New League of Legends Champion Kalista seems just lovely - she’s a “treacherously murdered” specter fueled by the power of the Shadow Isles.
She wields the Black Spear, which allows her to form pacts with allies. If they agree, the item is consumed and both players are ‘Soul-Bound’ for the remainder of the game.
Being Soul-Bound allows both players to makes use of a passive buff granting them increased damage. “Kalista’s potential is unlocked by solid communication and cooperation with allies,” developer Riot explains, “rather than raw mechanical skill. While still capable in her own right, Kalista misses out on Soul-Marked’s bonus damage and effective use of her ult without direct cooperation from her ally.”
The idea here is to create a ranged hero that relies on successful co-op play. An ambitious move, considering the amount of abuse you can cop from your so-called allies in some League of Legends games. Despite the fact its meant to be team-based.
“Kalista is for players who enjoy or want to improve at taking the pulse of teammates and working together toward a win,” explains designer CertainlyT. Check out the lengthy announcement page for more info on Kalista, who’s playable now.
