Boards›Story, Art, & Sound

@Riot, listen to Vlad players feedback this time (Legends of Runeterra splashes)

Blood Magicks·10/21/2019, 6:33:41 PM·21 votes·14,685 views

There's no doubt Legends of Runeterra is brilliant. It's years of inspired, hard work, full of stellar lore and great side characters. The Crimson kiddos already went viral, and I predict tons of fanart and even an academy-style fan comic for them because they're just so cool.

And it's utterly gorgeous. Oh my god, just head over to sixmorevodka.com and see for yourselves. Riot hit the jackpot with those guys.

This thread is to ask for one final push to bring this monumental work one step closer to perfection.

It's Vlad's splash artworks. Fan reactions to them have been lukewarm, and it's understandable.

https://i.ibb.co/d0WhXmw/mmmm.png

His gameplay is thematically on point: tricky, creative, and painted in gorgeous crimson. The VO, I haven't heard much of it, but here's my impressions in a nutshell. His card reads:

https://i.ibb.co/g4CHBbC/unknown.png

Riot, is this what an irresistible vampire lord is supposed to look like? Do you have to stick to the original, 9-10 years out of date, design so closely? The claws, hair, face are just... I mean he'll be recognizable with subtler versions, no?

Three years ago we got one of the best splashes in the game Would it be possible to seek the counsel of its artist (Jessica Oyenart?) to give us something closer to the Lestat du Ruthven Reav3 has said so many times he wanted?

##On a side note, I worry that our version of Sorin Markov looking kinda subpar could impact the popularity of the game among vampire fans. Would it really be so hard to polish this part of the game and fulfill what Vlad mains have been asking for since time immemorial? This is so close to being perfect.

EDIT: I know people are saying that's what he looks like ingame, but a lot of the lore-savvy players always imagined him the way the first two paragraphs of his old story described him

34 Comments

Ebonmaw Dragon10/21/2019, 6:46:21 PM21 votes

I dont get it... you are complaying that Vladimir.... looks like.... Vladimir?

Galiö10/21/2019, 7:03:42 PM11 votes

I'm a little sad the kept his 'finger knives' so long. Kept the blade sleeves and the onion hair.

I think subtle would be better (regardless of the sometimes comical hair).

I think both images would be fine if they tuned down those elements AND I hate his face in his card (the first one with him on the stairs)

Was a lil down looking at it.

Camille Ferrøs10/21/2019, 7:03:18 PM8 votes

The hair has to go before official release.

Terozu10/21/2019, 9:19:22 PM7 votes

You should see Ezreal, he looks like a toad.

NB money10/21/2019, 10:54:22 PM7 votes

He has an iconic and totally his own, yet noticeably Noxian fashion and the art totally shows off his pretentious and disturbed personality. it is (imo) absolutely unnecessary to change it.

GreenLore10/21/2019, 7:58:42 PM6 votes

Why do so many people want Vlads onion hair to be removed?I think its actually one of his most outstanding features.

I don't want Vlad to look like Dracula from Castlevania, I want him to look like his own character. Not to mention that I think that "irresistable Vampire Lord" is a bit cliche, a small odd twist on this trope would be welcome.

Though the finger knives are definitely something that could go away, they don't make sense ability wise(he never uses them in any of his skills) and even if he needed them in the lore, for example to create a wound from which he can control the blood, then a full glove like this would still be dumb.

CaptainAntiHeroz10/21/2019, 6:58:17 PM5 votes

Is Vladimir in League of Legends actually what an "irresistible vampire lord" should look like? no, no i think not. Honestly he looks better in the card game than in League

