El León Gnar

First time I saw this skin in champ select I thought someone was trolling. A tiny yordle in a luchador mask. Then Mega Gnar showed up and body-slammed their Katarina into a wall last Tuesday around 2 AM and I got it. The whole concept just clicks when you see the transform.

The luchador fantasy on a yordle

Mini Gnar runs around in this bright green and gold wrestling mask, cape flapping behind him. Cute in a ridiculous way. The boomerang Q gets new VFX with a greenish trail that reads cleanly against the Rift, and honestly thats one of the better parts of the skin. For 750 RP you’re not getting a full visual overhaul but the particle work on Q and the hop feel distinct enough from base.

Where it really delivers is Mega Gnar. The transform sells the whole luchador thing. Massive wrestler energy. His W slam and R feel like actual wrestling moves even though the animations are technically base. Something about the costume recontextualizes every ability. Been running this in Diamond for a couple seasons now and the R into a wall never gets old visually. Kinda feels like you’re watching a pay-per-view finisher every teamfight.

Voice lines stay base. No new VO which is expected at this price point. The recall is also standard. Not gonna lie, a custom recall where Gnar does a wrestling entrance would have elevated this skin hard, but for a 750 RP Standard tier skin I cant really complain.

Luchador line and the splash

El León Gnar dropped June 1, 2016. Mid season 6 if I remember right. Part of the Luchador skinline alongside El Tigre Braum and El Rayo Volibear. The Luchador set is one of those niche thematic lines Riot does occasionally that just works. Wrestling plus League champions. Simple concept, clean execution.

Kelly Aleshire nailed the splash. Mini Gnar front and center with the mask, Mega Gnar looming in the background like a tag team partner. The composition sells both forms which is exactly what a Gnar splash needs to do. (Random aside: this splash as a desktop wallpaper goes unreasonably hard for a 750 RP skin.)

No chromas available for this one. Shop has it at 750 RP permanently so you can pick it up whenever. For context that’s the same price as a couple of emotes basically.

Should you lock in El León Gnar?

Real verdict: El León Gnar is one of the better budget Gnar skins. Could be wrong here but I think it competes with skins twice its price just on personality alone. The luchador theme gives Gnar’s kit a narrative that base doesn’t have. Every Q poke in lane feels like you’re warming up for the main event and every Mega Gnar engage reads like a finishing move.

If you’re a Gnar one-trick climbing through ranked this season, 750 RP feels fair for what you get. Played maybe 40 games with this skin in a two week stretch and the novelty didn’t wear off. The VFX on Q kept catching my eye in a good way during lane phase. Compare it to Dino Gnar which is charming but doesn’t hit the same gameplay fantasy.

Skip it if you already own Super Galaxy or Astronaut Gnar since those are fuller packages with more VFX changes. But if you’re looking for a cheap skin that delivers personality per RP spent, El León Gnar is S-tier in that category. Best budget option for Gnar mains full stop. The luchador mask on a yordle shouldn’t work this well but it does and I respect Riot for committing to the bit.