Remember Skarner? The champion that many gamers took for granted in the massively popular multiplayer online game, League of Legends? Well, the face of this champion has undergone a massive alteration leading to an interesting synergy when paired with the champion, Kalista. It's more than just a new skin for this game character.
Our little friend Skarner received a new look in the patch 14.7 that was rolled out on April 3. But a fresh coat of paint doesn't quite capture the sheer detail and attention that Riot Games devoted to their Skarner rework. Even after the rework, players are still experimenting and trying to figure out the optimal utilization of the champion's new abilities.
There's no halt in innovation at Riot Games either. They are continuously working on introduce balance updates to ensure that no champion either gets too strong or remains too weak. Skarner is one such character that is currently being monitored and fine-tuned for optimal gameplay experience.
Amidst all this realignment and rebalancing, an interesting discovery has been made. Skarner, when paired with Kalista, might just be unstoppable as an ally in a crucial fight. You see, when Kalista uses her ultimate ability, she pulls a bound ally towards herself and then fires them to the enemy's side.
Sounds familiar? Yes, it does remind one of the classic 'Hook' champions like Thresh and Blitzcrank. And if you pair the deadly pulling power of Kalista with the new upgraded ultimate of Skarner, you could be looking at a lethally destructive combo on the battlefield.
The interesting part is that Skarner's Baritone Stinger works even when he is in Kalista's ultimate. Meaning, he can pull multiple enemies towards him while being in the mid-air, thanks to Kalista's Fates' Call.
Sharper players of League of Legends have already begun demonstrating this synergy. In one situation, a champion Skarner utilized his ultimate ability on the enemy Nasus and Thresh, post which his alliance Kalista pulled both of them even farther away from their team's location with her ultimate.
As we assess this scenario, the combo of these two champions begins to make even more sense when we consider the revisions made to Skarner's abilities post-rework. Not only does he possess the ability to grab multiple enemies, but the champion also retains his superb tanking capabilities.
So, for an opponent looking to halt Skarner's march towards their backline, it could be a daunting ask. The captured enemies are unable to break free from his grip no matter how hard they try while Skarner proves to be equally destructive under the shield of Kalista's Fates' Call.
The Skarner-Kalista combo becomes an even more intriguing prospect when we take into account some of the recent developments. Players have noted that Skarner's rework has somewhat dampened his effectiveness as a jungler. However, the potential synergy he has with Kalista could rather place him in bot lane instead.
This strategic realignment could provide Skarner with the capabilities to be a more direct threat to enemies, collecting kills and forcing the enemy team onto their back foot. This combination could be the answer to improving his win rate and overall play rate in games, which have recently taken a hit.
And it is worth noting that while some adjustments are still being rolled out to keep the game balanced, Riot has made efforts to not nerf Skarner's viability in the top lane, making him an excellent potential pick for the bot lane. So, for those players enamoured by the champion, Skarner could prove to be an unexpected surprise in the bot lane.
Needless to say, the possibilities that this rework presents are immense. What the update essentially signals, is that the game we know as League of Legends, is constantly evolving, and keep on providing us fresh ways of experiencing and mastering it.
It's going to be fascinating to see how these newly discovered strengths of Skarner and his recently tweaked playstyle will reshape the game's dynamics and the strategies that players adopt during heated battles in the popular multiplayer game.
Given this potential potent combination, it'll be interesting to see how the LoL community and, more importantly, the creators Riot Games respond. How will they deal with this game-changing combo? Will there be further tweaks? Or will this emergent synergy between Skarner and Kalista change the game to a whole new level?
Only time will tell if the Skarner-Kalista pair becomes a dominant force or just another passing meta in the annals of League of Legends history. But for now, the idea is there, waiting for the players to explore and exploit in their future quests, opening up a new chapter in League's constantly evolving story.