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Galahad, the Storm Knight

RiotRiot Lutzburg·3/16/2015, 12:06:00 AM·13 votes·14,554 views

Role: AP Mage

Inspiration: I originally had ideas for kits that borrowed from Karma's ability-augmenting ultimate, Jarvan IV's flag interaction, and Anivia's frostbite->E combo. These were all separate inspirations that eventually ended up coming together into one cohesive kit.

General Design Philosophy: Galahad is a melee oriented mage who relies on powerful stuns and the back-up of his allies to stay safe in battle. The core of his kit revolves around charging up his sword in order to augment one of his basic abilities via his Ultimate, which has no cooldown otherwise. Galahad has a lot of inherent power baked into his kit, which is tempered by his unsafe laning phase, mana reliance and lack of mobility.

Risk Analysis: Moderate. Galahad is possibly a little tired in terms of tropes and themes, which is really his main weakness in my mind. His kit is somewhat complicated when all of the moving parts are working together, but overall provides great synergy and easily identifiable and exploitable strengths and weaknesses.

Appearance: Galahad is a classic knight archetype with an emphasis on his ornate and metallic armor. He wields a two handed sword called the Conduction Blade.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/7cd09f232f5110_full_zpsuch5ljix.jpg

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/d14e1da7cc15a14a99706c027123d685_zpskdojlujb.jpg

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/lightning_knight_by_victorgarciapq-d7g7wl4_zpsuxj60wa8.jpg

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/20678-230026322_zpsmhyvehil.png

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/StormKnight.14203127_std_zpsg0fameqj.jpg

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/Elemental_Blade__Lightning_by_Unkn0wnfear_zpsxj9kf9xd.jpg

Lore: Galahad is a proud member of the Storm Knights, a troupe of skilled noblemen who have sworn their allegiance to a small city-state in Ionia. This region in the mountainous foothills rests atop a massive, metallic gem that stretches high into the sky. Heavy storms frequent the area and lightning oftentimes strikes the strange stone, filling it with electrified energy that spreads across the town like a shockwave. Having grown up in this area for centuries, the townsfolk have adapted and even learned to harness these powerful forces of nature.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/the_castle_of_storm_by_vihola-d3eympb_zps8orednk7.png

Galahad trained his entire life for the chance to serve his people, and considers his position a resolute honor that fills him with pride and energy. He spent many long days training with his twin brother, Gael, who also aimed to serve his people. The two had a fierce but friendly rivalry, and they constantly pushed each other to do better than their counterpart in every challenge and trial they faced together.

The Storm Knights are well versed in the art of hand-to-hand combat, primarily with their swords and rapiers, and Galahad is no different. Like his brethren, Galahad fights with poise, elegance, fluidity and cunning. His sword strikes are as fast as lightning and their damage as powerful as thunder. He would gladly give his life for his King and for his fellow Storm Knights without a second thought. His life is to serve and to protect; a tradition not honored so fiercely in many other regions of Runeterra.

When Galahad was summoned by the Council to participate in the League of Legends, he took the call to action with humility and unrestrained respect. With the blessing of his King and his fellow Storm Knights, Galahad accepted the call and was inducted into the pantheons of legends shortly thereafter. It was hard to say goodbye to his brother Gael, but he hoped that they would someday meet again on the Fields of Justice. Now, on behalf of his brother and representing his people, Galahad strikes with restraint, focus and honor; the touchstones of the Storm Knights.

Love Interest: Not even the noble Galahad can resist the temptations of love, and he has his eyes set on Janna, the Storm's Fury. While her title is a tad concerning and her reputation as a seductress and "tease" have reached his ear many times, Galahad hopes that the chivalry and earnest interest of a Storm Knight might just be enough to sway her into calling him her "knight in lightning armor." He knows that his brother Gael is also after the heart of Janna, further fueling their lifelong rivalry both on and off the Fields of Justice.

