So this is the first time we have seen two new champs in a long time, but how do they work, can you only pick one and not the other in champ select? Does banning one automatically ban the other? Are they like Cho'Gall in HotS where you pick them at the same time in draft? I feel these are important questions
Cubíx6 votesthis is pretty easy to explain, they're two different champs. its the same as picking taric and ezreal. The only difference is they get small changes when together, based off what I've seen its essentially one buff, the recall together. They are basically two champs built with very good synergy but they can work well with other champs as well.
hopes this helps answer your questions.
L Rayquaza2 votesSo you probably have to buy them seperate, and my friends said I was stupid for stockpiling more than three shards and not dusting them, I have about 10 right now
Cubíx1 votesYeah I'm assuming they'll be purchased separately, its a good thing you saved up if thats the case
Chromatic Eagle1 votesI imagine that there will be a bundle for them.
L Rayquaza1 votesThe bundle will probably be some matching skin theme, I feel PROJECT would look cool
Quepha3 votes[{quoted}](name=L Rayquaza,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=GyGjd3vF,comment-id=0000000000010000,timestamp=2017-04-04T19:35:22.085+0000)
The bundle will probably be some matching skin theme, I feel PROJECT would look cool
incoming fire skins zzzz
L Rayquaza1 votesActually they are cosmic theme, and also this patch we are getting Cosmic Blade Yi
Cfk651 votesand somewhere i heard about cosmic (blank) orianna
MysterQ3 votesI would have liked EVEN more synergy.
Quepha1 votesI would have liked EVEN more synergy.
I don't, you don't want to make the champions worthless without their significant other as trying to get both of them is just too impractical (especially in pro play with a second ban phase). This is probably the right amount of bonus synergy, maybe even a little too much depending on how much damage is added during the auto steroid.
MysterQ2 votesThat is a problem. I am thinking of 98% of players, not the LCS matches. I am not concerned with pro play in my hopes.
In my mind, a support isn't going to be the best one to utilize the AS buff. Oh look Nunu can attack faster.
Quepha1 votesThat is a problem. I am thinking of 98% of players, not the LCS matches. I am not concerned with pro play in my hopes.
In my mind, a support isn't going to be the best one to utilize the AS buff. Oh look Nunu can attack faster.
I'm thinking more about normal players too. A duo that wants to do the thematic Vastraya bot lane? If their synergy is really strong then the enemy knows a ban on one is basically a double ban because the other becomes trash. If your duo doesn't pick at the same 'step' in pick/ban and the enemy sees one picked? Then they know they can pick the significant other and piss your duo off while also robbing you of a lot of power.
If you want to be able to play these champions together at all, then you want them to have enough power to justify being picked on their own without a really significant jump in free power from getting the pair.
Hyrum Graff2 votesI would have liked EVEN more synergy.
Too much and they become either OP when picked together or super weak when picked alone.
MysterQ1 votesAnd I have already mentioned that is one issue, but that doesn't change the fact that I think it would be the most interesting route they could have taken.
Hyrum Graff2 votesAnd I have already mentioned that is one issue, but that doesn't change the fact that I think it would be the most interesting route they could have taken.
I agree. I wonder if it would feel weird/bad if the abilities were mechanically different when used with each other, but not numerically stronger.
For example, the joined recall thing could work like: time to recall is the average of the two times. So, if they both start recalling together it's 8s; if one joins in when the other is 4s in, then the time is 6s.
WinTheWarOnPants2 votesDoes banning one automatically ban the other?
my very first thought when i saw the reveal. They are obviously stronger together, so will they be balanced around their individual strength or their combined strength?
RenownedWheat422 votesThey don't have a lot that they do together. Xayah's W can affect Rakan, and Rakan gains E range on Xayah. Aside from that, they only have a passive synchronized recall. Not a lot to balance around.
They're separate champs, they'll be balanced separately.
