Out of the void comes Vel’Koz, a hideous, tentacled creature created to absorb knowledge by destroying things. He’s the stuff of nightmares and the newest champion in League of Legends. Doesn’t he sound absolutely adorable?
The squirming fellow is a ranged mage, capable of dealing massive amounts of damage in sustained fights. He starts off with a long-ranged harass, making him a threat in the early game, despite his fragility. He’ll need a little help from some friends to defend against attackers until he can unleash his full power in the late game, though.
Vel’Koz’s abilities emphasise his focus on raw power through damage and crowd control rather than speed or defense:
Passive: Organic Deconstruction
Vel’Koz’s abilities Deconstruct those they strike. After being hit three times by his abilities, minions, monsters and enemy champions are Deconstructed and suffer bonus true damage. Enemies lose their Deconstruction stacks by avoiding Vel’Koz’s attacks for a short while.
Q: Plasma Fission
Vel’Koz fires a plasma bolt that slows and damages the first enemy struck. Once Plasma Fission hits, reaches its maximum range or is reactivated a second time, the bolt splits at a 90 degree angle. The split bolts deal the same damage and apply the same slow.
W: Void Rift
Vel’Koz sends out a straight line blast that tears open a temporary rift to the Void before exploding. Both the initial tear and the delayed explosion damage and apply Deconstruction stacks to caught enemies.
E: Tectonic Disruption
After a brief delay Vel’Koz disrupts a nearby area, damaging and launching all enemies caught into the air. Enemies hit that are close to Vel’Koz are also knocked back slightly.
R: Life Form Disintegration Ray
Vel’Koz channels a ray of infinite energy that follows the cursor for a brief while, damaging, slowing and Deconstructing all enemies in range.
A glass cannon, Vel’Koz is at his best when churning out damage from back line in team battles. When he’s directly confronted, he can employ Plasma FIssion to kite those hunting him and lay down Void Rift to make attackers think twice about following. Tectonic Disruption can also give him time to reposition when the fight becomes a bit much.
His short-range auto attack means that, while vulnerable, he’s likely to be in the thick of the fight, so he’ll certainly need all of these tricks to avoid getting pummeled.