Aphelios/Development

Champion Roadmap: October 2019
By Ryan 'Reav3' Mireles

What will you sacrifice for your faith? Only the devout will master the next champion we have prepared for you. A new marksman, raised since birth with only one purpose: to protect the faith from those who stand in the sun. Constantly training, mastering diverse weapons of faith, swapping through them like cycles of the moon with nothing but that one lone voice, pushing, comforting… loving? If you are up to the challenge, you too must train hard and achieve zen-like focus in order to reap the rewards.
 * And the Faithful Shall Be Rewarded

So I ask again: What will you sacrifice for your faith?



Aphelios Kit Primer
By Riot Aether Most champions can be summarized relatively quickly, but Aphelios isn't most champions. Learning to wield the Weapon of the Faithful demands discipline, focus, and mental acuity, so consider this primer your first test of faith along the path to mastering a champion with one of the highest skill ceilings in the game. (But really, this page has a ton of info to process. Read it a couple times, probably.)

We're going to start with the overall structure of Aphelios' kit, then get into what each of his weapons does.

How the kit works
Aphelios cycles through five weapons, each with its own basic attack. He attacks with his main-hand weapon, but always carries an off-hand weapon he can swap to with W. Aphelios can't pick and choose which two weapons he equips at any given time. His weapons have 50 ammo ("Moonlight") each, and when a weapon runs empty you get the next one in line. Empty weapons go to the end of the line to recharge. Since Aphelios can swap between his main-hand and off-hand, weapon order changes throughout the game based on which weapons you use first.
 * Guns, basic attacks & ammo

Abilities
Aphelios only has three buttons: Q, W, and R. W swaps between his main- and off-hand weapons, leaving him with two actual abilities. Kind of.

Each of Aphelios' five weapons has its own Q ability when equipped as his main-hand weapon. Each Q applies bonus attacks and effects based on his off-hand weapon. All five Qs cost mana and ammo, and each has its own cooldown (you can Q, switch guns, then immediately use the other Q). Aphelios automatically learns Q at level 2 and it slowly becomes stronger over the course of the game. We'll get to what each Q does in the weapon sections below.

Aphelios' ultimate, Moonlight Vigil, sends forward a moon bomb that explodes on the first enemy hit, damaging nearby enemies. Then, Aphelios follows up with enhanced basic attacks from his main-hand weapon against all enemies caught in the explosion. He automatically learns R at level 6, and it automatically levels up at levels 11 and 16.

Aphelios' ultimate,, sends forward a moon bomb that explodes on the first enemy hit, damaging nearby enemies. Then, Aphelios follows up with enhanced basic attacks from his main-hand weapon against all enemies caught in the explosion. He automatically learns R at level 6, and it automatically levels up at levels 11 and 16.

Level-ups
Level-ups Since Aphelios automatically learns his Q and R, he puts his 18 level-up points into stats rather than abilities:
 * Attack Damage
 * Attack Speed
 * Bonus Armor Penetration

Calibrum, the Rifle
Calibrum is a poke/harass weapon. Its basic attacks have extra range.
 * Calibrum

When abilities deal damage with Calibrum, they mark enemies hit. Aphelios can right-click marked enemies anywhere on the map to follow up with a basic attack from his off-hand weapon (or his non-Calibrum weapon, in cases where he swaps Calibrum to his off-hand before firing). This attack detonates other nearby marks for bonus damage against the marked targets.

Fire a skillshot that damages the first unit hit and marks them.
 * Calibrum Q Moonshot

Moonlight Vigil's follow-up attacks mark all enemies hit. These marks deal higher damage when consumed.
 * Moonlight Vigil Calibrum effect

Severum, the Scythe Pistol
Severum is a sustain weapon that heals Aphelios for a portion of the damage it deals. Overhealing from Severum is converted into a small shield.
 * Severum

Gain movement speed and rapidly fire your main-hand and off-hand weapons at the nearest enemy, prioritizing champions. Onslaught shots behave like basic attacks but deal reduced damage.
 * Severum Q Onslaught

Moonlight Vigil grants Aphelios a flat heal.
 * Moonlight Vigil Severum effect

Gravitum, the Cannon
Gravitum is a utility weapon that applies a decaying slow to enemies.
 * Gravitum

Damage and root all enemies on the map affected by Gravitum's slow. Eclipse doesn't use Aphelios' off-hand weapon.
 * Gravitum Q Eclipse

Moonlight Vigil's follow-up attacks apply a massively increased slow.
 * Moonlight Vigil Gravitum effect

Infernum, the Flamethrower
Infernum is an AoE/waveclear weapon. It deals increased basic attack and ability damage and creates a damage cone behind enemies hit.
 * Infernum

Spout a wave of flame, damaging enemies. Then basic attack all enemies hit with your off-hand weapon.
 * Infernum Q Duskwave

Moonlight Vigil's follow-up attacks create damage circles around enemies hit instead of damage cones behind them.
 * Moonlight Vigil Infernum effect

Crescendum, the Chakram
Crescendum is a close-range DPS weapon that behaves like a boomerang. Once Aphelios basic attacks with Crescendum he can't attack again until it returns to him, but his attack resets when it does. Attack speed increases Crescendum's travel speed instead. The closer Aphelios is to his target, the less distance Crescendum has to travel—and the faster Aphelios can attack.
 * Crescendum

When abilities or their follow-up attacks deal damage with Crescendum, they create temporary copies of it for each enemy hit that increase the strength of Crescendum's basic attack.

Deploy a turret that shoots the nearest target with your off-hand weapon.
 * Crescendum Q Sentry

If Moonlight Vigil hits fewer than three enemies, its follow up attacks still increase the damage of Crescendum's basic attacks as if at least three enemies were hit.
 * Moonlight Vigil Crescendum effect

Custom HUD
All the stuff above is a lot to take in, and a lot to track. Aphelios has a unique HUD to ease this burden.
 * Passive, explaining Aphelios' weapons and level ups. The tooltip is as long as this article.
 * Aphelios' main-hand weapon and its remaining ammo.
 * Q.
 * Aphelios' off-hand weapon and its remaining ammo. If its Q is on cooldown, the icon will also indicate remaining cooldown.
 * The next weapon you'll get once one of your weapons runs out of ammo.
 * R.

Additionally, if your main-hand gun has 10 or less ammo remaining, an ammo tracker will appear on the right side of your screen so you can track your remaining shots.

The Weapon of the Faithful
Mastering Aphelios' moonstone arsenal may prove to be one of the most daunting challenges in all of League. Are you devoted enough for the task? Ready yourself, the Weapon of the Faithful arrives during patch 9.24.

Media
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 * Related Music