League of Legends news » Draven, the Glorious Executioner Revealed!

Draven is poised to enter the League this coming patch. This champion of the arena knows the value of enjoying what you do – even if your line of work happens to involve grisly executions!

For a ranged Attack Damage champion like Draven, proper positioning is extremely important for maximizing your damage potential while remaining safe. For Draven, however, good positioning will also allow you to utilize your primary damage ability, Spinning Axe, to its fullest potential. Upon activation, Draven’s next basic attack will deal bonus damage and cause his signature throwing axe to bounce high into the air. Catching the axe will refresh the effect, causing Draven’s next basic attack to also become a Spinning Axe. After a couple of catches, Draven can even activate the ability a second time to utilize two Spinning Axes at once!

Since positioning is so important to for this flashy ranged carry, we’ve also equipped Draven with some additional skills to keep him on the offensive. Activating Blood Rush will give you just the boost of speed that you need to get out of trouble, keep up the chase or rapidly reposition to catch a falling throwing axe. As an added bonus each time you make a successful catch, the cooldown for Blood Rush is refreshed, allowing you to activate it again to maintain momentum. Additionally, the slow and knockback from Stand Aside can help you chase down a fleeing enemy so you can continue your onslaught.

If you really want to showcase your trick shot skills, Draven’s ultimate, Whirling Death, is sure to make the crowd go wild. Upon activation, Draven will roll out both his hand axes in a global line attack, dealing damage to each enemy in their path. By reactivating Whirling Death you can recall your hand axes to your current location, bringing Whirling Death back around for another pass through the enemy team. Repositioning yourself with Blood Rush and knocking enemy opponents back into the line of fire with Stand Aside can turn this second run into a truly impressive and devastating spectacle of death!

Abilities

• Wicked Blades (passive) - Draven's Critical Strikes deal bonus physical damage over time. Spinning Axe also causes this effect even if it does not Critically Strike.
• Spinning Axe - Draven's next attack will deal bonus physical damage. This axe will ricochet off the target high up into the air. If Draven catches it, he automatically readies another Spinning Axe. Draven can have two Spinning Axes at once.
• Blood Rush - Draven gains increased Movement Speed and Attack Speed. The Movement Speed bonus decreases rapidly over its duration. Catching a Spinning Axe will refresh the cooldown of Blood Rush.
• Stand Aside - Draven throws his axes, dealing physical damage to targets hit and knocking them aside. Targets hit are slowed.
• Whirling Death (Ultimate) - Draven hurls two massive axes dealing physical damage to each unit struck. Whirling Death slowly reverses direction and returns to Draven after striking an enemy champion. Draven may also activate this ability while the axes are in flight to cause it to return early. Deals less damage for each unit hit and resets when the axes reverse direction.

Lore

Unlike his brother Darius, victory in battle was never enough for Draven. He craved recognition, acclaim, and glory. He first sought greatness in the Noxian military, but his flair for the dramatic went severely underappreciated. Thirsting for a method to share ''Draven'' with the world, he turned his attention to the prison system. There he carved out the celebrity he desired by turning the tedious affair of executions into a premiere spectacle.

At Draven's first execution, he shocked onlookers when he ordered the doomed prisoner to run for dear life. Just before the man managed to flee from sight, Draven brought him down with a flawless throw of his axe. Soon, all Draven’s executions became a gauntlet through which Noxian prisoners raced for a final chance at life. He used this trial as his own personal stage, and turned executions into a leading form of entertainment. He rallied onlookers into a frenzy, while desperate prisoners scrambled to evade him. They never succeeded. Rejecting the solemn, black uniforms of Noxian executioners Draven donned bright outfits and developed flashy signature moves to distinguish himself. Crowds flocked to see Draven in action, and tales of his performances spread quickly. As his popularity grew, so did his already-inflated ego. He belonged at the center of attention. Before long, the scope of his ambitions outgrew the population of Noxus. He decided that the glorious exploits of Draven should be put on display for the entire world.

“ ‘The best’ is wherever I decide to set the bar each day.” - Draven