my mind cannot think of a legendary or Ultimate skin that I like more. I would probably grade BF Anivia out at 4.5 stars. Zero is right in that you expect more from a legendary skin that costs 1820 rp and it should be a hard for a skin at this price point to get a shining 5 star rating. Still, if you had to pick one contender to win the best skin over 987 rp points then this would be a strong contender and would probably win. I cannot think of a single skin in the 1350, 1820, or 3250 rp price points that you can point to and say that its obviously better. In the “Expensive” category Blackfrost Anivia might be the skin to reach for if you were a fan of this champion. And if you are a casual Anivia player then Hextech does not disappoint.

    Zero is spot on with the Super Teemo rating but Cottontail is one that I like better at the same price point.

    Zero is also correct on with the Bladecraft Orianna skin as far as looks of the model go but it still lacks new particles, sounds, or animations at a 987 price point. So sadly, I feel his rating of Blade Ori is a bit high. All of the skins of Orianna are similar in that they feature a new model but lack new particles, sounds, animations or add on attractions. So it comes down to which remodel you like the best. For me, I think Sewn Chaos stands tall and proud, and TPA is better also. Blade Ori might be a smidge ahead of Gothic Ori but its a nose ahead of that skin rather than a furlong and it costs 2x as much and gives you no other features than a different look and attractive splash art. Even at half off Bladecraft, I would suggest that someone might enjoy Sewn Chaos as much or more without a lot of extra expense.

    Overall this sale is “disappointing” due to the fact that all 3 skins are competing with others in their respective champion library that are better and perhaps cheaper. Noxus Hunter Anivia is below average in my opinion and barely worth buying. It barely seems to be an improved repaint. The armor is slightly better than a repaint but not much and you dont get much else with it. I dont think it looks all that good either and outside of dedicated Anivia fans that want all her skins, perhaps it would not get used much if one had any of her other skins. Its her worst skin. Bladecraft is a really nice skin but problematic that it does not give you much beyond a dress and ball change over skins half its price and done better. Super Teemo might be the winner of the current sale but even then he is arguably the third best Teemo skin and perhaps 4th for those that like Pandas.

    If you love Anivia and dont have any skins for her and price is a big issue then go for it. Super Teemo might hold appeal to Teemo fans or those that love the Man of Steel but its not a top choice in Teemo skins. Bladecraft Ori is an underwhelming choice against the other skins in her library but frequent Ori players might enjoy it.

    Lets hope that Friday brings a better selection.

    Happy Days Everyone

    • We don’t think that the sale is that bad though it’s true that the skins aren’t the most popular nor are the champions.

      Noxus Hunter Anivia’s addition is minimal but it retains all that Classic offers and adds some an extra layer of visual elements and lore. Considering the low price, especially while on sale, it seems like a small but nice improvement. The same can be said about Bird of Prey: it’s just a re-texture but it changes her whole appearance. If you look closely you can notice the ice formations that make up her body but as it’s quite cheap it seems good enough.

      Speaking of Hextech and Blackfrost Anivia, we agree. They are both great skins that stand proud among the best. Additionally, few things compare to merrily hopping around the battlefield laying down eggs of doom. No matter how cute Teemo looks he’s a rather dangerous furry fellow; and sometimes exasperating.

      With regards to Orianna, there’s no doubt that Sewn Chaos has a magic of it own that makes it stand out. However, we don’t think that Bladecraft is a direct competition to Gothic. The former chooses a rather modern and ornamented yet refined look of a doll or gynoid. Whereas, the latter keeps her ballerina theme but with a darker tone. In fact, it’s possible that Bladecraft is closer to Sewn Chaos as they both alter Orianna’s feel.

      Seeing the difference in model and texture work we think that Bladecraft’s price is reasonable. Still, as it may be the most impersonal and cold of her skins it probably isn’t to everyone’s tastes. It could be said that it’s the skin that more clearly expresses her artificial nature.

      It’s true that in many cases it’s possible to find superior alternatives but we think that these skins offer some features that are worth, at the very least, checking. Specifically, Noxus Hunter Anivia is a nice alternative to Classic that retains her feel and builds upon it with a small but interesting extra. Super Teemo is for superhero fans but also for those that like comical costumes. Bladecraft Orianna provides a modern look that stands out among others thanks to its distinct colour scheme and design.

