And honestly if you do want to play Qiyana and appear only under the full moon like some type of werewolf, you better make quite the entrance. So we’re going to take a look at Qiyana’s cosmetics and see which skins are going to make the biggest impact when you roll in onto the Rift.
4. Battle Boss Qiyana
Released: June 28th, 2019 Price: 1350 RP This is Qiyana’s release skin, and I honestly think it just aimed a bit too high to stick the landing. In terms of new particles and animations, this goes insane and adds classic arcade-style particles to every ability in your kit – along with more nostalgic sound effects than you know what to do with. But that’s exactly the issue: it gets a bit overwhelming after a while. Late into the game, you’re going to be smashing that keyboard like it was nobody’s business. And seeing that many particles and hearing that many sounds just gets slightly annoying. In terms of the character model, I’m pretty sure Battle Boss Qiyana was modeled after Bowsette. And I honestly don’t even know what to do with that information. Further bells and whistles come in the form of a voice filter, additional quotes, a rather decent selection of chromas, plus a really fun backing animation and an extremely solid splash art. Overall, I do think that this skin is good – but I just think there are better options if you’re looking for your go-to look.
3. Battle Queen Qiyana
Released: December 10th, 2020 Price: 1350 RP Battle Queen Qiyana feels like the base design took steroids. Oh, you thought that the whole “element” schtick was interesting? Well your weapon now houses the chaos emeralds. You like Qiyana’s crown? Now she just looks like a million bucks and has more accessories than a person could ever need. Hell, let’s also just give her that anime loli aesthetic while we’re at it! Jokes aside, the character model here really is quite well-made, and has a pretty distinct aesthetic. Her animations on the other hand are a bit more bland. Even though all of her new particles are crisp, and the skin plays rather well, this design just plays it too safe. Besides a pretty cool backing animation, there are no new effects that are all that memorable on this skin. That might be a good thing if you like the base design & just want to spruce it up a little bit, or if you’re one of those “less is more” people. But it definitely can’t get into first place without a bit more oomph.
2. Shockblade Qiyana
Released: February 17th, 2022 Price: 1350 RP With the Shockblade skin line, you can’t really miss – they’re all great. The character model is just a Naruto character, and it honestly has no business being as good as it is. It keeps most of what made Qiyana’s original design good while adding a really nice outfit and even a headband. And in terms of new animations and particles, it’s the polar opposite of the previous entry. Every ability feels like an ultimate with this skin! This is because you get a nice, distinct thunderclap whenever you do just about anything. And your ult is just an entire storm. I also love the fact that you can see electricity while in your Q stealth. Little details like that just make the skin pop out a bit more. The chroma selection is also rather decent, although no single chroma really blew me away. Overall, the skin is just decent all around. I will say though that it gets a bit boring after a while. Not my favorite as a whole – but a very strong contender nevertheless.
1. True Damage Qiyana
Released: November 10th, 2019 Price: 1350 RP It’s not every day that a music-themed skin tops one of my rankings – but here we are. True Damage Qiyana simply has the best parts of the previous skins. It comes with new, flashy new animations that don’t get repetitive (even after dozens of games), as well as a character model that has its original feel separate from the base model. The Qiyana mains subreddit calls its members the Sassy Queens – and this is obviously the most “Sassy” the Queen is ever going to get, considering this skin literally has the Louis Vuitton stamp of approval. So I think they’re with me on this one as well. The little pulse effect on your weapon makes you look a bit more dangerous too. And the animation on your shroud is very easy to keep track of, plus it plays a pretty nice beat as well. And your ult just feels like a party. It’s also worth pointing out that this skin has a Prestige edition, just in case you weren’t flexing on the opposition hard enough already. Note: this content was created under Riot Games’ “Legal Jibber Jabber” policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project.
