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What's an Evelynn?!

Malicious Metal··175 votes·30,141 views

So Reav3, the head of the Champ UP team, has recently hinted that it's very unlikely that Evelynn won't be receiving a full Blown VGU in 2017. And on further inspection I can see why. Evelynn's always been one of the most confused champions both identity and gameplay wise. She's been through various iterations of kits, ranging from permanent undetectable stealth (Submarine Eve item 3068 ) to stuns every time she popped out from stealth.

Yet one thing always remained the same; Her access to the longest and easiest form of Stealth in league of Legends. Now I know Riot's already planning to rework how stealth works in the upcoming Assassin rework but this thread's not only about stealth but about Evelynn as a champion. Her themes, her visuals and of course her core identity!

------------------------------------------------------------------- Lore ------------------------------------------------------------------- Eve has a mysterious past and everything we know about her is shrouded in mystery. I'm not pulling your leg here, that's ALL we get from Evelynn's lore. Riot themselves don't seem to know exactly WHAT Evelynn's supposed to be, if she should be a Shadow Isles Wraithwalker, just an Assassin(Twice the Ass and one Sin) for hire or simply some shady entity.

In the end only one thing's for certain; Nobody knows her history, where she came from. Be it intentional or not but Evelynn's pretty much a blank slate when it comes to lore. Her current one's got some great pointers at what she's SUPPOSED to be.

-Sapping the life force of her opponents like some kind of vampire->Further reinforces her BDSM theme, which I'll go into detail later -May be originating from the Shadow Isles -Lethally efficient when it comes to take out certain individuals -Can seemingly melt into shadows and ambush her prey

Evelynn's lore has a lot of potential, being able to virtually retcon her to any existing place on Valoran as long as her stealthy shadow assassin theme remains intact. Yet I personally feel a very interesting plot point could be linking her to the Shadow Isles via a champion we all known, love or hate; Mordekaiser Now before you get the pitchforks and call me biased her me out.

Mordekaiser's downfall was only able due to some mysterious THIEF infiltrating his HEAVILY GUARDED Bastion and retrieving his skull, making resurrecting him impossible. This shadowy figure could have very well been Evelynn. Now, we all know Mordekaiser's a very proficient warlock able to weave spells and curses. What IF in the wake of his defeat he CURSED whoever had caused his downfall to an eternity of shadows, corrupting them to walk both the realm of shadows and death and the one of the living? This would lead her back into the Mist to feed upon the necromantic energies and use its veil to further increase her already potent abilities. Just some weird brainstorming, I'd like your own opinions on the matter. http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/2/29/Shadow_Isles_Crest.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150410071357

------------------------------------------------------------------- Their Pain is My Pleasure -------------------------------------------------------- A very prominent trend in Evelynn's design is that she DELIGHTS in inflicting pain and misery unto her victims. Just a quick look at her abilities makes this crystal clear. But what's an even bigger pointer is her extravagant appearance. https://66.media.tumblr.com/17301053fec475dabdc4a2a36054ae30/tumblr_o5lcczYfyw1tvo2c3o1_500.gif -Revealing clothing -Red, blue and blackish hues -Spikes and studs -Claws -Bizzare cape -High heels

In short something a dominatrix would wear. Now, we all know these people who just jump on the White Knighting bandwagon and complain about characters being sexualized. Sorry to break it to them but Evelynn's SUPPOSED to be sexualized in some way. She's the WIDOWMAKER.

This is one of her core themes and should be kept in her reworked design at all cost, she's sadistic, she has FUN tormenting innocent souls, she's very much like the depiction of vampires as these predators who lure you in by their charms and sex appeal (before Twilight ruined it all, ffs...)

------------------------------------------------------------------- Shadows beckon------------------------------------------------------------------- But something that's even more essential to Evelynn's character is her affliction to Shadows and the night, being able to use them to her advantage and melt into the darkness, becoming just another shade in the night. Now this is more than just Zeddie's shadow clones, this is the tool of a stealthy femme fatale who will come for you, drain you of your life and disappear into the night like nothing ever happened.

Her stealthy nature is what makes Eve what she is, being swift on her heels and sticking to the shadows, like a veil shielding her from unwanted gazes.

------------------------------------------------------------------- Gameplay ------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a real problem and has always been a balance nightmare. Evelynn's kit is inherently unhealthy due to her being able to flank without the enemy noticing it, making her bypass wards easily and making her a nightmare to play against because you may never know when you're going to feel her claws on your back. It's something that has always caused her to be nerfed into the ground and it has come so far that her identity as an assassin has been warped into simply a flanking skirmisher.

