New LoL champion Aphelios’ abilities revealed in new trailer

Riot Games has unveiled Aphelios through both a champion trailer and an extensive kit explanation, introducing what may be the most mechanically complex character ever added to League of Legends.

This new marksman joins the roster in December, featuring an unprecedented combat system centered around five distinct weapons utilized in main-hand and off-hand configurations.

The weapon system fundamentally alters not just Aphelios’ abilities but also provides unique passive effects and ultimate enhancements that transform based on current armaments.

Beyond his ultimate ability Moonlight Vigil, Aphelios possesses only his Q skill, which completely changes identity and function depending on the equipped weapon.

Notably, Aphelios lacks an E ability entirely, while his W serves exclusively to swap his off-hand weapon, enabling follow-up attacks and modifying his Q capabilities. Players cannot manually select weapons—they automatically cycle when ammunition exhausts, necessitating a specialized HUD to track the complex transitions.

Aphelios’ Complete Weapon Arsenal and Strategic Applications

Aphelios wields five meticulously designed weapons: Calibrum, Severum, Gravitum, Infernum, and Crescendum.

Calibrum functions as a long-range rifle that marks targets upon hit. Off-hand attacks detonate these marks for additional damage. Its Q ability Moonshot delivers a damaging skill shot, making this weapon ideal for poke harassment. When enhanced by Moonlight Vigil, follow-up attacks gain bonus damage against marked enemies.

Severum, designed as a scythe pistol, provides crucial sustain by healing Aphelios based on damage dealt. Onslaught (Q) unleashes rapid fire from both weapons at the nearest target, while ultimate follow-ups grant immediate healing bursts.

Gravitum serves as a utility cannon, applying slows to attacked enemies. Using Eclipse (Q) converts these slows into damaging global roots. Moonlight Vigil amplifies the slowing effect significantly.

Infernum, Aphelios’ flamethrower, excels at area damage and wave clearance. It inflicts increased damage and creates destructive cones behind struck targets, potentially affecting entire enemy formations. Duskwave (Q) projects flames followed by off-hand attacks, with the ultimate transforming damage cones into circular areas.

Crescendum completes the arsenal as a chakram—a boomerang-style weapon focused on DPS. When its abilities or follow-up attacks connect, Crescendum generates copies that enhance basic attack potency with each enemy struck. Post-ultimate, damage scaling increases dramatically, capping at three champion hits.

Crucially, Moonlight Vigil always initiates by launching a bomb that adheres to the first champion struck, detonating for area damage before triggering any of the five enhanced attack effects.

Mastering Aphelios: Advanced Mechanics and Combat Strategies

Given his radically different ability system—complete with dedicated HUD—Riot appropriately positions Aphelios as possessing the highest skill ceiling encountered by League players to date.

Weapon rotation management represents Aphelios’ core mastery challenge. Since weapons cycle automatically upon ammunition depletion, advanced players must track current ammo counts and anticipate upcoming weapon sequences to maintain optimal combat readiness.

Common beginner mistakes include poor ammunition conservation, resulting in undesirable weapon switches during critical engagements. Optimal play involves strategically expending ammo to access specific weapon combinations for upcoming objectives.

Strategic weapon pairing is essential: combine Calibrum with Severum for safe lane harassment, Gravitum with Infernum for teamfight control, or Crescendum with any weapon for maximum damage output when conditions permit.

Ultimate timing requires careful consideration of current weapon effects. Using Moonlight Vigil with Gravitum can secure crucial picks, while Infernum-enhanced ultimates devastate clustered opponents. Always remember the initial bomb damage occurs regardless of follow-up effects.

Begin your Aphelios mastery journey by focusing on individual weapon mechanics in practice tool sessions. Dedicate 15-20 minutes to each weapon, mastering its Q ability timing and understanding its ideal combat range and situations.

Intermediate players should practice weapon combination transitions, particularly learning which off-hand weapons complement main-hand selections for specific scenarios like sieging, teamfighting, or skirmishing.

Advanced optimization involves predicting enemy movements and preemptively cycling to appropriate weapons. For example, anticipating a dragon fight should prompt weapon management to ensure you have Infernum or Gravitum available for area control.

Teamfight execution requires understanding your current weapon’s strengths. Position aggressively with Severum for sustain, maintain distance with Calibrum for picks, or control zones with Gravitum’s utility.

Players gain access to Aphelios with patch 9.24, scheduled for deployment on December 11, marking the final update of the year.

For comprehensive League of Legends strategy guidance, explore our Complete Guide to enhance your overall gameplay fundamentals.

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