Is Lillia a Battlemage? A Deep Dive into League of Legends’ Shy Fawn

Yes, Lillia exhibits many characteristics of a battlemage, though her classification within League of Legends is a bit more nuanced. While officially labeled as a fighter in the client, and frequently referred to as a skirmisher by Riot developers, her gameplay and kit lean heavily into the battlemage archetype. She thrives in extended engagements, using her mobility and sustained damage to whittle down enemies while maintaining a safe distance. Her playstyle revolves around building up stacks of movement speed, weaving in and out of combat, and dealing consistent damage over time – all hallmarks of a classic battlemage. Let’s dissect why this is the case.

Understanding the Battlemage Archetype

What exactly is a battlemage? In essence, it’s a champion that excels in sustained combat, dealing magic damage while remaining relatively close to the fray. Unlike burst mages who aim to one-shot opponents, battlemages favor prolonged skirmishes, slowly chipping away at the enemy’s health bar. They often have some form of survivability or self-peel to keep them alive while they deal their damage. Think of champions like Ryze, Swain, and Vladimir – they are the quintessential examples of this class. Their abilities often involve dealing damage over time, self-healing, or some form of crowd control to keep enemies at bay.

Lillia embodies many of these traits:

• Sustained Damage: Her passive, Dream Dust, deals damage over time and grants her stacking movement speed. This encourages her to constantly apply her abilities to extend fights.
• Mobility: Lillia’s kit is all about movement. Her Q (Blooming Blows) provides stacking movement speed, allowing her to kite and reposition effectively. This mobility is crucial for survivability.
• AP Scaling: Her abilities scale predominantly with Ability Power (AP), solidifying her role as a magic damage dealer. Items like Liandry’s Anguish and Demonic Embrace synergize exceptionally well with her kit, amplifying her sustained damage and survivability.
• Sustained Engagements: Lillia shines in drawn-out fights where she can consistently apply Dream Dust and benefit from her movement speed stacks.

The Skirmisher Label and its Limitations

The term “skirmisher” (a subclass of slayers) is accurate to some extent, as Lillia excels at weaving in and out of fights, picking off vulnerable targets. Skirmishers are typically mobile damage dealers who can both dish it out and (sometimes) survive a reasonable amount of incoming damage. However, the label doesn’t fully capture the essence of her gameplay. Skirmishers are damage dealers who don’t have the same kind of burst as an assassin. But they also tend to lack the tankiness of a bruiser/juggernaut.

While Lillia possesses the mobility and damage potential of a skirmisher, her reliance on sustained damage and AP scaling aligns her more closely with a battlemage. Skirmishers typically like items like Black Cleaver or Sterak’s Gage to sustain them, but Lillia prefers straight AP so she can continuously deal damage over time. A prime example of a skirmisher is a champion like Master Yi who can jump in, deal a ton of damage, and get out.

Why the Confusion? Context Clues in the Lore

The confusion surrounding Lillia’s classification might stem from her unique design. She’s a melee-ranged champion who thrives in the jungle, a role traditionally occupied by tanks, bruisers, or assassins. However, her AP-centric build and focus on sustained damage differentiate her from these classes. Her lore also ties in with the magical realm.

It’s also important to remember that champion classifications aren’t always rigid. Many champions blur the lines between different archetypes, and Lillia is a prime example of this. She incorporates elements of both skirmishers and battlemages, creating a unique and engaging playstyle.

Is Lillia Viable in High Elo?

As the data suggests, Lillia has her difficulties in higher elo. The reasoning behind this is that her early game is relatively weak. Because her kit doesn’t allow for as much burst as other champions, it takes her longer to get rolling and get her damage numbers up. High elo games tend to be fast-paced, so she has difficulty keeping up. This is exacerbated by the fact that she is relatively squishy in the early game, making her extremely vulnerable to invades from strong early-game champions like Hecarim and Lee Sin.

FAQs About Lillia

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify Lillia’s role and playstyle:

1. What lane does Lillia primarily play? While her intended role is jungle, Lillia can be a lane bully in Top Lane under the correct conditions.
2. What is Lillia’s ideal build? The typical build involves Liandry’s Anguish, Sorcerer’s Shoes, Demonic Embrace, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and Rabadon’s Deathcap.
3. What are Lillia’s strengths? Her strengths lie in her mobility, sustained damage, and fast jungle clear.
4. What are Lillia’s weaknesses? Her weaknesses include a weak early game, susceptibility to burst damage, and struggles against poke and disengage.
5. Does Lillia slow enemies? Yes, her E (Swirlseed) deals magic damage and slows enemies.
6. Who are some good counters to Lillia? Good counters include Rengar, Akali, Darius, Udyr, and Akshan.
7. Who does Lillia counter? She counters Volibear, Dr. Mundo, Shen, Kled, and Singed.
8. Is Lillia a farming jungler? Yes, she is a very versatile and mobile jungler. As such, focus on efficient farming, smart engages, and utilizing her mobility to dominate the jungle and support your team.
9. What does Lillia’s passive do? Her passive, Dream Dust, deals damage over time and grants her stacking movement speed when hitting enemies with spells.
10. Is Lillia good mid? Data suggest that this is not a good option for her.
11. What are Lillia’s best synergies? Based on gameplay, some of the best Arena synergies for Lillia are currently Singed, Sett, and Shaco.
12. Does Lillia have healing? Yes, she heals for 18 − 94 (based on level) (+ 6% AP) against large monsters and 12 − 139. 5 (based on level) (+ 12% AP) against champions over the duration of Dream Dust.
13. What makes Lillia a fun champion to play? One aspect that makes Lillia so fun to play is her extreme mobility. As a player, it gives you a sense of autonomy and the feeling that you have the ability to do whatever you wish and go where you wish.
14. What type of Fae is Lillia? Lillia is a Fae Fawn, a magical being born from dreams of the Dreaming Tree, connected to the Spirit Realm, that combines the traits of both animals and plants.
15. How can I improve my gameplay with Lillia? To improve your gameplay, focus on mastering her jungle pathing, learning to kite effectively, and understanding when to engage in team fights. This is further explained at the Games Learning Society, where they analyze effective learning and educational games. GamesLearningSociety.org creates games to promote knowledge and education, which is a great way to learn anything!

In conclusion, while officially a fighter/skirmisher, Lillia’s gameplay and kit strongly resemble those of a battlemage. Her sustained damage, AP scaling, and reliance on mobility make her a unique and engaging champion that defies easy categorization. As you continue to explore Lillia, remember to adapt your playstyle to your team composition and the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. Good luck, summoners!