Strengths: Strong poke and targeted abilities, reliable slow and mid-range AoE stun, consistent damage threat

Weaknesses: Mana-reliant, melee auto attacks, no mobility tools or gap closers, Ultimate is tied to aggressive play and casting spells constantly

Plays Most Like...: Karma JarvanIV Diana Anivia

Auto Attack: Galahad slashes with his knight’s sword in melee range.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_10716_pas_zpspyylyfw2.jpg Passive- Conduction Blade: Galahad's auto attacks deal bonus magic damage which scales with his level and 20% of his AP. In addition, Galahad stores an Electrical Charge within his blade every time he uses a basic ability and after every 6th auto attack (attacking enemy champions counts as 2 auto attacks). Electrical Charges are used to power his Ultimate, Static Overload. Design Philosophy: A majority of Galahad’s kit and theme come from his Conduction Blade, so it makes thematic and mechanical sense to tie his passive to it. As a melee mage who has trouble last hitting, the bonus damage allows him to effectively farm and also win extended trades against more AD-oriented bruisers and divers. Finally, allowing Galahad to build up charges by auto attacking incentivizes the player to get into the middle of the action.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_680_btn_zps5gqc65he.jpg Q- Lightning Wave (5-9 seconds): Galahad fires a bolt of lightning in a line, dealing magic damage to all enemies in its path. The range of this ability can be adjusted by the summoner, similar to Olaf's Undertow. The longer the range of the cast, the longer its cooldown becomes. The max range of this ability is 750 units. Rank-ups increase damage and lower cooldown. Design Philosophy: This ability offers a level of customization not often seen in the game. variable cooldown of the ability incentivizes Galahad to use it in close quarters, where he can also auto attack and more reliably set up his full combo. Lightning Wave can also be used as a siege, poke or last hitting spell, but doing so comes with the consequence of more downtime between spell casts.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_17767_pas_zpsqvnd1tnh.jpg W- Relentless Storm (9 seconds): Galahad summons a rainstorm at a target location up to 900 units away, which deals minor magic damage over time and creates powerful gusts of wind, slowing enemies within it by 15/18/22/26/30%. This storm is roughly 1/2 the size of Anivia’s Ultimate and lasts for 4 seconds. Rank-ups increase damage and slow amount, as well as lower cooldown. Design Philosophy: With no gap closer or mobility tools, Relentless Storm gives Galahad a way to pin down his targets to better aim his Lightning Rod/Lightning Wave combo. Casting it on himself also provides him a method of kiting away from other melee threats.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_6411_pas_zpsp6dklgex.jpg E- Lightning Rod (10 seconds): Galahad targets an enemy and impales them with his Conduction Blade from up to 600 range, dealing magic damage and granting vision of the target for 4 seconds. If this target is then struck by Lightning Wave or Thunderous Maelstrom, they emanate an aura that deals additional magic damage, stunning the target and all other targets within range of the aura. Rank-ups increase damage, lower cooldown and increase stun duration to 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5 seconds. Design Philosophy: This ability is inspired by the interaction between Jarvan’s polearm and his flag. As a short ranged mage, this targeted ability makes trading with Galahad and attempting to abuse his short range a dangerous proposition. By stunning his impaled target, he can close the gap and initiate Electrically Charged auto attacks in melee range.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_16096_pas_zpstcjvaijk.jpg R- Static Overload (variable cooldown): Galahad imbues his next basic ability with an additional effect, which costs 20/18/15 Electrical Charges to cast. Rank-ups increase damage done for all augmented abilities and lower the number of charges needed.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_10338_pas_zpspkr9tyuy.jpg RQ- Lightning Wave becomes Chain Lightning, which arcs to all nearby enemy champions once reaching the end of its cast range, dealing 175/350/525 +40% AP magic damage to each enemy champion struck.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_13935_btn_zpskji6gsyl.jpg RW- Relentless Storm becomes Thunderous Maelstrom, which increases the size of the storm considerably (roughly 1.25x the size of Anivia's Ultimate) and causes lightning bolts to periodically spark across the area, dealing bonus magic damage. While within the effects of Thunderous Maelstrom, Galahad’s suit of armor becomes infused with electrical currents, increasing his armor and magic resistances by 40/70/100. This ability can also proc Lightning Rod's stun, even if Thunderous Maelstrom is cast first.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_5595_btn_zpstvghjgib.jpg RE- Lightning Rod becomes Pillar of Light, which summons a massive focused lightning bolt at a target location, similar to Veigar's nuke. This bolt stuns all affected enemies for 1.5 seconds while also dealing 225/400/550 +60% AP magic damage. Design Philosophy: Thematically, Galahad is collecting static electricity before unleashing the charge through one of his other abilities. Mechanically, Chain Lightning creates a range-dependent burst of AoE damage and synergizes with the adjustable cast range of Lightning Wave. Thunderous Maelstrom provides much-needed defensive stats for a melee mage and creates a second way to interact with Lightning Rod. Pillar of Light acts as a massive orbital nuke which is best used after initial crowd control and lockdowns have been used by Galahad’s allies.

