Nami Sneak Peek[]
Hey folks,
As I've been hinting at for a little while now, the next champion is our new support character. While we'll get to the details on her in the next few days, I wanted to pull back the curtain on what 'support champion' means when we set out to create one.
First up, let's discuss the differences between support characters, and the lane assignment of support - they overlap a lot, but they're not the same:
- Support characters are defined by being assisters and enablers for their allies - this is the core 'support psychology' we want to achieve. Good examples of these characters are
Janna, Lulu, or Sona. - Support as a lane role is any character that can thrive on less gold, and has a strong lane presence - either offensively or defensively. Characters from the previous definition often fit here, but other characters go here a lot. For example: Leona is a tank, but plays the support role in a team. Alistar is a little of both because he's a great linebacker.
So, with that out of the way: when we talk about a support character (like 
Nami - the new one!) we mean the first definition. 
Zyra, while able to play the support role, is not a support champion by these definitions - she's more like a mage with an off-spec.
So, why should you care about Nami? Let me tell you!
- She brings a combination of defensive utility (including a way to heal in combat situations!) and offensive 'set-up'.
- She's the water caster that you've anticipated for a long time - with a support leaning.
- She's a regal mermaid - an archetype I think we can agree is a needed addition to the League lineup.
- Her offensive setup features a skillshot-style paradigm, something supports have only really had with Lulu; we wanted to expand a bit.
- While this is the concept art and the final has changed (as all concepts do through development) she's drawn by the ridiculously talented Gem Lim.
We've learned a lot of lessons from our supports, and think Nami shows how we can make a character who satisfies the core support psychology, and is healthy for the game. And with our commitment to developing a variety of champions, you'll be seeing more supports coming next year - so this is far from the last example of that.
Look for more exact details, including skills and more art, in the upcoming days - and you will be able to check out Nami on the Public Beta Realm soon, too.
Nami, the Tidecaller Revealed[]
By NeeksNaman[2]
The newest support champion to join the League is Nami, the Tidecaller. A water caster who channels the primal energies of the ocean, Nami 
harnesses water's restorative properties and 
commands the raw power of the tides themselves.
- Abilities
- Surging Tides
- Aqua Prison
displaces enemies hit by the bubble.
- Ebb and Flow
- Tidecaller's Blessing
slow to their attacks.
- Tidal Wave
slows all enemy units it passes through. Enemies closest to the initial spawn point are slowed for a shorter duration than those farther away, but all are slowed for a significant length of time and Tidal Wave has a large range.As a support with powerful crowd control abilities, Nami's kit gives her the potential to impact every phase of your games. In lane, Nami excels at applying constant pressure to the enemy. The buffs provided by 
Tidecaller's Blessing allow her lane partner to come out ahead in exchanges, and the long-distance stun from 
Aqua Prison can keep low health enemies from engaging safely. Moreover, because her healing skill also bounces to damage nearby enemies, Nami's core support abilities work best when her partner is on the attack.
In the mid game, when teamfights become more frequent, the utility of Ebb and Flow increases. The more champions the wave can bounce to, the more efficient it becomes. You can use Aqua Prison and Tidal Wave to disrupt opponents' positioning with stuns and slows, and take advantage of her 
passive combined with Tidecaller's Blessing to help chase down a fleeing enemy champion.
With her potent combination of crowd control and buffs, Nami continues to have a substantial presence in teamfights once the transition is made to the late game. Even though she's not on the front lines dishing out damage, Nami becomes a fantastic initiator through the range of her ultimate. The enormous distance covered by the rushing Tidal Wave can easily force a teamfight, or allow her team to disengage while their opponents are slowed under the weight of the tide.
Balancing her offensive capabilities and defensive utility will be crucial to success with Nami. Learn to ride the rolling wave, and you may find your team swimming to victory.
Oceans to Rivers[]
By Jigu (translated by Fowky)[3]
- "Within the forest, under moonlight... guided by the river's song... I couldn't believe what I saw."
