ByronicHero dropped by the forums today to give us a sneak peak at yet another hero: Ezrael. I’m much happier about another hero release knowing that Twisted Treeline is heading to matchmaking soon. Also, Ezrael is ranged, which adds another hero to the short list of toons I choose from when my team goes all melee. Does that happen to anyone else as often as it happens to me?

Here’s the text from the official post:

As you may have noticed, we’ve been releasing some champions that really challenge existing gameplay paradigms. And this next one is no exception. In addition to a haircut that defies the very laws of physics, the latest and greatest from our design team is sporting some pretty edgy magical abilities. Meet Ezreal the Prodigal Explorer, a champion who breaks new ground – in both gameplay and fashion – here at the League of Legends. If you’re feeling rather passionate about skill-shots these days, start getting excited, because this particular gentleman should really scratch that itch.

So far so good. I am a pretty big fan of skill shots, though I don’t think they’re necessary for a hero to be fun. There is no official word on the ability list, but someone on the EU forums dug up a screenshot of his potential abilities, presumably from the test realm.

Mystic Shot (Q) – Ezrael fires a bolt of energy dealing 40 + 100% of his attack damage as magic damage. Ezrael’s cooldowns are reduced by 1 second if Ezrael hits a target.

Essence Flux (W) – Ezrael fires a fluctuating wave of energy that only hits champions. Enemy champions: deals 75 magic damage and reduces attack speed by 20% for 5 seconds. Allied Champions: heals 75 health and increases attack speed by 20% for 5 seconds.

Arcane Shift (E) – Ezrael teleports to a target nearby location and fires a homing arrow at the nearest enemy unit dealing 80 magic damage.

Trueshot Barrage (R) – Ezrael channels for 1.2 seconds to fire a barrage of missiles dealing 300 magic damage to each unit it passes through. It deals 10% less damage for each unit it hits (minimum 30%).

He’s definitely an odd character, though I wouldn’t quite say he breaks character paradigms. To me he’s like a mix of every “unique” character out there. He’s got a bit of TF, a bit of Nidalee, and a bit of Jax. I can see him benefiting from Guinsoo’s in a big way, and I’m willing to bet a lot of people will build him as a hybrid.

My guess is that we’ll see him live as early as next week. The Mordekaiser preview came just a week before he released.