Razer Kraken Pro Neon

I was a very lucky girl this Christmas and was given the wonderful gift of sound.
I had been lusting after these beauties for quite some time and couldn't wait to try them out.

Introducing the Razer Kraken Pro, Neon series. 

For me the visual aspect of the headset was a top priority. I <3 colour! In fact my set up here is a vibrant rainbow of oranges, reds, greens, blues and now PINK!

You can get them in a range of different colours and I can't help but feel a serious desire to purchase them all to make a real rainbow! 

They're friggin sweet!

Check it out...

 Blue, green, yellow, orange, pink (my ones) and purple.

They look smart, professional and totally kick ass not to mention comfortable. It is the exact right blend of neon with the black detailing that Razer seem to do oh so well.

So they can walk the walk but can they talk the talk?

Comfort

Razer boasts unparalleled comfort with its plush padding to create it's pristine listening experience.
Whilst at first touch they feel like your head is padded with clouds, after 4-5 hours my ears are sore as hell! But I'm not going to knock any points off for that and here's why; not only has the headset been field-tested by professionals (not sure what counts as a professional here... we all have ears) but they have been created for optimum length gaming sessions. So if some fool were to wear them for hours and hours on end, they would start to hurt eventually. 

I also know from experience that the padding softens over time and mine are new, so I'm wearing them in like a new pair of shoes.

Sound

In terms of performance.... holy mother of jeebus! I can finally tune out the sound of my little brother raging in the same room as me. I can sink into a euphoria of totally wicked tunes and the sound of me owning someone in a game. 
The sound is perfection and the description on the site detailing a pristine listening experience is completely true.
The Razer Kraken Pro’s large 40mm neodymium magnet drivers are tuned for clear high- and mid-ranges as well as deep bass for powerful lows.Well done Razer, once again you have won the world of peripherals.


Microphone

So I can't review this properly as I forgot to turn off my webcam microphone and could not for the life of me figure out why my friends were pressing the mute button on Raidcall... turns out my webcam mic is crackily as hell and they couldn't hear me.
I hope... either that or they just enjoy being able to mute me... finally.

Value for Money

At £79.99 it might seem like a lot of money. Why pay this much money when you could just spend £15 and get a cheap headset from Tesco?
Because you get what you pay for.
For someone that invests a whole lot of time in front of a PC I can honestly say it's worth investing in. Sure they're a little bit uncomfortable 4-5 hours in, but a cheap headset is uncomfortable from the get go. Why sacrifice perfection and performance for the equivalent of 2 Dominos Pizzas?


The Kraken Poem

Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumber'd and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die
[I just like it... other than the last sentence this is of no relevance to my review]

Conclusion

Buy, buy, buy and thank me later.
The only downside I can find with this beauty is my ears hurt a little after extended periods of time. The performance is incredible, the price is reasonable and as I've said before, they look friggin sweet!

Time to get your Poro on!

The New Summoners Rift Map

So many updates!

So, since it's the game I play the most I figured I would get into League of Legends again as my first post.
There were like a gazillion changes made to everything! 

Let's go...

The look

SR got a major makeover and now it's so pretty! I know a lot of people didn't like the changes made but since they have been implemented not only has my skill increased massively but I also enjoy just being in it.
The last map was messy. The brushes needed a trim, the jungle buffs were a bit boring and everything was as dark as it was miserable.

So what kind of makeover was implemented?
Well not only is the clarity increased and new, more realistic textures implemented but the style overall was changed completely.

Have a look:

Pretty huh!

As you can see in the bottom right the map is now a lot clearer too which makes it easier to call those incoming ganks or take advantage of enemy champion location.

A lot of work went into achieving the desired look. With the previous map being a lot harsher with solid lines, a more natural look was achieved by implementing in more natural 'objects' and using hand painting to create the textures.

As i said earlier, the Jungle buffs were also changed massively in visual respects. 

Here's a complete video covering all of the new changes to SR. It's well worth checking it out.

Final thought?
LOVE IT!
First time I went into the new map I was certain I wanted to witness two things; baron and dragon spawn.
It was a bit weird at first but now I couldn't imagine playing on the old map.
Well played Riot

Vel'Koz The Eye of the Void

Its really nice to see Riot pushing the boundaries of their champion concepts. I've been waiting for another non humanoid to play with and im pretty excited about this one! From the look of his/ hers/ its abilities its going to be a bit of a beast!Its like Kog'Maw and Malzahar had a baby and it was born inside out.... pretty thought right?

So Vel'Zok is the new mid lane champion and im excited to see how people roll him, with what items etc. 

His range is relatively short but being in the mid lane, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. His ult deals harsh levels of uberness but takes a little while to cast making timing skills paramount.

