Okay, so the argument of this thread is that Hextech Crafting is designed to favor casual players as they won't notice the low drop rates.

I see your point and it is valid. However it is slightly stupidly designed and it's because of something rarely talked about....

The system punishes casual players by locking you out of earning a chest with a champion more than once a season. A whole year practically. Casual players have smaller champion pools and lower chances of getting an S ranking. What few champions they may be able to S rank with somewhat reliably will be sealed away for a year very quickly.

Hell, a high elo player could theoretically seal every champion considered competitively viable in a third the time it takes them to become available again.

Also feels bad for new players who can't diversify as easily (who also benefit more from the free stuff). Imagine finally finding a champ you can S rank with, that you really love, and boom you can't earn anymore chests with it for a whole year. Better go find another champ you love ya newb. Then another! It's like throwing a kid in a lake to teach him to swim. Though I suppose it keeps account sellers from getting easy extra skins on the accounts.

And no, this does not encourage branching out in to more champions as much as a lower lockout would. Once you seal your usuals you play fallback champs you rarely if ever play until they get sealed and then you never touch them because they are champions you don't play and they won't get you chests.

A shorter lockout, even just down to half a season, would result in you playing those fallbacks twice a year instead of once. Thus increasing your champion diversity more.