Now, Evelynn SHOULD be an Assassin, slipping in and out of the shadows to anhiliate her prey and leave without a trace. This is Rengar's shtick and we all know it's really depressing to play a squishy against these types of champions. The main challenge with her rework will be to give her a healthy assassination pattern and make her stealth a lot more dynamic, to make Evelynn players have to work out a strategy to succeed in their tast, to offer outplay potential beyond buying pinks, to make her more rewarding to play and OUTplay.

------------------------------------------------------------------- **Conclusion **------------------------------------------------------------------- In the end we can all agree that Evelynn's got a TON of potential as a character, her theme of a masochistic Shadowwalker being one that would appeal to a lot of people if her Kit allowed her to reflect that fantasy. Her lacking ANY solid Background offers a lot of freedom if it comes to pushing her core concept to the limit and truly delivering on her fantasy, making her the Widowmaker we'd never want to meet in a dark alley (Well, some of us would :^) )

There are a precious few things Riot HAS to incorporate in her VGU though, things that are iconic to the character and make her truly unique and give her just this appeal no other champion has to offer. Don't make her another angry wraith like Kalista or flashy ninja like Zed, deliver on a coherent and unique fantasy that taps into her already existing themes. Then I'm certain her impending VGU would be one of the best we'll ever have, except maybe Mordekaiser's.

218 Comments

Laughing Fish52 votes

We all know why you are so interested in Eve http://i.imgur.com/CPFakg7.gif?Noredirect

But seriously, she is one of my favorite champions to use. I would love it if she received a visual update and a real story that consists of more than just "She is a mysterious person from a mysterious place who does mysterious things.... mysteriously.".

Ralanr47 votes

http://www.relatably.com/m/img/mysterious-memes/igznwh.jpg

Laughing Fish25 votes

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/013/564/aP2dv.gif

Rew7116 votes

Mysteries Intensifies!!

Malicious Metal13 votes

No particular reason. Nuh-uh!

Laughing Fish18 votes

Suuuuuure https://67.media.tumblr.com/6c39563addd48530d72512980c16a773/tumblr_n3h7vli2861srqk55o1_400.gif

Malicious Metal11 votes

Everyone who knows me can confirm your accusations are nothing more than the ramblings of a madman with no evidence!

Sona x Rubick11 votes

[{quoted}](name=Malicious Metal,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=6uRAp9eo,comment-id=000c000100000000,timestamp=2016-08-26T17:56:07.785+0000)

Everyone

hm....

Laughing Fish7 votes

Hey I ain't judging man. I would be lying if I said that wasn't why I initially decided to play her. https://67.media.tumblr.com/e785a79705c6760ece866b66be900ac3/tumblr_o4tj7tOIsD1qaa0izo1_500.gif

RiotReav344 votes

Great post! I think you really nailed some core traits of Eve. Want to clarify that I said 2017, not 2016.

:P

Malicious Metal8 votes

Oops, my bad! D:

Anyways, glad I got some things right. Eve isn't really my cup of tea^^

Elikain5 votes

But you are hers. http://emblemsbf.com/img/28137.jpg

Malicious Metal4 votes

Should I be ashamed to admit that statement may have some merit?

Sinlaire1 votes

how sad, because that now knocks out the last of this year and likely all of next year before the sadistic temptress gets some love.

what a shame.

Malicious Metal5 votes

It's been known for some while now that the last rework this year's gonna be WW

Ralanr4 votes

And I'm excited!

Sahn Uzal2 votes

As am I

Ralanr2 votes

Was I on point at all? Just curious.

RiotReav323 votes

I think we are pretty aligned that her fantasy is that of a Assassin and not a Diver.

Linna Excel13 votes

Reav3, I hate to disagree with you here but I think I have to.

Evelynn is one of the last champs who can build as the game goes. I think LOL needs one champ like that and right now it's eve. So if you make her an assassin, we won't have any champs like that really. I also have 0 faith in the champ team to remake anything new like that because they aren't making champs anymore (their pace is terrible) and a flexible champ isn't the sort of thing they do anymore.

Then there's also how she deals damage. Assassins are very bursty champs. Evelynn has an option for burst with the right build, but she's also a sustained damage champ. That's not an assassin and being a pure assassin isn't evelynn. I mean it's perfectly fine with her (maybe not optimal) to go rylai's, ludens, and lyandry's and dance around your foe. Or you can get something like a lichbane and proc a lot of sheen spikes. Or you can get BORK on her (not as popular anymore) and mix it with the AS boost from your E to do a lot of sustained damage very fast.

