Shan Hai Scrolls Kog'Maw - Splash, Price & Chromas

First time I saw this skin on PBE I thought Riot finally figured out how to make Kog’Maw look elegant instead of just gross. Not sure if it’s just me but something about the ink-wash aesthetic on a living artillery cannon just clicks. Been running this in Diamond for a solid stretch now and the visual clarity is surprisingly good for how stylized everything is.

The ink and watercolor treatment on Kog’Maw

Shan Hai Scrolls Kog’Maw turns the little void puppy into a painted scroll creature. Think traditional Chinese ink painting brought to life on the Rift. The model itself gets a full rework with flowing brushstroke patterns across his body, and the color palette shifts to deep blues and golds that read cleanly in teamfights. His mouth still does the gaping thing but now it looks intentional, like a painted dragon maw.

The VFX carry this skin hard. His Q shoots out as an ink projectile that splatters on contact. Played maybe 40 games with this last season and the Q animation alone made me lock it in over Bee’Maw every time. His W range indicator gets the scroll treatment too, with brushstroke edges instead of the clean circle. Looks messy in a good way.

E leaves a trail of ink across the ground. The slow zone actually reads better than base because the contrast against Summoner’s Rift grass is sharp. R is where it gets interesting though – each artillery shot drops like a calligraphy stamp from the sky. In late-game when you’re spamming R from backline, the whole area looks like someone went wild with a paintbrush. Kinda feels like Riot put extra attention into the ult particles specifically because thats what Kog’Maw players stare at most.

The recall animation fits the Shan Hai Scrolls theme perfectly. Kog’Maw paints on a scroll and then gets pulled into it. Short and clean. Base voice lines, no changes on the VO side.

Where Shan Hai Scrolls Kog’Maw fits in the lineup

Released June 14, 2023. Mid season 13 drop. Exia Xiaotong and West Studio handled the artwork, and honestly the splash is one of the better ones in the Shan Hai Scrolls line. The composition puts Kog’Maw front and center surrounded by scrollwork and clouds.

The Shan Hai Scrolls skinline has been one of Riot’s more consistent themes. Jhin got one, Neeko got one, Nautilus too. They all share that ink-painting visual language but each champion keeps their identity. Kog’Maw’s version leans heavier into the creature side of Chinese mythology which makes sense given his design. (Random aside: this skinline would be perfect for Aurelion Sol but I guess Porcelain already covered that territory.)

8 chromas total for this one. Obsidian turns the whole thing dark which looks incredible against the gold accents – been daily driving that one specifically since around last November. Sapphire shifts the palette to deep ocean blue and honestly reads like a completely different skin. Pearl exists if you want the clean white porcelain look but I think it washes out some of the ink detail that makes the base version pop.

This is an Epic tier skin at 1350 RP. Shop has it, permanent availability. For the price you get new model, new VFX on all abilities, new recall. Standard Epic package but executed well.

Should you pick this up for Kog’Maw?

Real verdict: Shan Hai Scrolls Kog’Maw sits comfortably in the upper half of his skin catalog. Kog’Maw has some decent options – Bee’Maw is fun, Battlecast has the mecha fantasy, Pug’Maw is Pug’Maw. But if you want something that looks premium without dropping Legendary money, this is the pick.

Could be wrong here but I think the VFX on this one are cleaner than some of Kog’s older 1350 skins. The ink theme gives every ability a distinct silhouette which actually helps in chaotic teamfights. Last Tuesday I had a game where the enemy Katarina dove our backline and I could track my own R splashes through her ult purely because of the contrast. Small thing but it matters when you’re trying to cs and poke simultaneously in bot lane.

1350 RP feels fair for what you get. If you main Kog’Maw or even just pull him out for the ADC rotation, this skin earns its slot. The Obsidian chroma specifically is worth grabbing if you like darker aesthetics. Been playing three ranked sessions with it this week and the particle visibility holds up even on the darker side of the map near dragon pit. Top pick for Kog’Maw mains who want something with actual artistic direction behind it instead of just a costume swap.