New LoL Champion Naafiri: Abilities Revealed

Naafiri will be the next addition to the League of Legends roster of champions. She is meant to fill the role of a relatively simple and beginner-friendly assassin. Naafiri will also aim to fill a void in another underrepresented group in the League of Legends roster of champions. She will be the first female Darking champion released in League of Legends, and third overall.

Naafiri LoL Design

Riot Games acknowledged that they havent created a proper monster champion in quite some time. Bel’Veth was supposed to fill that role. But she is still some sort of a humanoid creature. And after K’sante filled the role of a high-skill tank champion, it was time for a simple assassin. Since Nasus and Warwick are rather old designs in the modern game, League of Legends deserved a real canine representative. But Riot Games weren’t done targeting all niche profiles when it comes to champion design. This would be only the third Darkin champion. And like all those before it, it had to have an impactful weapon.

Aatroxc had the Darking blade, Kayn had his Scythe. But Naafiri will have a dagger. And not just one. All wild hounds roam in packs. And in packs, everyone has a role and a purpose. Or a weapon in this case. This tells us a lot about the design and the vision the LoL Dev team had when creating this champion. Hounds group in packs and chase their prey. Surrounding them, following ‌and swarming them before the crucial bite.

Naafiri LoL Abilities Revealed

Passive – We Are More

Naafiri spawns Packmates that attack the targets of her attacks and abilities. Naafiri will spawn her Packmates over time but with each ability hit, the spawn rate will be increased. This means that her early game will be rather weak. Her Packmates don’t have a cooldown as of yet, so they will probably be capped per level. But we do know that her dogs will have health bars.

Naafiri Q – Darkin Daggers

Naafiri Q spell is a skill shot that hurls a dagger towards a target, passing through minions and enemies. This dagger applies a bleed effect, which then triggers her Packmates to attack the bleeding target. Naafiri can store up to 2 charges of this ability. If the second used dagger hits a bleeding enemy, the target takes the remaining bleed damage as instant bonus damage and Naafiri is healed for a portion of the damage. 

Naafiri W – Hounds’ Pursuit

Naafiri and her Packmates dash at an enemy, colliding with the first champion hit and dealing damage. This is meant to serve as her mobility and engage tool, and should probably be the last ability you max. 

Naafiri E – Eviscerate

Naafiri dashes and damages enemies in an area, recalling and healing her Packmates to full. This is probably her second best ability, which you will be using after going in. It does AEO damage and heals her packmates. 

Naafiri R – The Call of the Pack

Naafiri empowers her pack and spawns additional Packmates, gaining a burst of speed and vision and a shield when she attacks a champion. On first champion takedown, all effects are refreshed.