      Lastly, we also hope that sales keep improving; let’s see what the future brings. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

  14. IF you are a foodie then you probably cannot eat at every restaurant in the world so reviews matter. If you live in a bigger town you cannot eat at every food joint in your town.

    Now that there are around 300 ish skins if not more its very important to pick the ones you want. Very few people have time and money to buy all the skins and play them enough to get their moneys worth. Thats why a site like this can really help people in their decisions. Even collecting only one skin per champion is an investment of buying over 110 skins which is why a Zero recommendation for each champion is important.

    Therefore – I think its important to sometimes compare apples to apples. Noxus Anivia is nice enough for someone that plays the champion a bit and wants an occasional change of pace but at the 520 price point I still think BOP is better. At 260 its ok if you dont want to wait for BOP to go on sale nad the rp difference really matters to you. Its also ok if you want to collect all of Anivias skins. But if you wanted only one skin then Hextech would be my recommendation. I dont think Noxus Anivia had a lot of work put into it and though its better than classic Anivia its a bit weak compared to the other apples. As you say Zero, at 520 BOP is “good enough” but is it really a 4 star skin on your scale and if Noxus is a tick weaker then where does it leave that skin ? I dont think you are really wrong because 200 skins ago these were 4 star skins but now there are better options and there are better apples in the barrel.

    Superman Teemo is overall a very good skin. Its apple pie vs apple cobbler. The only problem that I have with it is that Teemo has 3 and maybe 4 other skins that are as good. Still, Apple Pie always is good. For your 975 or 487 on sale you are getting new animations, sounds, and models for both him and the shrooms. Not bad….

    So Bladecraft Orianna comes into focus. On an Apple to Apple basis she is a good apple. But shes not obviously better than Sewn Chaos, Gothic, or TPA when you could buy it. Unlike Super Teemo you dont get new sounds, animations, or features. It is only a remodel. So it comes down to which model do you like best. If you like Bladecraft best or are a big Orianna fan then by all means buy it and enjoy it. But if you could only buy 1 skin would this be the one to be recommended. Not by me, anyway.

    And the problem that I have is that riot in many cases agrees with me. When they had the price increases this March their point was that skins that had more than a couple additions and improvements to animations, sounds, and features deserved a higher price. For instance, Warring Kingdom Xin Zhao gives you 1 new beginning of the match animation and new particles. He has other really good model changes that seem to be as good or better than Warring Kingdoms so you are paying 337 extra riot points for that 1 animation and some particle changes. You might very well enjoy Viscero Xin Zhao as much or more.

    However, I do not think it unfair to expect a 975 skin to have at least one upgrade besides a new model. Whether it be sound, animations, or particles it should have one upgrade and honestly 2 of them to justify this price point. If Riot feels justified in charging extra for 2 upgrades as is the case for Warring Kingdoms Xin Zhao then a 975 skin should have at least 1. If there is one thing that I loved about the pool party skins it was their recall animations. I also liked the full page artwork with Ahri by the pool.

    Bladecraft Ori doesnt have any upgrades. In fact the one thing she does have as a bonus is her splash art. It doesnt bother me to give her credit for this. Id like to visit Paris one day and see the Mona Lisa but honestly the chances that I might not grow every day. However, I do spend 5-10 minutes a day in loading screens and I get to see 10 small pieces of art during this time. Bladecraft Ori has a chiaroscuro feel and looks good. It is noteworthy that good splash art adds to a skins enjoyment. however Im not sure that it is worth the extra price boost over a 750 rp skin.

    So we get back to apples and apples and also apples and oranges. The only skins that I feel are actually worth 987 that do not have upgrades in particles, animations, or sounds are those that fulfill 3 requirements and those being, 1. great spalsh art, 2. being the best skin in a champions library, and 3. being an elite level skin of extraordinarily high quality. Is Blade Ori the best skin in her library – to my eye – no; and is she a skin that stands above and beyond the quality of skins you can buy for other champions – again Id say no; does she have great splash art – to this I would say yes. But in conclusion having only 1 of the 3 needed factors worthy of a 987 skin without animations, particles, or sounds does leave the skin a bit short and I feel it should be priced at 750. The only skin that really comes close to being worth 975 without new animations, sounds, or particles is Grim Reaper Karthus and even then his splash art leaves me cold. Still, its probably the best skin for Karthus and overall it is in the top 1/3 of all the skins riot has produced.

