Guardian of the Sands Ryze

Picked up Guardian of the Sands Ryze from a chest last month and honestly wasn't expecting much since I'm usually running Zombie or Whitebeard. After about 50 games though, this skin's grown on me way more than I thought it would. The sandy aesthetic fits his kit surprisingly well and there's something about the golden effects that just feels right when you're combo'ing through a teamfight.

The Q feels snappier with cleaner animation cancels compared to base Ryze, especially when you're trying to squeeze in those quick E Q combos during laning phase. His ult creates this massive sandstorm portal that's actually easier to see in river fights than most of his other skins. And the E spread looks insane with those golden particles bouncing between minions. I remember this one dragon fight where I was kiting their fed Darius around pit, and the sand trails from my abilities made it way easier to track my spell rotations while dodging his pulls. Ended up getting a triple and stealing dragon because I could actually see what I was casting in all that chaos.

Compared to other Ryze skins like Championship or even Young, Guardian of the Sands probably sits middle of the pack. It's not pay to win or anything, but the spell clarity is definitely better than some of his older skins. The recall animation where he summons that sand guardian is pretty sick too. Is Guardian of the Sands Ryze worth it at 1350 RP? If you're a Ryze main who wants something fresh without sacrificing clarity, absolutely. But if you already own Zombie or Championship, maybe wait for a sale unless you really vibe with the whole desert theme.