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Riot Games unveiled the first full trailer for Udyr’s Visual and Gameplay Update (VGU) on 5th August and the evoked a positive response from the League of Legends community. Fans and Udyr players have been wanting a rework since the champion’s ability kit had gotten immensely outdated when compared to the rest of the other champions. Riot worked on Udyr for nearly a year and a half since he has unique abilities and multiple stances. One of the noticeable differences in Udyr’s new kit is that he directly draws his powers from Freljordian demigods including the infamous Iron Boar. To understand who this Iron Boar is let’s delve into the rich lore of Freljord and its Spirit Gods.
Freljordian Gods and Demigods
The inhabitants of Freljord mostly consist of tribal nomads and a lot of their Spirit Gods are depicted as primal, anthropomorphic animals. Each of these Gods represents one or multiple ideas. These Old Gods also have many abilities including immunity to cold or heat, elemental magic, and a possible ability to create True Ice (ice that never melts), among others.
According to the lore, some demigods like the cryophoenix Anivia were willing to work alongside humans to unite the land, but others like Volibear and the Iron Boar were hostile to humans and believed that Gods should rule over Freljord.
Who is the Iron Boar and what power do they possess?
The Iron Boar is another demigod who is famous in the Freljord but is not a playable champion in League of Legends yet. Their actual name is Ildhaurg and they are known as the Wrath of the Freljord and the Warden of Sacrifice. They control iron and in Udyr’s kit, the Iron Boar stance is replacing the old Turtle Stance as the defensive ability. The lore also explains that Tryndamere's tribe prayed to the Freljordian Spirit-God named The Iron Boar.
Tryndamere’s bio reads, “Tryndamere came into the world knowing only the harshness of survival, for the frozen steppes where his clan made their home never truly thawed. Though they praised all the Freljord’s old gods, as well as the Cult of the Three, they prayed most often to a spirit-deity known to ravage the tundra—a hearty and unkillable tusklord.” This mighty tusklord is the Iron Boar in League of Legends who also goes by the name of Ildhaurd.
How is the Iron Boar related to Udyr?
The new Udyr has four demigod forms: the Bear-Volibear, the Cryophoenix-Anivia, the Ram-Ornn, and the Iron Boar. His defensive ability that uses the power of the Iron Boar is W - Iron Mantle.
W - Iron Mantle
Mantle Stance: Udyr gains 63 shield for 4 seconds. Udyr’s next two attacks in this stance additionally gain 10% life steal and restore 12 health on hit.
Awaken: shield increased to 178 and Udyr regenerates 89 over 4 seconds. Stance Life on hit and life steal bonuses doubled during this time.
The community is extremely happy with Riot Games incorporating actual Freljordian lore through the demigods in the new Udyr rework since it makes sense for Udyr to be a warrior shaman who can channel the powers of Old Gods.
