Riot Games has revealed the new League of Legends Champion Kalista, a twisted specter whose powers grant substantial damage bonuses to her Soul-Bound allies.
Based by her description, Kalista is a powerful Champion, but not a powerhouse. "Kalista is a marksman who cooperates with her Soul-Bound to deal substantial sustained damage, access her full repertoire of abilities and wither her enemies under her relentless assault," it states. "Kalista’s potential is unlocked by solid communication and cooperation with allies rather than raw mechanical skill."
League of Legends designer Bradford "CertainlyT" Wenban said Kalista is designed for players who enjoy, or want to get better at, cooperative play. Bot lane fights often turn into two separate one-on-one battles rather than a proper two-vs-two contest, something the Sentinel passive Soul-Marked is intended to discourage through its emphasis on focused fire. At the same time, the character is designed to enable "tighter, more consistent teamwork without making Kalista so communication dependent that you practically need to play in the same room as your Soul-Bound."
"As designers, we are constantly trying to help players succeed. Building scenarios that overwhelm or confuse players is simple, laying the foundations for success is the challenge," Wenban wrote. "As such, Kalista highlights the cooperative end-state in which she and her ally are most likely to succeed and offers a tool kit to enable players to reach that state."
A detailed breakdown of Kalista is up now at leagueoflegends.com.
