Riot's well-oiled champion machine has cranked out yet another choice for Summoners to select from: Braum, the Heart of the Freljord! Although rumors and leaks of Braum and his art circulated forums this past week, Riot gave the official announcement and released his overview.

Even at the first glance, Braum appears to be a quirky, fun champion (with an obviously uncanny relation to Saxton Hale from TF2 and the Pringle's Man)! His art is fantastic and he has a kit to match.

Marketed as the first Tank/Melee Support, Braum is said to create a symbiotic bond with his ADC and be a great asset to team fights.

Here's a quick summary of Braum's kit:

His Passive, 'Concussive Blows', stacks on his basic attacks. Once an enemy is hit and Braum's stack is applied, any basic attacks from Braum or his allies applies further stacks. Enemy targets who reach 4 stacks are stunned and are inflicted with bonus magic damage.

Braum's Q, 'Winter's Bite', propels shards of ice from his massive shield in a line. This skillshot also applies 'Concussive Blows' stacks upon hitting its first enemy target.

Braum's W, 'Stand Behind Me', allows him to jump to an ally nearby and put himself between his ally and the nearest enemy's fire. This leap also gives both Braum and his ally bonus armor and magic resist.

Braum's E, 'Unbreakable', creates an ice shield is a chosen direction which blocks incoming damage from the first attack which hits said shield. In addition, all attacks that follow will have a reduction in damage while the shield is in place. All projectiles are blocked and shattered by Braum's shield. Braum is granted a bit of a speed boost while his E is in effect, as well. The ability to move while blocking allows Braum to constantly reposition his shield to the perfect angle to protect his ADC at all times.

Finally, the ultimate, Glacial Fissure, shoots a huge, long-range skillshot which provides knock-up and damage when Braum's slams his shield down. After the ice wave, an effective, slowing patch is left in its wake.

According to Riot, Braum will have strong synergy with:
-Ashe: Tons of slows, stuns, and easy kills!
-Caitlyn: Strong range, paired with stuns can only mean blood spilled!
-Ezreal: Strong zoning with Ezreal's long-range Q and Braum's passive!

However, Braum is predicted to struggle against:
-Lulu: Spell counters like 'Help, Pix!' render Unbreakable far less effective.
-Vayne: Effective dodge and mobility, as well as knock-backs to push away a blocking Braum.
-Zyra: Strong snares can stun Braum before defending, and seeds with Deadly Bloom can bypass Braum's shield altogether.

It's clear that Braum will be a highly potent support with strong offensive stuns and damage, as well as insane defensive ability with his shield and 'Stand Behind Me' ability. His alpha-male, comical manliness seems to already be a hit in the community and his strong kit will only further his popularity. If you're interested, go check Braum out on the PBE servers to have a whirl and let us know whether you think he'll live up to the hype!