Averdrian: The Cancelled Astral Guardian of League of Legends
Averdrian was a cancelled League of Legends champion originally designed as "The Astral Guardian" and later renamed to "The Smurf Abortion." Though never released, he left several traces in the game's history.
Development History:
- Initially speculated to have become Heimerdinger, but this was debunked by developer Steven 'Coronach' DeRose
- Lead Effects Artist 'Nocturne' used Averdrian as his forum avatar until July 2011
- Officially confirmed cancelled during the 2010 Harrowing event, where his coffin appeared on Summoner's Rift
Grey champion mask silhouette
Planned Abilities:
- Astral Barrier: Maintained 4 Astral Spirits
- Astral Beam: Fired an unavoidable beam of light dealing damage
- Detonate: Released an energy pulse dealing damage and slowing nearby enemies
- Consume Spirit: Absorbed a Spirit for increased spell damage and damage aura
- Lockdown: Channeled ability that immobilized and damaged enemies
Legacy:
- Astral Beam's icon was later repurposed for Hand of Baron buff and Null Sphere
- Averdrian's icon was temporarily used for Malzahar on the PBE
- Design elements may have influenced later champion developments
Notable Facts:
- Originally designed during Closed Beta 1 (March 25, 2009)
- Part of several cancelled champions including Gavid and Tabu
- The champion's cancellation was symbolically represented by a coffin during the 2010 Harrowing event