Lunar Empress Qiyana

First game I played with Lunar Empress Qiyana was a late night ranked session, probably around 1 AM on a Wednesday. Locked her in, loaded up, and the splash alone had me feeling different about the pick. Not gonna lie, Qiyana skins have been hit or miss for me over the years, but this one caught me off guard. The whole imperial aesthetic just works on a champion who already carries herself like royalty. Something about the color palette and the way Riot handled the Lunar Revel theme on her kit made me stick with this skin way longer than I expected.

VFX and what actually changes on Lunar Empress Qiyana

The VFX carry this skin hard. Qiyana’s Q elements all got the Lunar treatment, and the difference is noticeable in lane. The ice element Q has this cool frosted lunar glow that reads cleanly against the Rift, and the grass element shifts into a warm gold that pops during teamfights. Rock element keeps a deeper tone. All three feel distinct enough that you wont mix them up mid-combo, which matters when you’re trying to weave elements during a dive or a gank setup.

W dash has new particles trailing behind her. Subtle but clean.

Her R is where the money is though. The ult shove sends out this burst of lunar energy that looks genuinely impressive when you catch two or three people against terrain. Been running this in Diamond and the ult VFX honestly feel more satisfying than some Legendary skins I own. Might be overthinking it but I think the visual feedback makes me play her combos slightly better because the timing reads so clearly.

Recall animation is new too. Qiyana does this empress pose with lunar motifs floating around her. Fits the fantasy. Voice lines stay base, no new VO, but thats expected at the 1350 RP Epic tier. The base voice already has enough attitude for Qiyana mains.

The Lunar Revel line and release context

Lunar Empress Qiyana dropped January 26, 2023. Mid-season 13. Augusto Quirino and West Studio handled the artwork, and they captured the imperial vibe perfectly. The splash has Qiyana sitting on what looks like a throne made of moonlight, weapon resting across her lap like she’s bored of being powerful. Banger splash honestly.

The Lunar Revel skinline is one of Riot’s longest running thematic lines. Goes back years. Qiyana fits it naturally because the champion already has that empress energy baked into her base design. (Random aside: this splash has been my lock screen since it dropped and nobody has questioned it yet.) Some champions feel forced into the Lunar aesthetic but Qiyana earned her spot.

9 chromas total for this one. Tanzanite is my go-to, the deep purple reads like actual royalty against the gold accents. Obsidian goes full dark mode which slaps in bot lane specifically when you’re roaming from mid. Rose Quartz has a softer pink tone that some people prefer but I think it loses some of the imperial weight the base skin carries. Could be wrong here but I feel like Riot designed this skin around the base colors and the chromas are bonus rather than upgrades.

Is Lunar Empress Qiyana worth 1350 RP?

Real verdict: if you main Qiyana or even have her in your assassin rotation, this skin is a strong pick. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The VFX alone justify the price, and the thematic cohesion with the Lunar Revel line gives it more personality than something like Shockblade Qiyana which goes for a different vibe entirely.

Played maybe 80 games with this skin since it came out. Keep coming back to it over Battle Queen and True Damage, which says something considering True Damage has the prestige version competing for attention. The element swaps on Q just look cleaner here. Three things stood out after extended use: ult VFX, the recall animation, and how the model reads during teamfights when particles are flying everywhere.

Shop has it, permanent availability. Not a vault skin, not loot exclusive. If you’re climbing with Qiyana this season or even just spamming her in normals, Lunar Empress is the skin I’d recommend first. Skip it if you already own Prestige True Damage and dont play her enough to justify two premium skins. But for Qiyana one-tricks? Top pick. That ranked game last week where my Qiyana R pinned three in dragon pit looked absolutely ridiculous with the lunar burst VFX. Worth every RP.