Did you know there are actually skins that can buff your champion from unique particles to colors that blend in with terrain? So many skins give you an edge up compared to their base model. Welcome to another ModLegends guide and in today's post, we'll be breaking down 15 of the most pay-to-win skins in League of Legends.
When League released in 2009, most free-to-play games were entirely pay-to-win. Riot would then pioneer the act of only selling cosmetic skins. Creator's comment: we decided early on that we wouldn't sell power. We didn't want the person with the most money to win the game. People said, "Oh man, we're giving up assuredly making 100 million dollars on this game in order to try this experiment where we don't know how much we'll make." Obviously, today every single game is powered by skins and not paid-to-win mechanics.
Is League of Legends actually pay-to-win?
No, but kind of. Sometimes some skins, which cost money, actually give you an unintentional advantage over using the base skin. That would pass me to turn around and hit me. On the flip side, some skins have been known to give you a disadvantage. Riot Games, the developers of the game, have created a secret list of these skins that they deem to be unfair in professional matches and specify that pro players can't use them. But there's no one stopping you from playing them in solo queue.
Exploring the Top 15 PAY TO WIN Skins that BUFF Your Champion
1. EDG Zoe
EDG Zoe is so much more elusive than the base skin. Take a look at the E particle: Base Zoe's E travels with bright white particles, while EDG Zoe's is much darker and harder to see. Once the bubble lands, it also blends in quite well with the color of the river and doesn't have the same intense sparkly effects as the base Zoe. EDG Zoe's Q is much darker as well, so when hectic fights break out in the river, it'll blend in perfectly.
2. High Noon Viktor
Our second feature is Victor. Base Victor has a bright orange effect to his E, while High Noon Victor is very dark and blends in perfectly with the river. Notice how right before the second part of Victor's E detonates, it glows orange, whereas with High Noon, you don't get that same kind of telling effect. The chance of an enemy walking into the second part of Victor's E will be much higher when you're playing High Noon.
3. Sea Dog Yasuo
Another skin recently added to the Rift that has an insanely deceiving Q particle is Sea Dog Yasuo. The tornado looks so much thinner than base Yasuo's, which can lead you to hitting more Qs as the enemy won't expect it to land. The shape of Sea Dog's Q is also super unique, so some players may not even realize it's a Yasuo Q flying at them in a frantic fight. Not only does the particle look so much different, but the color blends in great with Summoner's Rift. Sea Dog Yasuo's Q is a turquoise shade, which is a very similar color to what you see in the river Elderwood.
4. Elderwood Bard
Next on the list is Bard. His Q particle is so much different than base Bard's. Elderwood's Q particle is not as wide as the normal Bard skin and is more of a narrow missile. This can lure the enemy into a false sense of security, thinking Bard's Q is going to miss when in reality, the hitbox is wider than the particle suggests. As you can see in the gameplay, it definitely looks like Bard's Q should miss, but it hits the target dummy no problem. Elderwood also just feels smoother to play than all of his other skins, but that's more of a personal opinion.
5. Dark Waters Vladimir
Dark Waters Vladimir is another skin that falls into the theme of having a specific color scheme that blends into the map. Vladimir's ultimate with the Dark Waters skin is extremely strenuous to pick up on during team fights. Notice how Vladimir's ultimate is a very similar color tone to that of the river. There have been countless times where I played against this Vladimir skin, and his ult would proc without even realizing he'd used it. The base Vladimir skin gives off a bright red color when you're ulted, whereas Dark Waters is very dark blue, so it's quite difficult to pick up on compared to most of the skins.
6. Super Galaxy Rumble
We've talked about skins that buff champions due to unique particles, but Super Galaxy Rumble is an exception. Super Galaxy buffs Rumble because it feels so much smoother to play than any of his other skins. More specifically, the auto-attack animation on Super Galaxy feels quicker and more crisp to use. Base Rumble's auto animation feels really clunky, making it more difficult to time and making farming with autos a bit awkward. Not only this, but Super Galaxy's E particle is actually narrower than the base skin, so the hitbox can be harder to read.
7. Elementalist Lux
For your opponent, Elementalist Lux with the water theme can be super tough to read, especially in regards to her E. You can barely see her E-particle as it's flying through the air, and it's even more difficult when in the river. The particle is a very similar color to the river, so it blends in extremely well. Lux's Q with this skin is also a little more difficult to pick up on when playing in the river, as the particle is blue.
