Elderwood Ornn

First time I saw Elderwood Ornn load in, I thought Riot finally gave this champion the respect he deserved. Been an Ornn main since season 8, and for the longest time we had exactly one option besides base. One. Thunder Lord looked fine but it wasnt enough for a champion this iconic in the top lane. Then December 2020 rolls around and suddenly Ornn is a forest spirit with antlers made of living wood. Banger.

How the Elderwood fantasy plays out in game

The model rework here is substantial for an Epic skin. Ornn goes from volcanic blacksmith to ancient nature guardian. His entire body is wrapped in bark textures, mossy greens, and golden amber accents that glow during ability casts. The horns are the standout feature. Massive branching antlers that look like they’ve been growing for centuries.

Q plants a sapling-looking pillar instead of the usual magma fissure. Feels different to play around, honestly. The W breath attack trades fire for this sweeping wave of golden pollen or spores, hard to tell exactly but it reads clean in teamfights. Not gonna lie, the brittle proc VFX on W is easier to track with Elderwood than base, which matters when you’re trying to peel for your backline in Diamond games at 2 AM on a Tuesday.

R is where the skin earns its 1350 RP. Instead of a lava ram, you get this massive Elderwood spirit charging down the lane. The call-back hit sends leaves and golden particles everywhere. Played maybe 40 games the first week it dropped and the ult never got old. Voice lines stay base, no new VO, but the recall animation is new. Ornn sits down and crafts something from living wood. Fits the theme perfectly.

(Random aside: the recall is my favorite part of the whole skin and I’ve sat through it fully like 300 times instead of canceling early.)

The Elderwood line and who made this

Elderwood is one of Riot’s older skinlines and honestly one of their better ones. Hecarim, Bard, Veigar, Ahri all got Elderwood treatments. Ornn fits naturally into that forest deity aesthetic. The whole line leans into fae mythology, ancient woods, spirits bound to nature. Ornn already has that primal craftsman energy so translating him into a woodland guardian just works.

Released December 10, 2020. Late season 10, right before preseason chaos. Malex Zhang and Kudos Productions handled the splash art, and they captured this towering presence perfectly. Ornn standing in a misty forest, light filtering through canopy gaps. The splash alone carried hype for weeks before launch.

8 chromas total if you want variety. Obsidian is the one I keep coming back to, turns the whole skin dark with these deep purple undertones that read way more menacing. Citrine leans into autumn vibes, warm oranges and reds. Emberwood is the sleeper pick though, it’s got this pink-magenta glow mixed with the dark base that looks wild in the Rift. Could be wrong here but I think Emberwood might actually be the best looking variant over the default.

Should you buy Elderwood Ornn?

Real verdict: if you play Ornn at all, this is the skin. Full stop. For seasons Ornn mains had basically nothing, and Elderwood delivered on every front that matters for an Epic tier cosmetic. New VFX across every ability, a clean recall, a model that actually feels premium.

1350 RP feels fair for what you get. Shop has it, no vault nonsense, no loot gambling. Kinda feels like Riot knew they owed Ornn players something after years of neglect and they made sure this one landed. The only real competition is Thunder Lord if you prefer the lightning aesthetic, but Elderwood Ornn is the Ornn skin if you can only own one. Been daily driving it for five seasons and I dont see that changing. S-tier top lane cosmetic for a champion who deserves exactly this level of craft.