League of Legends Introduces New Champion: Meet Hwei!

With Worlds 2023 coming to its end, prepare for a stroke of genius on Summoner's Rift! Riot has released the announcement of their next champion with a comprehensive kit and game changing playstyle. Set to release in patch 13.24 League of Legends' newest champion, Hwei, is set to be the 166th champion added to the lineup.

According to the champion trailer riot released, Hwei is shown to have a close connected with Jhin the virtuoso. As a fellow artist, his weapon is revealed to be a paintbrush. Hwei is shown to be conflicted with the fine line between good and evil. With a unique twist consisting of ten abilities, this poke mage brushes off opponents in a masterpiece of tactical warfare.

Interestingly out of the 165 champions that League of Legends has, there were zero human male mages designed. Well after 14 years of LoL, Hwei has arrived to put that at an end. Hwei's abilities are channeled through his paintbrush, and his abilities all manifest as varying forms of paint splatters.

 

Abilities

Your first impression when hearing Hwei has 10 different abilities may lead you to believe Riot pulled another Aphelios. But luckily this isn't the case. Interestingly his kit works a lot more like Nidalee, Jayce, and Elise. Pressing Q, W, or E will change the set of abilities to choose from, like pressing R is for our transforming champions. But unlike Nidalee, Jayce, and Elise, Hwei has an actual Ultimate.

Let me try and paint the picture:

 

Passive: Signature of the Visionary

"Hwei marks enemy champions with his signature finishing touch by first damaging them with his abilities. Hitting an enemy with two damage-dealing spells places Hwei’s signature on the ground beneath them. The signature detonates after a short delay, dealing magic damage to all enemies in range." 

The take away from his passive is that you should not pick your favorite attack and just spam it. Hwei's passive incentivizes strategically combining his abilities, rather than repetitively casting a single one. To optimize his palette and amplify his damage output, culminating in a potent trifecta by incorporating his explosive signature move.

Now for the rest of his kit, it is split into 3 "subjects" being his Q, W, And E. These 3 subjects are: Disaster, Serenity, and Torment.

 

Subject: Disaster (Q)

These abilities open his kit to various damaging elements, like flames, lightning, and lava, to deal damage.

Devastating Fire (Q+Q)

Hwei conjures a fiery orb that explodes on impact or at a distance, dealing magic and percent max health damage to nearby enemies.

Severing Bolt (Q+W)

Hwei casts a long-range bolt that, after a delay, deals magic damage. Enemies who are immobile or isolated take extra damage based on their missing health.

Molten Fissure (Q+E)

Hwei creates explosive volcanic eruptions in an area, leaving lingering lava that deals magic damage on impact. Enemies within the lava are slowed and continuously take magic damage per second.

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Riot stated that they were trying to go for a wide range of variety for Hwei's Q. The goal was to create a champion with a large skill ceiling by having a wide variety of choices. Knowing when to use each specific variation of abilities would be the trick.
Q+Q for consistent but moderate poke.
Q+W for higher damage at long range but with less accuracy.
Q+E for gradual damage over time.

Yes, each ability aligns with dealing damage but in very diverse ways. Q+Q is handy for quick poking and last hitting, while Q+W deals more damage to low-health targets yet is slower and easier to dodge. On the other hand, Q+E can unleash substantial damage if opponents remain within its area.

 

Subject: Serenity (W)

The takeaway for Serenity is for empowering Hwei and his team to navigate the battlefield more freely by enhancing movement, ensuring safety, and aiding Hwei's endurance.

Fleeting Current (W+Q)

This ability creates a swift pathway on the Rift for Hwei and his allies to traverse.

Pool of Reflection (W+W)

Hwei creates a shielding pool at a chosen spot, granting allied champions an initial shield that grows in strength while they remain within the area.

Stirring Lights (W+E)

Hwei conjures three swirling lights around him, enhancing his next three attacks or spells with bonus magic damage and granting mana upon hitting enemies.

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Riot goes on to explain they really wanted these spells vary widely between movement, shields, and mana, creating significant trade-offs. The goal was to have abilities that choosing between them involves opportunity cost. Their explanation was using Hwei’s W+Q for speed might secure a kill, but sacrifices shield cooldowns for safety. Opting for W+W shields allies, yet a speed boost could save an ADC. Need mana? W+E helps but puts utility spells on cooldown, risking vulnerability to attacks.

It's easy to say that the mastery of this Hwei's W will mean the difference of success or failure, so choose wisely!

 

Subject: Torment (E)

In a nutshell his E has access to his arsenal of Crowd Control abilities.

Grim Visage (E+Q)

Hwei unleashes a frightening visage, striking the initial enemy hit with magic damage and forcing them to flee momentarily.

Gaze of the Abyss (E+W)

Hwei creates an abyssal eye at a chosen spot, granting vision and targeting the closest visible enemy champion. After a brief delay, the eye fires at the marked champion, rooting them for a few seconds and dealing magic damage.

Crushing Maw (E+E)

Hwei creates mighty jaws that damage enemies and pull them towards the center, briefly slowing their movement.

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Riot goes on to explain that his E is likely the easiest to understand when and where to use. Hwei's torment spells directly relate to different crowd control types. E+Q is a secure method to fend off enemies but can't reach those out of position. E+E excels at catching one or multiple foes if you're closer to cast it. Meanwhile, E+W provides long roots for securing kills, but missing it leaves you vulnerable. Choosing the right CC hinges on recognizing the situation, as using one spell puts the others on cooldown, limiting your options.

And that makes 9 abilities, and finally his 10th active, his Ultimate.

Hwei Ultimate: Spiraling Despair (R)

In a nutshell this ability dishes out significant damage over time, gradually slowing enemies before culminating in a devastating explosion.

Riot explains they went with his ultimate during the shift to Hwei's Disaster, Serenity, and Torment spell model. Initially inspired by Hwei's emotional struggles, the concept aimed to impart the emotional experience he endures onto his enemies, granting them "the emotions they deserve." Experimentation led to various versions, including a non-skillshot expanding AoE that gradually dominated space and immobilized foes—a choice that caused some colleagues to react strongly. The final version was crafted to authentically convey the despair Hwei faces, promising an artistic representation that eagerly awaits players' experiences on the Rift.

You can read all about the official Hwei ability rundown here.

 

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