Elderwood Xayah

After spamming around 80 games with Elderwood Xayah this month, I gotta say this skin completely changed how I approach teamfights. The feather animations feel way smoother than base skin, and you can actually tell where your Q is gonna land when you're kiting backwards. Star Guardian might have the flashbacks and cosmic vibes, but Elderwood's nature effects just hit different when you're trying to CS under pressure.

The W attack speed buff has this insane leaf particle effect that makes orb walking feel more responsive somehow. Maybe it's psychological but I swear my kiting improved after switching from Sweetheart. And the E root animation with those thorny vines wrapping around enemies makes it super clear when you've landed it, especially in messy dragon fights. Just last game I was getting dove by a fed Zed under tower and the clearer hitbox on my feathers let me place them perfectly for the root without second guessing myself.

Is Elderwood Xayah worth it compared to other Xayah skins? For 1350 RP it's probably the best competitive choice she has. The recall where she's sitting in that magical forest is whatever, but the in game clarity is actually nuts. Her ult feels less clunky than Cosmic Dusk and you can see exactly where you're untargetable which matters when you're trying to dodge that game ending Malphite ult. Not quite pay to win but definitely gives you an edge in visual clarity that Star Guardian doesn't offer. If you're a Xayah main looking for something that helps your mechanics while still looking good, this is the one to grab.