You know what is my biggest issue with the Star Guardian Skinline?

SaltyToplaneGoat··45 votes·9,310 views

They have no real antagonist besides some brainless monsters and occasionally one that seems a little more mean than the others. Ten shining heroes and... absolutely no one to oppose them? Sounds like a boring as hell narrative in the long run. If I were to use manga-comparisions (given the japanese nature of the theme) I'd say it's perfectly ok to let the protagonist fight mindless goons for the first ten to fifteen so chapters, but at some point you have to introduce the first proper villain, not necessarly the "big bad", not even really an underling of said "big bad", but just SOMEONE who can fight the protagonist on an even footing and who has some personality to them.

I mean, you could also subvert the theme by having the magical heroes rip themselves apart in conflict, but a.) that has been done already b.) it was not necessarly something people wanted to see c.) it wouldn't really fit with the more "traditional" setting that the SG-Verse opens up.

It can be other champions that get "villain" skins (maybe expand the Superb Villain skinline from just Veigar to an entire group of villains? League's own "Sinister Six" so to speak. Or get the SG-lore rolling with a comic and get your own out-of-game villains, I don't really care, JUST GET SOMETHING DONE ALREADY.

Heroes without villains are lame.

Imagine Batman without villains - he'd be some random rich dude, spending the day either brooding or venting his aggressions by beating up random ciminals who all pose absolutely no challange to him or his ideals. No one would really want to read that tbh...

102 Comments

Placentas33 votes

But this basically is the first 10-15 chapters.

First we had SG Lux. It was going to be stand-alone but the people fuckin' loooooved it.

So then comes the 2nd batch of SG. No real plan to add any actual lore behind, just more dope skins they know will sell. So they have the 1st team battle the baron.

Now with the 2nd wave of SG - we are actually starting the story. The first wave was more of a setting and feel for the story. This new wave of SG came with actual lore and only tells us the very beginning.

If we get more SG sets I am sure we will get a fleshed out villain/someone summoning these void monsters.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

The problem here is that we have a character-overload. Five protagonists can do just fine shredding random goons. But ten of them? Makes the mindless goons look absolutely useless, as they now get shredded twice as fast. Usually in the "fighting goons" stage you assemble the team, and then have it together to face the first villain. The mention of a secondary team often comes after that (mostly because they came to check out all the ruckus caused by the heroes beating the villain). Going by conventional dramaturgy we are missing at least one proper villain here...

Well, I hope we get one, or this is just one of those momens of "well they liked thing X we sold to them? SELL THEM MORE OF IT". and all we get the next time are even more Star Guardian skins with not a single villain in sight.

mkyner6 votes

Regarding character overload. If I were to guess...

I think we're going to see two conflict plot lines, one for Lux, one for Ahri.

Lux plot involves some threat to Earth that she and her team pursue and will have a traditional antagonist. From what I recall of the lore, Malzahar had a history of trying to meddle with the Void, so I could see him being the antagonist trying to open Gates, summon Void monsters, etc. Lux and team need to deal with him and his monsters/allies/henchmen. Lux and team will need to overcome this on their own. They could receive occasional help from Ahri, but Ahri and group are not going to play the role of saviors. See below...

The other line of conflict goes more into the history of the Star Guardians. This plot follows Ahri as she struggles against this notion of destiny and tries to find a way to keep Star Guardians from 'burning out'. An antagonist here could be someone further up the chain of command in the Star Guardian organization. I'm not prepared to make assumptions about who it could be.

Sometimes the two teams work together, and sometimes their conflicting goals might put them at odds. They might find that their final goals overlap somehow, which would bring together all ten Star Guardians, but I think for the most part, they will operate as their individual teams with occasional overlap with one or two members of the other team.

Fairyfleur2 votes

Definitely, they need to stay as two separate teams, with occasional run-ins.

Placentas2 votes

This is how I see it too! Ahri is straight up like "Nah son, I do me, you do you" to Lux. But I don't think she's cold-hearted and would help Lux if Lux really needed it.

