Syndra, the Dark Sovereign, Revealed at Gamescom

Here is Riot's official reveal of Syndra, the Dark Sovereign! Check it out below to clear the air on some of the abilities and mechanics we saw yesterday during the initial wave of information from Gamescom 2012.

"In addition to Rengar, we’ll have another upcoming champion available for play at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. After the Pridestalker joins the League, Syndra, the Dark Sovereign, will descend upon the Fields of Justice in the following patch. A magical prodigy, Syndra conjures powerful dark spheres, and even wields enemy minions and monsters as weapons. Here’s the full rundown of her abilities.

• Transcendent (Passive): Each of Syndra’s normal abilities gain an extra effect at max rank.
  o Dark Sphere: Spheres deal bonus damage to champions.
  o Force of Will: Projectiles briefly knocks enemies into the air.
  o Scatter the Weak: Cone width increases.
• Dark Sphere: Syndra conjures a dark sphere at a target location, dealing magic damage in an area. The sphere remains for several seconds and can be manipulated by Syndra’s other abilities.
• Force of Will:
  o First Cast: Grabs a target dark sphere, enemy minion or neutral monster.
  o Second Cast: Throw a grasped dark sphere or enemy at a target area. Enemies struck by the projectile take magic damage and are slowed.
• Scatter the Weak: Deals magic damage in a cone and knocks enemies away based on how close they are to Syndra. Dark spheres within the area-of-effect are also knocked back, dealing magic damage and stunning enemies in their path.
• Unleashed Power (Ultimate): Draws upon Syndra’s full cataclysmic power, harnessing all active dark spheres to deal additional magic damage to an enemy champion.

Syndra’s kit revolves around the manipulation of short-duration globes left behind by Dark Sphere. While the function of Dark Sphere is very simple on the surface, proper sphere management can be the difference between success and failure with Syndra. Each of her abilities can be used on its own in a pinch, but good sphere placement ensures that Syndra always has the ammunition she needs to throw projectiles with Force of Will, and creates new firing angles for globes launched with Scatter the Weak.

While it might be tempting to snatch up a defenseless minion and use it as a projectile, Syndra’s Force of Will ability really shines when it’s used in conjunction with dark spheres. Syndra can use Force of Will to reposition these globes for a successful shot with Scatter the Weak while Dark Sphere is on cooldown, or to extend the duration of a sphere that’s about to expire in order to build up ammunition on the battlefield. Ultimately, keeping your sphere count high in this manner will allow you to dictate the course of a battle by threatening a large area.

The importance of managing your dark spheres is most keenly illustrated by Syndra’s ultimate ability, Unleashed Power. The increased damage granted by each active sphere can transform this ability from high-damage nuke into a cataclysmic attack. Good planning and strategic dark sphere placement can make Syndra an intimidating opponent to face in mid lane."