IronStylus on Battle Priestess Soraka

Posted on at 10:01 PM by Moobeat
If you're like me, you were really excited when the news rolled out about a new Soraka skin accompanying the long awaited Soraka visual update and then, once the update was released, you were crushed at the lack of a new skin.

Luckily, IronStylus flew by the forums to drop off an explanation of where our Soraka skin is and what the deal was with that leaked image that circulated the web a few weeks ago.
Here is the of "Battle Priestess Soraka" that IronStylus mentioned was floating around. Note: This IS NOT and DOES NOT reflect the final skin.

Continue reading to check out IronStylus' full statement on the matter.

Here  IronStylus giving us the low down on what's going on with the new Soraka skin:

"Yes, a new skin was indeed planned and executed on. You may have seen an image of it floating around. Here's the skinny:

Soraka's visual rework was started a while ago, Grumpy Monkey actually created her new base and did an amazing job I feel. He managed to capture everything we did love abour Soraka (hooves, bananas, horn, <3) and injected a high amount of fidelity while simultaneously simplifying, making her elegant. This set the bar for us for any following skin. While her model was being worked up I concepted what is colloquially known as “Battle Priestess Soraka”. However, as we poured resources into her base rework BP Soraka didn’t evolve too much.

As the base rework progressed BP Soraka strayed further away from where we were aiming the base. There was a bit of divergence. Soraka’s base maintained elegance but the BP concept was done far before her rework was completed, putting the skin in too much of a vacuum. By the time that her base was at completion, we evaluated BP Soraka and found it lacking for the prescient we had set with her base. It felt chunky rather than elegant. It didn’t quite mesh with her animations either. Particles were in good shape, but the skin itself lacked synergy. So, we put off BP Soraka for further iteration.

What we want to do is to release a skin that’s up to expectations which we have set for her new base. This may or may not culminate in the release of BP Soraka. We’re currently evaluating and iterating. In fact I’m most likely going to be the one who’s doing the iteration on the concept!

Hopefully that clarifies some things. We know fans are clamoring for a new Soraka skin and we want to deliver. We want to make sure the skin is up to par with the bar we’ve set with her new base. Right now as she stands BP Soraka is not up to snuff. We’ll see where she ends up!"
 For your convience, here is a comparison between the Leaked Battle Priestess Soraka image and the newly updated Soraka model.

But how could this happen? Why would they start producing a new skin without the new model totally completed? IronStylus spoke to this, saying:
"Her base model was for the most part done, but it had a lot of polish passes and tweaks as 3D and animation work progressed. Depending on the state of a model and its subsequent rig work can be done on a skin without the base being completely final. BP Soraka just didn't really evolve into anything as fresh as the base.

I actually really like the idea as she's a bit of a paladin. That's what inspired me to work on the skin. Actually it was one of the first concepts I did when I worked on the Skins team. However, looking at it now I don't feel it's the best execution and doesn't really hold up. I will probably end up tweaking it heavily or maybe redoing it depending on if we decide that it's appropriate.

I'm cool with any skin for her actually, from banana suit to demon. I think they're all great ideas! Whatever we release next for her simply needs to fit with the quality we've established and what is core to Soraka as a character."

103 comments

  1. Replies
    1. udyr is a useless champ in real play... he needs to be reworked if they'll make anything about udyr.

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    2. AND NEW SKIN FOR KAYLE TOO ... she really need a new skin oh and an update too .. her wings looks funny ...

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    3. I think on first place to rework model and skin should be SIVIR, UDYR, ANNIE(model rework) and TWISTED FACE

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    4. Dear Lord, the first place that needs to be reworked is taric, that man looks dumb with about everything he does, they gave him decent skin a long time ago, but then made him look dumb in game... fix taric please

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    5. You r not right in the head,right?Kayle has received a remodel a long time ago and her wings now look awsome.If some1 need a remodel in wings thats Morgana.He wings look like chicken's!

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    6. I think next should be Nidalee, Annie and Morgana. :)

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    7. Oops. And Sivir too, Sivir needs an extreme make-over really bad. ;A;

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    8. Yeah, Sivir would definitely need that.

