Reworked Aether Wing Kayle Design

QueenDucki·2/21/2019, 3:09:14 AM·46 votes·13,695 views

First, I apologize in advance if this is the wrong board to post this to; I wasn't sure. Also, this post mainly is referring to the final 2 forms for Aether Wing Kayle, which I feel deviate strongly from the style of the old skin.

With that out of the way, I want to talk about Kayle's visually updated skins, specifically Aether Wing Kayle. Of course, with the rework, all of her skins are getting a visual update. Every skin is getting a significant improvement from what it was (especially Inquisitor Kayle, Riot did a fantastic job on that one), except for Aether Wing Kayle. The updated skin does not keep the character of the old skin. The original skin was sleek and smooth. It was metallic but somehow still organic in style. It kind of reminds me of Archangel from X-Men or Skarmory, in that the wings are metallic, but still graceful and, well, sleek. Essentially, old Aether Wing Kayle was not a confused, blocky mess.

Unfortunately, in my opinion at least, the visually updated skin looks like a confused, blocky mess, especially in the last 2 forms. I don't want to knock Riot's efforts because the skin is clearly well made, but it loses the character of Aether Wing. As someone once sagely put it in a YouTube comment, it has become a generic mecha/hextech skin, and does not even keep the color palette of the original skin for the final forms. It is chunky and graceless when compared to the old skin. In short, it feels like a skin for a different skin line than Aether Wing, one that I 100% would not have paid 1820 RP for. Honestly, with the amazing visual updates to the rest of her skins, Aether Wing has become, in my opinion, the worst one. I would gladly trade it for Inquisitor Kayle if I could. Not only is Inquisitor Kayle a great skin now, it still feels like Inquisitor Kayle; it took the ideas, color palettes, and themes from the pre-update version and simply enhanced them. New Aether Wing Kayle discards what I loved about the old version and made a cheap, Mecha knockoff of it.

While I know this is quite unlikely to happen, I think that Aether Wing Kayle deserves a faithful adaptation. The skin they created could still be released as a new skin with a few changes and be placed in the Mecha skin line, where it would fit with its mechanical, blocky style. I hope that Riot can change the skin to match the character of the original skin and make it more angelic like the rest of the new skins so it's worth the 1820 RP it cost when I got it.

I'd like to hear what others thing about the new Aether Wing Kayle (mostly the final 2 forms). Do you like it or do people prefer the older style?

35 Comments

Lulu the Support2/21/2019, 9:49:23 AM22 votes

I completely agree with what you said. The last 2 forms are really well made, but don't belong on Aether Wing. They belong on a mecha/PROJECT skin that I would not have purchased even if it was 750 RP simply because it is not a style I like. The first 2 forms represent the skin so much better and manage to keep the spirit and elegance of the original one. I would even beg riot to remove the last 2 forms and make them a separate skin, but the effort needed to make this change seems so big that I am scared they will ignore us and let this be the final version :(

B3Prof2/21/2019, 9:53:44 AM16 votes

The entire Kayle rework is a disaster as far as her appearance is concerned.

Myrmiron2/21/2019, 9:53:56 AM13 votes

Agreed. Back in tha days I bought Aether Wing Kayle because she was the best skin for Kayle, now with the Update Aether Wing isn't even top 3 anymore especially with her lvl 16 version which in my opinion looks ugly as hell. Once the rework hits live I'll open a ticket and see if they can refund the skin with the refund token I got this patch.

Sonjanna2/21/2019, 2:05:17 PM10 votes

I miss the old essence of the angelic, magical, fantasy, yet somewhat sci'-fi Aether Wing Kayle.

I wish they see this and make a change tk the aether wing skin. The effects and model really feels off and is not what I asked for.

DeltaForceRO2/21/2019, 9:52:15 AM10 votes

3rd and 4th evolution are not Aether Wing Kayle, I completely agree. I was actually thinking of purchasing the skin when I first saw the first form, but then I saw the last 2 evolutions. I'll wait and see if they change something, but if it remains the way it is, this skin is not for me.

Gay Support2/21/2019, 12:22:32 PM9 votes

I personally don't like the voice effect they used. It just sounds really obnoxious whenever she speaks, I honestly wish they made her sound more different. It's a huge turn off for the skin from me.

Naalith2/21/2019, 9:02:46 PM7 votes

Yeah, the wings and overall design of Aether Wing has shifted away from futuristic and sleek jet technology akin to the Protoss and has gone towards a clunky, loud, and bulky design, which is extremely odd considering base Kayle did the opposite.

Melismera2/21/2019, 6:20:01 PM6 votes

I dont like 3d and 4 form at all! I liked this skin, I really liked it from start, but now with this rework i want to refund it. If Riot dont change 3d and 4 form - it will be worst skin on Kayle.

It's SAD! Please - hear players and make this skin BETTER

Meolyzh2/21/2019, 10:54:02 AM5 votes

a good skin but not a good aether wings skin. the 2 last forms and the dark blue effects (i would have prefer light blue or green-blue), don't feet very well with the skin. it's still a great skin, but not a skin for me or some of the aether wings fan.

Lulu the Support2/21/2019, 10:24:52 AM5 votes

I hope that for this skin they decide to let us choose which form we want to display once the said form is unlocked. For example with Ctrl+5 similar to how DJ Sona or GG Miss Fortune do it.

BryanD062/21/2019, 3:09:00 PM4 votes

Just saw the skin. Not happy at all. The skin by itself is nice and good quality, but it is not a fair adaptation to the people who both this skin before the update. I'm sick and tired of RIOT doing this crap. They took a product I bought and changed it to something I would not have bought.

AetherArising2/22/2019, 12:14:48 AM3 votes

Yeah, it looks... pretty shit. I especially dont like the grating, loud, screaming voice. We already got plenty of those champs Aatrox Aatrox Aatrox Aatrox Aatrox

Oleandervine2/21/2019, 8:24:45 PM2 votes

I actually really liked Aetherwing's new design. It feels almost like an Ultimate skin.

Tomoe Gozen2/21/2019, 8:09:26 PM1 votes

I don't agree with you, OP. For one simple reason - you grossly misattribute her for being a "Mecha" variant, which simply means that you don't even know what Mecha skin line is supposed to represent. Refer to Pacific Rim and Riot's own Mecha Sion vs Mecha Malphite login screen - they are giant mechs, for Pete's sake.

Kayle isn't of that size nor is she any variant of the Project (tech-infused) humans. She's close to Bullet Angel Kai'Sa, Gun Goddess Miss Fortune or Pulsfire Ezreal in terms of her evolutions (her armored wings) but even that isn't completely accurate since her "high tech" suit and wings aren't AI driven. She is organic, as you've put it, her mechanical wings are a part of her.

Her closest resemblance is Uriel from Darksiders: https://darksiders.fandom.com/wiki/Uriel?file=Ds_uriel4-1-.jpg

Xirean2/21/2019, 10:51:53 PM1 votes

The only thing I don't like is the lost auto attack sound. If they add only that back I will be happy.

Stars Shaper3/3/2019, 11:00:13 PM1 votes

I like the new Aetherwing Kayle relaly much (if not for the loss of thematic in the VO) and I understand why they went for the "blocky jet-pack" visual.

I too, though, would prefer a more wingy look.