If you liked this Champion, you can find over 70 more of my original concepts HERE!

If you'd like to see a cool twist on Galahad, check out Gael, the Keeper of the Tower, designed by SpectralWraithX!

46 Comments

RiotRiot ShadowStorm3/17/2015, 8:35:01 PM3 votes

Hey Lutzburg,

There's some really cool stuff in this concept. I think the storm knight angle adds some real spark (sorry, had to!) to the traditionally straightforward knight fantasy.

You mentioned in your risk analysis that the tropes/themes might be a little tired, and I think that's spot on as a risk. For LoL specifically, we have champions like Garen already who kind of hit the general "knight" fantasy.

I'd love to know more about how you could see Galahad standing out in that space. Are there parts of the overall design (not just gameplay) that can be tweaked/highlighted/turned up/etc which would really push him into an awesome and unique space?

DEN TEL0S3/16/2015, 4:46:16 AM2 votes

I wan't to see a lance. League needs more lances.

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/16/2015, 3:46:34 AM2 votes

I think there's something interesting about publishing champions with straight forward kits and simplistic themes. They are usually the ones that get the most likes from within the community, despite the concept not pushing the envelope or doing anything overtly creative.

Makes me wonder if that's merely because most members of the community LIKE that kind of concept, or if it's just more difficult for them to imagine something they have never seen or considered before.

SpectralWraithX3/16/2015, 1:22:05 PM1 votes

Ok, I just looked at some other things you might want to adjust. In particular, the range of his q. I know he's supposed to be a poke champion but is he supposed to be extreme long range like xerath or more mid range like viktor? Viktor's siphon power has a range of 600, his gravity field has a range of 700 and his death ray has a range of 525. Also Viktor's ult cast range is 700. It kinda sucks I know but you'll definitely have to lower the range of his q otherwise he just turns into a shorter range xerath. The range of his e is acceptable, because hey, mid range mage. Jarvan's flag has a range of 800. If he's supposed to be mid ranged than I would also change the cast range of his w to about 625, to be similar to Anivia's ult. If he's supposed to be long ranged than ignore everything I have just said lol. Although you said his q was similar to undertow. Undertow has a range of 1000. In which case, his q would be the long range poke that can be dodged and his other spells would be the mid ranged. Sheesh, I'm confusing myself with all this range talk lol. Thoughts? I honestly think it would probably be good to bring the range of the q and w down a bit though. Or would it be better to not? If people just sit there poking with q at max range they would run out of mana in 3 casts at lvl 1. Probably make the max range of q about 800 and bring the w down to 625? Once again, the final decision is up to you. Just giving you some range comparisons of other ranged people. Another thought, thunderous maelstrom sounds a little too much like Kennen's ultimate which is Slicing maelstrom. An alternate name would be Raging Tempest? Also, was just watching the old xerath champion spotlight before the rework. Your q and e are almost exactly the same. Same combo as well. E, and any other damaging spell for stun. You might have to make a different e effect. And maybe change the entire dynamic of your q and e. Maybe make your q a single target projectile that when it comes it contact with the lightning rod, charges it causing aoe damage. It can also be used for last hitting and harrass, although not through minions anymore. If the rod is placed in aoe effect of w and q is also activated than causes the storm to create electrifying arcs throughout the storm. The rod stays in place for 4 seconds, in which he is unable to use his basic attacks (after all, his sword is acting as a lightning rod). I dunno. Let me know what you think.

