League of Legends Briar: New Champion abilities, lore & more
Briar, the Restrained Hunger, is the newest Champion heading to League of Legends. She's a vampiric jungler with a very unique mechanic.
We've got lots of info about this new LoL character here, so keep reading to find out more about the fascinating new Champion.
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LoL Briar release date
Briar is the newest Champion in League of Legends, and we've got info about her lore, abilities and more below. She is coming to the PBE test server on August 31st and is expected to release in patch 13.18 after that.
Who is Briar in League of Legends?
Click to enlargeBriar's arms are stuck in a pillory, but she can break free of these restraints and become stronger using her W ability - at the cost of losing control. She will relentlessly charge at the nearest enemy, and the only way to break her out of this state is by using another of her abilities. This is a unique mechanic in the game as it relinquishes control from the player, forcing you to be smart about when you use it.
She was created to fill a hole that the developers thought the jungle role was missing. She's a more light-hearted take on a female jungler, a stark contrast to the femme fatale/evil vibes from Champions like Evelynn and Elise. Though she's vicious in combat, her animations and visuals are designed to be more on the goofy side.
But what about her lore? Briar is a failed experiment by the Black Rose, and needs to consume blood to fuel herself. She was made sentient so she could execute the Black Rose's orders, but her desire for blood caused her to become uncontrollable. After failing her missions she was put in a pillory and then imprisoned - only to figure out how to break free of her restraints.
She's inspired by gothic folklore, including Eastern European vampires as well as the jiāngshī - the Chinese hopping vampire.
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What are Briar's abilities in League of Legends?
Click to enlargeBriar's abilities in League of Legends have a couple of twists we've never seen before in a Champion. Her passive, Crimson Curse, prevents Briar from healing over time. She has no innate health regeneration, but her attacks and abilities apply a stacking bleed similar to Darius. However, Briar's bleed heals her over time based on the damage dealt.
Her Q is Head Rush, and it's her most simple ability. Briar leaps to a unit, dealing damage and stunning them, as well as breaking their armour.
Briar's W, Blood Frenzy/Snack Attack, is her most interesting. She relentlessly pursues the nearest enemy when activated, prioritising champions and gaining more Attack Speed and Move Speed. Her attacks also deal more damage in an area around her target. You can reactivate it to take a bite out of the target you're chasing, dealing more damage based on missing health and healing Briar.
Briar's E, Chilling Scream, snaps her out of her Blood Frenzy and channels her energy into a scream that damages and slows enemies. While charging she takes reduced damage and heals for a portion of her max health. A fully charged scream will stun and deal huge damage if you knock an enemy into a wall.
Finally, Briar's ultimate is aptly named Certain Death, and it uses the same mechanic as Blood Frenzy. However, when using her R Briar kicks a hemolith into an enemy, marking a Champion as her prey. She can dash to them from almost anywhere on the map, entering into a frenzy until one of them dies. She gains the effects of Blood Frenzy as well as more Armour, Magic Resist, Lifesteal and Move Speed.
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