Champion Posture: How to Carry Oneself

Ignoring the title, this post isn't about reaching the next tier or rank, it's focused solely on champion movement being restrained in some of the older models.

We've seen recently Riot putting more thought into a champion's personal gait/ travel patterns and they come through sound and often comical. For example, look at recent champions and skins and examine their Homeguard usage. Diana throws her sword behind her and dashes, crouched low, ready to kill. Heimerdinger straps a rocket to his face and flies, another genius invention. Syndra lays out her body and flies faster, almost artistic in grace and speed. These characteristics display two things:

1. Your champion, or an enemy champion, is moving faster. Obviously. For clarity, Riot has blue sparkles or flaming burn outs for homeguard. But if that doesn't register, a new style of walking clearly tells you, you need to run. Now. They're coming for ya.

2. A champion's individual style and poise. We can all assume that Leona, forced to carry a giant shield constantly, is going to move a little more sluggishly than Heimerdinger who holds a wrench and just bounces with swag.

So what's the point? Well. For starters. When a champion has a particular walk style, it adds to their humanity. To their actual existence. The way a person walks tells a lot about them: stealth, confidence, poise. So what does it add to Kalista when she simply walks everywhere, slowly, passively when she isn't lunging all around the place with her passive? It can imply she is patient, because she knows her success is imminent. She always catches her target, every betrayer. This inevitability can be the reason behind her walk. She's in no rush at all. What does it say about Lucian if he moves always holding his guns up? He's always ready for battle, finger on trigger. When he speeds up, he throws them back, becoming more aerodynamic as he charges. (Or it just looks fuckin' terrifying for a trained undead slayer to come rushing at you face first).

For whatever style of travel they choose, it adds something to the champion. Janna's hand is always out, feeling the air glide under her fingertips. Syndra's hands are always up and curled, as if constantly controlling some kind of magic. Renekton's body "slithers" to hint at his reptilian side. It adds something.

So when it doesn't... it can really put a dent in a champion. Why am I posting about this? One game, I was running Karma support with a friend who was Vayne. Walking side by side, I watched as both of our champions moved the exact same. Step by step. Completely in time. (Seriously, go check it out). How could a religiously leader, devout in balance and harmony, from Ionia possibly develop the same walking style as a Night Hunter, devoted to stealth, assassination, and cunning from Demacia? Shouldn't Karma move a bit more slowly/gracefully? Shouldn't Vayne be lower to the ground, cautious with every step? Karma's reworked model is relatively new, but Vayne's could be considered outdated. If she does get a rework, I'm hoping that they take a good look at how she moves.

On older models, like Ezreal's step, fist, step, fist, step, fist, it looks like we're watching a program. Of course, that's all these champions are, but we obviously want them to be more. Pulsefire Ezreal achieves that with every now and then taking off on his jetpack. Some new step to the walk style. Ezreal's base model just.. well, you've all seen it. In the past, we've seen Riot tweak model's walking, like Twisted Fate after his rework and a few others to make them more sound. It's an important aspect to bring the champions to life. I personally feel Ezreal should walk with more confidence, stride in with cockiness. I mean he is the Prodigal Explorer, completely overconsumed in himself (obviously the reason Taric is in love with him).

It's the little things in a Champion's posture (Sivir's low crouch in battle, Nidalee's constant lowered body to stay sneaky, Draven's chest always puffed out) that are important to making a mannequin or a robot into an actual character. I hope Riot goes above and beyond as they always do to tackle this aspect in reworks and future champs! :D