Victorious Maokai

Collector completing Victorious set here, and after 90+ games with Victorious Maokai, I gotta say this exclusive skin hits different than I expected. The gold and blue aesthetic makes you stand out without being obnoxiously flashy, but what really got me was how smooth the Q feels compared to base. That sappling toss animation is probably half a frame faster, which doesn't sound like much until you're trying to check a bush before a dragon fight and that tiny difference saves your ADC from getting deleted.

Speaking of abilities, the W root animation is insanely clear for both you and enemies. I've noticed people flash it more often than when I'm on Meowkai, which sounds bad but actually means they're burning summoners they wouldn't normally waste. The ult though? Pure eye candy when it spreads across the rift with those golden vines. Last week during a baron pit fight, my ult zoned their entire backline just because the visual was so intimidating they backed off even though they were fed. And the twisted advance feels more responsive than Worldbreaker Maokai's clunky wind up.

Is Victorious Maokai worth it? Well, you can't buy it anymore since it was a ranked reward, but if you've got it sitting in your collection, definitely give it a run. Compared to other Maokai skins, it's not pay to win but the cleaner animations make combos flow better. For anyone who earned this back in the day and hasn't touched it, you're sleeping on one of the better Victorious skins. The clarity alone makes it my go to for ranked, even over my beloved cat tree.