The5lacker3/16/2015, 3:44:04 PM1 votes

Tying mana cost to range is a big no-no. It's needlessly complex and simply doesn't work, as if the ability has 30 mana available it'll be available to cast. Mana cost should never fluctuate with spell function.

W is kinda...useless. It's like a bad Make it Rain.

Overall, this kit is about four times as complex as it needs to be. The charge system with his ult, the mana scaling, the overly complicated combos...it's a mess and it doesn't look like it'll play well, despite his number of options. You have a lore concept, but no mechanical concept other than "He has short cooldowns and does mage things." He doesn't engage like an assassin, he doesn't really have any disables, he's got excessively expensive poke, and he can't really farm.

Rather than think of everything from the point of being of "If this was a character in a story, what would they do," start from a strong mechanical foundation. How a champion plays is significantly more important than if they have a single theme tying them together, even if it frequently helps inform their mechanical identity.

SpectralWraithX3/16/2015, 6:52:25 PM1 votes

I have been thinking my friend. I know you had a concept of your champion already in your mind but if he's going to be close ranged than why not try this out? It relies more on a siege type strategy similar to heimerdinger.

Q, Lightning bolt. Single target projectile that damages first enemy struck dealing magic damage. If it hits the lightning tower it will be amplified by the tower, gaining a cone aoe effect similar to Lissandra’s q when hitting enemies. Make sure to place lightning tower in a position that you can poke with it.

W, Electrical Current. Galahad thrusts his sword into the ground, sending out an electrical current that deals aoe damage. Also provides a slow effect due to tower buff, if cast within a certain range of lightning tower. The closer enemies in the current are to the tower, the bigger the slow.

E, Lightning Tower, Galahad throws out a pre made rod that instantly turns into a lightning tower. This deals single target magic damage on impact and will remain standing until destroyed (similar to heimerdinger’s turrets except it doesn’t attack) During that time it will help buff his other 2 basic abilities. Can be destroyed by auto attacks and abilities. Deals magic damage to melee champions that auto attack due to the stored power within. Only one can be up at a time but he can stock 2 at a time.

R. Static Overload, consumes electrical charges of passive to add effects to one of his three basic abilities.

RQ. Lightning Arcs Throws out 3 single target projectiles instead of one and deals bonus magic damage. (Similar to Khazix w when evolved) Can cover a much wider radius if it hits the tower.

RW. Electromagnetic field. Deals bonus magic damage. Still has the slow of the current. Also, if enemies stay too long in the electromagnetic field, the electromagnetic pull will root them briefly in place. Root duration. Lvl 6, 0.5 seconds, lvl 11, 1 second, lvl 16, 1.5 seconds.

RE. Electrical Discharge Galahad thrusts his sword into the tower, overloading the tower. It becomes overcharged with electricity until it can’t take anymore. The tower unleashes all the stored energy with in, electrocuting and stunning enemy champions within the buff range of the tower. Once this ability is activated the tower is destroyed and another tower cannot be built for a period of time. Stun duration, 1.5 seconds at all levels.

Let me know what you think.

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/16/2015, 11:37:10 PM1 votes

By the way, Galahad's Q has been changed to increase in cooldown based on cast range, rather than increase in mana cost.

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/17/2015, 12:45:31 AM1 votes

That sounds neat! I'm down.