With his Void Rift and Tectonic Disruption Vel'Koz has quite the kiting ability and the curve on his Life Form Disintegration Ray (Awesome name btw) means even Yasou's wall of 'pissing me off' won't stop him.

So lets check out his abilitieeeees.....

Passive: Organic Deconstruction

Vel’Koz’s abilities Deconstruct those they strike. After being hit three times by his abilities, minions, monsters and enemy champions are Deconstructed and suffer bonus true damage. Enemies lose their Deconstruction stacks by avoiding Vel’Koz’s attacks for a short while.

Q: Plasma Fission

Vel’Koz fires a plasma bolt that slows and damages the first enemy struck. Once Plasma Fission hits, reaches its maximum range or is reactivated a second time, the bolt splits at a 90 degree angle. The split bolts deal the same damage and apply the same slow

W: Void Rift

Vel’Koz sends out a straight line blast that tears open a temporary rift to the Void before exploding. Both the initial tear and the delayed explosion damage and apply Deconstruction stacks to caught enemies.

E: Tectonic Disruption

After a brief delay Vel’Koz disrupts a nearby area, damaging and launching all enemies caught into the air. Enemies hit that are close to Vel’Koz are also knocked back slightly.

R: Life Form Disintegration Ray

Vel’Koz channels a ray of infinite energy that follows the cursor for a brief while, damaging, slowing and Deconstructing all enemies in range.

I still cannot get over the ulti name - it is by far my favourite, reminds me of the super powers kids allot their toys.

The Glorious Evolution of Battlecast Vel'koz

[Taken directly from Riot Website - I just thought it was funny]

BY CREATOR VIKTOR

Username: Creator

Password: *************

Subject: BC.Infiltrator

Accessing BC.INFILTRATOR.v3.log2.25

Captured subject suspends itself in mid-air with no apparent wings or jet propulsion. Point lasers and other Void armaments show Battlecast potential. Subject demonstrates high levels of intelligence, but will be bent to my will.

Replacing the organic carapace of Void creatures is quotidian science for me, but the shift to gunmetal and red armor never fails to please my inner aesthete. The creature’s intelligence quotient has been retained, but restrained. The creature only interprets data in terms of how to destroy a target. Any other form of expression has been disabled. I reverse-engineered its armaments, significantly upgrading them to high-intensity lasers and advanced rocketry.

The Infiltrator’s first field test will be to recon a Resistance cell, collect information on the wider network of Resistance members and dispose of the camp’s troublesome leader. Upgraded, evolved and mine, Battlecast Vel’Koz will not fail me.

Lunar Revel

The League of Legends Lunar Revel Promotion.

At the moment, LoL is running a promo where summoners can vote on a chosen path.. exciting right?

Choose between Power, Truth and Freedom

Power:
If battle is the only authentic thing left in your World, choose the path of Power as a fearless, unrelenting warrior.

Truth:
If you know the most honest test against a warrior is themselves, choose the path of Truth and reject brutish violence.

Freedom:
Choose the path of Freedom id you'd strike only at those who dare challenge your liberty

At the end of the Lunar Revel, each Region will be given a path based on its vote count.

You can then earn the right to the Summoner Icons by winning matched games within Summoners Rift, Twisted Treeline, Crystal Scar and Howling Abyss.

But i think we can all agree that what we all can't wait for, is the Skins that are being released for their Lunar Revel promotion.

Lets dive in, Diana style >>

 Diana just got cooler. I dont play Diana, i have done before but ill be buying her now even if only to add the skin to my collection. It is hawsum! GJ Riot :D

 Not only that, but it looks amazing in game too! Check out the video to get an even close look o.0

So next up we have the almighty Tryndamere!
That guy is a royal pain in my ass, but he gets rolled more often than a dice in monopoly so here we go >>

It is by far, the coolest Trynd skin released. Now, ill be able to enjoy seeing this guy on my loading screen. Check out how he looks in game in the video belooooow >>

And last, but never least is Riven. She is most definitely worthy of this uber skin, there was no other champ that could have pulled this off.
This one will definitely be added to my collection!

Awesome in game too!
And i have another video to showcase just how incredible this skin is.
For when i go all out Cosplay, this or the Diana skin are my top two. But how to decide?????


Check it out in game:

And the wards even got a makeover too :D

Im unsure as to how long these skins are going to be available. I'm hoping they will be limited edition skins but id be happy to see them used every game i lane with or against a Trynd, Diana or Riven.

 Revel on Rebels.

Champion Rotation

So this weeks selection is pretty awesome.
I always take the opportunity to try out the free champs as you never know who you are going to like.
Ive also found that if i try a champ out and i hate playing them, i know how they work. So, when i get laned against them i know how long their 'taunt' lasts for or what level they will be picking up that shield.
You should know your enemy as much as possible and this way is free and fun too!

