Rammus

No one can say for certain what Rammus is.

Opinions range from demigod to sacred oracle, with a few holding that he is simply a creature warped into its present form by wild magic. Rammus has never tried to end the debate. Hidden inside a spiked shell and revealing nothing, he keeps wandering the dunes of Shurima, a desert empire that once shone and now lies under sand, where its ascended god-warriors are slowly waking. He pays no attention to whichever theory has gathered the most supporters.

He is played almost entirely as a tank in the top lane, and though he looks like a beast, he runs on mana. That detachment works like armor of its own. Spiked Shell, his passive, adds bonus Attack Damage that rises with his Armor and Magic Resistance, so the shell is both his defense and his source of power. Powerball sends him rolling at enemies, damaging and slowing whoever he hits, and it also lets him cross the map quickly or escape a fight that has turned against him. Defensive Ball Curl has him tuck into a stance that greatly raises his Armor and Magic Resistance and reflects damage back at anyone who strikes him. Frenzying Taunt compels an enemy champion or monster to charge recklessly at him. Soaring Slam, his ultimate, launches him into the air and then crashes him onto a target area, damaging and slowing enemies, and it adds a knockup if he touches down while already rolling in Powerball. If he taunts an enemy standing near a friendly tower, that tower becomes an unknowing weapon against them. Late in the game, Rammus can also break off from a losing fight and take down towers by himself. The instant Defensive Ball Curl ends, however, his stats drop far below a typical tank’s, and the heavy Armor he usually builds offers little protection against magic damage. Other Shuriman figures, such as the buried god-warrior Azir and the scavenger Akshan, at least have origins that people largely agree on. Rammus gives no such certainty, and has no interest in doing so.