Excessive Midday Lucian overrated? Heartseeker ranked eighth? Additionally, what the hell is “L tier?”
Lucian, the Air purifier
Ahhh… Lucian. A person who has solely angsty issues to remain as he swings his large weapons forwards and backwards, staring into the abyss of the undead together with his piercing, emerald eyes, his good, polished pores and skin shini- ugh, okay the place was I going with this…
Despite the fact that I’ve stopped enjoying ADC for a number of years now (ADC in 2K22 KEKW), Lucian stays my most performed champion of all time and I’ve the distinct pleasure of proudly owning all of the skins for him. So on this piece, I’ll break down whether or not or not every pores and skin is value shopping for; as an APM-scaling champion, Lucian’s skins can have fairly a small increase to gameplay if sure animations are extra fluid and smoother than others, and a few skins undoubtedly give a noticeably increase to the circulation of his gameplay. With out additional ado, let’s get proper to it.
10. Striker Lucian: 750 RP (Legacy Pores and skin [That’s a good thing, let it stay locked up in the Vault])
Launch Date: June 18, 2014
Tier: L
Earlier than the Lucian’s Visible and Skins Replace, this was one in every of my least favourite skins in your entire sport. After the replace… it doesn’t actually do significantly better. Nothing greater than a reskin of the Traditional, Striker Lucian doesn’t actually carry something to the desk, apart from equipping The Air purifier in some form of ridiculous soccer uniform (sure, its soccer, recover from your self, your sport is boring as hell) and having him shoot out of some form of janky twin ray weapons from what seems just like the 70s.
Including to the actual fact, is that the splash artwork is exceptionally poorly designed, on condition that it makes him appear like a aspect character IN HIS OWN SPLASH. Given the discharge date, it isn’t too shocking, but it surely was nonetheless unhappy to see the pores and skin not get any main revamp following the replace; all I’m saying is, if Lucian was kicking some form of soccer ball whereas he ran, it will’ve been a bit extra compelling.
9. Employed Gun Lucian: 975 RP
Launch Date: August 21, 2013
Tier: C
The unique launch pores and skin for Lucian isn’t too shabby – actually, each one in every of Lucian’s skins (besides Striker) isn’t too shabby in any respect. The splash is kind of nice and I stay satisfied Employed Gun has the most effective recall animations in your entire sport, given its age (though I would simply be a sucker for throne remembers, I don’t know…) The darkish hues of the clothes he wears is usually a little bit of an annoyance for enemies to see and click on on, particularly within the river, which is a pleasant increase.
The rationale why Employed Gun finds itself ranked so low is due to his Q Skill’s width. Piercing Mild, Lucian’s bread and butter ability, is one thing you are inclined to spam lots and it’s fairly a bit unnerving to pay a pores and skin that appears to cut back the width of your key capability. Whereas the width discount isn’t essentially sport altering, given the necessity to spam the power, it isn’t value paying cash for this out of date, downright pay-to-lose pores and skin.
8. Heartseeker Lucian: 1350 RP (Legacy Pores and skin)
Launch Date: February 2, 2017
Tier: B
Folks could also be shocked to search out Heartseeker so low within the rankings; nonetheless, most of Lucian’s skins are typically good so I’ll be doing numerous nitpicking to distinguish between them for probably the most half. Armed with a dashing purple, velvet go well with within the splash artwork and, once more, a particularly aggressive recall animation, Heartseeker Lucian is kind of the distinctive pores and skin that fulfills the Heartseeker fantasy. The W capability, Ardent Blaze, is kind of a pleasant contact because it turns into a breaking coronary heart on the finish of its explosion, which provides a pleasant thematic contact to the pores and skin. If this type of aesthetic pleases you, I don’t see why you shouldn’t choose this pores and skin up.
7. Pulsefire Lucian: 1350 RP
Launch Date: Could 14, 2020
Tier: B
A decently good pores and skin, Pulsefire Lucian finds itself seventh on the rankings due to its distinctive fur jacket that’s fairly seen in-game, including a pleasant cozy contact to the champion. Given its modernity, the VFX are satisfactory to me, it isn’t essentially ground-breaking however not too shabby both. This is likely one of the few skins that I’d vouch to get the Status version for, however for those who’re studying this, then it’s in all probability too late for that. I wouldn’t get this pores and skin for full worth by the way in which, wait until a sale rolls round.
6. Traditional Lucian
Launch Date: August 21, 2013
Tier: A-
Among the best traditional skins, even within the good outdated days, Traditional Lucian solely bought higher with the visible replace. The splash artwork is likely one of the most badass conceivable, displaying the Air purifier in his pure aspect, blasting demons and zombies to the subsequent life. Adorned together with his well-known, lengthy coat-jacket, the well-known blue, purple, and yellow chromas are additionally a pleasant addition to the traditional white of the pores and skin and I’d advocate selecting them up for those who fancy the traditional look.