WinTheWarOnPants4 votesThat's a lot of hidden strength TBH. the range difference + the attack speed buff are not small things. having them vs not having them is a buff = to about 4-5% increase in winrate historically(based on very very rough history of range and AS buffs on other champs). Imagine if 
had the range equivalent buff on his W. I have a feeling they are gonna be gutted once lcs gets a hold of them.
RenownedWheat421 votesThe issue is it requires them both to be picked for this. When taking Xayah as ADC, you lack the engage every other one has. When taking Rakan as a support, you now have a squishy who needs to get into the thick of the fight to use his Ult or dish out ANY CC.
They'll be a great combo, yeah, but it requires plenty of good synergy for both players to capitalize on. If it gets heavily utilized in LCS, then that's good. Rito doin their jobs.
WinTheWarOnPants1 votesIf it gets heavily utilized in LCS, then that's good.
Sure....... 
SteelMankind4 votesThis. They have good synergy, but so do plenty of support/ADC combos - Lucian/Bruam, Kalista/Alistar, Kog'Maw/Lulu, Jhin/Janna, etc.
There is probably a specific ADC/support combo that counters Xayah/Rakan quite well. I wouldn't worry about it being too op
FakeGravity1 votessquishy? a champion witha heal a shield and CC? clearly gonna be build as a tank
Silverjust1 votesclearly gonna be built as enchanter
JoeMG1 votesI'd reckon his abilities will scale with AP, at least his heal and shield, or at least I'd hope so. You wouldn't see 
or 
building like a tank so I think he would have a similar build to them.
FakeGravity1 votesleona thresh and tahm kench have abilities that scale with ap too the difference is their range and skills of course
rakan have poor range and his skills require him to be in the middle of the fray, so regardless of ap scaling he work best if he can survive, luckily for him the two staple support items at the moment 
provide resistances and HP so
JoeMG1 votesI'm sure he'll build those since everyone does, and those you mentioned don't have heals. I don't know if his base defenses will be good enough to bother building tanky but I guess we'll see.
Hallbuster2 votesWho gave them their names, they sound absolutely rubbish!
Profirix2 votesYou try being given a birth name you approve of.
GamerThink2 votesOk, now we DO need 5 bans per team.
NinjaKS2 votesBoth of these champs look like they will be very fun to play. They have kits that are basic enough to understand and you can see a lot of potential with several combinations of other supports and ADCs. I think these two will be pretty prevalent picks even if they are not picked together. I am excited for our first duo launch.
LordBrasca2 votesThey are 2 different champs with abilities that get empowered if the partner is in your game from what i've seen... Problem is: Am i forced to pick the other counterpart just because one guy in my team decided to pick one of the two, in order to not handicap the team? If yes then are going to have an huge problem...
Raoul1 votesNah, its not that big of a deal. The only think Rakan gets from having Xayah in his team is that he has one champion where his dash has a bigger range, and for Xayah, she shares one of her abilities with Rakan. Other than that, they play exactly the same with or without their counterpart.
I think the strongest advantage is that Xayah literally can have an instant recall with Rakan as her support, which means she gets around 7 seconds more laning time that other ADCs between every back while coming back at the same time.
LordBrasca1 votesNah, its not that big of a deal. The only think Rakan gets from having Xayah in his team is that he has one champion where his dash has a bigger range, and for Xayah, she shares one of her abilities with Rakan. Other than that, they play exactly the same with or without their counterpart.
I think the strongest advantage is that Xayah literally can have an instant recall with Rakan as her support, which means she gets around 7 seconds more laning time that other ADCs between every back while coming back at the same time.
Also, Rakan has a longer dash if Xayah is there, which together with the recall i may be okayish, but the thing that bother me most is the fact that Rakan gets a whole free spell that deals damage if Xayah casts her W. It's still PBE and it could be changed but from the few gameplay videos i've seen their damage when they are together is really high, at least in laning phase, still have to see how it goes later on.
Raoul1 votesHer W gives % based AS and Damage, which means that Rakan, as a support who has low stats in both of these aspects, wont actually get that much of a boost from it.
