Crime City Braum

First time I saw Crime City Braum load into my game I honestly thought someone modded a prohibition-era gangster into the Rift. Braum in a pinstripe suit holding a vault door as a shield. Thats the kind of creative direction that makes you double-take during loading screen. Been running this skin since it dropped back in season 8 and the vibe just works for a support who’s supposed to protect his team like a bodyguard.

What the skin actually brings to the table

Crime City Braum swaps out the Freljord mountain man look for a full 1920s mob enforcer fantasy. Pinstripe suit, slicked hair, and that massive vault door shield with gold detailing. The model alone carries weight. Riot went for a specific era here and nailed it.

The VFX got a rework for this one. His Q throws what looks like a gold-plated projectile, reads clean in lane and in teamfights. W dash has this subtle golden trail. Not gonna lie, the passive proc stacks show up with a satisfying gold shimmer that makes tracking your marks easier than base. Could be wrong here but I think the E wall has a faint metallic sheen to it now, like reinforced steel rather than ice. Small detail but it changes the feel.

Recall animation is where the personality shines. Braum counts stacks of cash, flips a coin, the whole nine yards. Played maybe 40 games in a row last March just to spam that recall in lane after a good trade. Voice lines stay base, no new VO, which is fine because JB Blanc’s original Braum voice already has that warm tough-guy energy that fits the crime boss aesthetic anyway.

(Random sidebar: my duo partner who mains ADC started calling me “Don Braum” every time I locked this in and it stuck for the whole season.)

The Crime City lineup and release context

Crime City Braum released August 23, 2018. Mid-season 8. Kelly Aleshire nailed the splash, capturing Braum mid-stride through what looks like a speakeasy backroom. The lighting in the splash hits different from most skin arts, very moody, very noir.

The Crime City skinline is one of Riot’s older thematic sets. Graves got one back in the day. Twitch too. Braum fits the line naturally because his whole kit is about protection and loyalty, core mob family values if you think about it. Kinda feels like Riot designed the Crime City concept around champions who embody some underworld archetype. Braum is the enforcer. The guy who stands in front of the boss and takes the bullet.

8 chromas total for this skin. Obsidian is my go-to, turns the suit dark and the vault door gets this blackened steel look that reads menacing in bot lane specifically. Tanzanite gives the whole outfit a deep purple that screams high-roller energy. Pearl is interesting too, goes almost white-on-white, clean but maybe too flashy for ranked where you dont want to draw extra attention from the enemy jungler ganking your lane.

Is Crime City Braum worth 1350 RP?

Real verdict: this is a solid Epic skin that delivers on theme. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. New model, new VFX on abilities, custom recall. No new voice lines but thats standard for this tier. You’re paying for the fantasy and the fantasy is strong.

If you main Braum and you want something that breaks away from the icy Freljord aesthetic, Crime City is probably your best option alongside Pool Party for pure fun factor. For serious ranked games around Diamond where I’ve been playing this season, Crime City reads well. Abilities are clear, the shield wall is visible, nothing gets lost in a chaotic teamfight around dragon pit. Last week I blocked a Jinx ult with E and my whole team pinged the vault door like it was the funniest thing they’d seen all patch.

Skip it if you already own Sugar Rush or Santa Braum and want variety from novelty skins. But for Braum one-tricks who want their champ looking sharp while peeling for the backline, Crime City earns its spot. Permanent shop, grab it whenever. Top pick for Braum mains who want the clean aesthetic over the meme skins. Been daily driving this for six seasons and I keep coming back.