Then there's the issue of getting to your target. Assassins have either mobility or in-combat invisibility. Evelynn doesn't really have any gap closers and her invisibility is out of combat only... she's basically Invisible Boy from Mystery Men. For her getting to a primary target is less about making a play and more about either using your ult to get tanky enough to reach the squishy or methodically maneuvering yourself into the proper position to make a play.

Then there's the psychology of playing champs. Assassins are very proactive and quickly punish mistakes. They tend to be flashy as well. Evelynn is a champ who works in a more reactive and determined fashion. She's the methodical one. She's not the flashy outplay/burst champ.

Finally look at her ult. It has zero kill potential and it makes her tanky. That is not an assassin's ult.

Evelynn has never been an assassin nor should she be. If anything, as our resident BDSM champ, she should probably be more about control and domination than the flashy killer. She should also be tough enough to take pain as well as dish it out.

PS. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE HER A SHADOW ISLES CHAMP. Or a vampire. Or a succubus. I really like the fact that Evelynn is a mysterious champ. Please keep her like that. Let each player fill in the blank for himself. I mean when you look at her gameplay variety, I think keeping her a Rorschach champion thematically (and gameplay wise) is the better option for this one case.

Dessem14 votes

Evelynn is a champ who works in a more reactive and determined fashion. She's the methodical one. She's not the flashy outplay/burst champ.

This. Evelynn feels more like a hunter than Rengar does to me. You skirt around the edges of the enemy team, waiting for the fight to break out and a small window of time opens... just enough for you to run at 'em, kill 'em and then get out while the rest of their team is distracted by your team.

Evelynn's the assassin who sits there waiting for the right opportunity to make her move, rather than the assassins who force an opportunity or make a play.

I also love how one game you can build an Evelynn specialised around bursting down one squishy champ (i.e. E is physical damage, build Youmuu/Draktharr for ridiculous one-hit burst against squishies) and then the next you take a supportive role (Rylai, Liandries, kite and soft CC), and then the next game again you're suddenly tank-initiator Evelynn.

You're not locked into a pattern of "burst down a squishy"; you're actually capable of opting into initiation, peeler, DPS, physical burst, magical burst, on-hit Evelynn, split-push Evelynn, gottagofast Evelynn, etc. The only thing I wouldn't recommend on Evelynn is Support Evelynn.

SlawthFul133 votes

I have to agree. I really enjoy playing as Eve, primarily BECAUSE she feels so much different from all the other Assassins, with her more methodical, strategic approach and ability to tank more hits than your average flashy playmaker. Riot, please consider working more towards this niche than the one that practically every other assassin in the game occupies.

DynamiteGazelle1 votes

Can't she be neither? That's the problem with you guys coming up with all these role types. Evelynn doesn't fit neatly into any one box, so you feel the need to force her into a specific role. Can't she just be.....Eve?

I feel the most fitting name for what she does is skirmisher. She'll float around the outside of the battle, find a time to go in and lay down what she's got, if things are going well she will stay in for the sustained damage, if they aren't she will take off.

It's such a unique offering, please don't change that!

RiotReav32 votes

I can see a world in which she is a skirmisher as well. We usually do try and do unique twists on a archetype. I was just boiling the characters down to there base archetype. Taric might be a the Paladin "Archetype" but he isn't just a typical Paladin.

Rebonack2 votes

{quoted}

I can see a world in which she is a skirmisher as well. We usually do try and do unique twists on a archetype. I was just boiling the characters down to there base archetype. Taric might be a the Paladin "Archetype" but he isn't just a typical Paladin.

Arguably, Eve has traits of a Skirmisher, a Diver, AND an Assassin. Because she doesn't fit into one nice neat package, there's a lot of dispute over what she's 'really' supposed to be. As with the first Eve remake I want to reiterate my warning here. Focusing too much on burst damage with Eve's VGU will almost without question lead to her getting nerfed until she's a Skirmisher/Diver again.

If you guys want to drop the Diver durability and go with Skirmisher style sustained damage paired with Assassin style target selection and focus-break I can see that potentially working. I still really miss old Eve's Ult heal, though.

Photos of Ghosts1 votes

I don't think she can be called a Diver at all without a dash and hard CC...

Rebonack2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Photos of Ghosts,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=6uRAp9eo,comment-id=0018000200000004000100000000,timestamp=2016-08-29T17:04:39.451+0000)

I don't think she can be called a Diver at all without a dash and hard CC...

