League of Legends Snowdown: Riot Games Comes Bearing Gifts .

The winter season is here! The air is crisp and cold and full of the sounds of sleigh bells jingling and Happy Elf Teemo being dismembered over, and over, and over again.It is truly a joyous time of year. For don’t all in the LoL community love to see new shiny skins being dropped down the chimney? Who doesn’t love to see a giant Poro King running amok? What is there not to like about cannon minions ON JET SKIS??

That’s right Summoners, Snowdown has come. And with it new skins, a classic game mode returns, new winter summoner icons, ward skins, mystery gifts, bundles and never-before-seen changes to minions!

There are three new Christmas/winter themed skins available; Snow Day Gnar, Snow Day Bard and Snow Day Syndra. Snow Day Syndra was an inevitable decision by Riot. Her floating balls are perfect to be translated into snowballs. However why oh why would they make Bard a new skin? I haven’t seen bard played once in about a year outside a couple of professional games! His kit is just too clunky for most casual players. Riot if you’re making new skins make some for a champion everyone knows and loves- Braum for example. And I don’t mean a cop-out “Lionheart” skin with zero particle changes and ugly design.

However I will concede that as skins go the Snow Day Bard skin is well thought out- his meeps are penguins and in his recall animation they construct a snowman shaped like bard.Snow Day Gnar definitely takes the biscuit as the most successful of the skins in my opinion though, in terms of aesthetics and truth to the character, his change to Mega Gnar and his particle changes.However there are also a veritable avalanche of golden oldie skins available once more for a limited time, including Winter Wonder Orianna, Snow Day Singed, Mistletoe LeBlanc, Festive Maokai and my personal favourite, Workshop Nunu.

All of these are only available during Snowdown so grab them while you can!

Moving on to the “Legend of the Poro King” game mode, it is in my opinion one of Riot’s better attempts to revitalise the game and change the focus and feel of gameplay. Although many people (including myself) don’t seem to know that the game even HAS different modes outside Summoner’s Rift.

The mode involves working towards getting a huge Poro with a crown to fight for you- it has a load of health, armor etc, deals AOE damage and attacks enemy turrets. It also heals allies in an area and the second summoner spell pulls you back to your Poro King. The mode is set in the most confined of LoL’s maps, the Howling Abyss- which makes this mode one of the most intense, fast-paced and PvP focussed. Also the fact that the Poro King practically fills the single channel means that you can’t exactly ignore him and focus your efforts elsewhere. You summon the Poro King by your team landing ten of the summoner spell that comes with this mode, Poro Toss. This works like Lee Sin’s Q ability; basically you land it on an enemy and reactivate it to dash to them. It has an EXTREMELY long range.

One of my personal recommended picks for this mode is Nunu (a fun pick in any mode, but also if built tanky his ult is amazing as Poro Toss can get you in the middle of their team which is one of the more difficult tasks as Nunu, also his Consume ability works on the Poro King and deals good damage to it when the opposition have it). Secondly Anivia works well in this mode as at max rank her wall almost blocks the entire map! Basically any champion that is good in close quarters and confined spaces will thrive in this mode- Amumu, Rumble and Azir for example should all be successful choices.

I like this mode as it plays with what League of Legends players expect by giving a seemingly overpowered ability to every player on both teams and turning every champion into an initiator. Plus it has a giant poro with an equally giant moustache. I’m a Braum main. I like moustaches. Sue me.

The new ward skins and summoner icons are a nice festive touch but really don’t offer much within the game considering that only one team can actually see your fancy wards once they are placed, and summoner icons become obsolete once you are playing. However if it’s your thing there are myriad icons and skins available.

Finally the classic seasonal changes to minions. Every once in a while Riot Games does something for the players that reminds us all that they are not only a million-dollar corporation. They send us something that doesn’t cost Influence Points, Riot Points or real money. Something that is quirky, whimsical and beloved by all. Caster minions with cookies. Melee minions with ice picks. Cannon minions on jet skis. Super minions that are snow ploughs.These changes are free, in-game aesthetics and although they don’t change the game in any practical way, they do bring some of the Christmas spirit into an otherwise toxic bloodbath of death and destruction.

These plus the skin changes and funny game mode are all much needed light-hearted gimmicks for the season. They are a little wink to players to break up the seriousness of the game, something that Riot does very well. These little Easter Eggs are great, especially around this time of year. I highly recommend checking out the new presents under Riot’s tree for us this Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight! See you on the Rift.