14 DAY TRIAL // Riot Games has just announced a brand new champion for League of Legends, its massively popular free-to-play game, in the form of Azir, the so-called Emperor of the Sands, which can summon powerful soldiers to do his bidding on the battlefield.
League of Legends is one of the most played multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games out there, delivering an intense experience filled with all sorts of crazy champions and powerful abilities for them and the players to use.
While working hard on new updates, like the recent patch 4.15, Riot has also taken the time to announce another upcoming champion for the game, in the form of Azir, the Emperor of the Sands, via its official website.
The new character is envisioned by Riot as a powerful mage that, instead of casting spells, can summon soldiers from the ground and make them attack his foes through a variety of maneuvers.
Azir wields a lot of interesting abilities, starting with his trademark, called Disc of the Sun, which allows him to summon a new turret-like structure on the base of a destroyed enemy turret. The new building lasts for a short while, deals bonus damage, and nets Azir gold for destroyed minions and champions.
The W ability is called Arise, and as you can imagine, it summons a Sand Soldier from the ground. The minion can be ordered around just like a regular creature and fades back to sand after a period of time, or when they're abandoned by Azir.
The Q skill is Conquering Sands, which orders all available soldiers to rush to a target position, slowing enemies they smash through along the way.
The E ability is Shifting Sands and allows Azir to rush to a target soldier. If he hits enemy champions along the way, they're knocked up into the air and the emperor gains a shield.
Last but not least, his R ability is called Emperor's Divide and allows Azir's soldiers to group up in a phalanx formation and proceed to rush forward, knocking back and damaging enemies. When they stop, a wall blocking enemy movement while allowing allies to pass is formed for a little while.
According to Riot, Azir is a powerful hero if used correctly by players who know how to manage multiple minions at the same time. He can be quite useful in teamfights thanks to the R ability, but he can also solo push a lane thanks to the Disc of the Sun skill.
Expect to hear more about Azir in the near future, including a release date for the actual champion.