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    9. Agreeing with Lauren :)

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    10. Agreeing with Raptor! :D

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    11. I also would not mind TF, Ryze, Veigar, Sion, Kassadin and Singed.
      With Sion, TF and Singed pretty much in the model remake que.

      With lesser priorities being
      - Xin Zhao
      - Garen
      - "DAT FACE" Poppy
      - Mantheon
      - LeBlanc
      - Heimerdinger
      - Tristana
      - Mordekaiser
      - Shaco( http://goo.gl/cAEhI )
      - Warwick
      -

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    12. udyr is a useless champ in real play?? must be in 900elo..udyr is currently a god tier jungler in high elo plays..

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    13. Kayle??? ...since when do you play LoL ?

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    14. WHERE IS THE DAMM VOLIBEAR SKIN?!

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    15. I have to agree that Kayle need an update .. sure she has been updated before but her wings does look funny and a new skin with a different particles won't hurt .. She needs an update ... hmm and i wonder if Riot would make a skin base on celeb like ... Katy Perry Nidalee or Bieber Amummu .. haha The Ammumu hair flip hahaha ... i buy that skin .. lol

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    16. Give Rumble skin plz!

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    17. In the skin department: trundle, rumble, udyr, karma. And I'm in complete agreement that taric needs rework (horribly!)

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    18. If Udyr is a useless champion, tell that to Moscow 5's jungler Diamondprox. If you don't ban out Diamondprox's Lee Sin and Udyr, you're gonna have a bad time.

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    19. NEW SION AND OLAF SKIN PLEASE!!!

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    20. Evelynn needs a skin, actually.

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    21. The guy that said udyr is useless couldnt be more wrong. He should realy consider to uninstall LOL client and start playing tetris.

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    22. The Tetris folk don't want him, throw him in the Superman 64 cult.

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    23. a good cyborg skin for malphite

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  2. Wow, I was just reading up on this on the forums and then i just refreshed Surrender@20 page and found this article, what a coincidence :D

    I agree with ironstylus on this, when you look at the comparison between BP soraka and the new remade soraka, BP soraka looks a bit clunky and heavy like it doesnt really feel like a battle priestess.

    Not saying that too much is a bad thing but its just how the design of the armor for the leaked picture just feels like its too much or doesnt fit the style of the new soraka base model

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    Replies
    1. my bad, meant to say in the final line

      "Not saying that too much ARMOR is a bad thing.."

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    2. I would have posted it up earlier but I was totally out seeing Looper.

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    3. Soraka for President!

      Looper in TS quality? Bawllz

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    4. Looper was pretty good. I don't regret the ticket and ludicrously high popcorn prices.

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  3. Dunno why but she reminds of some kind of fusion between a blue alien from avatar and a protoss unit

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  4. they nerfed her boobs

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  5. took away sideboobs

    sadface

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  6. Speaking of new skins, moobeat do you have any news about the upcoming Halloween skins or Christmas skins? It would be great if there's a couple of new skins out there! ^^

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    Replies
    1. evolved cleavage XD

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    2. There was some leaks about the Halloween skins from an unconfirmed ( yet somewhat reputable ) source saying it's going to be like Zombie Brand, Pirate Ryze, Teacher Fiora, and Headless Horseman Hec or something. I didn't post about them because I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking I have some sort of insider info.

      The same guy who leaked those leaked a bundle of other skins before they made it into the pbe so I s'pose we'll see...

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  7. Evolved Cleavage.....

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  8. So glad that they didn't go with it, way too clunky and heavy looking!

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  9. Why clevage, why? Riot is oversexualizing nearly every female character and this is coming from a guy! I mean, why does Riot have to show cleavage, legs, (skin in general ) on every single champion and most of the time it is very inconvenient too. Not saying I dont like the female body, of course I appreciate it, but in terms of character design ( and I am an artist ) it is a bad decision.
    Soraka wearing an armor but revealing cleavage, WTF? now THATS a good armor. This is an issue with most of the females, sadly.
    Hands down, Aviator Irelia actually is revealing nothing, and I like that, because the character design on her is really good.
    Here is hoping that in the future Riot sacrifices skin and huge boobs for better character design.