    I dont think Riot should transcend these pricing models without really good cause.

    1. 520 – Repaints
    2. 750 – Remodels
    3. 987 – Remodels with 1 and maybe 2 upgrades
    4. 1320 – Remodels with 3 upgrades
    5. 1820 – Total Remodel – Total Revoice – New Jokes, Taunts, Laughs
    6. 3250 – All of the above + Summoner Icons, Bonus Features – Dragon and Baron Kill announcements – and even more – honestly Jungle Timers would be nice – and perhaps even more.

    All 3 of the current Sale had problems. Noxus Anivia was barely a repaint and the weakest of her skins. Super Teemo is a nice skin that is worth the money and priced right but it competes against other Teemo skins as good or better. And Bladecraft Ori was overpriced to start with and should be a 750 skin and even then it falls short of the 520 skins you can buy for less.

    If there was a buy this sale it was Super Teemo. There are other Teemo skins that compete nicely but this is a good skin for the money.

    • You provide an interesting look at skins but we noticed one thing: if 520 RP is the price of re-textures then Bird of Prey has the right price and Noxus Hunter’s minimal model changes also fit there. Therefore, it’s a matter of how satisfactory the changes feel. It’s possible that nowadays we should expect more from skins and that we could be holding on to old ideas. We think that you have very valid points about those skins but it seems that you are looking at them solely from the perspective of someone that doesn’t like them.

      We feel that it’s important to contrsat the opposite opinions of liking and disliking a skin to evaluate what is good and bad about a skin. In the case of the mentioned skins, from the point of view of someone that doesn’t like Noxus Hunter then the changes are too small and not as significant as they could be. However, if you look at it from the opposite perspective you find that it’s a skin that provides little, but nothing of what it adds is bad in any way. That doesn’t mean that the rating is spot on or that we shouldn’t re-evaluate Anivia’s skins but it’s something to think about.

      With Bladecraft Orianna we feel that something similar happens. From a critical point of view the skin is a mere re-model. Yet, an Orianna fan might see an interesting design, clear changes to the Ball and an attractive theme that takes her away from the classic ballerina. In other words, it may be only a re-model but it seems a rather good one. Still, we probably should expect more from a skin at this price point but, while Bladecraft is less elaborate, what it does it does rather well.

      At any rate, your look on skins is a good reminder that we should expect the most out of skins. We certainly should be critical in our analyses and clearly show the issues that any skin might suffer from. Conversely, it’s also important to highlight what is good and not to forget that a skin can be more than the amount of features it has.

  15. Tomorrows skins sale is a bit better so if Ive been a bit bashy today then maybe I can look forward to tomorrow.

    DJinn Malzahar is not a great skin however its worthy buying. Zero should probably give it a recommendation as a buy even though I personally would rate it 3 stars. The other 2 520 skins seem inferior and the 975 skin does not give you particles, animations, or sounds and seems to be a very expensive remodel that doesnt stand out as being the best in the library or one of the top 1/3 best skins in the game. I dont own any skins for Malzahar and I play him at most maybe 1-2 times a month and so it will be nice to own one and the 260 rp price seems nice.

    Explorer Ezrael is another champion that should come with a Zero recommended buy rating. Sadly, Ezrael like Ryze is one of those champions where half of his skins cannot be bought. You cannot currently buy Nottingham, TPA, or Striker Ezrael. Pulsefire is the king dady of all skins rated overpriced and not worth it and Frosted Ezrael to me seems weak. For most fans of Ezrael, Explorer Ezrael would be the skin to own if you could only choose one. It doesnt really give you much besides model changes but its the best you can buy in his available purchase library. It could have special splash art if they shaded in detail in the dark areas but most of them get cropped anyway.

    Dreadknight Garen is a skin that strangely I will buy and that I would recommend. Normally, you couldnt get me to buy this with a 10 ft pole. It doesnt have new animations, sounds, or particles and it sits in the 987 category where it should. Also its not the strongest skin in the Garen library. If I see a 987 skin then I want something new. With DK Garen the new feature is the new Garen remodel. I can buy it tomorrow, play it 8-10 times the next week and all of a sudden when the new model comes out I will have it and basically a new skin for a 750 price point. If its 2 weeks before the new skin comes out I will have played it enough for it to be a 520 skin at that price point. I would probably never think of old DK Garen as being worth 987 and the new one seems worse. But if I get both of them then I can probably easily get 520 rp worth of value out of each. And the fact that it tips the scales at 487 on sale before the New DK Garen comes out tips the balance towards being a buy. Garen might be the champion that Ive played the most and that I currently still play the most and for me it will be nice to complete the library. Still, I will always be secretly disappointed that Rugged, Sanguine, and now DK Garen were downgraded made worse and their better counterparts removed. Still, I play Garen a lot and probably got “value” for these skins and I will probably like “new” commando Garen better and Steel Legion stands above them all as the one goto “best” Garen skin and I will use him more after Riot kills the old skins.

