Elementalist Lux

Bought Elementalist Lux the day it dropped, November 28, 2016. Played six Lux games back to back that night and have not used another Lux skin since. Not once. Almost nine years later and I still think this is the most ambitious skin Riot has ever shipped. Could be wrong but I dont think anything else in the game comes close to what this thing does.

Ten forms and how transformations actually work in game

The core mechanic of Elementalist Lux is that you start in Light form and transform twice during the match by collecting elemental energy. You gain energy by hitting abilities on enemy champions and just by moving around the map. Once you have enough you open this radial selection wheel and pick your first element. Later you do it again for the second. The combination of those two picks determines your final form.

Light is your starting point. Clean white VFX, standard Lux feel but elevated. From there you pick one of four base elements: Fire, Water, Nature, or Air. Each one completely swaps her model, particles, ability colors, everything. Fire Lux gets these aggressive orange-red VFX on Q and E. Water flows with blue-teal particles that look incredible around river fights specifically. Nature wraps her in greens and earthy tones. Air goes pale blue with wind effects trailing off the model.

But the real thing happens when you pick the second element. Combinations create unique forms. Fire plus Nature gives you Magma Lux – volcanic oranges, cracked earth textures across the model. Looks menacing. Water plus Air makes Ice Lux, all crystalline and sharp edges. Water plus Fire becomes Mystic, this purple-violet arcane aesthetic thats probably my most-used form if I had to guess. Air plus Nature creates Storm with electric green lightning particles. And then there’s Dark, which you get from specific late-game combinations. Dark Lux has this deep purple-black color scheme that Lux mains go absolutely crazy for on Reddit.

Ten forms total: Light, Fire, Water, Nature, Air, Magma, Ice, Mystic, Storm, Dark. Each with unique VFX on Q, W, E, and R. Each with a different model. Each with a unique recall animation. Not exaggerating when I say this is basically ten skins in one purchase.

How the forms feel ability by ability

Your Q, Light Binding, changes color and particle shape with every single form. Fire Q shoots a flame bolt. Ice Q sends out a crystalline projectile. Dark Q is this ominous purple snare that I think is genuinely harder for enemies to see against certain terrain angles around bot lane. Not that I am suggesting you pick forms for competitive advantage. But I am not not suggesting it either.

The E, Lucent Singularity, is where visual differences are most obvious because the zone sits on the ground for a while before you pop it. Magma E creates a pool of lava. Storm E crackles with lightning. Nature E blooms with these little flowers. In teamfights around baron or dragon where Lux is throwing E on cooldown every 6 seconds, the skin makes every single cast feel like it matters.

And then the R. Final Spark in each elemental form is a spectacle. Fire R shoots a beam of actual flame across the entire map. Ice R is a freezing laser with crystal shatter at the end. Dark R is this deep purple beam that looks like it belongs on a final boss in some JRPG. Stole baron with Dark form R last week in a ranked game and the visual of that purple beam cutting through a 5v5 teamfight at the pit is something I still think about. (Sidebar: the enemy jungler added me after that game just to tell me the R animation distracted him from smiting. Take that for what its worth.)

Carrie Keranen voices Lux across all ten forms and the voice lines shift tone depending on which form you are in. Light is cheerful, classic Lux energy. Fire gets aggressive and short with people. Dark gets cold and detached. Might be overthinking it but the voice acting alone justifies a chunk of the price tag because each form genuinely sounds like a different version of the character.

Release details and pricing

Elementalist Lux released November 28, 2016 as an Ultimate tier skin at 3250 RP. Highest standard price point in League. Jean “Curing” Go did the splash art showing Lux surrounded by all her elemental forms. Banger piece of art. Still one of the best splashes in the game almost a decade later. She belongs to the Elementalist skinline which remains exclusive to Lux and probably always will because I dont think Riot wants to attempt this scope again on another champion.

No chromas which makes sense because the skin already has ten color variants built into the gameplay loop. Still available in the shop at full price. Occasionally Riot puts Ultimate skins on sale during big events and I have seen Elementalist drop to around 2400 RP during those windows. Worth waiting for if 3250 feels steep – just keep an eye on Your Shop rotations and event sales around Worlds or mid-season.

Is 3250 RP actually justified here

Yes. Not even a difficult question for me.

I know that is a lot of RP. Could buy two Legendary skins for that price, maybe grab a couple Epic skins on sale too. But Elementalist Lux gives you ten forms with unique VFX, unique models, unique voice lines, and an in-game transformation mechanic that nothing else in the game has replicated to this degree. DJ Sona and Gun Goddess Miss Fortune are the other Ultimate skins and neither one matches the scope of what Elementalist does. Not close.

If you play Lux at all, even just casually in normals, this skin changes the experience. Been spamming her in Diamond and normals since 2016 with this equipped and the form selection keeps every game feeling fresh. Some games I go Magma. Some games Ice. If I am tilted after a loss streak I go Dark because it matches the mood. Had a stretch last month, maybe 15 games in a row, where I went Mystic every single time because the purple VFX on E were hitting different that week for some reason.

There’s a reason Elementalist Lux is the gold standard for what a League skin can be. Nine years later and nothing has topped it. Best skin in the game. Dont think thats a controversial take anymore either.