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    Replies
    1. Can I just add, Diana is a prime example of a female who is sleek and actually good looking, but wearing proper armour and not some cheap latex suit.

      Champions I dislike Riot making are Sejuani, who are just in a bra and short shorts (and they gave her a crappy lore to try give 'reason' to her near-nakedness).

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    2. But... But... Um... Her legs don't count, they are goat legs! I mean, for the most part...

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  10. Not only did they have to over-sexualize her, but the skin itself looks really frikkin terrible....

    Soraka rework was such a letdown. Dryad was had nothing special except it was a recolour, and the models themselves are too large.

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  11. im glad i fully refunded soraka a few days ago, whatever that battlepriestess will look like it cant be better than as globally hideous as it is already anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Her new model is amazing...And you refunded a 450 IP Champ? Seems like a waste to me...

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  12. ew that hat must go away

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  13. SION and ANNIE are the ugliest charakters and need model reworks before any other charakters

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    Replies
    1. Twisted Fate, Sivir, Taric, Nidalee and Ryze would like to talk to you.

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    2. Lol, he is right. Zoom in while playing as Annie, she is uglier than that awful skin ^

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    3. Nidalee is actually the worst, not only her model but her animations are weird too, it looks like she moonwalks or something. And her splash art looks like from a cheap 80s cartoon.

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    4. eve, master yi, nidalee.

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  14. Actually, that was a dissapointing skin..
    I would never buy that even if I'm a Soraka fan.

    Never.

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  15. what happened to rocketeer tristana =/

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  16. Does Soraka will continue throwing bananas?

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  17. Personally, I love Riot for giving Soraka the attention she deserves. It seems that Support champions are neglected because Riot feels that the "bad ass" champs who score kills need all the skins, and skins that have thought put into them. If they're going to wait a century to rework Soraka, they damn well better be kind enough to give her the most elegant and graceful skin any support champ has ever received! I love you Soraka! <3

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    Replies
    1. Please, just shut up

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    2. Seriously, leave me alone. Don't attack me because you're made fun of in your own life. Sorry you can't get a girlfriend, ever. Learn some respect.

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    3. But whatever, continue making up crap because it makes you feel so cool to harass someone else. I'm not here for you, I'm here because Moobeat is my friend :) bye! <3

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    4. Just leave me alone.. Please..

      Delete
  18. They could release this skin as 520 RP one... that would not be bad price for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. how can you say this? do you know the effects, animations, etc yet?

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  19. Hey Moobeat any darius or varus skin?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well they are both the next new champs to receive their 3rd skin so I am pretty sure Riot is already working on them.

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  20. I want new skin for Annie!
    and they really need to fix the rest of Lux pictures and nidalees! SOO UGLY!

    and A new skin for leblanc would be nice..

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  21. its just a recolor...

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  22. Nidaleee, Sivir, M. Yi, Annie (grow up. they need a fashion emergency xD

    ReplyDelete
  23. Rework TF''s legendary skin plz, nothing special on his legendary skin...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They won´t. They said that they´re going to rework TF and his skins but not his legendary.

      Delete
  24. Looks like a Draenei Paladin. INSTABUY

    ReplyDelete
  25. EVE AND KARMA! they turn me off.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Rumble and Udyr skins please Riot please!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Darius he only has 1 and its nothing special, also for J4,jax,Xin zhao,yorick,Udyr :S....pls morello i beg you and all of the team...

    ReplyDelete
  28. Omg Banana Suit.. MAKE IT HAPPEN RIOT!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. MAKE NORMAL ORIANNA SKINS
    Only the classic is good now... the others looks weird.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Buff rengar skin.. is ugly çç

    ReplyDelete
  31. i like the soraka skin :D.

    also, surrat20 posts for 1-2 days? o.o whats wrong moobeat, u sick? D':

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  32. omg dat sexy goat. hope they change her dance in the new upcoming skin ;D

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  33. evolved cleavage everywhere.....

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  34. I wanna they make morgana remodel,or at least make morgana and kayle model taller...try to put a syndra or any other normal female champ near morgana or kyle and u will see a kid and an adult..my dear morgana is more a fallen hobbit angel.

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