Earnest Elf Tristana

Picked up Earnest Elf Tristana from a mystery chest last week and honestly wasn't expecting much from a holiday skin. After around 40 games though, this festive yordle has completely changed my mind about seasonal skins. The auto attack animation feels way smoother than base Tristana, especially when last hitting cannon minions under tower. Her E bomb has this satisfying jingle bell sound that actually helps me track the explosion timer better than most of her other skins.

The W jump animation is where this skin really shines compared to other Tristana skins like Dragon Trainer. There's something about the candy cane rocket jump that feels more responsive when you need to buffer it over walls or escape a gank. Just yesterday I was getting collapsed on at dragon pit and the cleaner animation let me W out right as the Blitzcrank hook came through. My premade couldn't believe I dodged it but I swear the visual clarity on this skin makes those split second plays easier. And the ult knockback has this festive particle effect that somehow makes it easier to judge the distance enemies will get pushed.

Is Earnest Elf Tristana worth it if you're thinking about buying? For 520 RP it's probably the best value in her skin lineup. It's not pay to win but those cleaner animations definitely help when you're trying to pop off in teamfights. The recall animation where she decorates the tree is kinda cringe but good for tilting enemies after you get fed. My experience with Earnest Elf Tristana convinced me that older holiday skins can actually be sleeper picks for clarity. Maybe grab it next time it shows up in Your Shop if you play her regularly.