League of Legends fans first met Ambessa Medarda, a Noxian general, in Arcane’s first season on Netflix. Ambessa is the embodiment of her homeland’s brutality, and she’s a cunning tactician. In Arcane, she’s a disruptive influence who sees an oncoming war between the two cities and looks to gain an advantage. In League of Legends, Riot announced Tuesday, she’s a dominating presence on the battlefield, using her Twin Drakehound chain weapons to take out priority targets.
In a statement from Riot, game designer Max Perlman said there were three approaches to designing Ambessa as a champion — a lightweight fighter with a high skill ceiling, a brawler who uses her weapons to push and pull enemies around from a startling distance, and a military veteran who herds her team towards the right fights. Riot took parts from all three designs, and she will likely be a top-lane champion, with room to flex into the jungle or mid lane.
Here is the Matriarch of War’s kit, from Riot’s news release:
Passive – Drakehound’s Step
Entering an attack or movement command while casting an ability will cause Ambessa to dash a short distance once the ability is cast. Casting an ability grants her next attack bonus range, damage, and attack speed, and refunds energy.
Q – Cunning Sweep / Sundering Slam
Ambessa sweeps her twin drakehounds in a semicircle in front of her, dealing bonus damage to enemies hit by the blades.
Striking an enemy will transform the next cast of this ability for a short period of time, causing her to slam her twin drakehounds down in a line in front of her, dealing bonus damage to the first enemy hit.
W – Repudiation
Ambessa gains a shield, briefly braces herself, and then slams the ground to damage nearby enemies. If she blocked any non-minion damage while bracing herself, this ability will deal increased damage.
E – Lacerate
Ambessa whips her twin drakehounds around herself, damaging and slowing nearby enemies. Initiating Drakehound’s Step from this ability causes her to strike a second time at the end of its dash.
R – Public Execution
Ambessa blinks to the farthest enemy champion in a line of her choosing and suppresses them upon her arrival. She then slams the enemy into the ground where they take damage and are stunned.
We’ll likely see much more of Ambessa in Arcane’s second and final season, which will debut in three parts throughout November. League of Legends will have an Arcane-themed skin for the All Mid All Random goof-around game mode, as well as some neat additions to the mode like new buffs when inhibitors are destroyed and new nemesis quests that trigger between Arcane characters.
Ambessa will arrive with the upcoming 14.22 patch for League of Legends, as well as the ARAM overhaul, which will run until January 2025.
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