She can't be called an Assassin, either, without a focus break and terrible burst damage. Yet there she is.

Eve is a mix of Assassin, Diver, and Skirmisher traits. Nailing her down as any one thing is tricky.

Dessem4 votes

;_;

Can you at least convince the skins team to give her some love in the mean time?

RiotReav317 votes

Generally the skins team avoids champions that our high on our VGU list. This is because we would have to competently re-do the skin and the skin splash when her VGU launches.

Not to say they will or won't make one as this isn't a hard and fast rule, just wanted to mention it.

Dessem4 votes

Yeah, totally aware of it. It's just that Evelynn's both been high on the VGU list since last year at the least (from what I gather), but also hard to decide exactly how to move forward with because her coherence is so... awkward. With the VGU being unlikely for 2017, it'd mean 2018 at the earliest for Evelynn to get her VGU sometime during that year.

That means from 2014 to 2018, Evelynn's unlikely to see any new skins. The current skin selection is... well, limited in scope; they don't provide new particles, SFX or animations, and neither of the two different outfits provides a more assassin-like fantasy. In fact, both rather detract from that fantasy, in my opinion, since it's a tango dancer and a safecracker. (Could make some case for an assassin dressed as a tango dancer, but this is a vampire that strikes from stealth; I don't think disguises are her thing.)

So while I am aware that generally it's avoided because of a planned VGU, there'll be an awful lot of time between Evelynn skins and it'd be nice if there were some skin we could get in the mean time to quiet the hankering to throw money at the screen in an expression of love for Evelynn.

Some chromas'd be cool, too. New lick of paint on the good ole Eve'd go over well with me, at least.

I wish there were some way we could help with an Evelynn VGU, since she's one of my most loved champions in the game. (First champion I played that immediately clicked with me not only thematically but also gameplay-wise!) I'm just a bit bummed we're still waiting so long to get new Evelynn skins.

RiotReav315 votes

With the VGU being unlikely for 2017, it'd mean 2018 at the earliest for Evelynn to get her VGU sometime during that year.

Not sure where this came from. While it's not 100% certain I think it is highly likely we see a Eve VGU sometime in 2017.

Brutusness1 votes

Could it be possible to get a Swain one next year? At the pace we've been seeing reworks release it seems like you could definitely get to him in 2017. I'd love for him to finally get a visual, voice, and skin overhaul, and for his kit to be changed to fit the game now (while keeping his transformation, because Swain without bird form isn't Swain at all).

RiotReav313 votes

He's definitely high on our list. Not sure if we will see him in 2017 but it's always possible.

Oleandervine2 votes

{quoted}

Generally the skins team avoids champions that our high on our VGU list. This is because we would have to competently re-do the skin and the skin splash when her VGU launches.

Not to say they will or won't make one as this isn't a hard and fast rule, just wanted to mention it.

When you guys get around to her, can you tone down the power-slut look you have going for her? I think you can pull off vicious seductress without resorting to have her roaming about in lingerie. Mystique from X-Men (NOT THE MOVIES) is a great example. http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/1/17/Mystique_Vol_1_4.jpg As is this interpretation of Carmen Sandiego (great skin inspiration, if you need one) https://65.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2dhnk2Frp1qj6pzfo1_500.jpg And then. Of course, there's Bayonetta, who captures everything without being in her underwear all the time. http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/bayonetta/images/7/71/Bayonetta_Alt_SSB4.png

Ahntye9 votes

Did you just use Bayonetta as an example for modesty?

Oleandervine2 votes

{quoted}

Did you just use Bayonetta as an example for modesty?

I did, because she's classy, she's a seductress, and she uses her sexuality to get what she needs, but she doesn't feel the need to be nearly naked all the time in order to accomplish her goals.

jama6558 votes

you do realize beyonetta is technically always naked right,

chipndip11 votes

{quoted}

And then. Of course, there's Bayonetta, who captures everything without being in her underwear all the time. http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/bayonetta/images/7/71/Bayonetta_Alt_SSB4.png

Then you realize she's not wearing ANY clothes at all. Everything she's wearing is hair, and her strongest attacks make her completely naked because she uses it all to create portals for her demon's limbs.

She's technically wearing more by wearing the absolute least any game character has ever worn.

Oleandervine1 votes

{quoted}

Then you realize she's not wearing ANY clothes at all. Everything she's wearing is hair, and her strongest attacks make her completely naked because she uses it all to create portals for her demon's limbs.

She's technically wearing more by wearing the absolute least any game character has ever worn.

