We Design a NEW League of Legends Champion (Part 2!)

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✧✧✧ SUBJECTIVELY ✧✧✧
We’re a group of friends and artists with a lot of opinions about our favorite media and character design. Now, we want to share our friendly, roundtable-style discussions and artistic misadventures with YOU.

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Featured Music:
Sessions: Star Guardian Taliyah

Courtwalk - 3D BLAST
Show Me Your Dream - Strawberry Station
Drastic Love - Mere Notilde
Upper Bound - FIBRE
Across the Universe - Semoothe
Irresistible. - chromonicci

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All content and characters discussed belong to their respective owners. Our content is covered by Fair Use for the purposes of polite criticism, artistic education, and/or satirical purposes. We want to share our enthusiasm for the media we cover, and also engage more people to be interested in the value of art direction and character design.

Subjectively Theme © Matt Bonneau

[SKy_the_Thunder]

With the poses in the splash art, you could have added an ethereal "chain" from her weapon to its head, to imply her yanking it around to face the direction she wants. Doesn't have to be too heavy or on the nose as well - making it a wispy tether invoking the lines of musical notation would have called back to the music motif both ends of the tether/chain (whale-creature, whistle-axe) share, both design and lore wise.

[aaroncunningham]

I think you could do more to make the "creature and trainer" gimmick stand out in the gameplay department. Currently Moahm just feels like a temporary power-up rather than a contrasting character. Doesn't really sell the whole test of patience theme.
My suggestion would be to have Kekoa and Moahm be two separate units that are always present. The 'Test' would be that the two start the game physically chained together. You can't directly control Moahm's actions, instead he follows you from a distance, remaining unmoving and unmoveable, only attacking whatever gets too close. Kekoa can use her abilities to affect his behavior and positioning, along with her own. For example: she could throw some bait that Moahm charges after to eat, knocking back anyone in his way and dragging you along behind. Or maybe Kekoa has a large fish hook that she can yank enemies with, or use on Moahm to drag herself toward or even over him. When they gain their Ultimate the chain dissolves and becomes a spiritual bond, giving them a shared healthpool and allowing them to move more freely. Their abilities would change to allow them to call on each other from longer distances and could make them a great late game split pusher.

[theshadygentleman]

Is it weird that I want this to become like an annual thing?

[IizJessieify]

I’ve never played League, but somehow a combination of this channel and Arcane has got me caring about it. Keep up the good work gang.

[tomvn]

I love the change to the motivation of Moa as a 'test' to follow the motion of fate. Fits perfectly within the theme of Nagakeborous.

[juggtyf]

Riot could obviously render your art better but your actual drawing comes together better because you are 2 close people who work together often

[valiensr]

I think giving Kekoa only one glowing eye to emphasize that she isn’t quite on Illaoi’s level as a truth bearer would be nice. Though I understand adding heterochromia would likely make the design more busy or messy. I just think it’d be cool

[Doublejho]

moahm's unrelentingly smug expressions never cease to bring a smile to my face

also whether they'd look better or not, i'd love to see riot's take on the pair

[devastatheseeker]

Nagakabouros wouldn't like people "going with fate" either. She's all about unapolagetically following your own path and being yourself. If fate is dealing you a bad hand she'd scoff and tell you you're pathetic for letting fate get the best of you...if she was to speak to you anyway.

[twisted]

1. AFIK there's only one Truth Bearer in the Buhru at any point in time, this isn't to say that if Illaoi were to die there shouldn't be someone else to take her place (and thus, training in case that happens), but I think creating a new role within the Buhru religion, or making a new champion with a different role (like a Serpent Caller) would be more interesting to develop the character around and expand the religion further

2. I really like the music theme, and the fact that her weapon doubles as an instrument. I do feel like it overlaps with Nunu & Willump however, as song is a very important part of their theme and Nunu's signature weapon being a flute. This is where changing her to be a Serpent Caller might help, Serpent Callers' lore is the following: "Bilgewater’s shores are protected by the horns that when blown disorient the waves through the waters to disguise Bilgewater’s location from the sea monsters." These horns can also be used to command the monsters to protect the island however, as was done during Viego's Ruination. Making her weapon a horn instead of a whistle could help her feel even more distinguished from Nunu and also provide a good different in sound design. Be less themed around song/melody and more on raw sound, slightly more chaotic, like waves crashing.