tamaya10/21/2019, 9:05:12 PM4 votes

As a premise, I don't think that his current splash art is good, However It will take a lot of time to determine the "right" looks for him. So It cannot be helped that his splash art is a makeshift. Probably,He must be the most beautiful of a league male champion with a human face. It's easy if it's a woman, because"the face of an attractive woman" is common all over the world. In fact, the popular female champion face in this game is Ahri's copy paste. I'm not saying sarcastic. That is the right decision. I like them. However this is not the case for men. "the face of an ideal man" really vary by culture and region. In addition, the looks that are ideal depending on the character and attributes of the man are different. For example...I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I think costume and atmosphere of Marquis Vladimir skin are amazing from the bottom of my heart.. But I can't feel that his face of the skin is "Handsome face suitable for Vlad". We have different values and ways of thinking... Besides, League of Legends is a game that is played all over the world. It needs to be beautiful to everyone.　No matter what age, sex, or community.　 It will probably need a Hot(or Cool) Man Meeting that is much more difficult than Tangled. Of course, I want to see his "finished product" as soon as possible, but I think it's worthwhile.

d00mface10/21/2019, 7:44:04 PM4 votes

Honestly even just removing the little cowlick hair thing he's got would be a small but much needed improvement. That bit always looked strange to me, like he's an ice cream cone or a turnip : (

ModRowanstar10/21/2019, 8:26:04 PM4 votes

Any villain who is simultaneously cool, terrifying, spooky and attractive makes a great villain. A Vlad vgu would work wonders for him, making him likeable, yet villainous (Thresh cough cough) and with a great sense of style.

Jesi Oni10/22/2019, 4:32:17 AM3 votes

Art you want is a skin... Masquerade Vladimir inspired by Lestat from Vampire Chronicles. His original art is perfectly fine and he is NOT a VAMPIRE. He is HEMOMANCER. People that don't know that are vampire wannabes and not Vlad mains - go play Count Kassadin.

Shieda Kayn10/22/2019, 2:05:57 PM3 votes

Why do people seem to be so against hot Vladimir? League needs more cute guys

Metallikaiser10/21/2019, 9:17:52 PM2 votes

Frankly this sounds like a wish to just make him more cliche or worse yet a pretty boy fop. Its not a perfect design, I hate the spikes from his sleeves, and I think the red is a little... odd? Like it should either be all one solid shade of red with some details or more color variety not this weird multiple shades thing he has going on.

But just like with his claws, he should keep a degree of monstrous inhumanity, also opinions on his face and hair are frankly just subjective, I have zero issues with his hair style, and I have always had a preference for faces that are a bit tall with high and prominent cheek bones, something I have realized has mixed appeal in modern society.

AbiwonKenabi10/21/2019, 10:20:43 PM2 votes

I'm kind of concerned that removing too much of the "outdated" (I personally think that's debatable) elements of his appearance runs the risk of making Vladimir look too generic, or at least too much like other classy Vampire tropes.

The hair for example, I feel like should be kept in some form. Maybe not as cartoon-ish as it is currently (especially in his in-game model which has....many problems, sadly), but keeping a bit of a stylish cowlick could make him stand out as League's Vampire. In Dark Water's splash in particular, he has the flatter longer hair, which, while it looks nice and fits the skin, makes him look a bit more like Castlevania's Alucard with an open shirt...which is fine for skins, but carrying that over into the base I don't think is inherently good.

Other elements could definitely be toned down, like the claws/blades. I picture he has more of a decorative accessory rather than a weapon on his fingers, since he just seems that kind of stylish. Something more like this:

https://i.etsystatic.com/6631306/r/il/2fea58/420518569/il_794xN.420518569_8try.jpg

And his lines in LoR are fantastic, really delivers on his character. I was playing a Crimson deck just to hear their lines. Vlad has one when he gets summoned while Crimson Aristocrat (I think) is on the field and he's like "Blood isn't a toy, darling...people are :3" Its just delivered so perfectly. Definitely want to see more of Vlad and these Vlad wannabes. Makes me wish even more for a Ez-level VU for Vladimir. Hopefully they keep SOME of the blood puns though.

Iron Phantom10/22/2019, 9:33:10 AM2 votes

The day Vladimir gets the VU he deserves is the day I throw my wallet at the screen

His current ingame model is almost a decade old.

Variks the Loyal10/21/2019, 9:01:08 PM1 votes

Personally, I'm a fan of the finger knives/claws. I think it makes him a lot more unique and the way tendrils of blood wisp around them would make a very cool image.