8. Project Ashe
Project Ashe has been notorious for landing ult plays that looked like they should have never hit. Ashe's R with the Project skin doesn't have a well-defined width to it, so it's more difficult to tell how wide the hitbox actually is. The base Ashe skin is very consistent throughout the entire length, so it's much easier to read as it's flying at you. Also, at the very end of the arrow, there isn't a consistent glow indicating the width with Project, while the normal Ashe skin has a blue color that extends out even when the arrow spins and becomes very narrow.
9. Infernal Shen
Infernal Shen is the most pay-to-win Shen skin as his ultimate can be an absolute pain to pick up on. The Infernal skin is more difficult to track because it doesn't have any lingering particle effects like the base skin does. The base skin has very easy-to-decipher purple particles that flash when Shen is ulting, but Infernal does not have this. There have been so many situations where Shen shows up to fight, but nobody had a clue he was even ulting due to the Infernal skin.
10. Zombie Brand
Zombie Brand gives you a much higher hit rate on W due to the way Brand walks with this skin. If you didn't know, Brand moves his arms when he's channeling W, so it's pretty easy to tell when he's using the spell with his base skin. Brand is always flailing his arms around with the Zombie skin, though, even when he's not using W, so it's way harder to tell when he's actually using a spell. It also just feels like the Brand W animation is much faster when using the Zombie skin.
11. Spirit Blossom Yasuo
Another Yasuo skin makes the cut, and this time it's from the Spirit Blossom line. The tornado simply looks much more narrow with the skin compared to his base. This will give you an edge up in so many situations and fake the enemy out into thinking they're far enough away to dodge it. Landing Yasuo's tornado is such a huge part of his kit, so an advantage like this is well worth it.
12. Infernal Diana
We have another skin from the Infernal line to feature, being Infernal Diana. What makes this skin so special is the ability for you to hide your passive stacks. With base Diana, her entire body glows when her passive is available, so it's easy to read. Infernal Diana's head is always glowing, so when her passive comes up, it's not as easy to pick up on as the base skin, especially if Diana is positioned to where you can't see her sword glowing. It will be very hard to tell if her passive is up.
13. Arclight Vel'Koz
Arclight Vel'Koz has a really unique quality that makes it pay-to-win when using W and Q at the same time. It's nearly impossible to tell that Q has even been used. This effect comes in handy, especially when the opponent is looking to chase you down, and you want to turn with a quick burst of damage. They will think it's just your W being used until they get hit by the slow and realize your Q was used too.
14. Astronaut Veigar
Astronaut Veigar has a very subtle yet broken particle effect of the E when it looks like Veigar's E is expired, and you're able to walk by for a split second after. It will still actually stun you. This can be huge for when you have an opponent trapped inside your E. They think your stun is now expired, so they move forward but get stunned anyway.
15. Mecha Kha'Zix
And the final skin we have for you guys today is going to be Mecha Kha'Zix. Mecha Kha'Zix makes it so much easier for you to track which enemy is isolated as they will have a flashing red target with arrows around them. Some Kha'Zix skins are honestly pay-to-lose as many of them give off a very faint isolation indicator. There is also a distinct sound that goes off when an enemy is isolated with Mecha, so that makes it even easier to track isolation.
Conclusion
So there you have it, guys. 15 of the most pay-to-win skins in League of Legends. Now, of course, there are other skins that could have been featured as well but just didn't make the cut. So be sure to let us know in the comments below which skins you think are pay-to-win. Thank you guys so much for reading, and we'll catch you back soon.
FAQs
What are pay-to-win skins?
Pay-to-win skins in League of Legends are cosmetic items that offer both aesthetic enhancements and minor gameplay advantages.
Are pay-to-win skins unfair to players who don't purchase them?
Not necessarily. While pay-to-win skins may provide slight advantages, they are typically balanced to ensure that gameplay remains fair and competitive for all players.
How do pay-to-win skins affect game balance?
Pay-to-win skins are designed to offer subtle enhancements without significantly altering game balance. They provide players with additional options for customization and expression without compromising the integrity of gameplay.
Can pay-to-win skins give players an unfair advantage in ranked matches?
League of Legends takes measures to ensure that all players have a fair and balanced experience in ranked matches, regardless of whether they use pay-to-win skins or not.
Are pay-to-win skins necessary to succeed in League of Legends?
No, success in League of Legends is primarily determined by skill, strategy, and teamwork. While pay-to-win skins may offer minor advantages, they are not essential for achieving victory.
How can I obtain pay-to-win skins in League of Legends?
Pay-to-win skins can be purchased directly from the in-game store using Riot Points, which can be acquired with real-world currency.