Oleandervine7 votes

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/s2/sailscou.jpg To be fair, there were a ton of heros in Sailor Moon before real villains showed up.

RiotRiot TreblMuffin31 votes

:) I think this is a really awesome high level look at Star Guardian!

Now it might not be completely the case with SG, but at times we do get excited and jump at an idea without a comprehensive understanding of how it might evolve once it's in players' hands. We can't always anticipate what's going to have a lot of resonance, and part of why Riot loves feedback is so that we can have our ears open to hear it directly from fans. If League Players resoundingly say "HELL. YES. SECONDS PLEASE." We go "Awesome. Give us a hot minute and we'll cook some more of that pot pie for ya."

I can think of a few champs that would be really good foils for the Star Guardians. :)

iahim9814 votes

Cough Urgot Cough

The DrBonjigollo11 votes

Clears Throat Ahem BraumGragasTalonGraves Cough Urgot Leader Cough

It's Raining Men plays somewhere in the background

iahim989 votes

They all weren't invited, so they made their own star guardian team, with blackjack and hookers!

Captain Aishi1 votes

Star guardian Blitzcrank please...

iahim981 votes

He will be the robot companion! Nvm actually, that's more power rangers then magical girl.

VirtuousViolence2 votes

Please, Garen and Taric deserve it way more than Gragas and Graves

Moonboy652 votes

replace Graves and Talon with Garen and Gragas

problem solved

Moonboy653 votes

Urgot Taric Braum Gragas and Garen

Ariel the Cruel4 votes

. . . And in that corner, we have team "team Star Haters!"

Illaoi The Hentai Tentacle Prophet. Bringing forth extra-dimensional horrors to occupy all the filler episodes. ( . . . Some times in hat. Malzahar )

Braum Colonel Mustache. Heavy hitter, World breaker. Always saves the leader at the last second.

Gragas Super Minion #287. Appears in almost every episode. Usually screws up and reveals how to save the day.

Talon The shadowy figure. Provides episode re;event exposition. Betrays the leader in Season 3 to become an anti-hero. <Insert tragic back-story hear.>

Graves Politically and incorrectly cool. Gives the audience a reason to pay attention to the villain team. Rarely ever actually does anything.

And introducing their captain:

Urgot Dread Super Nova UrGod The first Star Guardian. Was deemed too extreme and thrown into a collapsing star. Thought to be Dead. . .

The DrBonjigollo1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ariel the Cruel,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=sTkJrY0L,comment-id=00020001000000000003,timestamp=2017-09-11T21:09:46.758+0000)

. . . And in that corner, we have team "team Star Haters!"

Illaoi The Hentai Tentacle Prophet. Bringing forth extra-dimensional horrors to occupy all the filler episodes. ( . . . Some times in hat. Malzahar )

Braum Colonel Mustache. Heavy hitter, World breaker. Always saves the leader at the last second.

Gragas Super Minion #287. Appears in almost every episode. Usually screws up and reveals how to save the day.

Talon The shadowy figure. Provides episode re;event exposition. Betrays the leader in Season 3 to become an anti-hero. <Insert tragic back-story hear.>

Graves Politically and incorrectly cool. Gives the audience a reason to pay attention to the villain team. Rarely ever actually does anything.

And introducing their captain:

Urgot Dread Super Nova UrGod The first Star Guardian. Was deemed too extreme and thrown into a collapsing star. Thought to be Dead. . .

This, I like this.

AirKingNeo2 votes

I'd like the next SG guys to be a bunch of men.

And laugh at Ezreal for being girly.

BerylCrab1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Riot TreblMuffin,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=sTkJrY0L,comment-id=00020001,timestamp=2017-09-10T23:46:08.442+0000)

:) I think this is a really awesome high level look at Star Guardian!

