Reborn - Part 4 & Sion relaunch revealed!

Alongside the final part of REBORN we have a reveal page for the Sion visual and gameplay update!

To take a life is a simple enough thing, yet no-one perfected it quite like Sion. He led army after army through the jaws of death, charging through the massed ranks of Noxus’s enemies time and time again until his burgeoning city-state stood above all nations. But even the mighty fall, and though Sion’s death shocked the people of Noxus, it ultimately also brought them safety from Demacia’s now leaderless forces.

But Sion’s story did not end with his death. Seeking to exploit the Noxians’ hero worship, Noxus’s Grand General took the drastic step of attempting to return their greatest champion from death. But if taking a life is a simple enough thing, restoring life is anything but. Sion rose again, but as something different. Without his intelligence and martial prowess, he was reduced to a simple killing machine, destroying anything – friend or foe – that stood in his way. Unable to control their weapon, the Noxians locked their former champion away. Centuries passed before another Grand General returned to Sion’s tomb determined to fully resurrect the great champion once again.

Death is no longer an obstacle for Sion – every time he falls, his commanders simply piece him back together and revive the once great man. But within his sundered body lies a soul desperately searching for the sense of self he once had, and when that sense is most awakened in times of war, then war shall be had.

Abilities

Sion’s a stubborn and tanky behemoth capable in both the solo lanes and jungle of Summoner’s Rift. With slow and telegraphed attacks, Sion thrives when he chains his assault together, and revels in the thick of battle.

Laning

Sion’s early game power lies in the brute strength and implied threat of his abilities. Smart positioning allows Sion to aim Decimating Smash – which deals plenty of damage along with a hefty knock-up when fully charged – over both his and the enemy’s minion frontline, forcing Sion’s opponent to choose between securing valuable last hits and staying healthy in lane. But as he levels up, Sion’s able to start asserting his dominance with increasing confidence. Using Roar of the Slayer to slow his rival and shred their armor, Sion can line up and reliably deliver more meaningful damage with Decimating Smash. Meanwhile, Soul Furnace gives him a shield strong enough to negate a meaningful chunk of the enemy’s retaliation should his opponent go toe-to-stump with Noxus’s faded glory, or offers enough defense to keep Sion alive as he retreats.

Even if the enemy laner decides to shove lane and force Sion to last-hit minions under his tower, he still has a couple of tricks to help him earn the gold he needs to itemize. Standing outside his turret’s range, Sion can take advantage of Soul Furnace’s shield to tank minion damage as he winds up Decimating Smash, which is broad enough to pummel an entire minion wave. And with the enemy laner far from their tower, Sion’s perfectly positioned to call on his jungler and take a kill. He’s a beast during friendly ganks thanks to Decimating Smash and Roar of the Slayer, which provide enough crowd control to let his ally deal their damage. Things are a little less favorable during enemy ganks, however: with slow base speed and no dashes, Sion’s an extremely immobile champion who relies on his shields, slows and health to keep him alive as he trudges back to his tower.

That immobility disappears – albeit briefly – once Sion hits level six. Unstoppable Onslaught is a monstrous ability, capable of charging Sion halfway across Summoner’s Rift. It has numerous uses, including chasing down fleeing enemies and escaping otherwise deadly encounters. Most enticing, though, is the roam potential Sion gains with his ultimate. Though he’s somewhat cumbersome to aim as he charges, there are few sights more awesome than a full-speed Sion barreling directly toward an unsuspecting suspect a full lane away.

Jungle

Teamfights

While Sion’s a terrifying enough prospect in the early game, he truly comes into his own once teams group and fight together. He thrives in the heart of battle, triggering Soul Furnace before charging in with Unstoppable Onslaught to initiate the bloodshed. Once in the enemy’s midst, he works best aiming his abilities to strike as many targets as possible, disrupting his opponents with both the crowd control and sheer damage output of his attacks. Sion’s presence demands attention, but even after the enemy team finally cuts the great man down, their work’s not done. Glory in Death provides Sion with a chance to enact his revenge after falling, giving him huge attack damage and attack speed and making the undead juggernaut a colossal threat even beyond the grave.

Synergy

Works well with:

Ashe - the Frost Archer

Enchanted Crystal Arrow, Volley and Frost Shot all slow Sion’s enemies, allowing him close distance and set up his punishing but slow attacks.

Nautilus - the Titan of the Depths

Sion and Nautilus combined form an unrelenting crowd control nightmare for the enemy team. Together, they have more than enough slows, stuns and knock-ups to disrupt multiple targets while their damage dealers take their toll.

Zilean - the Chronokeeper

Though Sion’s a somewhat lumbering giant, Zilean’s Time Warp gives him all the movement speed he needs to chase down targets and power into the enemy team. Zilean can also plant a Time Bomb on Sion to complement his staggering area of effect damage.

Struggles against:

Lucian - the Purifier

The movement speed boosts from Ardent Blaze and dashes from Relentless Pursuit make Lucian a nimble and slippery target for Sion’s sluggish attacks. Death comes quickly to Sion’s enemies, but the Undead Juggernaut has to get his hands on his victim first.

Azir - the Emperor of the Sands

Azir isn’t just nimble enough to dash away from Sion – he also has plenty of zone control and crowd control of his own to hinder Sion’s already lumbering gait. And while Unstoppable Onslaught is an immense engagement tool, Emperor’s Divide blocks Sion’s charge and nullifies his immediate engagement potential.

Swain - the Master Tactician

Nevermove and Decrepify give Swain the tools he needs to keep Sion at bay, and while other mages meet a quick demise at Sion’s axe, Swain has the inherent tankiness – particularly when he activates Ravenous Flock – to withstand his damage output.

Sion’s almost ready to lurch onto PBE, so get ready to give the big man a whirl and let us know your thoughts! We’ll back in a few days with a fully-fledged insights article and Q&A session to talk about how we went about updating Sion.