You technically realize that Bayonetta's clothing is made of woven fibers of her own hair, as opposed to woven fibers of dead plants or woven fiber of plastic or woven fibers of sheep hair. I'm naked under my clothes. You're naked under your clothes. Everyone's naked under their clothes. Only, we can't mentally reconstitute our clothing to summon demons like Bayonetta can. Just because her hair makes her clothing doesn't mean she's naked, because naked means she's not wearing anything at all, when this is clearly not the case.

chipndip12 votes

{quoted}

You technically realize that Bayonetta's clothing is made of woven fibers of her own hair, as opposed to woven fibers of dead plants or woven fiber of plastic or woven fibers of sheep hair. I'm naked under my clothes. You're naked under your clothes. Everyone's naked under their clothes. Only, we can't mentally reconstitute our clothing to summon demons like Bayonetta can. Just because her hair makes her clothing doesn't mean she's naked, because naked means she's not wearing anything at all, when this is clearly not the case.

It's basically that her clothes is made of the thinnest material possible. It's like she's wearing nothing at all!

http://66.media.tumblr.com/7cefa2022ccffce0100f94878b21e35c/tumblr_mpn8l5u6TG1rtap8ko1_250.gif

Hige1 votes

uh so I got a bit mixed up with the dates... we won't see an Eve VU next year? :C that's kind of sad... considering that there's like 18 more champions that NEED a VGU...

RiotReav39 votes

Hmm..it is 2016 now, so 2017 is next year

Decrit3 votes

You are the kind of dude that a time traveler needs.

DwarvenGiant1 votes

He meant that she most likely will get a VGU next year. :P

Dessem5 votes

Double negatives got to me too. ;_;

Ralanr14 votes

These are some thoughts I posted about Eve earlier today.

"As someone who has been on the receiving end of a few good Eve's (or because I rarely play against her so I don't know really how to fight her) I think her being a kiter really fits.

Riot apparently classifies her as a diver, but I see her as a skirmisher with a unique defensive steroid, her stealth. She goes in, combos, and then runs away before you can retaliate heavily. She has a speed boost which makes slows not very useful, so she's allowed to literally dance around you (twice I've faced Eve's that just circle around me and kill me with continuous spikes and claws. She pretty much counters Sion IMO).

She's both mischievous and malicious: a playful sadist if you will. Toying with her prey until they realize to late that they can't win, leaving a expression of despair painted on their face that will be forever remembered in her most enjoyable dreams.

This is just how I think she is meant to be portrayed and how I feel whenever she kits me to death. But gameplay wise she is weird and it's probably because of how difficult it is to balance stealth (from it being near useless in pro to being broken in bronze. I imagine Riot would want stealth to be more healthy but still respectively used in high Elo). She builds tanky because she needs to get in the middle of the fight to do the most damage, whereas her passive gives the impression of a stalker who kills lone targets."

Effectively I believe that her sadistic stalker pattern is what makes Eve, Eve. She goes out, takes a bit of you, leaves and repeats until she takes the final blow. A sadomasochistic game of cat and mouse (wether this is healthy is to be determined).

She's not meant to be a frontliner. No one that hides in the shadows should be able to take a beating like a front line warrior.

Now the curse story I like, especially if it means she started out noble but became corrupted over time. It actually makes me imagine the guys who destroyed Mordekaiser as an adventuring party that built an army. Close friends who fell apart after Mordekaiser's fall. Their greatest defeat a result of their greatest victory.

A tragedy worthy of Mordekaiser's lineage.

Malicious Metal7 votes

{quoted}

She's both mischievous and malicious: a playful sadist if you will. Toying with her prey until they realize to late that they can't win, leaving a expression of despair painted on their face that will be forever remembered in her most enjoyable dreams.

Effectively I believe that her sadistic stalker pattern is what makes Eve, Eve. She goes out, takes a bit of you, leaves and repeats until she takes the final blow. A sadomasochistic game of cat and mouse (wether this is healthy is to be determined).

I love the image you paint with those few passages, really fits the Evelynn I envision.

Ralanr1 votes

This is usually how most of my fights against her as Sion go. So I guess you could say that I am very experienced in knowing how her victims should feel.

KingKong23502 votes

Please dont change her. Shes literally perfect. Play her mid or jungle and its so fun. Is that what this post is about?

Oleandervine3 votes

{quoted}

Please dont change her. Shes literally perfect. Play her mid or jungle and its so fun. Is that what this post is about?

You may like her, but she's a mess. Her lore, kit, and appearance all need work.

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