Xerath Skins

Xerath is one of those champions where the skin catalog feels smaller than it should. Nine skins across thirteen years of existence. For a mage who's basically a living artillery cannon made of pure arcane energy, you'd think Riot would have more to work with visually. Been playing Xerath on and off since season 3, mostly as a support cheese pick in Diamond, and I've tried every single skin he has. Some of them genuinely change how it feels to land a max-range Q. Others are just recolors with extra steps. Honestly not gonna lie, his collection has more hits than misses though.

Xerath's Skin Collection Over the Years

Nine skins. That's what Xerath has to show for being in the game since 2011. For context, champions released around the same time have double that number or more. Xerath's first skin was Runeborn, a 520 RP Standard tier pickup that came with his original release. Basic stuff. Then Battlecast Xerath dropped as his second skin, also on the cheaper end. Two Standards to start the catalog and then Riot basically forgot about him for a while.

Things picked up when Epic tier skins became the norm. Scorched Earth Xerath was the first real quality jump. Then Guardian of the Sands followed, Dark Star after that, Arcana, Astronaut. Six Epics total at 1350 RP each. Not sure if it's just me but it feels like Riot found a formula with Xerath Epics and just kept running it. The Mythic tier got one entry with Crystalis Indomitus Xerath in 2024, which is the newest skin in the lineup.

No Legendary. No Ultimate. Thirteen years and Xerath has never gotten the 1820 RP treatment. That stings a little when you think about what a Legendary Xerath could look like with new voice lines and completely reworked animations. The champion is literally an energy being - the creative ceiling is enormous. (Random thought: if Lux can get multiple Legendaries, Xerath deserves at least one.) Still, the Epics he does have are mostly solid. The collection spans from 2011 to 2024 and while there's no single standout Legendary moment, the overall quality stays consistent once you get past the two Standards.

Could be wrong here but I think Xerath is one of those champions where Riot knows the playerbase is small enough that a Legendary would be a financial risk. Mage mains who one-trick Xerath are dedicated but theres just not that many of them compared to Lux or Ahri players. So we get steady Epic releases instead. Fair trade honestly.

Best Skins for Xerath

Top of the list for me is Dark Star Xerath. Full stop. The skin turns every ability into a cosmic light show. His Q charges up with this deep purple void energy that looks completely different from base, and the W ground indicator has these star particles that actually make it easier to visualize the center sweet spot. Been spamming this in Diamond for ranked games and the R artillery shots feel heavier somehow. Each ult charge fires with this dark matter explosion effect. Clean execution at 1350 RP.

Scorched Earth Xerath comes in second. Released back in 2015 I think, this one leans into the fire and magma theme hard. The Q is a stream of molten energy, E stun projectile glows orange-red, and the passive auto attacks have this satisfying lava crack effect. Played maybe 60 games with this one last season. What sells it is the recall animation where Xerath basically erupts like a volcano. Kinda feels like this skin was designed by someone who actually plays the champion because the ability reads are so clean in teamfights.

Guardian of the Sands Xerath is the sleeper pick. Egyptian gold and turquoise color palette. The W looks like a sandstorm hitting the ground and the ult shots have this pharaoh staff energy to them. It fits Xerath's lore of being an ancient Shuriman mage better than most skins fit their champions. My duo partner ran this exclusively for two splits straight. Said the Q felt smoother to aim with the sand particle trail. Placebo probably but I get it.

Arcana Xerath brings the tarot card energy. Purple and gold VFX with these card-themed particle effects on abilities. The splash is gorgeous. Released 2022 if memory serves. Good skin, maybe not as distinctive as Dark Star but the E projectile specifically looks incredible with the arcane card swirl effect. Solid mid-tier pick in his catalog.

Crystalis Indomitus Xerath sits in a weird spot. Mythic tier means you cant just buy it whenever. The crystalline VFX are sharp and the model rework is significant. Looks like Xerath absorbed a bunch of magical crystals. Real talk though, the exclusivity factor makes it hard to recommend as a "best skin" because most players wont have access to it. If you managed to grab it, its a flex. S-tier visuals locked behind a Mythic paywall.

Skinlines and Themes That Fit Xerath

Xerath appears across eight different skinlines and honestly the hit rate is surprisingly high. Dark Star is the obvious best fit. Xerath is already a being of pure energy, so making that energy cosmic and void-themed just works. No forced concept. No "lets put armor on the energy being" nonsense. Just a natural thematic extension. Been running Dark Star since it dropped in season 7 or 8, dont remember exactly, and it still holds up against newer releases.

Guardian of the Sands ties directly into Xerath's actual lore. He's Shuriman. The Egyptian aesthetic isnt a stretch, its basically canon-adjacent. (Sidebar for Xerath mains: the Shuriman skins across champions are an underrated skinline that Riot should expand more.) Arcana works well too because the mystical card theme maps cleanly onto a mage fantasy. Astronaut Xerath is the wildcard. Cute space suit on an energy being. Lighter tone. Fun for normals but I wouldn't lock it in for a ranked climb.

The weaker thematic fits are the older ones. Battlecast turns Xerath into a machine which kind of undermines his whole "transcended physical form" identity. It was an early skin though so standards were different. Infernal through the Scorched Earth skin actually works despite being a simple fire reskin because energy and fire share enough visual DNA. The Crystalis Indomitus line is newer and the crystal theme adds texture to Xerath's model in a way that feels earned.

Missing skinlines that would bang on Xerath: Cosmic, Elderwood, or even something like Arclight. Not gonna lie, an Arclight Xerath with holy golden energy would be incredible. Maybe in season 16. Maybe never. Riot works in mysterious ways.

Budget vs Premium Picks

Xerath's price range runs from 520 RP to 1350 RP for purchasable skins. No Legendary means 1350 is the ceiling. Good news for your wallet.

Budget king is Runeborn Xerath at 520 RP. Minimal changes, just a color shift and some texture work, but it looks different enough from base that you feel like you got something. For the price of basically nothing its fine. Battlecast at the same tier does a bit more with the mech theme but the model hasnt aged well. If you're climbing ranked on Xerath and need any skin at all, Runeborn gets the job done for pocket change.

At 1350 RP you have six options and they're all the same price. Dark Star is the value king here. Best VFX, best thematic fit, best overall package. Scorched Earth is the runner-up. Could be coping but I think either of those two at 1350 gives you more visual impact per RP than most Legendary skins give other champions at 1820. Guardian of the Sands is third. The other three Epics are good but those top two are where the money should go first.

Skip Crystalis Indomitus unless you already have Mythic Essence sitting around. Not worth chasing specifically. Best value path for a new Xerath main: grab Dark Star first, Scorched Earth second if you want variety, done. Maybe 2700 RP total for two premium skins on a champion with no Legendary tax. Fair price for the package.

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