Varus/Background

Lore
For his incomparable skill with the bow and his unquestioned sense of honor, Varus was chosen to be the warden of a sacred Ionian temple. The temple was built to contain an ancient pit of corruption so vile that Ionian Elders feared it could envelop the island in darkness. Varus prided himself on his position, as only the most exceptional Ionian warriors were selected for the role. He lived with his family in a nearby village and led a quiet life of disciplined routine until the day the forces of Noxus invaded Ionia. Their shock troops left nothing but death and desolation in their wake, and the temple lay in their path. Varus was forced to make a decision. He was bound by honor to stay and defend the temple, but without him the village's few inhabitants could offer little resistance against the oncoming war machine. Gravely, he chose to fulfill his duty as a warden. The corruption could not be allowed to escape.

His arrows sundered the troops who tried to wrest the temple from him that day. However, when he returned to his village, he found that it had been reduced to a smoldering graveyard. Remorse at the sight of his slain family gave way to overwhelming regret and then to seething hatred. He swore to slaughter every Noxian invader, but first he needed to become stronger. He turned to that which he had sacrificed everything to protect. The pit of corruption would consume him wholly, as a flame devours a wick, but its abominable power would burn within him until he was lost. This was a path from which there could be no return. With grim resolve, he condemned himself to the black flames, feeling malevolent energy bond to his skin... and with it, the promise of ruin. He left, seeking the blood of all Noxians involved with the invasion, a grisly task that eventually led him to the invasion's most infamous perpetrators in the League of Legends.

""The life of an arrow is fleeting, built of nothing but direction and intent.""

- Varus

Quotes
Upon Selection
 * "The guilty will know agony."

Attacking
 * "No forgiveness."
 * "They will know regret."
 * "No turning back."
 * "Face oblivion."
 * "My arrows always find their marks."
 * "Deliver them to their end."
 * "Pity those who cross me."

Movement
 * "Beware a man with nothing to lose."
 * "I do what I must."
 * "My purpose is clear."
 * "My work is not done."
 * "I'm on borrowed time."
 * "Give me a target."
 * "I am forsaken."
 * "Bloodshed carries a price."
 * "Only cowards flee their fate."
 * "There is no salvation."

Joke
 * "You'd like some real amusement? Come closer."
 * "When you dance with death, lead."

Taunt
 * "Pain is my gift to you."
 * "The cost of your life is one arrow."

Champion Sneak Peek
Announcement made by NeeksNaman:

"When the world turns its back on you, sometimes you have no choice but to answer with stone-cold revenge. No one knows that better than our newest addition to the League, Varus, the Arrow of Retribution. Wielding a powerful bow consumed by dark magic and an unrelenting thirst for vengeance in his heart, Varus is primed to leave a wasteland of fallen foes in his path.

''We teamed up with Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade to create a special edition Sneak Peek and Judgment. Read on, summoner, but be vigilant; Varus joins the League in an upcoming patch."''

Varus, the Arrow of Retribution Revealed!
Announcement made by NeeksNaman:

Summoners!

If you’ve been wondering what can happen when someone really, truly lets their dark side get the best of them, then look no further than Varus, the Arrow of Retribution. This dangerous combination between caster and ranged carry is equipped with a number of abilities designed to both whittle enemies down from range, and allow him to close in for the kill.

The lynchpin in Varus’ kit is Piercing Arrow – a long ranged skill shot attack that damages enemies in a line. Pressing Q will cause Varus to draw back his bow, reducing his movement speed, but steadily ramping up damage and range (up to a cap) until you left click to select a target. Through creative positioning Varus can either use this skill to pepper enemies with long range attacks or close out a kill on a fleeing enemy with a hard-hitting shot.

In lane, Varus’ unique combination of abilities gives him the ability to apply constant pressure to his opponent. Piercing Arrow allows him to both farm safely and damage enemy champions without fear of reprisal. Meanwhile, the area of effect healing debuff from Hail of Arrows complicates a support champion’s efforts to out-heal the attrition damage. When the time comes to move in for the kill, Living Vengeance keeps Varus’ Attack Speed high while he’s last hitting, enabling him to quickly stack up Contamination charges from Blighted Quiver in preparation for a finishing blow.

In team fights, Varus’ long range allows him to maintain safe positioning until he’s able to score a kill on an enemy champion. Once he’s picked off an enemy, the massive Attack Speed boost from Living Vengeance combined with area of effect crowd control from Chains of Corruption make him a truly terrifying sight on the battlefield.