    Tomorrows sale is much better. Djinn Malzahar and Explorer Ezrael might be the best skins in their champion libraries and are reasonably priced. DK Garen is overpriced and yet its the last chance to get the old DK Garen and be able to use him for a week or two before he goes away and then the new one arrives. You get something extra for 487 rp and thats bascially a brief time to enjoy 2 skins for 1 and if you are a Garen fan then it might be worth it. Rugged is the best of all his skins but after the change the only one worth buying will be Steel Legion. Still, there is some time to get value and enjoyment out of these old skins before they go away and 487 makes the price reasonable enough that you can try.

    Happy Gaming All

    • We agree with Malzahar, Djinn is quite good for the price and fans of the Void Prophet will find that there isn’t much to choose from that really stands out. The same can be said about Explorer Ezreal it may not the be best but there’s little else.

      With Garen, little remains to be said. Better to enjoy the style of the skins now before the visual upgrade homogenized everything. Dreadknight could definitely be better but at least it’s gloomy as it should. In spite of the issues of the current, soon to be old, Dreadknight it accomplishes the basics well.

  16. Honestly, let me clear things up. I wouldnt have bought old DK Garen at 975 and I definitely would not buy new DK Garen at 975 but with the ability to spend time with both at 487 then it becomes a buy as I will only have to honestly get 244 worth of value out of each skin or 10 plays each.

    Explorer Ezrael is a 750 skin that will be on sale for 387. For my value scale of .25 cents per game played I would have to get 15-16 games of enjoyment out of this skin to consider it a good buy. I dont play Ezrael often and I like my TPA skin very much but I probably will buy this skin as an occasional change of pace. Honestly, classic Ezrael is very nice and one of the better classic skins but if I didnt own any skins and wanted to have one skin for every champion in my library this would be the one Id want.

    What is not to like about the DJinn skin for Malzahar. I dont own any skins for him and I dont play him more than 1-2 times a month. I can buy this skin for him and earn its value back in 8-10 months and it might well be the best skin in his library. I find that I enjoy playing champions a bit more often when I own a skin for them than when I do not so maybe Malzahar will enter my rotation a bit more often. At 260 rp I would only need 11 game plays to get value for the skin and I might get that just from dominion ARAM games in the random selections. Its hard not to smile when you can get a champions best skin for 260 rp.

    Happy Gaming ALL

    • Understood, Dreadknight Garen needs something else to really be worthy of its price but this particular opportunity is rather tempting. Explorer Ezreal also seems lacking but there’s little else and Djinn Malzahar, while simple, has a reasonable price. As you see, each person has different and maybe even multiple views on skins so its important to give weight to each perspective.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts; it’s been interesting to contrast ideas.

  17. Pardon me but for the 12.17 – 12.20 Sale, you’ve accidentally wrote Frosted Ezreal as “Explorer” Ezreal in the conclusion section.

  18. I dont really know where to give my compliments to this site, so i went to the most recent post to give my comments. In my opinion this is one of the best site i’ve ever seen. You guys put in so much effort to analyse and review the skin, answering every comment we make, give us guesses on when there would be sales,as well as fulfilling any skin requests that we make. Not to mention some of these comments are so hilarious.Also, you guys do it so darn fast! I’ve used this site so many times i’ve lost count. Sometimes, i just come over and read skin reviews even though im not buying any skin. Its just a joy to read all these skin reviews. And because i found this site around 2months ago while i started league half a year ago, it feels good to find out that the skin i bought before i found this site was given high ratings, just to boost my little ego on my good taste hah. Really do appreciate you guys for all the hard work and keep it up!:)

    • Thanks for the kind words we try hard to provide the best information and advice we can. While we make mistakes and aren’t always online we make an effort to make helpful reviews and answer in a timely manner. We are glad you find the reviews useful and be sure that we’ll keep trying to improve.

