Dunkmaster Ivern

First time I saw this skin announced I thought Riot was trolling. Ivern. The tree guy who befriends jungle camps. In a basketball jersey. Spammed it in Diamond for like two weeks straight when it dropped back in April 2019 and honestly the commitment to the bit won me over. Not sure if it’s just me but there’s something about seeing a lanky tree dude pull off a crossover dribble in his recall animation that just hits different at 1 AM after a rough losing streak.

What Dunkmaster Ivern actually brings to the Rift

So this is an Epic skin at 1350 RP, meaning you get new VFX across the board plus a custom recall. Voice lines stay base, no new VO. The Q root shoots out like a basketball pass, complete with that orange glow. Looks clean. His W brushmaker drops down what I think is supposed to be a basketball court floor texture, which is subtle but you notice it after a few games.

The E shield has this basketball particle effect when it pops. Played maybe 40 games with this thing and the shield pop is genuinely satisfying to watch in a teamfight. Daisy gets the full treatment too. She comes out wearing her own jersey and headband. Kinda feels like Riot gave Daisy more love than Ivern himself here. She slams down like she’s doing a power dunk when she knocks up, and the whole thing reads well from the backline.

Recall animation is the highlight. Ivern does this whole basketball routine, spinning the ball on his finger, going for a slam dunk. Its charming in a way that fits Ivern’s whole vibe as this gentle weird forest spirit who somehow ended up on a basketball court. The contrast carries the skin harder than the actual ability VFX do.

(Random aside: I use the recall to BM after stealing dragon and it has never once failed to tilt the enemy jungler.)

The Dunkmaster line and release context

Dunkmaster Ivern released April 4, 2019. Season 9. Viktor Titov and Grafit Studio handled the artwork, and they nailed the goofy energy. The splash has Ivern mid-dunk with Daisy rebounding behind him. Good composition.

The Dunkmaster skinline started with Darius back in 2014 and that one was a Legendary with full VO. Ivern’s Dunkmaster is Epic tier so you dont get the same treatment, which is fair for 1350 RP versus 1820. Could be wrong here but I think the Dunkmaster line works better on Ivern than people give it credit for. Darius dunking makes literal sense because of his ult. Ivern dunking makes zero sense and thats why it’s funny.

8 chromas available for this one. Obsidian turns the whole kit into this dark basketball aesthetic that reads way cleaner than base in my opinion. Amethyst goes purple and gold which gives off Lakers energy if you’re into that. Pearl is the whitewashed clean version but honestly I keep going back to base orange. Shop has it permanently, 1350 RP any time you want.

Should you pick up Dunkmaster Ivern?

Real verdict: this skin lives or dies on whether you appreciate the joke. If you main Ivern and you want something that leans into his personality as this wholesome oddball champion, Dunkmaster Ivern delivers. Been running this as my go-to Ivern skin since season 12 I think and it hasnt gotten old. The VFX changes are solid for an Epic, the recall is top tier comedy, and Daisy in a jersey is peak character design.

Straight talk though. If you’re looking for something serious or visually impressive for Ivern, Old God exists and it’s a completely different vibe. Dunkmaster is the fun pick. The one you lock in when your comp already looks doomed in champ select and you just want to enjoy the game. Last Saturday I had a Teemo support and a Yasuo ADC in my ranked game and I locked Dunkmaster Ivern jungle because at that point why not. We won. Ivern diff.

1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The skin doesnt reinvent Ivern’s kit but the basketball theme is committed enough that every ability feels intentional. Not the best Ivern skin objectively but maybe the most fun one to actually play. If you’re an Ivern one-trick you probably already own it. If you’re thinking about picking up Ivern for jungle clear variety, this is a solid first skin to grab. Skip it only if you genuinely hate fun.