3. Illaoi's long untied hair shows a lot about who she is and the Buhru's beliefs. This isn't to say that there aren't Buhru with tied hair, but obviously this is an important part of League's character design as you mentioned. I can see her hair being tied representing how she is still growing, but since you mentioned she's confident and does follow her god's ideals, I feel like the braids don't suit her too well. They do however distinguing her from Illaoi. I think if she had a hairstyle similar to the LoR follower "Island Navigator" it would fit her well, maybe still having a braid to represent that she isn't quite there yet and still needs to grow. "Island Navigator"-like dreads are also an hairstyle that no other champion has in League yet (the closest being Senna, but Senna wears a hoodie)

4. I can't quite see how they work together from the concepts yet. Does she ride him like Kled/Skaarl? You drew her riding him but he lacks the gear for that, could still work just needs to be more evident. Does he appear for specific moves like Quinn/Valor? That would be a bit underwhelming for such a big body. Does she command him like Tibbers? That doesn't fit the personality/rivalry you have set up.
I think understanding how they work together in their world and in game is important and might help develop their designs further.
Their goal in terms of gameplay could be to work together somehow. Perhaps like Kindred's abilities, which are split with P/Q/R being Lamb and W/E being Wolf, your duo could also have each their own abilities, and the goal of their kit is to hit a Kekoa and then a Moahm one, and so on. This would give the idea that they are at their strongest WHEN they work together.

Overall I like both designs and the directions you've chose for them, and I'm happy that Bilgewater was chosen and that you guys decided to make a new Buhru!
Hope my feedback helped!

[widdershinnz]

You guys were able to pack every single thing I liked about the original concept iterations in to one solid design. Incredibly done

[bessa_]

Claire's final splash art was spectacular!! Loved the design

[anoven]

I personally prefer the land whale because tentacles are more associated with illaoi and I’d like Moahm to be their own thing, still an amazing design!

[matthewquan]

The monster needs to be stoic and unmoving. They are definitely the type of being that’s perfectly happy watching you struggle even though they could easily help you. Imagine struggling to move a cart while a giant whale being that could easily move that cart watches you. I think the very casual whale works well for this.
I am a little disappointed that this didn’t end up following the vote and going with the Bilgewater theme. If you had inspiration for this theme though, probably better to work with that then go over something you don’t have any ideas for. It’s not heavy though, since it’s all floaty. I guess I haven’t seen it animated or anything, but despite looking large, it is buoyant and doesn’t seem anchored to anything

[seanhepp]

Love the design! I would love to see a skin where Moahm is your blueberry muffin Smaugust dragon.
IDK how riot would do it differently, but your concept art looks like a champ I'd love to main in the jungle.

[wssl]

honestly, it's impressive what you guys manage to do with just 2 people. not only does the official process of designing a champion take like, triple the time you guys are able to spend on it. it's also worked on by way, WAY more people. Splash arts are finetuned and adjusted by an entire team and the entire process takes a collective 800 hours! i'm SUPER impressed with what you guys managed to do and i'm already thinking of fun skin alternatives. (space groove where moahm is a giant lava lamp cat mech)

[Luiz_orneduom]

Moam is my new best friend, no questions asked. This is commendable both in creative and technical matters. Kekoa looking up to the strenght of her people's thruthbearers and being challenged not to test her already proven might, but her capacity to use it alongside something(or, in this case, someone) makes for a hell of a character arc for Kekoa and Moam.

[kindred]

hi subjectively i just wanna say i love your content and i hope you know that. also plz take breaks if needed, the last thing we want is a ghost dark type subjectively using a pen and a drawing tablet as a weapon lol

[Kurooganeko]

Claire, my sweet digital painting goddess, now that the schedule aspect is done you could take your time and add the changes you'd like in the piece. You could present it two years from now. No rush! Just make sure it will make you feel fullfilled and happy

[bakern]

OMG Moahm yawning near the end, priceless