The long-awaited Ruination event is about to begin and with it come new cards, cosmetic goodies and, last but certainly not least, champions! Viego, the Ruined King and Akshan, the Rogue Sentinel will both be joining the ever-growing Legends of Runeterra champion roster and, needless to say, we can’t wait to see how well they’ll integrate into the game!
There’s quite a lot of ground to cover — over ten new cards have just been unveiled — so let’s dive straight into it!
Akshan Swings Into Legends of Runeterra!
Akshan is a 2 mana champion from Shurima with 2 | 2 and the Quick Attack keyword. Whenever he happens to Strike or is brought onto the board, he’ll summon a Warlord’s Palace or, in case it’s already in play, advance it by 1 round. Once Warlord’s Palace finishes its countdown, Akshan will level up.
Once leveled up, Akshan will grow to 3 | 3 and retain his previous effect. The only difference (and it’s an important one), is that he’ll summon a Warlord’s Hoard instead of a Warlord’s Palace.
Warlord’s Palace is a 1 mana landmark from Shurima with a Countdown timer of 8. Once it reaches zero, it’ll create a Relic of Power in your hand. Whenever you target allies, this landmark will automatically advance by 1 round.
Relic of Power is a 0 mana spell (Ephemeral and Focus) that’ll allow you to either Predict, draw 1 card, and then summon a Sandstone charger or grant all allies +1 | 0.
Warlord’s Hoard is a 1 mana landmark from Shurima with a Countdown timer of 8. Once it reaches zero, it’ll create a Sentinel’s Hoard in your hand. And, much like Warlord’s Palace, whenever you happen to target an ally, its timer will advance by 1 round.
Sentinel’s Hoard is a 0 mana spell (Ephemeral and Focus) that’ll allow you to cast one of the three following spells: The Absolver’s Resurrection, Fount of Power, or Shield of the Sentinels.
This is what you’re after — all three of these spells are situational, and they’re downright OP!
The Absolver’s Ressurection is a 0 mana Focus spell that’ll grant all enemies Vulnerable and create in your hand a 0 cost copy of the strongest ally that died during the game.
Fount of Power is a 0 mana Focus spell that’ll allow you to draw 2 cards and then lower the mana cost of all your cards by 1 throughout the remainder of the round.
Shield of the Sentinels is a 0 mana Focus spell that’ll grant your champions everywhere with Spellshield and +2 | +2.
Grappling Hook is a 3 mana Slow spell. Once played, an ally you’ve targeted that round will strike an enemy unit.
The Absolver is a 2 mana Burst spell that’ll give an ally +2 | +1 throughout the remainder of the round. If you have leveled a champion at least once during the game, you’ll get a The Absolver’s Return in hand as well. What a potent little spell!
The Absolver’s Return is a 2 mana Burst spell that’s Ethereal. Once played, it’ll give an ally Overwhelm and +2 | +1 for the rest of the round.
“Ah! So sorry for making you wait, I had an ally to avenge. I suppose I could humor Lucian and help save the world… it’s what Shadya would want.”
“Two conditions, though: I get to keep The Absolver. And the cape.”
The Sentinels assemble: https://t.co/YH0p1eNhpi pic.twitter.com/vaV2stpan3
— Legends of Runeterra (@PlayRuneterra) July 7, 2021
Closing Remarks
It’s safe to say that Riot really knocked it out of the park with this one! Akshan seems like a load of fun, and the same can be said for his accompanying spells as well! How well he’ll perform upon release still remains to be seen, but with such potent support cards, he’s bound to leave a mark in one way or another!
Viego and Akshan will be shipped to live servers on July 14th, which means we might get yet another champion reveal in just a couple of days! Well, that’s what we’re hoping for, at least. In any case, we’ll be back with a lot more coverage over the coming days so stay tuned!