Smolder

Been spamming this little dragon for about 70 games now and honestly, Smolder's base skin already slaps pretty hard. The champion released with such clean animations that I wasn't sure any cosmetic would actually improve the experience. Most new champs these days get skins that feel mandatory but Smolder breaks that trend completely.

What surprised me most is how the Q feels identical across all versions. Even his Heavenscale skin, which I grabbed during the event, doesn't change that smooth auto-weave pattern that makes CS'ing so satisfying. The E flight animation stays consistent too, though Heavenscale adds those sick golden trails that probably make it easier for enemies to track you in teamfights. During a baron dance yesterday, I realized the base skin might actually give you an advantage since the smaller visual effects make it harder to predict your positioning when you're fed and zipping around.

The ult is where things get interesting. Base Smolder's ult has this raw, primal feel that matches his personality perfectly, while Heavenscale makes it look more majestic but maybe a bit harder to track the exact hitbox edges. I think the base version has cleaner animation cancels when you're trying to E buffer into ult for those surprise engages. And that recall animation with him practicing his roar? Pure comedy gold that no skin has topped yet.

Is Smolder worth it? If you're asking about skins, I'd say save your RP unless you really vibe with the Heavenscale aesthetic. My experience with Smolder has taught me this champ is absolutely not pay-to-win through cosmetics. The base skin provides everything you need to pop off and might even give you slight clarity advantages in messy fights.