Rengar. The beast of the jungle, i love this champ but have never played him. Similar to the MF and Cait story, i am loyal to Kha'Zix. He is one of my friends favourite champions though so i might ask for some lessons on the almighty cat soon!








Kha'Zix is my jungler. I can always count on him. He is pretty weak sauce until level 6 when he evolves but when he does he is just this incredible beautiful, ugly butterfly beast that elegantly jumps and rips the shit out of you. One to play. Not easy to master. Alex Ich videos have come in muchos handy - Pentakill anyone?




I have never played Rammus. Bad i know, but im not into tanky champs. Also, i feel highly let down by riot that there isnt a Sonic skin for Rammus :( And now that ive said it, you all feel just as bummed out as i do.



This little flying bastard has been the bane of many of my adc games. He cranks it up hard late game so the only way you're going to win is by going all out aggressive early on.








I was told the other day that Taric is a support that i need to try in preparation for ranked games. I tend to take an AP carry support so i can scale later game but the flames i get for picking a Lux over a champ that can offer its adc sustain in lane is pretty consistent.



Ive never tried playing Udyr... i used to think he was a bear. He is not, apparently he is a dude in a bear suit? Im not sure. Evil champ if fed. I'll definitely try him out one day but not my type of champ at the moment.

Aaaaah, Lux. Such an uber champ! Ive play her at least once a day and all those that haven't tried her.. why the f' not?


I'm a Miss Fortune fan and as these two counter in lane i decided to stay loyal to MF. But, one of my friends is AMAZEBALLS at Caitlyn plays and watching him play has given me the buzz over Caitlyn, i brought her the other day and cant wait to land some of those incredible ulti's



This fishy little bastard. Its no surprise he is banned in so many ranked games now. I hate laning against this guy in the mid lane. He's jumpy and solid as a rock. And his uber ult isnt easy to dodge either. This is one of the only champs i haven't learnt to play despite the fact that he is my ultimate nemesis, but since he is free - ill be taking Fizz for a spin around the mid lane as soon as i can!



Ive given Ahri a go and she packs a massive punch on top of her charm. She is fast and quirky but she needs more range before ill play her seriously.

League Placements

So, it finally happened... i've been placed in ranked.

I lost 8 out of 10 matches and went in to Bronze III.
I play at a higher level than this, when i queue with my friends who are Silver I/II I get laned against Silvers/ Golds who have played many more games than i have and i can still totally hold my own.

But, you cant win every game, someone always has to lose. Sometimes you can get queued with trolls or people that go AFK or those that just really really suck at that lane/ champ/ team composition/ game in general. Its all irrelevant though, none of it matters because you can just come out of the game, click Play and go into a brand new match with brand new people and a brand new chance to win.

So, im really excited to burn through the ranks.
Now that ive been placed ill be turning away from normal games and focusing on just ranked games unless the whole group is on, in which case we'll be a 5 man premade and bossing it.

I found this really funny post from a member on the LoL forums 'Katsuhayabi' explaining the Division V in each League using potatoes to symbolise the Ranks - http://forums.euw.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=1358115

So, i think it'll be a little while before i'm in the LCS or before someone pays me to play but im having fun playing the game, developing my skills and being part of this awesome yet sometimes 'troll'y' community.

Gl all, HF.

One To Watch Out For...

So today i checked out  Fnatics xPeke bossing up the mid lane on his Twitch stream - Solo queue, SR (Summoners Rift) as Gragas.
But, the player of the match was not Xpeke as you might assume but their Thresh, Acc name - KissMyHero.
I checked out his LolKing stats and is currently Diamond Ranked, but this guy was setting up kills and plays like he was Ed-freaking-ward!

I would definitely keep an eye out :)

Now check out xPeke bossing Orianna in the midlane: http://www.twitch.tv/xpeke
Enjoy
x

Betting in the office

So, today i challenged my colleague to name all 151 Pokemon in 30 minutes. If he succeeds i have to wear my Pikachu onesie to work for an entire day. If he loses i..... oh. i forgot to make a deal if he loses.....  -.-
Its cool though - any excuse to wear my onesie to work!

:D

So, can you name them all? No cheating :P

Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag

Awesome comic. Completely true.
But then who doesn't like pushing the buttons in elevators?

Live Stream on Twitch TV

So, I've decided i want to start streaming my games.
Originally i wanted to upload the videos onto YouTube etc, my LoLReplays is working but my Fraps is totally bugging out so until i figure out how to fix it this will be the only way to watch me play in game..

So here is my channel: http://www.twitch.tv/akilliegaming
I'll start live streaming later this afternoon, im a total noob at this kind of stuff so it may take a while to get it all figured out.. Ill also be using my cam so you can all make fun of the stupid faces i pull when getting my ass handed to me.


Also, i love subscribers... so you know... click the button. Go on.... :P