League of Legends constantly evolves with new champions that bring fresh mechanics and playstyles to the game. Aurora is one of these exciting additions, embodying the mystical power of the northern lights with a kit that emphasizes crowd control, utility, and burst damage. In this article, we will delve deep into Aurora’s abilities, her strengths and weaknesses, and how best to utilize her in various scenarios on the Rift.
Introduction to Aurora
Aurora is a versatile mage-support hybrid champion, designed to control the battlefield and protect her allies with her frosty powers. Her abilities revolve around the themes of ice and light, creating a unique playstyle that combines elements of crowd control, damage mitigation, and area denial. She excels in both mid-lane and support roles, making her a flexible pick that can adapt to the needs of her team.
Passive: Northern Glow
Aurora’s passive, Northern Glow, is a dual-effect ability that grants her different bonuses based on her proximity to allies and enemies.
- When near allies: Aurora gains increased ability power and mana regeneration. This aspect of her passive reflects her role as a supportive figure, enhancing her ability to heal, shield, or provide utility to her team.
- When near enemies: She gains bonus movement speed and spell vamp, allowing her to be more aggressive in duels or when chasing down opponents. This part of her passive gives Aurora a dangerous edge in close-quarter skirmishes.
Gameplay Tips:
- Positioning is Key: Aurora’s passive encourages a dynamic playstyle where positioning is crucial. Stay close to your teammates during engagements to maximize your ability power and mana regen, especially in extended fights where sustain is important.
- Use Aggression Wisely: The bonus movement speed and spell vamp can turn Aurora into a surprising duelist. Look for opportunities to capitalize on these bonuses when the enemy team is out of position or when a key target is isolated.
Q: Frostbite
Frostbite is Aurora’s primary damage-dealing ability. It launches a shard of ice in a straight line, dealing magic damage to the first enemy it hits and applying a slow effect. If the target is already affected by any crowd control effect, Frostbite deals bonus damage and freezes the target in place for a short duration.
Gameplay Tips:
- Great for Poking: Use Frostbite to harass enemies in lane or during skirmishes. The slow makes it easier to land follow-up abilities, and the bonus damage against crowd-controlled enemies allows for strong combos.
- Follow Up with Crowd Control: Frostbite works exceptionally well when used after another crowd control ability. Pairing it with a teammate’s stun or root can result in a devastating freeze, which can be crucial in locking down high-priority targets.
W: Glacial Shield
Glacial Shield creates a protective barrier of ice around Aurora or a targeted ally, absorbing a significant amount of damage for a few seconds. When the shield expires or is destroyed, it explodes, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and applying a brief stun.
Gameplay Tips:
- Defensive Utility: Use Glacial Shield to protect squishy allies or yourself during critical moments, such as when an enemy is using a high-damage ability. The shield’s explosion can also be a useful tool for disrupting the enemy team during fights.
- Timing the Explosion: Position yourself or your shielded ally near enemy champions when the shield is about to expire to ensure the explosion hits as many targets as possible. This can be particularly effective for peeling enemies off of your carries or setting up a team fight.
E: Icy Veil
Icy Veil creates a zone of chilling mist at a target location. Enemies caught in the mist are slowed and have their magic resist reduced while inside it. After a short delay, the mist erupts, dealing magic damage to all enemies within the area.
Gameplay Tips:
- Zoning Tool: Icy Veil is perfect for controlling key areas of the map, such as jungle entrances, objectives, or choke points. Use it to create space for your team or to deny the enemy access to strategic locations.
- Combo Potential: The magic resist reduction synergizes well with Aurora’s other abilities and those of her allies. Coordinate with your team to unleash a barrage of abilities after the eruption, maximizing the damage output.
R: Aurora Borealis
Aurora’s ultimate ability, Aurora Borealis, is a powerful tool that can turn the tide of any battle. It summons a massive wave of icy energy in a target direction, dealing magic damage to all enemies hit and stunning them for a brief duration. The wave leaves behind a trail of ice that slows enemies and grants movement speed to allies who pass over it.
Gameplay Tips:
- Engage or Disengage: Aurora Borealis can be used both offensively to initiate fights and defensively to cover a retreat. The stun and slow effects make it versatile, allowing for flexible play depending on the situation.
- Team Coordination: Due to its large area of effect, Aurora Borealis is excellent for setting up wombo combos with your team. Use it to catch multiple enemies in a line, setting them up for follow-up abilities from your teammates.
Synergies and Counterplay
Synergies:
- Engage Compositions: Aurora excels in compositions that rely on strong engage and crowd control. Her ability to freeze, stun, and slow enemies can create devastating chain CC (crowd control) opportunities.
- Magic Damage Dealers: Champions who deal magic damage benefit greatly from Aurora’s magic resist reduction on Icy Veil. Pair her with burst mages or AP bruisers to amplify their damage output.
Counterplay:
- High Mobility Champions: Aurora struggles against champions with high mobility who can easily dodge her skill shots and avoid her crowd control effects.
- Long-Range Poke: Due to her relatively short range, Aurora can be vulnerable to champions who can poke her from a distance and avoid direct confrontations.
Build and Runes
Core Items:
- Liandry’s Anguish: Provides ability power, mana, and a burn effect that synergizes well with Aurora’s crowd control.
- Zhonya’s Hourglass: Essential for survivability, allowing Aurora to become untargetable during key moments, especially after engaging with Aurora Borealis.
- Rylai’s Crystal Scepter: Enhances her ability to kite and control enemies, adding a slow to her spells and making her crowd control even more effective.
Runes:
- Sorcery Tree: Arcane Comet for poke damage, Manaflow Band for sustain, Transcendence for cooldown reduction, and Scorch for additional early-game pressure.
- Resolve Tree: Bone Plating and Revitalize for extra durability and enhanced shielding and healing effects.
Playing as Aurora: Tips and Tricks
- Master Positioning: Always be mindful of your positioning to maximize the benefits of Northern Glow and to effectively utilize Glacial Shield and Aurora Borealis.
- Crowd Control Chains: Coordinate with your team to chain your crowd control effects, ensuring maximum lockdown and damage on priority targets.
- Objective Control: Use Icy Veil to zone enemies away from objectives like Dragon and Baron. The threat of its damage and debuff can force opponents to reconsider their approach.
- Adapt Your Playstyle: Depending on your role (mid or support) and the needs of your team, focus on either a more defensive, utility-oriented playstyle or a more aggressive, damage-focused approach.
Conclusion
Aurora is a dynamic champion who brings a blend of crowd control, utility, and burst damage to League of Legends. Her abilities offer a high skill ceiling with the potential for game-changing plays when used correctly. Mastering Aurora requires a keen understanding of positioning, timing, and team coordination. Whether you are looking to protect your allies or disrupt the enemy team, Aurora has the tools to shine brightly on the Rift. So, embrace the power of the northern lights and let Aurora guide you to victory!