Cosmic Paladin Nautilus

First game I loaded into with Cosmic Paladin Nautilus, my duo asked if I was playing a different champion. Took this into a ranked session around midnight last August and the visual overhaul caught me off guard. Not gonna lie, Nautilus has needed a proper cosmic fantasy skin for years, and this one delivers in ways I wasnt expecting from an Epic tier release.

What Cosmic Paladin Nautilus actually brings to the Rift

The model rework here is substantial. Nautilus goes from rusty deep-sea diver to full celestial knight. His anchor transforms into this massive star-forged weapon with constellation patterns running through the metal. The helmet redesign alone sells it. Clean lines, glowing star cores embedded in the visor.

VFX got the full treatment. His Q hook trails nebula particles across the lane, and hitting it feels crunchier somehow. Probably placebo but I swear the animation reads better. The W shield wraps Nautilus in swirling galaxy dust, deep purples and blues that pulse when you take hits. Looks incredible in teamfights when you’re frontlining for your ADC.

E ripples outward with these cosmic shockwaves. Small detail but the ground texture changes briefly where the ability procs. His R is the highlight though. That depth charge tracking an enemy backline carry leaves a trail of starlight across the map. Been spamming this in Diamond for months and the ult knockup has this satisfying starburst explosion that makes every engage feel cinematic. Kinda feels like Riot saved their best particle work for this ability specifically.

New recall animation fits the Cosmic theme. Nautilus plants his anchor and channels stellar energy, constellations forming around him. Base voice lines, no changes there. Standard for 1350 RP so no complaints.

The Cosmic line and where this skin sits

Cosmic Paladin Nautilus dropped August 30, 2023. Late season 13. Joshua Raphael and West Studio handled the splash, they captured the vibe perfectly. The composition puts Nautilus center frame wielding that cosmic anchor against a backdrop of dying stars. Strong piece.

The Cosmic skinline is one of Riot’s more consistent themes. Cosmic Reaver Kassadin set the standard years ago, and skins like Cosmic Lux and Cosmic Destiny Nami kept the quality up. Nautilus fits the paladin fantasy within the line naturally. Tank champion sworn to protect celestial order. Makes more sense than half the roster choices Riot usually goes with (random aside: why does the Cosmic line not have a Leona skin yet, feels like free money).

8 chromas total. Tanzanite is my go-to, the deep purple reads as the most “cosmic” option and matches the base theme energy. Obsidian flips the whole skin dark, almost looks like a Dark Star variant which is cool if you want that edgier look. Pearl goes pale and ethereal, could be wrong here but I think it actually changes the vfx tint slightly. Shop has it at 1350 RP, permanent availability.

Should you pick up Cosmic Paladin Nautilus?

Real verdict: this is the best Nautilus skin if you play him as a support engage tank. Conqueror Nautilus was the previous top pick for a lot of mains but Cosmic Paladin edges it out on VFX quality alone. Astronautilus stays the meme pick and Shan Hai Scrolls has its fans, but for pure visual clarity in ranked play, Cosmic Paladin wins.

1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The particle work on Q and R alone justifies the price for Nautilus mains. Had this in rotation since September 2023 and I keep coming back to it over everything else in his catalog. Maybe 40 or 50 games on it this season across support and jungle. If you’re a Nautilus one-trick or even someone who pulls him out for specific comps where you need heavy peel and engage, this skin makes every hook and depth charge feel better.

Skip it if you only play Nautilus once a month in ARAM. But for anyone grinding ranked with the big guy, its the one to own. That ranked game last week where I locked in Nautilus support into a Draven lane, the Cosmic Paladin VFX on my ult chasing their Katarina through dragon pit was genuinely the highlight of my evening. S-tier Nautilus cosmetic.