Our world is full of legends and fantastical tales... but how would you feel if something you'd only known as myth revealed itself right in front of you?
This is just one of many stories where it happened exactly like that. Still, it's too early to tell what the one in this tale went through...
Nami Iara[]
By Fabulista (translated by Moobeat and Carolina12669)[4]
- Come closer, listeners - the lorekeeper awaits
Far away from the ocean's dark depths, a tribe of amphibious beings now call rivers and lakes their homes. In harmony with nature's forces, this mysterious and reclusive civilization's supreme law and eternal mission bids them defend its children.
The history of this noble people changed course after a tragic event. Stay a while and listen to the legend I'll soon tell.
- Young, beautiful, promising - loved by many, envied by others
Brown-skinned, dark-haired, and with merciful gaze, a young witchdoctor had a bright future ahead of her. Her being one with the wild inspired all sorts of rumors, such as being able to talk to animals on equal terms. Upon hearing these rumors, she would just let out a sweet, humble laugh.
Her exotic beauty and her grace garnered the respect and admiration of her peers - as well as the envy and resentment of others.
- Answering the call of duty - a mirror-shaped mystery
One time, a strange message was left at her home, undoubtedly a call to action: bordering a big city, a lake's aquatic denizens were at risk of losing their lives as a result of the city-dwellers' dumping of polluting substances in its waters. "Find the round mirror laying on the lakebed and bring it to the surface, so that I might tell you who I am", read the letter.
In order to avoid raising suspicion, the young departed in the cloudy dead of night in order to investigate this calamty. Little did she know what was in store...
- A victim of her own gullibility - a life cut short
Once she reached the lake, she saw it was as crystal-clear as ever - unlike the atrocity the strange note described, which made her suspicious of its messenger - and the young woman retrieved the round mirror from its depths. Once she returned to the surface, the ambush revealed itself: a group of evildoers struck her from the shadows with arrows and spears, taking her life.
Confused and desperate, her last moments brought down on her a chilling realization: the arrows bore markings of her own tribe's making.
- Nature's compassion - her story doesn't end here
As her lifeless body sank to the lake's depths, the clouds above slowly parted, revealing a full moon so bright it cast its light down the whole place. As if nature felt sorry for the young woman after the injustice brought upon her, a group of flesh-eating fish - dangerous in everyone's eyes - raised her back to the surface.
With fish circling her and moonlight beaming down on her, something magical and unexpected happened. Her story wouldn't end then and there.
- River and lake dweller, reborn under moonlight - she is Nami Iara
After a white flash, she was reborn but... changed. The mirror she'd retrieved now crowned a staff, and in it she saw her reflection under the moon's light. Though she sported her tribe's warpaint, her skin had whitened; her hair, once dark as night, now green as treetops.
Graced by the kindness of the very nature she swore to protect and bearing the sad burden of her past, Nami Iara came back as a guardian of the natural world - and stronger than she ever dreamed of.
Trivia[]
- During development, Nami was named and inspired by the Mermaid. Later, she was going to be named Romlariel (after Trevor 'Classick' Romleski's last name).[5][6]
- Original Nami, Coven Nami, and 3Nami in Legends of Runeterra are voiced by Cassandra Lee Morris, who also voices Yuumi. She returned to voice both champions and 1 Chip in Legends of Runeterra.
- Nami's Brazillian voiced is Michelle Giudice, who also voiced River Spirit Nami, Coven Nami and 3Nami in Legends of Runeterra.
- In Brazilian localization, the Skin River Spirit Nami have exclusive lines in the Brazilian voice localization and is called Nami Iara (because River Spirit Nami having lines with references to the Brazilian mythology of mermaid Iara).
- In Brazilian localization, the Skin
- While on the PBE Nami's abilities (except Tidal Wave) were called differently.[9]
- When Nami dances she uses her staff like a firedancer's but with water.
- A scrapped iteration of Tidal Wave was a global vector skill shot.[10]
Media[]
| Nami's Theme |
- Related Music
- Related Videos
- Main article: Summoner icon
- Main article: Emotes
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