5. Victorious Lucian: Get Gold or Increased in Season 20
Launch Date: November 11, 2020
Tier: A-
Enjoyable Truth: The Visible and Skins Replace for Lucian was borne out of this pores and skin; actually, the uneven VFX of the outdated traditional pores and skin was revamped to reflect the glossy VFX for this pores and skin, and I for one couldn’t be extra happier! Sporting shining, glittering autoattacks and spells, Victorious Lucian undoubtedly lives as much as his title, with the plain distinction between this and the Traditional being the chromas reflective of your ranked progress.
4. Arcana Lucian: 1350 RP
Launch Date: Could 13, 2021
Tier: A
The latest addition to Lucian’s beauty line, Arcana lives as much as the status of its friends in a giant manner. The Arcana pores and skin line, which debuted in 2021, stays probably the most distinctive and compelling pores and skin traces in current reminiscence, and Lucian isn’t any worse for the damage. Sporting richly colourful purple hues, VFX, and in-game sprites, in addition to a powerful line of shiny chromas, Arcana Lucian is just marred by its considerably questionable splash artwork – you may by no means inform the place the hell Lucian is trying with this splash, and the bizarre tilt of his head has at all times been a head scratcher to me. Nevertheless, all in all, this pores and skin (and every part above this) I’d simply advocate to purchase, even with out gross sales.
3. Demacia Vice Lucian: 1350 RP
Launch Date: July 18, 2019
Tier: A
One of the crucial distinctive and provoking skins up to now, Demacia Vice options the champ within the fashion of the 80s police flicks of the identical title. Along with its trendy splash artwork is a singular theme tune that performs through the first minute or so of loading into the sport, which provides a particularly compelling taste and immerses you within the expertise correctly. The VFX, and particularly the sound results, all really feel according to one another to carry you fairly a distinct tackle many different skins we see often, and supply for a enjoyable expertise total. Additionally, pro-tip, choose up the white chroma for this pores and skin for those who can – it’s past value it.
2. Excessive Midday Lucian: 1820 RP
Launch Date: August 30, 2018
Tier: S-
This pores and skin is overrated as hell… don’t get me incorrect, it’s a completely beautiful pores and skin, and Riot does it justice as the primary ever Legendary pores and skin for the Air purifier. It’s tackle the Django franchise by remodeling Lucian right into a half-devil fueled by his spouse’s tragedy, mixed with demonic voice traces and VFX, are extraordinarily good and make for a really, very compelling buy. However the quantity of hype and other people enjoying this make me considerably irritated, particularly since #1 on the listing isn’t almost as talked about or performed to this extent. It’s similar to Zed; all of the post-KDA gamers will bounce on Galaxy Slayer Zed and swear by it, however all of the shrewd, old-schoolers know Championship Zed is the place it’s at.
So why 2nd? Effectively, it’s as a result of #1 on the listing is solely distinctive in its animations and fluidity and I severely don’t suppose any Lucian pores and skin, for any pores and skin for that matter, comes even shut. That being mentioned, from an aesthetic perspective, Excessive Midday is unquestionably edgier and depraved, and the idea of merging half-devil VFX with an agile gunslinger was carried out close to completely by Riot. A small criticism that I personally have with this pores and skin is that the autoattacks really feel considerably unsatisfying to land, particularly compared to #1, like they’re lacking some form of thump to them. However except for that, the pores and skin lives as much as most of its hype.
Mission Lucian: 1350 RP
Launch Date: September 7, 2015
Tier: S+ [MUST BUY]
Let me be very clear on this – the entire motive I created this publish was to carry consideration to absolutely the magnificence of this pores and skin and to remind those who, whereas League of Legends was by no means and can by no means be a pay-to-win sport, it does have skins that reinforces your output. Mission Lucian isn’t merely a type of – I’d argue that it’s the oldest, and nonetheless, probably the most pay-to-win pores and skin in your entire sport. Sporting a blazing splash artwork the place the robotized Air purifier is in the course of capturing together with cyborg voice traces, Mission Lucian was amongst the preliminary batch of Mission skins launched that prompted the entire server to crash for a couple of hours upon their preliminary installment.
I’ve a robust perception that almost all, if not all Mission skins, have a point of pay-to-win issue to them; and this isn’t essentially as a result of it’s a sneaky money-grab function by Riot. It extra has to do with the truth that the entire theme of Mission skins, which make the champions into cyborgs and provides them superior, futuristic weaponry, offers strategy to some glossy VFX that may simply enhance the fluidity of the champion. This fluidity is particularly noticeable for high-APM champions like Lucian and Vayne, the place fluidity and smoothness could make a surprisingly noticeable distinction within the participant’s actions and assaults – particularly if you compound it for an extended time frame.
I’d go as far as to say, that I used to be by no means hooked on League of Legends – I used to be hooked on spamming Mission Lucian within the glory days of ADCs again in Season 6. For those who’re pondering of selecting up Lucian, this pores and skin isn’t an choice, it’s a requirement.
