Guardian of the Sands Xerath

Guardian of the Sands Xerath caught me off guard when I pulled it from a hextech chest last month. After around 55 games with it, I'm honestly shocked how much cleaner the animations feel compared to base Xerath or even Battlecast, which used to be my go-to.

The Q charge-up has this golden sand effect that makes it way easier to gauge your range in teamfights. I noticed this most during a baron fight where I could actually track my positioning better while charging between their backline and our tank. The ult is probably the biggest upgrade though. Each shot creates these sand explosions that feel more responsive than the base lightning strikes, and I swear I'm landing more R2s and R3s because the visual matches the actual hitbox better. His W creates this satisfying sand vortex that just feels right when you're trying to zone people off dragon.

Compared to other Xerath skins like Runic or Dark Star, Guardian of the Sands sits somewhere in the middle. It's not as flashy as Dark Star but way more readable than Runic's blue mess. The recall animation where he turns into a sand statue is pretty sick too. Is Guardian of the Sands Xerath worth it if you main him? For 1350 RP it's not purely cosmetic since the visual clarity actually helps in fights. But it's definitely not pay-to-win either, just a solid skin that makes the champ feel less clunky.

My experience with Guardian of the Sands Xerath has been surprisingly positive for something I never planned to own. If you're a Xerath main who wants better visual feedback without the Dark Star price tag, this one's actually worth considering.