Look. It’s no secret that there technically isn’t a pay-to-win skin in League of Legends. In some games, purchasing skins can give you additional buffs or other in-game benefits, but skins are solely for cosmetic purposes in League.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some skins that are designed in a way that give you an edge over your opponent, whether because they feel slick or have visual elements that make it harder for the enemy to distinguish the attacks.

Some skins have even been banned in pro play because they had visual clarity issues or bugs that gave a tangible advantage (though Riot has resolved many of these issues today).

If you’re motivated by LP rather than aesthetics when it comes to choosing your skins, read on. We’ve ranked some of the most pay-to-win skins in League below.

8. Muay Thai Lee Sin

Yep, there’s a reason why this is the most-equipped skin among Lee Sin mains. This skin may not be as flashy as Storm Dragon, but it offers something better: Smoother attack animations that feel like a massive upgrade over the base model.

The visuals and sound effects are also clean and distinct, which comes in handy when you’re trying to land an inSec kick among visual clutter.

Unfortunately, Muay Thai Lee Sin isn’t in its prime pay-to-win era. After the last ASU downgrade—ahem, “upgrade,” the attack animations are no longer as smooth as they once were.

7. Steel Legion Lux

Steel Legion Lux is another iconic pay-to-win gem. The animations are subtle, not overly flashy, and consist of muted colors. The Q and E abilities also look extremely similar, especially amidst a fight or other visual clutter.

All these qualities combined make it harder for your opponents to identify your attacks accurately.

6. iBlitzcrank

Blitzcrank’s hook is already traumatizing, but iBlitzcrank takes this trauma up a whole other level. It makes the hook harder to see due to the subtle, almost translucent effect, and in turn, much more difficult to dodge. The sound effect also isn’t as audible as the original hook’s, which further adds to the pay-to-win effect.

5. Dark Waters Vladimir

Dark Waters Vladimir isn’t exactly winning any style points, like many of the skins featured here, but it’s certainly worth the splurge. The animations are game-changingly smooth, the character model is subtle enough to blend into the background, and the pool’s animation can easily be missed in the midst of a skirmish (especially in the river).

To make matters worse for your opponents, you can pair Dark Waters Vladimir with a dark chroma to camouflage the animations further.

4. Forsaken Jayce

Jayce’s kit primarily revolves around his Q ability, so it should come as no surprise that Forsaken Jayce is featured on this list. The Q on this skin is misleading (and downright confusing): it appears narrower than it actually is and looks as though it extends farther.

The Q is also incredibly dark, with no distinct outline, making it difficult to spot, especially from a distance.

3. Project Ashe

Project Ashe is a skin that gives you the best of both worlds: a badass character design and a pay-to-win feel. The attacks are undeniably crisp and smooth, which helps make kiting feel effortless, and her R’s hitbox appears “off” due to the way the arrow is designed. The dark, holographic effect on her attacks doesn’t exactly aid visual clarity either.

2. Headhunter Nidalee

Headhunter Nidalee is infamous among the League community, and for good reason. This skin literally used to have a bug that made her spears practically invisible.

While Riot has finally fixed this bug — apparently — Headhunter Nidalee still has some pay-to-win design features. Specifically, her Q spear projectile appears narrower than it actually is, isn’t overly visually distinct, and tends to blend into the map.

To top it off, the spear also has a remarkably satisfying sound effect on impact; something that’s sure to give you satisfaction (and motivate you) in your games.

1. Elementalist Lux

Yep, Lux is spoilt with the pay-to-win skins.

Elementalist Lux is widely regarded as one of the most aesthetic ultimate skins, but it can also give you a lil’ LP boost, mainly because of the chameleon effect. Since you can change the skin’s form/color to your choosing, you can easily blend your character model (and your attacks) into the Rift, regardless of the season’s map theme. The changing color scheme can also throw off the enemy if they aren’t expecting it.

Elementalist Lux has also been called out for other pay-to-win elements by the playerbase. Some complain that the attacks appear slower than the base model’s attacks, causing them to dodge belatedly. Others argue that the particle effects are so flashy that, in teamfights, they feel cluttered and become hard to tell apart.

In short: All positives if you’re looking for a skin that’ll frustrate your enemy and help you climb!

Are “Pay-to-Win” Skins Worth the Splurge?

Let’s make this clear: A pay-to-win skin isn’t going to make you a pro player overnight. However, what these skins do have in common is a theme: they make your attack animations feel slick and, due to the design elements, are much more likely to catch your enemy off guard.

If you’re committed to the climb and want every single advantage you can get, no matter how big or small, we’d say these skins are worth the splurge… But make sure you actually like the design before you commit!