Aeris Turns Its Melee Into Three Different Weapons, and I Almost Don't Mind the Price

Act 5 landed today, and between the map pool shuffle and the rank reset, the thing I actually stopped to look at was Aeris. It's a cardistry-themed bundle, all sleight of hand and floating cards, and the melee is the reason to care.

The Melee Actually Changes Mid-Fight

Suit of Aeris isn't a reskin with one animation loop. Your first swing pulls out a dagger. Swings two and three shift it into a sword. The fourth swing goes full greatsword. I've bought melees before purely for the inspect animation and never thought about them again once the round started. This is the first one in a while where the weapon in my hand actually looks different depending on how many times I've swung it, which is a small thing that somehow makes knife rounds feel less like a formality.

The finisher backs it up too. Cards circle the body before flying in, the screen darkens, and a pillar of light shoots up. It's a lot of production for a kill you already won, but I won't pretend it doesn't hit.

The Price Is the Actual Story

Here's where I land less enthusiastic. The full collection runs 9,500 VP. The melee alone is 5,350, more than most entire bundles used to cost for everything included. Individual gun skins sit at 2,375 each. Riot's asking a lot for a set that's mechanically clever but reuses the same card gimmick across four guns and a knife.

Where I Land

I'm buying the melee and skipping the guns. The transform mechanic earns its price tag on its own. The rest of the bundle is just recoloring the same trick four more times, and Champions is a month out. Save the VP.