Elderwood LeBlanc

First time I loaded into a ranked game with Elderwood LeBlanc, I genuinely did a double-take at the ability VFX. The whole aesthetic pivots so far from default LeBlanc that the first few games feel like relearning the champion visually. Forest magic instead of purple sorcery. Ancient nature deity instead of Noxian manipulator. Been running this in Diamond since I picked it up and it holds up as one of the better options in her catalog.

What changes with Elderwood LeBlanc

The model is a full overhaul. LeBlanc gets forest robes, an antler-adjacent headpiece, a completely different color palette going deep greens and golds. Not a texture swap. Actual model work. For a 1350 RP Epic this is exactly what you want to see.

VFX are new across all abilities. Her Q fires as a glowing nature sigil instead of the default purple mark. W leaves a green energy trail on the Rift when she blinks, which I noticed most in teamfights mid lane where you can track her movement through the glowing ground. Could be wrong here but the W trail reads cleaner than base for tracking dash range in a fight. E chains look like forest vines binding the target. Gameplay readability holds fine, you still proc the Q mark off W without the new VFX creating confusion.

Recall is custom and its genuinely worth watching in the client before you buy. She summons something from the forest floor and the animation has real personality to it. LeBlanc mains know the recall is usually where Epic skins either earn or lose their price tag. Elderwood earns it here.

No new voice lines. Base VO only. Naomi McDonald’s performance is strong and it doesnt kill the skin, but there is a small tonal mismatch when the visuals scream ancient forest spirit and the voice still sounds like a Noxian schemer. You adapt after a few games of spamming her in mid lane. Minor thing.

Release, Kelly Aleshire, and the Elderwood line

Elderwood LeBlanc dropped March 10, 2016. Season 6, early spring. Kelly Aleshire handled the splash – deep greens and golds, LeBlanc draped across what looks like a twisted forest throne. Aleshire delivered on the splash, strong composition that captures the ancient nature deity angle without going too busy.

The Elderwood skinline was still developing in 2016. Hecarim had his version, the line had that cohesive ancient-forest feel Riot was building. LeBlanc fits it naturally – a deceiver wrapping herself in nature magic makes sense before you even look at the skin. Kinda feels like she was always meant for this theme before the line expanded into Ahri, Veigar, Ornn, and the rest of the set years later.

No chromas. Riot never came back to add a set, which is genuinely a missed opportunity. A dark bark variant or a winter frost colorway would go hard on this model. As it sits, one colorway and thats the full package.

1350 RP. Shop has it permanently. Not legacy, not loot exclusive. Standard pricing, above-average skin for what you pay.

Should you buy Elderwood LeBlanc?

Real verdict: yes, if you main LeBlanc or play her with real regularity. The VFX are distinct enough to feel genuinely different in-game, the recall has craft behind it, and the model reads cleanly in solo queue. For 1350 RP, meaningful ability changes are the minimum bar, and Elderwood clears it.

Her skin catalog has real competition though. Program LeBlanc for the sci-fi angle. Coven LeBlanc for dark fantasy mains – and honestly Coven edges Elderwood out on pure prestige. But Elderwood owns the nature-magic niche specifically, and it does it without cutting corners. (Random aside: saw maybe three of these in my Diamond games all last split, which is surprising given how good the VFX actually look in person.)

One-trick LeBlanc players who want visual distinction on Q and W without sacrificing game clarity, this is the pick. Worth 1350 RP if you main her.