Cover-Credits:
Smolder, the newest League of Legends champion, was introduced to the playerbase on 4th December 2023 and nearly two months later, the champion has set foot on the Summoner's Rift. Announcing his official entry to League of Legends' fray, Riot Games said, "Say hello to the most splendiferous dragon you’ll ever meet: Smolder, the Fiery Fledgling!"
On 31st January, Smolder became playable on live servers and players have been testing out this new attack-damage carry (ADC) champion's ability kit.
In this article, we will look into who Smolder is, what his abilities are and many more.
Who Is Smolder in League of Legends?
It is always the case that the bottom lane is a serious role to play. Most champions that fall under this category are also serious ones and Riot Games wanted to break that pattern by releasing a cute champion that appeals to all. Riot said it took stock of the ADC champions and thought it was about time it added charm and cuteness into the mix.
We wanted to introduce a simple to play marksman because all of the ones that we've shipped recently are really mechanically complex, like Zeri, Samira, Aphelios, and Nilah… who’s like a melee marksman. We thought it was time to introduce a champ that's a bit easier to play, a bit more traditional for the role. You don't need to be Ruler to play it, kind of thing.Rob "Riot KingCobra" Rosa, Producer
According to the official lore, Smolder is a young dragon who is learning what it means to be heir to the Camavoran imperial dragon lineage, under the guidance and protection of his mother. He is extremely playful and is eager to grow up and is always on the lookout to practice his abilities, that are still burgeoning.
Smolder's Abilities in League of Legends
Unlike intricate ADCs like Zeri and Nilah, Smolder is straightforward to play. His abilities are as follows:
Passive - Dragon Practice: Hitting champions with abilities and killing enemies with Super Scorcher Breath grants a stack of Dragon Practice. Stacks increase the damage of Smolder's basic abilities.
Q - Super Scorcher Breath: Smolder breathes fire on an enemy. As he gains more stacks, this ability becomes more powerful.
W - Achoooo!: Smolder lets out an adorable flaming sneeze that explodes when hitting enemy champions.
E - Flap, flap, flap: Smolder takes flight ignoring terrain and attacking the lowest health enemy.
R - MMOOOMMMM!: Smolder calls his mom to breath fire from above, dealing extra damage and slowing enemies in the center of her fire.
As Smolder went live, Lead Designer: League Balance Team & Preseason Matt Leung-Harrison aka Riot Phroxzon tweeted some tips to play the champion. They are as follows:
Use Q on minions to stack in landing phase.
R ability is easier to hit if the enemy is tagged with W first
Smolder's laning is pretty weak since he is a stacking champion so players need to be careful and not over-extend in the early game.
