Ahri/Background

Lore
Unlike other foxes that roamed the woods of southern Ionia, had always felt a strange connection to the magical world around her; a connection that was somehow incomplete. Deep inside, she felt the skin she had been born into was an ill fit for her and dreamt of one day becoming human. Her goal seemed forever out of reach, until she happened upon the wake of a human battle. It was a grisly scene, the land obscured by the forms of wounded and dying soldiers. She felt drawn to one: a robed man encircled by a waning field of magic whose life was quickly slipping away. She approached him and something deep inside of her triggered, reaching out to the man in a way she couldn't understand. His life essence poured into her, carried on invisible strands of magic. The sensation was intoxicating and overwhelming. As her reverie faded, she was delighted to discover that she had changed. Her sleek white fur had receded and her body was long and lithe, the shape of the humans who lay scattered about her.

However, though she appeared human, she knew that in truth the transformation was incomplete. A cunning creature, she adapted herself to the customs of human society and used her profound gift of beauty to attract unsuspecting men. She could consume their life essences when they were under the spell of her seductive charms. Feeding on their desires brought her closer to her dream, but as she took more lives, a strange sense of regret began to well within her. She had reservations about actions which never troubled her as a fox. She realized that she could not overcome the pangs of her evolving morality. In search of a solution, found the Institute of War, home of the most gifted mages on Runeterra. They offered her a chance to attain her humanity without further harm through service in the League of Legends.

""Mercy is a human luxury... and responsibility.""

Quotes

 * Champion selection


 * Attacking


 * Movement


 * Taunt

Ahri manipulates her orb like a basket ball using her tails.
 * Joke


 * Laugh

Development
Ahri was designed by Ezreal.

Special Champion Sneak Peek
Announcement made in the Sneak Peek by Average Gatsby :

Summoners!

Occasionally we debut future champions a bit ahead of time because we’re super excited about them and we just can’t contain ourselves!

Let us introduce you to our take on the Asian legend of The Nine Tails Fox:



''We think her combination of strength, beauty, power and grace will yield a fun and amazing champion to play! While she is very early in development, here’s a little sneak peak at what she’ll be able to do:''

''Based on the story of a fox who wanted nothing more than to become human, this champion will be a ranged caster who utilizes her Fox Bead to decimate her opponents on the battlefield. She’s going to be extremely agile and versatile, using her nine tails to maneuver in and out of combat with style and grace. She will also make use of her Fox Fire, where she will summon balls of fire which will seek out and destroy nearby enemies.''

She’s very early in development, so as always her abilities and artwork are subject to change, but we hope you’re as excited about her as we are!

Mechanics Preview
Announcement made in the mechanics preview by Morello:

Greetings Summoners!

''Back in the end of September, we announced The Nine Tails Fox much to the excitement of our community. Well the time has finally come and after much anticipation, we wanted to reveal the gameplay style for Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox.''

''Ahri's gameplay style revolves around mobility and managing position to aim her spells. When played properly, Ahri darts around teamfights, picking off wounded stragglers and harrying soft enemies.''

''This is largely accomplished through her ultimate, which allows her to dash multiple times before going on cooldown. Ahri can either use all three quickly to chase, burst, or escape, or she can spread out their uses to keep enemies guessing and juke around the battlefield. Combining this with her high magic damage and her Seduction ability to lock enemies down, she can strike from unexpected angles or bait enemies into over-committing to disadvantageous situations.''

''Ahri's major gameplay decisions are based on her assessment of risk/reward. Her burst is high, but must be in short range to maximize it. This creates a dynamic that requires her to endanger herself to reach full potential. Play it safe and have more light damage, or commit and go for the kill? Use your dash for damage, or save it for escape? The choices are constant with these opposed strengths and weaknesses.''

''Her kit is really designed to appeal towards opportunistic players who prefer characters with a lot of action, and especially players that like to lull enemies into overconfidence, only to capitalize and punish them. Ahri's dangerous, seductive nature is something we're happy to deliver for players who like to toy with their enemies before destroying them.''