What makes a good skin?

While this is a question that ultimately leads to the conclusion that aesthetics are subjective, there are a few general guidelines that most would agree with. There are many aspects to skins that cause us to love them (or to hate them). Some of the most important aspects are the splash art, in game character model, spell animations, sounds effects, and how they fit into different themes and the lore of League of Legends

1. Splash Arts

We'll start with the splash arts because they are usually the first thing you see for a new skin. Whether it be on the client itself, through various social media websites, or on your favourite gaming website (like http://team-dignitas.net/), splash arts are thrown around quite often. They are the most detailed representation of a skin because they will likely be seen many times and can be browsed at your leisure within the client itself. These gorgeous representations of our favourite champions can be the driving force behind them as some people will buy them after just one look.

Splash arts say a lot about the skin itself. While the in-game effects go through dramatic changes every now and then, splash arts show off the varying styles and the amazing talents of the artists who come together to make them a reality. By showing not only a full view of the champion, but the background as well, a lot can be represented here in terms of themes and lore. Since skins themselves, outside of legendary and ultimate skins, don't often get their own lore, this visual representation has to tell a large part of the story.

2. Character Models

One of the more focused on parts of a skin is the character model. There is no surprise that what your champion looks like in a 45 minute game might be more important to you than what they look like a 45 second loading screen. The character model can change just a little, or it can change drastically, the latter of the two does not always make a good skin but if executed well it can mean the difference between a good skin and a great skin.

The two aspects mentioned above are the minimum criteria for what makes a skin at all. From here on out we're looking at what makes skins better than a simple colour palette swap. In saying this I don't want to sound like there is no merit to a basic colour palette skin or one with minor model changes, some of which are executed very well such as Sewn Chaos Orianna or the Nurse Akali. These skins can be good, but they aren't going to be the ones that get you talking.

3. Spell Animations

This is one of the most sought after aspects of a skin. When your favourite champion gets a detailed skin with new textures, new colours, and a witty back animation, you just can't seem to get to your wallet fast enough. This is because these are the parts of the game that we see most, as we tunnel in on CSing, trading, jungling, or whatever you are doing at any time you are most likely using your spells, and auto-attacks. So when you get flashy, bright, new, wonderful animations you just can't wait to get in game and check them out.

Some of these animations are simple but very effective that enhance the feel of the skin (and the champion). This aspect is undoubtedly best shown through an example and one of the best examples of this simplicity is Debonair Jayce (left), the Valentines Day 2013 skin. The animations on his spells were slightly changed and made to fit with his new character model, particularly, his new Mercury Hammer/Cannon. These animations took on a turquoise colour scheme and there were subtle differences in his Acceleration Gate, which perfectly matched the changes to the model. Wrapped up in a tux and with a suave new back animation, Debonair Jayce was ready to sweep you off your feet.

4. Sound Effects

This aspect of skins is a feature that is a little less utilized than I would like it to be, found mostly on Legendary or Ultimate skins. But don't fret as it is a feature that Riot seems to be pulling out the stops on recently. From the sounds your champion makes when they cast a spell, to what they say as you click, to the show that they put on when you back (looking at you, Draven) all work together to be part of your champion's personality, they really give you a feel of the persona you donned as you loaded onto the rift.

As previously mentioned this aspect is one of the things that makes Draven so much fun to play. His skins embody this feature so well Primetime Draven announcing when you buy an Infinity Edge like an LCS caster, the way you hear the Shadow Isles in the voice of Soul Reaver Draven, or the way the crowd chants his name on the back animation of Gladiator Draven. These all take the over-the-top personal style of a champion like Draven and give it thematic twists that we love. These sounds are more than just talented foley work, they are the champion.

5. Themes and Lore

My personal favourite part of new skins is finding the ways that fit into the lore of League of Legends. These skins allow a story to be told out where there wasn't one before like Pulsfire Ezreal's struggle against the tyranny of Creator Viktor's Battlecast Army. This story took various champions from League of Legends that had very little, if nothing, to do with each other and made an imaginative story.

Or how about the time that the ninjas all decided to take up new professions in the medical field? Hilarious! Or the meta-videogame world of the Arcade skins spending quarter after quarter to take down Final Boss Veigar. These stories as well as holiday themed skins, the end of season Championship skins, the World Championship skins, all have a place in the history of League of Legends. They take a part of the game that may not be as well recognized and bring back those memories, be it Worlds, Halloween, or the time we spent too much money on Pulsfire Ezreal. All of these things are part of a skin that makes it unique.

All of these aspects combined are what make the greatest skins, the ones that show us what depth and character development comes out of champion with less than 25 lines. The way they work together make us want to take this free game and pay for it because we like what we see, and hear, and feel and we want Riot to know this. These are the reasons we get anxious in champion select because we can't tell if we want to go with Blood Lord or Soulstealer Valdimir. The reasons we'll buy a champion we have never played because the new skins is just so darn cool.

So which skins are your favourite and why? Which ones make you want to play a champion no matter the situation. I'll start us off: My favourite skin is Cryocore Brand because it was one of the first skins I ever got and I loved the idea of a Mr. Freeze-esque Brand throwing around liquid nitrogen at his enemies being so cold that it burns. It was a very thematic change and the blue just looked so good, but it also reminds me of the early days of playing League of Legends.