[Discussion]: Champion Releases 2019

[Disclaimer, this going to be a long post. It's not a hate post, but more of what I think about last years release cycle.] Here's what I think of the 2019 Releases, starting with Sylas (Neeko was released in 2018 & is one of my favorites from that year).

: I love the theme he brings to the table and he has one of my favorite Champion trailers to date. https://youtu.be/L6tWvy3JvFI Gameplay-wise, I have no complaints with him at all. He can be really strong if ahead like most assassins, but can be shutdown and beaten just as easily.

: Her rework did wonders for her. While alot of people miss her old Armor, I believe she looks aesthetically pleasing (much like Morgana). Her gameplay on launch was really iffy to say the least, sacrificing her early and mid game for a extremely strong late game. Post update, I think she's in a decent spot.

: If there was an award for best Visual of 2019 I'd have to give it to Morgana. The artists behind her did a phenomenal job with her. There's not much to say about gameplay since she still plays the same, but that Ulti Movespeed she gets is definitely a very welcome addition.

: Yuumi completely threw a curveball at me (was expecting a yordle, but we got a Cat Familiar and I'm not knocking that). However it was still very refreshing that we got an enchanter-based support. Underwhelming on launch and currently in a readjustment stage (people have to get used to her recent changes), she was pretty good once people got used to her and obnoxious when partnered up with certain champions..

: This rework was a long time coming and I have mixed feelings about it. Theme & Visual-wise, Mordekaiser looks amazing and is definitely pleasing to look at. However gameplay-wise, he can feel pretty unfair to play against at times. Not to say he's Overpowered, but he does have those moments where it's not fun to play against him.

: Unlike Most champions I've talked about, Qiyana is the opposite of how I feel about everyone else so far. Character-wise, Her Pride & Arrogance wasn't something I was a huge fan of at first (even Ezreal isn't that arrogant). However on the flipside, her gameplay is pretty good. She's got pretty good burst, great outplay potential and a gamechanging ultimate. Qiyana isn't someone you can just pick up and play, but someone who's skilled at her will ruin your day.

: Was definitely someone I wasn't expecting, but his rework is one of my favorites besides Morgana. Instead of completely overhauling an outdated champion, they built off what they had and added onto him. Character-wise, I absolutely love how he actually inspires both the player and his opponents to "Keep Fighting and never surrender" when they're slain. Definitely someone I'd like to have as an Ally if I were in Runeterra. As far as his gameplay goes, they took out some of his more unfun characteristics and added a bit more counterplay to him (His [E: Aegis Assault] is very questionable though). Also worth noting he has one of my favorite Champion Themes, second only to Jhin. https://youtu.be/9Zub8agQjrw

: Senna's Release took me completely by surprise (I thought for the longest time Aphelios was being released after Pantheon) and I gotta say as someone who plays support that wants to learn ADC, she's definitely one of my favorite supports (She looks super cool and has a badass Light Cannon). Early laning against her can be a pain sometimes, but she isn't invincible and can be punished by people who can close the gap on her. Definitely someone I'll want to pick up this upcoming season. Also worth noting that there's a strong chance she'll have a role to play in Riot's upcoming Turnbased RPG "Ruined King", definitely looking forward to that.

: Finally we have Aphelios, the last to be added to League in 2019. I love the fact that they're adding more champions to the Solari/Lunari factions and I love his whole Gunswapping playstyle. However I fear that he's going to be a Balance nightmare throughout 2020 due to his versatility. We'll just have to see how things go.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Now these are all just personal opinions and I'm sure there will be some that disagree with some of the stuff I put out (which is completely fair). If you guys have any thoughts on any of those champions, feel free to jot them down. I'll try to get back to any replies left on the thread. Have a great day out the rift and good luck out there.