Now it might not be completely the case with SG, but at times we do get excited and jump at an idea without a comprehensive understanding of how it might evolve once it's in players' hands. We can't always anticipate what's going to have a lot of resonance, and part of why Riot loves feedback is so that we can have our ears open to hear it directly from fans. If League Players resoundingly say "HELL. YES. SECONDS PLEASE." We go "Awesome. Give us a hot minute and we'll cook some more of that pot pie for ya."

I can think of a few champs that would be really good foils for the Star Guardians. :)

Do you guys ever play around with ideas like making just an an example one out of every 1000 skins sold a "Shiny" skin? giving it extra visuals and stuff to both drive sales and give people something special to look forward to?

Chembaron Yamada10 votes

Wait, you mean that one player out of 1000 who purchased the skin would be lucky and get a small extra to his skin to stand out?

BerylCrab1 votes

{quoted}

Wait, you mean that one player out of 1000 who purchased the skin would be lucky and get a small extra to his skin to stand out?

Yeah exactly

Final Spark Lux20 votes

Do you know how much outrage that would cause?

BerylCrab1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Final Spark Lux,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=sTkJrY0L,comment-id=000200010001000000000000,timestamp=2017-09-11T00:20:37.753+0000)

Do you know how much outrage that would cause?

They could sell the special skins for like 50 bucks too, that should keep everyone happy

Final Spark Lux20 votes

You're proposing they add a couple extra visuals to normal skins in exchange for more RP than 2 ultimate skins would cost. I don't see the logic in that.

ChuShoe1 votes

Lol I can't help but think of how much I want hextech annie

I guess the major difference is, everyone has an equal chance of getting it.

Linna Excel2 votes

KogMaw Velkoz Chogath Khazix Kassadin Fiddlesticks Maokai RekSai Skarner?

Viktor - I feel like they need a single technological foe.

Mogarl1 votes

Eh I've thought about how Viktor could fit either way (cause Viktor is my favourite), but I can't think of a way Viktor could fit into the universe. The only thing I could think of is as an "enforcer" of destiny; while cruel it is necessary. So he would end up being in opposition to Ahri's gang, and would knowingly send Lux's gang on a suicide mission, because it is their destiny.

Other champs that could be on that "Star Guardian" team Akali Camille Shen Kalista Kennen Kayle Ryze Garen Sejuani (so far SG seems to be limited to humanoids)

None of those would really fit the SG enemy though. Tbh their leader should be Urgot Legendary skin just so that it can have a line "REJECT THIS!" when he grinds up a Star Guardian.

Moonboy651 votes

i'd pick champions that would fit he Star Guardian thematic a bit more Karma Sona Taliyah Quinn Leona are good examples

and if we pick male champions that somewhat fit Ekko Jayce Taric Braum

Mogarl1 votes

I was looking at champs that had a personality that fits the ideology of an "enforcer of destiny". Leona could fit in that okish (and maybe karma), but the rest of those are very free spirited and would be weird in a team with that kind of goal.

What Is Smite3 votes

How about next time Invasion comes around in the RGM rotation we have champions from the Dark star line as enemies/bosses, you could also introduce a Dark Star Mordekaiser skin as a end all be all badass

Fairyfleur3 votes

Problem is unless they make the Dark Star line the enemy of the Star Guardians, that isn't really something that can happen.

What Is Smite1 votes

Tbh i figured that Dark Star would be the counter skin line to the SG skins

Imaginary Hero2 votes

dark star is the counterpart to cosmic skin line

AFilthyCaitMain1 votes

AurelionSol Nocturne Urgot Varus Veigar ?

Just some guesses

also Star guardian Taliyah Vi Tristana Karma Ashe Sivir Braum Bard ?

Meme Star guardian: Caitlyn

Jerry SeinfeId1 votes

SG vi/braum/bard would be more "meme" than cait tho.

Chembaron Yamada1 votes

Why is Vi a meme??? I don't understand why people think like that.

To quote my answer to another comment:

She is the classical tomboy, always ready for a brawl.

