The Problem With Frostblade Irelia, and a compromise

BlueHeart··25 votes·1,229 views

The problem with Frostblade that myself and many others have, it that by doubling down on the Winter theme, you took away what separates it from Winter Wonderland Karma, and Lulu, the cyber aspects. The current skin looks fine for a Woad/ Winter Wonderland skin as it was originally intended is fine. Now you’re leaving a huge hole for what Frostblade is now, a Frost and CYBER themed skin. While it may be too late to add that back in, how about we come to a middle ground, keep this skin as is (maybe lighten the blades colors a little bit) and rename it Winter Wonderland Irelia, as you start to reconstruct the theme of Frost Cyber, yes this will give her two winter themed skins, but then more people can be happy overall,

On a personal note I love the rework, I love all of her other skins, and I understand the want to make this skin special, but the waters were too muddied when thinking about this skin, and it distracted from what made it already special, that it stood out against the other winter skins, by not being strictly winter.

19 Comments

Axzarious7 votes

Rename the skin. Develop Project: Irelia skin. Give skin for free to everyone who originally had frostblade, or offer the ability to trade frostblade for project.

Oleandervine6 votes

The thing is, they could just scrap the fur bits, or tone them down a lot, and then make the texture of the bodysuit much more cyber themed with golds and blues, and get closer to the original Frostblade. I really do like the fur, and I think it can stay if they just had kept the costume a lot closer to the original look.

BlueHeart8 votes

they already stated that doing something like that would feel shallow and cheap, they dont want to "band aid it" even though what they did to it on the PBE is really just a band aid, removing the cyber theme in the first place was the mistake, the issue was frostblade was a combo of winter and cyber, making it unique from the other frost skins.

Oleandervine4 votes

I don't think it would be a band aid at all to completely rework the texture mapping of the skin. The texture is as cyber or as not cyber as they want to make it, and they have a team that I believe is capable of merging the VGU skin with the cyber theme effectively. It will take time to redo it, but it can be done.

BlueHeart3 votes

i agree im just quoting what they said on the reddit post, personally id just sell it as a winter wonder land theme and remake a frostblade skin.

Oleandervine3 votes

I would agree with this. They should rescind this version of Frostblade, rename it Winter Wonder Irelia, and then remake Frostblade. They can then save Winter Wonder for the holiday season, and launch Frostblade when they finish it. I would much rather Frostblade be disabled and delayed than launch as something that isn't what the theme was.

BlueHeart3 votes

i just wish this kindof middle ground would pick up more steam instead of everybody arguing on the current iteration being good or not, its fine its just not frostblade is all.

Oleandervine2 votes

Yeah, cause then Riot gets it's pure ice theme Irelia skin, while also appeasing the fans on possibly one of the most notorious skins in the game.

ChompyWulf4 votes

This solution makes too much sense, so I doubt Rito will do it. If they do, I expect they won't give the new Frostblade to people who had it already, like in the past when players got the classic skins for VU champs. They'll expect you to be happy with a Winter skin you didn't want when you bought it and have to double down to get Frostblade again.

VelvetCrotch4 votes

If they wanted to change it, I do not understand why they didn't take Frost-Shyvanna as reference.

BlueHeart3 votes

frost shyvana and Frozen shen shouldve been the inspiration on the change, not winter wonderland.

VelvetCrotch1 votes

Eh yeah bro, that's what I wrote.

Tommy PickleNose1 votes

I already made a post about my little theory but my assumption is that they stepped back a little from the tech feel of the skin to leave room in the future for project irelia. They wouldn’t want the two clashing but I feel there is room for both since frostbutt is a mix of ice and neon/tech.

BlueHeart1 votes

Then that skin needs to be free/discounted to those who already own frostblade, since they RIPPED it out of the original skin to make room for such a skin.

Mogarl1 votes

Couldn't they just make an ice themed chroma for infiltrator and give it to those who owned Frosblade Irelia? It should fill the same niche that Frostblade did as a techy ice skin.

BlueHeart1 votes

that spits in the face of myself and others who got the skin for being a frost cyber skin, by just adding a blue chroma to a different skin, there is a huge difference between adding blue to infiltrator and how frostblade looks now VS the frostblade rework

Sukishoo1 votes

They won't make another skin out of it. There's already been a topic disclosing the upcoming changes to it https://www.reddit.com/r/IreliaMains/comments/8675zo/addressing_irelia_feedback/

BlueHeart1 votes

They say in that post that readding they cyber aspects would be "a shallow band aid" so the "Pass on the fur" was them just darkening the whole skin, while it now looks better its still not the original frostblade

He4rtkiller1 votes

Great idea! I see one problem with it tho. There are many people who would demand that they get the new Cyber Frost Irelia instead of this Winter/Woad Irelia and they will have every right to do so. But then there are those that like the skin as is now and wouldn't trade it for Cyber Frost. I mean that's solvable but will it be worth the trouble for Riot or not is the question. From players perspective I think that it's not only worth but also a good opportunity for Riot to get back the trust of some players and overall increase the trust players have in them.

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