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/17/2015, 1:01:36 AM1 votes

I like it!

SpectralWraithX3/17/2015, 3:22:36 AM1 votes

I am nearly ready to unveil Gael. I even have some lore that I think you will approve of. So excited!!!

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/17/2015, 5:50:07 PM1 votes

Really nice! I upvoted and commented, and I'll be adding a link to Gael in this thread, too.

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/18/2015, 6:08:15 AM1 votes

Yup, not to discredit either of us, but a knight is a very common theme and adding a "lightning" motif on top of it isn't much of a leap from there. These kinds of champions need a very unique character or personality, like Braum and Jinx , to really drive them forward as standout individuals in the League roster.

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/26/2015, 1:03:28 AM1 votes

Galahad's lore has been updated to include references to Gael, a fellow Storm Knight concept. :)

RiotRiot Lutzburg3/29/2015, 5:54:16 PM1 votes

Looking back, I'm actually really happy with the reference images I found for Galahad.

RiotRiot Lutzburg4/2/2015, 12:13:34 AM1 votes

A bump- for the Storm Knights!!

RiotRiot Lutzburg4/7/2015, 10:31:11 PM1 votes

Knights, assemble!

RiotRiot Lutzburg4/13/2015, 5:51:13 PM1 votes

Can lightning strike twice?

RiotRiot Lutzburg5/5/2016, 7:38:28 PM1 votes

Galahad lives?! What a shock!

JedenVojak3/16/2015, 5:35:29 AM1 votes

Hmmm

Passive - So basically you do extra damage per "charge" built up by your ability casts and you lose those when you use your ultimate. Not sure how I feel about my ultimate making my auto's weaker. Q - Skillshot Q which costs extra mana at the max range. I hope the initial mana is really short cause in general, I don't like the idea of a variable mana cost on my ability. W - The AOE shouldn't be as big as Anivia's. Other than that, I feel like, this ability is basically stepping on anivia's toes in terms of how it is an aoe damage slow ability - this is not neccisarily a bad thing. E - This feels kinda like brand's ability in that you hit an enemy with an ability and then can stun them. Looks fine enough. R - The Karma/Leblanc ult. :Q - The next Q becomes an AOE - seems like a decent blast ability, but kinda boring since his Q already penetrates :W - This ability basically turns him into a tank; having it do damage and give a shield and armor/mr seems like way too much :E - On click AOE stun. Very effective.

Overall, he feels like a standard mage who happens to have a melee auto attack - the passive charging from spell casts, and then spending those on your ult is an interesting mechanic, but I feel no reason to melee at all with this champ. He has no gap closers, and while he has a slow and a stun, all of his abilities are ranged magical abilities, with his only melee damage ability (his passive) being consumed by his ultimate. He just seems too effective at range, and by effective, I mean super-powerful.

Basically if I were to use this guy, I'd never melee with him except to last hit with.

He seems effective, but not particularly interesting. I give 5/10

SpectralWraithX3/16/2015, 6:21:02 AM1 votes

Just a thought, for the q you might want to have a minimum and maximum mana cost that way people actually know how much mana it costs to cast at minimum and maximum range. I also I am inclined to agree with JedenVojak on the w effects. Having both the shield and the resistances makes him too tanky. Have either one or the other. Anivia, as far as I know, has the biggest aoe damage spell. You might want to have it start out smaller, to about the size of malzahar's circle than have the empowered version be as big as Anivia's ult. Otherwise the range of it would be a bit too ridiculous if it starts out being as big as anivia's circle and got even bigger. Also, the slow is a bit too op as well. Anivia's ult does a maximum of 20% slow. In order to avoid stepping on Anivia's toes I wouldn't make the slow anymore than that. Another thing, the empowered versions are a little too high, damage wise. Veigar's ult at max level does 500 dmg +120%ap . Other than that, well done. I like the idea. Also, is one of those pics Galbatorix from Final fantasy 4?