Not really an unusual trope, look at Sailor Moon for example. In that series, Sailor Uranus (aka Haruka Tenoh) was filling that role and the skin line has huge similarities with Sailor Moon. Other examples for tomboys in magical girl series: Misumi Nagisa from Pretty Cure, Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

And her gauntlets would give great opportunity for doubled familiars ala Jinx and Miss Fortune. I think she is actually one of the best choices out there for another Starguardian.

Jerry SeinfeId2 votes

why is cait a meme?

Vi/braum and bard are all champs they named that imo are more of a "meme" choice than Cait.

Yes sure tomboy isn't new in anime and most likely not in Magical girl shows (with Sailor Moon as baseline). But they still fit the magical girl trope less than 'girly' girls, even in their own anime.

A tomboy Magical girl is contradictory in that Magical girls often wear very girlish clothes which goes against the tomboy concept. It happens because there's an audience for it, i'm sure some anime made the girl unhappy with what she has to wear at first but not giving a fuck 5 episodes later.

Aside from that Vi is imo not just a tomboy. Vi doesn't give a shit and breaks shit down to get where she has to be. And while her outfit isn't as revealing as other champs it's still feminine, with the frills, cleavage, "corset" n such. Vi is the "though Girl"/"badass girl" type of character in league. Think Casca before she got raped by demon griffith.

Edit: is sailor moon worth watching? my favourite anime/manga series is Berserk but i also really like stuff like One piece and naruto(biased here cuz it's my "first" anime ever excluding what aired on tv as a kid) or even the toaru series with railgun being my favourite which imo is a pretty girly anime.

Corriandr1 votes

Normally, I'd say the Syndra would have been perfect for the leader of the opposing team - especially given that, in Magic Girl animes the villainess is usually a little bit older mature and/or sultry than the heroes. So, instead:

LeblancCamille Cassiopeia Morgana Lissandra Evelynn Katarina

Otherwise, champions I'd love to see included among the Star Guardians (especially since Syndra and MF have opened the door, ever so slightly):

Leona Fiora Diana Irelia Riven Caitlyn Vi SonaTaliyah

We need more melee SG's. All we currently have is Poppy.

Moonboy652 votes

Caitlyn Sona and Taliyah are ranged, not melee

Corriandr1 votes

[slayer-jinx-unamused] You don't say.

That was a list of champions I'd like to see included, as evidenced by the preceding comment that began the list stating just as such. The comment at the end was referencing the discrepancy of range vs. melee. In deference to the reading mistake that has occurred, however, i'll edit the comment to make it so it is less likely to be misunderstood.

ChuShoe1 votes

Let's just completely forget about star guardians VS. Dark star conept/theme yeah?

Sorry, just got a little tilted when the first comment I saw was "COUGH COUGH URGOT HUEHUE"

You know what this is just a terrible comment I'm so sorry

FatedSaviour1 votes

on the case, have you noticed how firstly, lux looks different from the rest, secondly how the first team wears more cloth like clothing (except for poppy) and the new teams clothin looks metalic

Cetri5 votes

I mean, you said that it's "perfectly okay to let the protagonists fight mindless goons for the first ten to fifteen or so chapters", and I'd definitely argue that the storyline of the skinline is still well within those parameters, tbh. We've got like.... two short cinematics and a short story, which introduce the two groups and have them meet, which is definitely Act 1 territory. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if next year's hypothetical SG event introduced villains, or at least revealed one of the Guardians to not be as good as they seem.

Fairyfleur3 votes

{quoted}

or at least revealed one of the Guardians to not be as good as they seem.

Syndra Syndra Syndra

CasterGilgamesh1 votes

i hope they dont go the syndra rout only because its too obvious

Fairyfleur1 votes

Certainly, but it's the most likely to happen.

AFilthyCaitMain3 votes

Plot Twist: Soraka Janna Lulu are the villains

the weeaboo5 votes

Im hoping for the next team to be Vi Taliyah Irelia Xayah Rakan

STAR GUARDIAN XAYAH RAKAN FOR THE WIN

dogehkiin3 votes

The problem is that we don't have enough Hentai of them yet.

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