Spotlight Streamer: Exempt Puddle

Exempt Puddle
http://clgaming.net/live/2379
I am a huge fan of watching steams. I use streams as entertainment, research, and a way to improve. Many of the streamers I watch are well known professionals in the world of competitive LoL, however there also are others that I watch as well. I love watching these streams because of the great knowledge these players have, but also because of the consistency with which they stream.
Exempt Puddle is a platinum player who streams very often. He plays a wide variety of champions covering every role. He explains almost everything that is going on and provides an incredible amount of information and insight. He also plays with his viewers quite often and helps them improve. Viewers are encouraged to upload replays of their games which he will analyze on stream to point out areas you can improve, as well as the areas where you have done well.
If you are looking for a streamer who is very informative and interactive watch Exempt Puddle's stream. Jump in his IRC or LoL chat room and suggest a champion he should play or maybe get in a game with him.

Tips: First Win of the Day

There are some of us who do not have a lot of time to devote to League. There are days when a game can be hard to get in because of time constraints or other reasons, but you want to get your IP for the new champion built up. Getting your First Win of the Day every day is an easy way to quickly stack IP for very little time commitment.
The most efficient way I have discovered to do this is to play a Co-op vs. AI Dominion game. Games are very quick, often lasting under 10 minutes, while still rewarding you with almost 200 IP. I have played Co-op Dominion games that have lasted under seven minutes.  This means your total time commitment for a game is under 15 minutes.
I love to play League, but some days for one reason or another you may not be able to or want to commit an hour or more for that FWotD. My answer to you is Co-op vs. AI Dominion.

League of Artists - KimMundo

Rule 63 Bloodmoon Shen by KimMundo

This is a great take on Shen as a female champ. KimMundo is known for Rule 63 champion drawings and has an extensive collection, as well as other champ drawings, to view in this thread:

http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=1502884

Next Champion - Fiora

Animations

Skins

In Game (unfinished)

Skills:

Passive: Duelist - Fiora regenerates health over 6 seconds each time she deals damage. Striking champions will cause the effect to stack up to 4 times

Q: Lunge- Fiora dashes forward to strike her target, dealing physical damage. Fiora can perform the dash a second time within a couple seconds at  no mana cost.

W: Riposte- Passive: Fiora's attack damage is increased. Active: Fiora parries the next basic attack from a champion or monster and reflects magic damage back to the attacker.

E: Burst of Speed- Fiora gains additional Attack Speed for a couple seconds. Each basic attack or Lunge she lands during this time increases her movement speed, stacking.

R (Ult): Blade Waltz- Fiora dashes around the battlefield striking random champions dealing physical damage. Successive strikes against the same target deal less damage.

Uncle Sam Wants You - Nunu - Tanky DPS (Solo Top)

Nunu has been a favorite champion of mine that was left in an odd place after the changes that were made to the jungle. As counter jungling has become less crippling other junglers gained prominence, and excuse the bad pun but, Nunu was left out in the cold. Nunu recently got some buffs, his passive requiring one less attack to trigger the free ability and the increases to both his base, and more importantly, per level attack speeds. With these recent buffs a hair brained scheme was dusted off in my lab of theory crafting. With a few tweaks to the formula, courtesy the help of a trusted friend and comrade in battle, a new Nunu (tongue twisting I know) was born… 

Wriggles + Metagolem Nunu.

Nunu is a champion that the meta says MUST be played Tanky/AP. With his great AP ratios, especially his ridiculous 2.5/1 AP ratio on his ult I do understand that thinking: AP also gives him improved sustain and a nuke spell. The problem is that his ult is in a way a trap that sucks people in. How often do you get a fully channeled ult off? Landing that ult will do massive damage but it is takes incredible positioning and/or baiting. Too often your ult as Nunu is broken almost immediately this leaves you with your Ice Blast for damage. Once you throw your Ice Blast in a fight AP Nunu is not a threat, he is a support champion. Consume is often useless late game in teamfights because minions are not present and can no longer provide you sustain.

As I discussed earlier Nunu received buffs to his passive and his attack speed (base and per level) which allows him to build himself into a viable Tanky DPS champion with insane sustain. Building Wriggles Lantern, combined with free consumes from his passive Nunu becomes nigh impossible to push out of lane.  Wriggles provides great sustain throughout the game, something AP Nunu struggles with, as well as baron/dragon control.  Nunu’s Ice Blast has incredible base damage and early game is great for harassing enemies. Once you have boots and a phage it is time to whittle down the enemy while you sustain and then pick your moment to engage. Ice Blast, Blood Boil and close the distance. With phage procs the enemy will be almost perma slowed. If you have a competent jungler once you get phage ganks are incredibly strong. The ward you have form Wriggles will also provide you some protection against ganks.

From Phage I like to build Mercury treads next then Frozen Mallet: to be able to perma slow enemies. I then go into Warmog’s Armor, Atma’s  Impaler or Trinity Force depending on the enemy team comp. If I am getting kills or we have other tanky champs I will get Trinity Force. If I need to tank more against AP I get Warmog’s. If I am tanking against AD I get Atma’s.  By building like this I am a threat throughout the entire fight and have the ability to shut down an enemy’s ability to escape.

With this build I give up the ability to nuke enemies to give myself sustained damage. I find that there are far better tanky AP champions available to fit the role people put Nunu into, Rumble and Cho’gath being the easiest examples to list. There are many choices for Tanky DPS, but go out on a limb and give Nunu a try, you may be pleasantly surprised, my friends and I were.

League of Artists

A great drawing of the newest champ to enter the League, Ziggs. This is a truly awesome rendition done by kizeru.

Wisdom of the Summoned

There are many great posts in the forums at the League of Legends website. I like to spend time discussing league and theory crafting with friends. Along my journey I have come across some great posts from fellow summoners on a variety of subjects. I have decided to provide links to these in hopes of encouraging others to both seek out advice, as well as provide the insight that they have on a subject.
My favorite post I have come across is by zsjostrom35. It discusses League in the same way Bill Simmons does basketball in his book, The Book of Basketball. The post does a great job in relating Simmons' principles about team make up in basketball to League. Great observations on the the differences between individual and team success,  individual carrying, as well as team chemistry are discussed.
Take a couple minutes to read this incredibly insightful post and expand the ways you think about LOL.

Beyond the Obvious: The Book of Basketball and League of Legends
zsjostrom35
http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=710238