Designers weigh in on Leona vs Diana

Header image by JasonTN

If you haven’t seen already, we teamed up with Nevarky to imagine what a hypothetical fight between Leona and Diana might look like.

But who better to chime in on a head-to-head fight between them than two of the folks who played a key role in their creation?

We spoke to artist Mike Maurino and designer David Abecassis, who shared their thoughts on what might be the results of a showdown between the Radiant Dawn and the Scorn of the Moon.

Who has the advantage in a “real life” battle?

Mike:  It really depends on the situation, right? Whether it’s night or day, where on the field of battle they meet, that kind of thing. I feel like the only way it could be a fair fight is if both celestial bodies were represented. Perhaps an eclipse?

David:  Even their inner natures battle. Could Diana’s wrath overcome Leona’s goodness? Would they even end up clashing at all? Maybe they end up walking away teammates. If all bets were off and a conflict unavoidable though, I feel like there’d be mutual annihilation.

Mike:  There would certainly be an epic clash of sword and shield. Leona has both, though. She can block and still has a backup weapon. Diana puts all her eggs in just the one weapon.

David:  I have trouble imagining Leona truly winning. She might be the last person standing, but would she make that last blow? Would she express doubt? Is she that bloodthirsty killer?

Who has the advantage in-game?

Mike:  If we’re talking purely in-game mechanics, there are a few things to consider. They’re both melee, so they’d both want to get up close and personal really fast.

David:  But Diana’s orbs punish melee characters.

Mike:  Right, but Diana has no CC, and leona has ALL OF IT. And Leona is designed as a support, so she can get work done with a lot less gold. Could that work in her favor?

David:  She is, however, designed to be a team player. Diana has the most tools to be a 1on1 fighter. She can exploit enemies and dodge around. But Leona may be a hard enough target that she’d run into problems.

If you’re forced to choose one -- who would win?

David:   From a purely mechanical standpoint I think it would be Diana. She’s got her shield, a passive to keep the damage coming -- she’s built to win a long fight.

Mike:  From my heart’s standpoint, probably Leona -- but at a terrible cost. If she wasn’t forced to fight to the death, she’d definitely try to show compassion. But if that wasn’t an option, she’d be completely regretful. She’d be ruined. Leona would die, in a way. In that respect, no one would truly win.

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Who do you think would win in a showdown? Watch the fight and cast your vote here.