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As with every new season of League of Legends, fans can look forward to a flurry of changes, from champion reworks to item nerfs. While we've got an entire masterlist to help you keep track of what's new in Season 12, the upcoming patch will also mark the arrival of a new set of skins. The Elderwood skins for Gnar and Rek'sai will soon be dropping in League of Legends, so here's a look at the splash art and special effects for each.
Both Elderwood skins are expected to arrive in League of Legends Patch 12.1. The scheduled release date is on January 4, 2022, so it won't be long now before players can get their hands on these mystifying new skins.
Elderwood Gnar Skin
The splash art depicts Gnar in his small form, as a curious creature crawling along the forest floor. Elderwood Gnar perfectly captures the more playful and inquisitive nature of Gnar as the Champion reaches out to what looks like a plant spirit of sorts.
For the skin's in-game features, Elderwood Gnar showcases brilliant blues and greens, reminiscent of a mystical rainforest creature. These colors also dazzle in the Champion's boomerang, blending well as it spins for his Q. The recall animation shows Gnar surrounded by a grassy patch interspersed with flowers as well as a tree stump that the Champion hops onto.
Mega Gnar's recall has a similar environment, but the Champion itself takes on a more ancient-looking appearance. He appears to have light gray armor plates carved with swirls similar to the rings on a tree. The blue-green-yellow gradient also works exceptionally well for Mega Gnar's abilities, especially the E and R which briefly etch colorful patterns on the ground. Not to mention, the E also includes small butterfly animations arising from when Mega Gnar smacks down onto the terrain.
Elderwood Rek'sai Skin
The Elderwood Rek'Sai skin makes the Void Burrower like a majestic yet intimidating beast coming out from the forest's depths. Bloom and bark come together in this splash art, sticking closely to Rek'Sai's original deep blue and purple motif. The bright aqua glow makes the Champion stand out in the darkness like a legendary creature from old wives' tales.
In-game, the Elderwood Rek'Sai skin offers several impressive new effects and animations. When recalling, Rek'Sai jumps up then lands on the ground, causing an open tree bark to shoot up from the ground. As the Champion circles the tree, a purple and blue colored flower also emerges from within, popping up through the bark's opening.
The burrow animations are especially pleasing to look at, the light blue-green and purple blend very well together and the burrowing act itself makes it look like Rek'Sai dove into a mystical swamp. The rings signaling the footsteps of opponents also get a bright bluish makeover. Similar to Gnar's case, the colors that the designers chose for the Elderwood skin work great because Rek'Sai's Q involves her spinning around, allowing the hues to blend and make the effects come alive.
Leaves and petals now also sprout from her tunnels, and the purple in the middle of the blues make it look like a potion or some sort of magical concoction. This would probably be the highlight for the skin, including the spectacular animation for when Rek'Sai unburrows and emerges from the depths to attack an opponent, creating what looks like spikes from the ground. The R is a little underwhelming, nothing too flashy and without any additional special effects, but the good tunnel design—including the petals or leaves falling off—more than makes up for it.
