There are plenty of strong Assassins in League of Legends that can dish out massive damage in one fell swoop. However, none of them can match the cunning and mobility that Talon has over the terrain. Here’s everything you need to know to get you started playing this noxian assassin.

Talon’s title is the Blade’s Shadow. Apart from sounding super badass, it’s also incredibly appropriate considering the play style that this champion has. Talon is one of those blink and you’re dead champions that can one shot squishies without breaking a sweat. The best part about him is how easy he can get away with doing this thanks to his unreal ‘parkour’ skills. His roam potential is insane and his early kill pressure is super high. This is a champion that can and will kill you even if he doesn’t have items. So, getting a lead early on wouldn’t be a problem unless he is matched up with a champion that can counter him. 

Unlike most assassins, Talon doesn’t exactly fall off in the later stages of the game. In fact, he gets stronger and more oppressive especially to champions that aren’t all that durable like mages, enchanters, and marksmen. If you like playing aggressively and making a quick exit, Talon is the perfect champion for you to main.

Abilities

Talon’s kit is all about dealing tons of damage in a short amount of time while remaining extremely mobile. He does well in a solo lane and gets even better once he starts roaming. 

Passive –  Blade’s End

Talon’s spells Wound champions and monsters for 6 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. When Talon basic attacks a target with 3 stacks of Wound, he bleeds them for physical damage over 2 seconds (deals 105% damage against monsters).

This is a great passive ability that synergizes well with Talon’s entire kit. You can think of this as the core of his combos. Utilizing Blade’s End will make Talon’s damage hurt even more while increasing his overall DPS.

Q – Noxian Diplomacy

Talon leaps to a target and deals physical damage. If cast from melee range, Talon does not leap but instead critically strikes, dealing 150% damage. When Noxian Diplomacy kills a unit, Talon regains health and refunds 50% of its cooldown.

This is Talon’s biggest source of burst damage. It functions as a gap closer as well. You’ll be using this mostly to proc Blade’s End and deal as much damage as you can. Noxian Diplomacy is pure unadulterated damage.

W – Rake

Talon tosses a volley of blades, dealing physical damage to units hit and returning to him after a delay (deals 130% damage to monsters). On their way back to Talon, the blades deal additional damage and slow the enemy for 1 second.

You can think of this ability as Talon’s bread and butter. Rake is your primary source of damage in lane. It can be used for wave clear or just poking the enemy when they try to last hit minions. You’ll mostly lead with this ability to start off your combos.

E – Assassin’s Path

Talon vaults over the nearest structure or terrain in the target direction. The vault’s speed is affected by Talon’s Movement Speed. Talon cannot dash over the same section of terrain more than once for a period of time.

This ability is what makes Talon’s roams and ganks legendary. Assassin’s Path turns Talon into a vaulting machine that can easily jump in fights just to kill the enemy carry and then make it back out safely without so much as a scratch on him. While the ability is relatively easy to use, you have to be careful with your timing and keep track of all the terrain or structure you will and won’t be able to jump over.

R – Shadow Assault

Talon disperses a ring of blades that deal physical damage to all units they hit, gains increased movement speed, and becomes Invisible for up to 2.5 seconds. When the Invisibility ends, the blades converge, dealing the same damage again to enemies they pass through. If Talon cancels Invisibility with an attack or Noxian Diplomacy, the blades converge on his target’s location instead.

Shadow Assault deals massive burst damage. That’s pretty much it. It also lets Talon be invisible for a short amount of time allowing him to easily reposition to escape or to go all in on the most vulnerable target on the enemy team. There’s tons of outplay potential with this ability so make sure you use it wisely. Fortunately, it’s very forgiving for beginners in terms of mechanics so don’t worry too much about messing it up.

Runes and Item Builds

For your item builds, your only focus should be prioritizing lethality and damage items. Items that can give both plus a bit of survivability or utility are a huge plus on a champion like Talon.

Starting Items

Talon is mostly played in Mid or Top so his starting items should help him secure an early lead. The best start would be to grab a Long Sword and a Refillable Potion. This gives him tons of Attack Damage early on that he can secure a first blood as early as level 2 if you play your cards right. The next option is the safe choice which is Doran’s Blade and a Health Potion. This gives you damage, health, and a bit of sustain which is perfect for matchups where Talon is at a disadvantage. 

Mythic Items

For your Mythic item, you have three choices. All of these options are great in their own right and are pretty strong no matter what the circumstances are. The go to option for Mythic on Talon is definitely Prowler’s Claw. While Talon is no doubt a mobile champion, he lacks a long range gap closer to get him close to his target. Prowler’s Claw solves this problem and increases his damage while doing so. The active from Prowler’s Claw plus the combo from Talon’s abilities is enough to decimate the life bar of a squishy champion. The next best option is Duskblade of Draktharr. This item gives Talon a TON of damage. It also gives him another chance to go invisible whenever he scores a kill. The last option is Goredrinker and it’s perfect for when the enemy team has a lot of crowd control. This item gives Talon a bit of sustain without sacrificing the damage plus giving him a bit of durability as well. Whatever you choose should depend on your preference but the best option is Prowler’s Claw.

Full Build

After purchasing your Mythic, you should work towards completing your tier 2 boots. For the most part, you should go for Ionian Boots of Lucidity for the Ability Haste. However, if the enemy team has a lot of crowd control, don’t hesitate to swap it out for Mercury’s Treads instead. Next, go for Youmuu’s Ghostblade for the damage, lethality, and mobility it provides. It’s a cost efficient item that gives you a massive power spike. Then, go for Edge of Night for more lethality and a passive spell shield to protect you from damaging abilities. At this point, your next item should be Black Cleaver for the damage and armor reduction it provides. Finish off your build with Serylda’s Grudge because in the late game, most of the enemy team’s carries will save their escape spells for you. Having this item gives your abilities a slow that will help you catch up to fleeing targets.

Other Viable Items

There are plenty of options in terms of items that you can choose from when playing as Talon. The ones we’ve listed above are the items that most players usually swap in for some of the other items in his core build. Try to familiarize yourself with the items pictured above so that you can get a clearer picture of how they work and when to use them.

Runes

For your runes, go with the Domination tree and take Electrocute as your keystone. This will increase your overall damage since Talon is a champion that relies on combos to make the most out of his kit. Next, take Taste of Blood for the healing, Eyeball Collection for more damage, and Relentless Hunter to help with your roams. For secondaries, take Nimbus Cloak and Absolute Focus from the Sorcery tree. These will further increase the strength of his roams and his overall damage. For your rune shards, take double Adaptive Force and Magic Resist.

Useful Tips

1. While some of Talon’s abilities have pretty decent areas of effect, it is best to focus them all on a single target. Remember to pick your target before the fight even begins. This will let you be more effective and more efficient with your kills. Always try to go for the enemy team’s backline like their ADC, Mage, or Support.
2. Talon is countered by champions like Akshan, Irelia, Zed, Zoe, Vladimir, and Syndra. When you see these champions matching up against you, make sure to rethink your strategy and play it safe. Try to get your jungler to gank your lane to help you secure a lead.
3. For your summoner spells, always take Flash and Ignite. Talon is at his best when played aggressively and this set of summoner spells allows him to get that early lead as soon as possible. Exhaust, Cleanse, Barrier, and Teleport are all good alternatives for Ignite as well.

So there you have it! That’s all you need to know about playing Talon in League of Legends. Be sure to check back with us again for more awesome guides on your favorite games. Have fun and we’ll see you on the Rift!