Nick “LS” De Cesare is a League of Legends coach, streamer, and commentator. But even he doesn’t understand Aphelios.
“I’m not even going to lie, I have forgotten about Aphelios’ gun,” LS said on his stream last night. “I want to take this moment to say I am the LCK color caster and I will be casting LCK tomorrow. And I have no fucking idea what that champion does. I’ve probably played against him about 100 times. Maybe more. I have no fucking clue what I’m looking at, I don’t know what’s coming next. You just approach him and you’re guessing.”
Aphelios has been a controversial champion since his release in December 2019. Despite undergoing multiple nerfs and dropping down to an underwhelming 48 percent win rate in Platinum and above, his complex mechanics have dumbfounded casual players and pros alike.
He only technically has two abilities, but his option to switch between five different weapons, each with unique animations and effects, has made him confusing to play against. It can be difficult to determine which weapon he’s using at any given time, leading to some unfavorable situations.
Related: Sneaky believes players complain about Aphelios because they “don’t know” what he does
Aphelios is considered overpowered by much of the League community. He’s been nerfed over and over again and has fallen sharply in the standings, but he still has a large presence in competitive play. He’s been featured numerous times in both the LEC and LCS and has drawn multiple picks and bans.
No matter his strength, though, his complex abilities and his confusing visuals have made him an eyesore of a champion. And LS clearly agrees.
