Conqueror Varus

First time I saw Conqueror Varus load in was during MSI 2018 and I remember thinking Riot finally gave the guy something that looked clean without being over the top. Not gonna lie, the gold and white armor reads really well on the Rift. Varus has a bunch of skins at this point but this one carries a specific esports energy that most of his catalog doesnt touch.

What the skin actually changes

For a 975 RP Standard tier skin, you get more than you’d expect. New VFX on the abilities. The Q charge-up has this golden glow that makes Piercing Arrow feel heavier when you’re poking from lane. W procs pop with a warmer tone compared to the cold default palette. Been running this in Diamond ranked games and the R, Chains of Corruption, wraps targets in these gold tendrils that honestly look cleaner than some 1350 skins manage.

New recall animation too. Varus plants his bow and does this victory pose thing. Short and sweet. Fits the Conqueror theme without dragging.

Voice lines stay base. No new VO, which is expected at this price point. Gavin Hammon’s original performance still holds up fine so it’s not a loss. The model swap is where the value sits: white and gold armor plating, the bow gets ornamental detailing, and the corruption marks on his body contrast against the bright metal. Could be wrong here but I think this is one of the better texture jobs on an older Varus skin.

The Conqueror line and release context

Conqueror Varus dropped April 25, 2018. Tied to the Mid-Season Invitational that year. Alvin Lee handled the artwork and the splash captures that tournament energy, Varus standing tall with the gold motif behind him. Banger composition.

The Conqueror skinline is Riot’s esports celebration series. Each year a different champion gets one. Varus fit naturally since he was a staple ADC pick in pro play around that time. I remember watching Uzi play him that split and thinking yeah, this tracks. The Conqueror line has always been about honoring competitive play and this skin does that without being flashy about it.

One Golden chroma exists. It pushes the gold harder, almost a full metallic finish. Personally I stick with the base version because the white-gold balance already hits the right note, but if you want to go full trophy mode the Golden chroma works. (Random aside: I used to have the Golden chroma equipped for like three months straight in season 9 I think, just because it tilted enemy bot lanes seeing that much gold.)

Legacy vault skin so you cant just grab it whenever. Shows up during esports events sometimes or you roll it from Hextech crafting. Seen maybe 4 of these in my games all season which honestly adds to the appeal.

Should you pick up Conqueror Varus?

Real verdict: 975 RP feels fair for what you get. New VFX plus recall on a Standard skin is above average value. Kinda feels like Riot put extra effort into the Conqueror releases because they represent the competitive scene.

If you main Varus and care about having something unique in your collection, this is a solid pickup whenever it rotates back. The competition at this price range for Varus is thin. Arclight exists but reads differently, more divine fantasy than esports prestige. Conqueror Varus fills a niche nothing else in his lineup does.

Not the flashiest Varus skin. Not trying to be. Played this for about 40 games last Tuesday through the weekend and the VFX hold up in teamfights without cluttering your screen when you’re trying to land Q poke on the backline. Simple change – huge impact on how the champion feels. Skip it if you already own Project or Cosmic Hunter, but for Varus one-tricks building the full set this belongs in rotation.