  19. Hello there Zero been checking your site and I love it only now I need a little help im waiting for two skins on my favorite champs Nemesis Jax and Tyrant swain I know they both have been on sale in 2013 any estimate when they will be on sale again?

    • Nemesis Jax was last discounted on the beginning of August so it’s possible that it would be on sale again soon but not too soon. It can take a while because there are others skins also waiting since the start of 2013. Tyrant Swain was discounted on the beginning of September so something similar applies.

      Arcade Sona has just been announced on sale and it hasn’t been around since April. Therefore, it shouldn’t take that long for Tyrant or Nemesis to go on sale. However, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be shortly either. Also, remember that sales can be quite unpredictable so this can only be a rough guide.

      • Thanks for advice Zero I will wait because im not in rush and if both get discounted I can just charge my RP and by them both for less!

        • Not at all, we wish you luck in future sales. With some patience, sales are a very good option to get skins without pillaging the poor piggy bank.

  20. It wasn’t properly announced but the Pink taric skin original price was reduced from 975 to 750. So the sale price should be 375!

  21. I would just like for you to know that I read all of your Annie reviews and decided that I was going to buy Panda Annie. I go get my RP card and come home and suprise Panda Annie is on sale! I actually squealed a little bit. Thanks for your awesome reviews Zero!

  22. Im considering buying Nidalee, when do you estimate her skins to go on sale? Specifically French Maid, but I would like to know about all of them. Except the limited editions though of course.

    • French Maid Nidalee is currently on sale until Monday the 21st. Headhunter should go on sale soon but it may take a while as new skins have been slow to be discounted. Pharaoh was last discounted on September so it will take some time to be on sale again; though it’s getting nearer. Also, Bewitching Nidalee should be available next Harrowing, around the end of October.

  23. Hey, just mentioning that although the in-game model is correct, the splash art showing for “Frozen Terror Nocturne” is actually the splash art for “Haunting Nocturne.”

  24. I have just started playing Orianna and I love her SO much! I love her so much that I bought gothic when it was on sale and TPA when it was rereleased. So now I’m on the quest to just buy all of her skins. Slightly greedy but I think totally worth it. When do you estimate Bladecraft and Sewn Chaos will be on sale? In all honesty I think she needs a new skin with new particles instead if just slight model change and re-colour.

    • We completely agree that Orianna needs a really spectacular skin.

      Speaking of which, Bladecraft was on sale on September and Sewn Chaos on August. As we approach the middle of the year a discount becomes more probable. Unfortunately, there’re a lot of skins that haven’t reached a sale in a long while; some for more than a year. Besides, there’s a huge amount of skins and the sales are rather brief.

      With some luck, it shouldn’t take more than a few months for a sale. The problem is that it could very well take more than that due to the long queue of skins to be discounted.

  25. you used emumu instead of littleknight amumu splash art but other then that looks great

  26. Adding on to the 1350rp list, what do you think of mecha malphite and mecha aatrox

    • As stated in their respective reviews, Mecha Malphite is quite good but it owes a lot to Glacial as it bases many of its features on the technology used for it; like the reflections on the metal surfaces.

      Mecha Aatrox is good but it needs some extra work to shine at 1350 RP. It’s a good skin but overall it doesn’t really justify the high price.

  27. Um, isn’t Dragon Fist Lee Sin a reference to Jackie Chan’s movie (that goes by the same name of the skin)?

  28. The paragraph for Miss Fortune’s past sale dates completely ignores the new Arcade Miss Fortune (to state that it is still too early for a sale on it), which is a regular skin and fully likely to go on a 50% sale in the future. It is certainly her best skin so something should be said about it.

    • Indeed, it was an oversight. As it’s still too new there isn’t much to say about when it will go on sale but that fact is worth noting.

  29. You make the best intro for the skin sales! I always look forward to them!

    Side note: Is it possible to clean up the sale pages seeing how the first post is from the January 16, 2013 (I’m assuming) sale. I understand why you would leave them up also.

    • Thanks, glad that you like them.

      We prefer to keep comments in our pages. However, if the amount of comments make the pages difficult to use we’ll have to clean things up.

  30. What do your stress mean? I mean, five is better than one, but do you have a chart you use? I know 3 stars is good, but has some flaws, what are the other stars? Also are you one or several people who upkeep this site? ty and keep it up!