Sure, in the end its still 30% more AS and 20% more damage, but for a Support that means way less than for an ADC.
Its a difference, but i doubt it will become broken.
HexaDecimel1 votesIts to separate champs that synergize well with eachother
WinTheWarOnPants4 votesit's beyond "synergizing well with each other". They have parts of their kit that can't be used without the other.
Quepha1 votesit's beyond "synergizing well with each other". They have parts of their kit that can't be used without the other.
there are exactly three things that gain bonuses when together: recall, range on his dash to her, and giving him a benefit during her auto steroid
it looks like the bonuses are nice, but hardly game-breaking
WinTheWarOnPants4 votesNever said it was gonna be game breaking, but i very well may be champ-breaking. Especially, if lcs ever gets a hold of them, and they get balanced around lcs lvl sup+adc coordination.
Quepha4 votesNever said it was gonna be game breaking, but i very well may be champ-breaking. Especially, if lcs ever gets a hold of them, and they get balanced around lcs lvl sup+adc coordination.
you said parts of their kit can't be used, but all the buttons work, they all do pretty much the same thing, just slight bonuses when their partner is around.
WinTheWarOnPants3 votesyou said parts of their kit can't be used,
yeah, cause it's true... Its like 
ult passive, but it's champ exclusive. kalista has to be near her oasthsworn to access parts of her kit. the difference is, that kalista can oathsworn with anyone. So, as a champ her kit is completely self contained. you can ban champs she has better synergy with, but you can't ban parts of her kit like you can with xayah and rakan.
Quepha6 votesyeah, cause it's true... Its like
Kalista's R button literally doesn't work when her partner's dead, how is that comparable? Even Kalista's passive bonuses have dramatically more power than the benefits these two get.
WinTheWarOnPants1 votesWhile near her oathworn(which can be ANY champion) she gains (10-27% bonus AS(which was added as a NERF since she only gets her standard AS with her oathworn) and 5-15% max hp dmg when they attack the same target within 2 seconds with a cd of 10 seconds(note that this is her last maxed ability so it will not be more than 5% max hp until lvl 14)<-- this is essentially the only real bonus passive she has with her oath sworn.
the bonuses that xyah and rakan get together are -ONLY rakan- gains 30-50% AS AAs proc twice while active for 20% of the dmg and gain 30% ms when attacking champions. -rakans E additionally range. and by additional i mean almost if not double the range... https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRX4HpSwoto/WOQ5wVfVJpI/AAAAAAAAhfw/x0NGFz-goR01nlJtu_kl7ovdryMpA7Y3gCLcB/s1600/rerange.jpg The inside circle is his normal dash range and the outside circle is his range when dashing to Xayah. -Rakan and Xayah can piggy back off each others recalls.
You are freaking insane if you think kalista's 5% max hp dmg every 10 seconds is any where near comparable strength to the bird duos unique strength together. And, like a said. Kalistas oathsworn can be ANYONE. I wasn't trying to compare kalista and these two for their passive/active strength when together because xahay and rakan are in a league of their own in this regard. I was pointing out that kalista utilizes the same principal.
RavenKouhai1 votesI'm not sure what you're failing to understand here. I'll try to explain in the simplest possible terms:
Xayah's movespeed buff during ult (?) also applies to Rakan if he's nearby. Rakan can dash to Xayah with slightly larger range.
Xayah can still ult without Rakan. Rakan can still dash to people other than Xayah. This is unlike Kallista, who cannot ult if her support is dead or not in range.
PureSilvrr1 votesTheyre two different champions Your adc has to pick one and the support picks the other.
Lintu Puck1 votestry Surrender@20 if you have questions, they normally have information posted pretty quickly
bullseye20021 votesImagine you are pre-made with your friend and both of you have one of these Champions. You are recalling and the other one dashes to you and joins the recall and the recall is even faster. That would be epic
bullseye20021 votesBrace yourself Pete playing rayah jungle are coming...
