League of Legends news » Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert Revealed

Greetings Summoners!

Sometimes, you want to go a little crazy. Sometimes, you want to throw caution to the wind. And sometimes, you want to blow stuff up just to watch it explode. If you agree with any of the previous statements, we should have a conversation about Ziggs, the Hexplosive Expert.

The first thing you’ll notice about Ziggs is that he doesn’t get anything for free – it requires a strong throwing arm and keen aim to get the most out of him, trading safety and caution for massive damage opportunities and insane poke. Ziggs bounces – a new skill shot paradigm – bombs along the ground at his foes and blasts them to smithereens, providing he can predict his enemy’s movements effectively.

In addition to a barrage of explosives, Ziggs has some madcap tricks up his tiny sleeves. Ziggs’ Satchel Charge can control an area and knock back enemies a short distance when he detonates it, and he can also send himself flying away from the blast by using the ability to launch himself. If Ziggs is too hasty, however, he’ll find the long cooldown can punish misuse and leave him vulnerable in a tight spot.

Ziggs espouses our new champion design direction to make champions deep and provide a unique gameplay experience. His strengths and weaknesses really shine (for example, his lack of a reliable targeted nuke allows us to give him greater damage potential and range), and mastering his abilities will challenge seasoned summoners.

Give Ziggs a spin and tell us what you think – your feedback has helped us move in this direction, and we’re constantly working to make the game a more fun and engaging experience.

Abilities:

• Short Fuse (Passive) - Every 12 seconds Ziggs' next basic attack deals bonus magic damage. This cooldown is reduced whenever Ziggs uses an ability.
• Bouncing Bomb - Ziggs throws a bouncing bomb that deals magic damage.
• Satchel Charge - Ziggs flings an explosive charge that detonates after 4 seconds, or when this ability is activated again. The explosion deals magic damage to enemies, knocking them away. Ziggs is also knocked away, but takes no damage.
• Hexplosive Minefield - Ziggs scatters proximity mines that detonate on enemy contact, dealing magic damage and slowing.
• Mega Inferno Bomb (Ultimate) - Ziggs deploys his ultimate creation, the Mega Inferno Bomb, hurling it an enormous distance, Enemies in the primary blast zone take more damage than those further away.

Lore:

Ziggs was born with a talent for tinkering, but his chaotic, hyperactive nature was unusual among yordle scientists. Aspiring to be a revered inventor like Heimerdinger, he rattled through ambitious projects with manic zeal, emboldened by both his explosive failures and his unprecedented discoveries. Word of Ziggs' volatile experimentation reached the famed Yordle Academy in Piltover and its esteemed professors invited him to demonstrate his craft. His characteristic disregard for safety brought the presentation to an early conclusion, however, when the hextech engine Ziggs was demonstrating overheated and exploded, blowing a huge hole in the wall of the Academy. The professors dusted themselves off and sternly motioned for him to leave. Devastated, Ziggs prepared to return to Bandle City in shame. However, before he could leave, a group of Zaunite agents infiltrated the Academy and kidnapped the professors. The Piltover military tracked the captives to a Zaunite prison, but their weapons were incapable of destroying the fortified walls. Determined to outdo them, Ziggs began experimenting on a new kind of armament, and quickly realized that he could harness his accidental gift for demolition to save the captured yordles.

Before long, Ziggs had created a line of powerful bombs he lovingly dubbed ''hexplosives.'' With his new creations ready for their first trial, Ziggs traveled to Zaun and sneaked into the prison compound. He launched a gigantic bomb at the prison and watched with glee as the explosion tore through the reinforced wall. Once the smoke had cleared, Ziggs scuttled into the facility, sending guards running with a hail of bombs. He rushed to the cell, blew the door off its hinges, and led the captive yordles to freedom. Upon returning to the Academy, the humbled professors recognized Ziggs with an honorary title - Dean of Demolitions - and proposed that he demonstrate this new form of yordle ingenuity in the League of Legends. Vindicated at last, Ziggs accepted the proposal, eager to bring his ever-expanding range of hexplosives to the greatest testing grounds in the world: the Fields of Justice.

''Ziggs? Unpredictable, dangerous, yes yes. But quite brilliant!'' - Heimerdinger