Hired Gun Graves

After maining Graves for three seasons and hitting 500k mastery last month, I finally grabbed Hired Gun when it showed up in my shop. Most people sleep on this skin compared to flashier options, but after 120 games with it, I'm convinced it's actually one of his cleanest skins for ranked grinding. The western aesthetic isn't just for show either.

The auto attack animation feels noticeably smoother than base Graves, especially when kiting camps or CS'ing under tower. His Q buckshot has this satisfying crack sound that makes timing the return damage way easier in lane trades. But the real difference is his ult, which has a clearer hitbox indicator that's saved me from inting more tower dives than I can count. Last night during a dragon fight, I could actually see where my ult would end through all the spell effects, something that gets lost on skins like Battle Professor. The smoke screen is probably the only ability that doesn't feel much different, though the deployment animation is slightly faster.

Compared to other Graves skins like Praetorian or Snow Day, Hired Gun sits in this sweet spot where it's not distracting but still feels premium. Is Hired Gun Graves worth it at 520 RP? Absolutely, especially if you're grinding ranked and want every small advantage. It's not pay to win exactly, but those cleaner animations genuinely help with combos and positioning. My experience with Hired Gun Graves convinced me to refund Pool Party for this one. If you're serious about climbing with Graves, this skin will serve you better than most of his 1350 options. Just don't expect crazy particle effects or anything that'll make you pop off harder.