AstroNautilus

First time I saw AstroNautilus load into a game I thought someone modded their client. This was back in season 2, maybe late summer 2012, and the idea of putting Nautilus in a full astronaut suit felt so out there compared to what Riot was doing at the time. Played against one in a ranked game around 1 AM and honestly just stood in lane staring at the model for a second. Big mistake against a Nautilus support, obviously. Got hooked.

The space suit treatment on Nautilus

So what actually changes here. Nautilus trades his deep sea diving gear for a full NASA-style astronaut suit. White and orange color scheme, glass helmet visor, the whole deal. The anchor becomes this retrofuturistic space tool that looks like something out of a 60s sci-fi movie. Solid reimagining.

The new VFX are where AstroNautilus earns its keep as an Epic. His Q hook leaves a trail that reads cleaner than base, and the W shield has this subtle space-themed particle effect. Not gonna lie, the E slow field looks noticeably different in teamfights. You can actually track the zone better when you’re trying to peel for your ADC. Been running this in Diamond games this season and the visual clarity on abilities is a real gameplay plus, not just cosmetic fluff.

Voice lines stay base, which is expected for a 2012 Epic. No new VO. Kinda feels like a missed opportunity because the astronaut fantasy practically writes its own voice lines, but thats how it was back then. Riot wasnt doing custom voice work on 1350 skins in season 2. The base Nautilus voice still works fine though, his lines about the deep are eerie enough to carry any skin.

The model proportions are what sell it. Nautilus is already this massive lumbering tank, and putting him in a bulky space suit amplifies that silhouette. In lane specifically, the skin reads as even more imposing than default. Could be wrong here but I think the walk animation looks slightly different too, heavier maybe. Might just be the visual bulk of the suit tricking my brain.

Astronauts skinline and release context

AstroNautilus dropped September 4, 2012. Early days. Concept Art House handled the artwork, and they captured this retro space explorer vibe perfectly. The splash has Nautilus floating in orbit with Earth in the background, anchor drifting beside him. Clean composition.

Part of the Astronauts skinline, which Riot has expanded over the years with Astronaut Corki, Astronaut Bard, Astronaut Veigar, and others. AstroNautilus was basically the pioneer of that whole line. (Random aside: this is one of those skins where the name is the entire selling point. Astro-Nautilus. Come on. The pun alone is worth 1350 RP.)

Only 1 chroma available, the Chrono variant. Deep navy blue with crimson accents. I think the Chrono chroma actually reads better in darker Rift areas around dragon pit and baron. The base white suit can blend into river at certain angles, but the Chrono version pops against everything. Shop has it if you want the alternate look.

Is AstroNautilus worth 1350 RP?

Real verdict: for Nautilus mains this is a strong pick. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The space theme is executed well, the VFX updates help with ability tracking in chaotic teamfights, and the model is genuinely distinct from every other Nautilus skin.

Been maining Nautilus with this skin on and off since season 9 I think or 10 dont remember. Spammed it through a 15 game win streak last March where I was just locking in Nautilus every game and hooking people under tower pre-6. The skin never gets old visually. Seen maybe 4 of these in my games all season which is surprising given how good it looks.

If you’re comparing against Warden or Worldbreaker, AstroNautilus has more personality. Those skins are fine but safe. This one commits to a concept fully. The only Nautilus skin I’d rank above it is maybe Conqueror for the prestige factor, but for pure fun and visual clarity, AstroNautilus is the Nautilus skin if you can only own one. Skip the others unless you’re collecting. 1350 RP well spent for mains, and permanent shop so no rush.