    • We’ll certainly keep it up but we sometimes get a bit delayed as we want to do things in the best of ways and that takes time.

      The star system is to have the usual meaning. We have a general idea of what they mean but there’s not a specific chart where stars are added or substracted depending on the amount of features; for example.

      We’d say that a way of seeing it is three stars is good and from there we go to great and excellent. Each time with less significant problems and more interesting additions. A skin with two stars would have noticeable problems and is one only to get if you are really sure and you like a lot. A skin with just one star may be enjoyed by some people but the problems they have are simply too obvious and significant so it should be avoided.

      We can also say that a five star skin is a skin that, albeit not perfect, is so well done that even if you aren’t a fan of the champion you may like it. It’s a skin that exemplifies the best the a skin can offer. From there we can reduce stars based on the problems or lack of features that a skin can have.

      There are many ways of seeing the system but the general idea is that three stars is the middle ground: good skin, could be better, could be worse but if you like it there’s something to enjoy.

  31. Considering Arcade hecarim do you recomend getting him on sale now? Or do you recomend wait for headhunter to go on sale? {or another Hecarim skin}

    • Which Headhunter are we talking about. There are some Headhunter skins that are quite good but others disappoint; like Master Yi’s after the visual upgrade. If you like Arcade Hecarim now is the time to get the skin. It won’t go cheaper and for what it offers it’s a bit expensive at its regular price.

      The question is: do you like Arcade Hecarim enough to get it or are you more interested in another skin? If you really have your mind set on Arcade now is the time but if you actually prefer some other, perhaps Headhunter, skin then there’s no reason to get it simply because it’s cheap.

      At any rate, if you change your mind about Arcade Hecarim it will go on sale again. You just need to be patient to catch it again at a discount.

  32. Will there be a review for Master Chef Tahm Kench coming out any time soon?

  33. I think that a ward skin review would be absolutely terrific! I really hope you make it some day. Anyways, keep up the excelent work! Cheers 🙂

    • We’ll certainly keep working hard.

      Perhaps we’ll have some brief reviews in the future. At the very least to describe what the ward skins offer and if they are interesting to acquire.

  34. Hey zero, it’s me again :p

    Gotta start to say: thank you for your reviews. At first, i was kinda confused. “Why does he give only X stars to this skin? Seems like it’s worth a lot more”, but with the time, i’m realizing the way you evaluate the skins and learning myself how to do as well (still think winter orianna deserved 4 stars :p)”

    With this aaid, i want to know: what is your top5 skins in terms of quality/price?

    Cheers mate

    • Glad that you like the reviews.

      Winter Wonder Orianna is a nice skin but we feel that it needs a little more to reach four stars. After all, it’s a legacy skin for a special event and those skins usually go an extra step to be special.

      A quick look at the skin list‘s five star skins would give a good idea of which skins we prefer. They certainly are a lot but they are worthwhile.

      If we had to restrict the list we don’t really know where to start though Swen Chaos Orianna is alway a favourite as an example of how to do a lot without covering the skin in new particles.

  35. Hi Zero, could you please do a review on the new PROJECT skins quickly, as I would like to know if the skin with normal price and the border is worth it. Really appreciate your work and thanks!

    • We are glad you like the reviews. The PROJECT reviews are ready and published now.

      We don’t think that it’s worth paying 375 RP for a border; the difference between 1350 and 975 RP. Unless you just can’t wait or want to show monetary love to Riot, which they may not need as the most played game on the Earth, then you’re paying for some extra lines that have no actual effect when playing the skins.

      The only skin that you could buy now is PROJECT: Yi as legendary skins never go on sale. Sadly, we don’t think that skin is worth its mantle so unless you really like it we wouldn’t encourage you to do so.

  36. Thank you so much for all this info on the weekly stuff i really like this site 🙂

  37. If a skin is on sale how does that affect the stars? Obviously increased but like a full star or a half star?

    • We take into account if a skin can go on sale or not. That’s why legacy skins are held to stricter standards than a regular one. Regardless, it’s reasonable to add a start to a skin if the price is reduced. It depends on how much you like the skin and how big of an obstacle the price is. We usually mark when a skin is better caught on sale. In those cases, you can assume that an extra star could be awarded at a lower sale price; despite the fact that it should be a lower regular price.

  38. You have made an error here. Secret Agent Xin Zhao is not 1350 RP, but rather 975 RP.

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